It’s a high standard that we uphold in every aspect of our service. To achieve this, we focus on:

• innovative technology,
• tried and tested processes,
• continuous training for our Automotive Technicians and
• dedication to providing the highest level of care to our customers.

So, as we do every two years, we’re once again putting a spotlight on the signature O’Brien® excellence by bringing together our top Automotive Technicians from all over Australia.

The final of the Best of Australia 2024 is nearly here!

Here’s everything you need to know before the adrenaline-fueled showdown that’s being held on 14th March.

What is the Best of Australia competition?

Started in 2007, the Best of Australia competition is an esteemed event held every two years that pits the top O’Brien® Automotive Technicians against each other in a series of challenges designed to test their skills and expertise.

The winner of Best of Australia, then goes on to compete on the world stage against the best Technicians from other countries across the Belron Group (read on for more detail on this exciting event).

This year, there are seven Technicians who each won their state competitions in 2023 and secured a spot to represent their region at the upcoming final event. We’re bringing together these winners for the ultimate test on 14th March at Doltone House, Darling Island, Sydney.

Meet our Best of Australia 2024 finalists

This year’s finalists are proud to represent their regions for the Best of Australia 2024.

Our seven finalists are:

Bengt Stayte of O’Brien® AutoGlass Townsville QLD
Marco Pieri of O’Brien® AutoGlass Morley VIC
Sam Mullan of O’Brien® AutoGlass Launceston TAS
Nat Rouessart of O’Brien® AutoGlass Tuggerah NSW
Jack Karssemeyer of O’Brien® AutoGlass Moorebank NSW
Jack Collins of O’Brien® AutoGlass North Parramatta NSW
Jeremy Marshall of O’Brien® AutoGlass Coffs Harbour NSW

The winner of the Best of Australia Competition will then go on to represent O’Brien® at the coveted Best of Belron Competition in Lisbon, Portugal this June.

We spoke to one of the national finalists, Jack Karssemeyer, from the O’Brien® AutoGlass Service Centre in Moorebank, Sydney, about the upcoming contest.

“Since I started working as a trainee technician with O ’Brien®, the Best of Australia has always been a dream to aspire to being part of. It’s a unique experience to be able to compete in your field of expertise against other technicians for such an honoured title and get the chance to represent O’Brien on the world stage as well!”

“We’ve spent a bit of time together in Brisbane, with each of use working and training closely with our mentors from the Technical Training team. Our goal is to master the Belron Way of Fitting enough that we don’t even have to think about the next step – it’s second nature to all of us now.”

Jack K. competing in the regional competition doing a Chip Repair

About the Best of Belron competition

The Best of Belron is a biennial global event held across the Belron Group, who is the largest automotive glass company in the world, with brands across every continent worldwide, including O’Brien® here in Australia. This competition recognises the best technicians worldwide who specialise in using Belron’s standard repair and replacement processes, known as the Belron Way of Fitting.

The Belron Way of Fitting captures the expertise and know-how of automotive glass around the world and defines a best-practice approach to repairing and replacing vehicle glass.

This signature process maximises safety, endorses technical quality to the highest standard and places a focus on continuous improvement of the service we offer our customers at O’Brien® AutoGlass.

The finalist for each country is decided through a national competition held by each member of the Belron Group (for O’Brien®, this is our annual Best of Australia event), with the winners going on to compete in the international round against 30 other countries.

Find out what it’s like going to Best of Belron here from the winner of BOA 2022, Phil Cole, who went to Barcelona, Spain.

Gearing up for the finals

The seven competitors, with the support of their mentors from the O’Brien® Technical Excellence and Training team, have now completed their final training phase of their preparation for the upcoming event.

“The finalists have poured their hearts into their work, and we are absolutely thrilled to see them bring their A-game to the competition floor.” – Mohamad El-Chami, Technical Training Manager

Sean Brookes, Head of Technical Training and Excellence added, “I am immensely proud of the exceptional work accomplished by our competitors and technical trainers the Best of Australia 2024 competition. It’s the pinnacle of the technical calendar across Belron, and witnessing the dedication and excellence displayed by all involved at O’Brien fills me with immense pride and gratitude.”

Beyond the competition, the O’Brien® Best of Australia event highlights our company’s commitment to ongoing training and expertise throughout our organisation.

We understand that our success is only due to the success and dedication of our expert technicians and staff, and this ongoing commitment is a testament to the quality of service that O’Brien® provides to its customers right across Australia.

The Technical Trainer team, cheering on the competitors at the final regional event in 2023.

Support your local O’Brien® techs!

If any of these phenomenal O’Brien® AutoGlass Technicians are from your local service centre, be sure to wish them luck before they head off to Sydney to compete for the O’Brien® Best of Australia crown!

We wish all our finalists the very best of luck for the upcoming competition, and we look forward to announcing the Best of Australia winner soon!

Want to join the fun and be part of one of Australia’s most iconic brands?

Fancy competing in BOA in the future? If you think you would, why not consider a career at O’Brien®? We’d love to hear from you!

O'Brien® is always on the hunt for talented people who are looking to start a career with us. Head on over to O’Brien® Careers and find the perfect role for you.

Of course, for all your vehicle glass repair and replacement needs, call 1800 059 829 and speak to one of our expert team at O’Brien® today!

The post Gearing Up for O’Brien® Best of Australia 2024 appeared first on O'Brien.

That’s right, we’ve been serving customers in all kinds of glass across Australia since 1924.

And while a century of service is a rare feat that we’re incredibly proud of, time has truly flown.

What started as a humble silvering business by Frank G. O’Brien in Allen Street Waterloo, Sydney, has steadily grown to become one of Australia’s most iconic brands delivering expertise in home and business glazing, vehicle glass repair and electrical and plumbing services.

• Today, O’Brien® is Australia’s leading
  vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration company, providing a national service to nearly 500,000 motorists in the past year,
• We’ve come a long way, and with a shared passion for excellence and a drive to exceed customer expectations, we will continue to serve customers with high-quality products and service when they need us. To commemorate this special occasion, and to highlight the ethos that has driven us for a century, we’ve decided to take you on through the O’Brien® decades.

The 1924 – 1939: humble beginnings.

Founded in February 1924 by Frank G. O’Brien, our journey began here. We may have been small in size to start, but we were bold in our pursuit of customer satisfaction and employee well-being, and that hasn’t changed.

In fact, it was this zeal for service that led Frank and his growing team to incorporate under the Companies Act in 1930, laying the foundation for our future success.

The 40s and 50s: the war effort.

From 1940-1959, we quickly expanded our services into domestic and commercial glazing, specialising in shatter-proofing shop fronts and larger businesses.

As the World War II threat approached Australia, we were quick to support the effort by manufacturing windscreens for Australian aircraft and hand mirrors for our troops.

It was a trying time, but in the true Australian spirit, we persevered and did everything we could to assist.

The 1960s: mergers and expansion.

The 1960s brought a more peaceful era in Australian history.

In a time of rapid growth and industry, we merged with fellow Australian company, Glass Supplies, allowing us to broaden the scope and capabilities of our complex glass manufacturing and processing.

In 1965, we relocated our company headquarters to Padstow in Sydney (where our head office remains today) and introduced  Armourplate Doors to secure retail shop fronts and large office buildings.

The 1970s: joining Belron Group.

In 1971, we were proud to become the first overseas limb of the renowned vehicle glass repair and replacement, Belron Group.

With the support of Belron and our now 350 employees, we continued to grow and excel in the industry and established two separate divisions: Windscreens O’Brien and O’Brien Glass.

In 1976, manufacturing of laminated windscreens and architectural laminates became integral additions to our service offering in glass.

The company renamed to O’Brien Glass Industries Ltd on 2 March 1978.

The 1980s: expansion and milestones.

The 1980s was an exciting era for O’Brien®, despite the challenging economic conditions.

We started with extending our footprint to 95 branches, employing 800 staff.

Our Building Glass division diversified its product range to introduce the O’Brien Lock Service.

The first ever TV advertising campaign was launched in 1983. This marked the beginning of a range of quirky, yet memorable ads to grace Australian TV (and became part of advertising folklore for those that grew up in this decade). By this time, we were sourcing more than twenty thousand tonnes of glass annually for our automotive business and we solidified our presence across the country by opening branches nationwide.

By the end of the decade, we also reached several significant milestones, including:

• 60 years of operations,
• 1000+ employees, and
• Manufacturing our millionth windscreen.

The 1990s: A branding and advertising focus.

As the 20^th century ended, we continued our upward trajectory.

We continued to achieve record sales growth and in 1996, we launched a new TV advertising campaign for Windscreens O’Brien, showcasing our side and rear vehicle glass replacement expertise, together with our convenient mobile service.

We also refreshed our logo during the 90s, incorporating the distinctive Belron red and yellow symbol, and began to place an increasing emphasis on our customer service – a trait which we are still recognised and applauded for today.

The 2000s: “O’O’O’ O’Brien®”.

After the turn of the century, our windscreen and glazing divisions united under one brand: O’Brien®.

We introduced a new fleet of vehicles across the nation, revitalised our branch signage and forwarded our focus on technical expertise with the establishment of the Technical Training Centre of Excellence for our Auto division.

Then, in April 2005, the iconic O’O’O’ jingle was registered, becoming synonymous with the O’Brien® brand you know today.

The 2010s: advanced tech and service expansion.

The 2010s brought significant advancements in global automotive technology and we introduced best-practice tools like the Glass Medic Repair Kit and 1-Tek®. A formidable partnership with Bosch was formed and O’Brien® launched an Australian first for the automotive industry, our Cal-Tech® ADAS Recalibration service.

Our TV commercials continued to highlight our care and expertise and featured Mark, and our customer surveys were moved online as we embraced the digital future, sought greater convenience, and enhanced our customer’s experience with a new design for our branches.

In 2018, we acquired Laser Plumbing & Electrical, further expanding our service offering to our customers.

The 2020s: doubling down on advanced tech.

The 2020s brought a tumultuous time with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. But as we did during the 1940s, we adapted and persevered.

With the increasing demand for our Cal-Tech® Recalibration services, we strategically expanded our O’Brien® AutoGlass branch locations right across the country and continued to advance our service by introducing the Advanced Repair Technology (ART) Chip Repair Kits and remote headsets for Cal-Tech®.

From 2020, the first of our Electrical and Plumbing franchisee members took up the opportunity to brand as O’Brien Electrical & Plumbing.

Our iconic O’O’O’ jingle gained renewed focus with its familiar sound played across TV, radio, and digital advertising, reaching an estimated 200M+ jingles heard each year.

2024: O’Brien turns 100!

In late February 2024, O’Brien® turned 100!

And while we’ve grown and changed significantly over the years, one thing we are proud of: O’Brien® is committed to the highest standards of quality service.

We’re excited to celebrate a century’s worth of experience, expertise, passion for customer service and pride in our workmanship, but we will never get complacent.

We know that the key to our success and growth over the decades has been the pride we take in our expertise, the quality of our workmanship and our dedication to providing first-class service to every customer.

In 2024, as for the last century, we’re committed to solving your problems with real care whenever you need us, as our leadership team expertly steers our company towards new horizons.

Get in touch with your local O’Brien® experts for vehicle glass, glazing, electrical or plumbing services here.

At O’Brien®, solving your problems is what we do.

Nothing is more satisfying to us than delivering the high-quality service you need with genuine care and expert support.

From vehicle glass, and home and commercial glass to electrical and plumbing services, our O’Brien® team is here for you.

So, call us today or find your nearest expert.

For more images from our history, click here.

The post Celebrating Our 100-Year Journey at O’Brien® appeared first on O'Brien.

Located at 18 Erskine Road, Caringbah, our newest branch commenced operations last month, on February 20^th and services the Sutherland Shire and St George area – meaning you can receive the O'Brien^® care and commitment you know and trust right here in South-Eastern Sydney.

The team at Caringbah have been hand-picked from several of our Sydney Metro branches and has a diverse range of O’Brien^® experience to be able to manage any situation. They’re also loving their new ‘work home’ in The Sutherland Shire and are enjoying the opportunity to explore the region and meet new people as they go.

Outside of work, you’ll find the team down at Cronulla Beach at the end of the day as well as picking up lunch down the road from the branch at Sushi Ji.  They’re always open to suggestions from customers about all the best local lunch destinations to check out too..

Your expert Caringbah team, led by Branch Manager, Pola – who has more than 6 years of experience at O’Brien^® – includes two Branch Techs and a Mobile Tech, as well as a new Customer Solutions trainee, Caitlin.

Here at O’Brien^®, we’ve always got new and exciting opportunities for the next generation of employees, regardless of age or skill set. It’s great to see that Caitlin is feeling well-supported by the team around her and is enjoying her new role.

“Of course, the team at O’Brien^® AutoGlass Caringbah always like to remind our local Shire community about the importance of regular car maintenance: keep your windscreen glass clean, your washer tank full, and have your wipers and cabin filters checked frequently,” says Pola.

A special thank you to everyone who made this O’Brien^® AutoGlass Caringbah branch opening possible!

If you live in The Sutherland Shire and St George area, and need help with repairing or replacing your windscreen, remember the team at O'Brien^® AutoGlass Caringbah; we’re your local vehicle glass experts and are here to assist – and if you’d like to leave a review of your experience, we’d love to hear from you!

To make a booking at our Caringbah branch, call 1800 059 829 now to speak to one of our friendly team or click here to book online.

The post O’Brien® AutoGlass Opens A New South-Eastern Sydney Branch In Caringbah appeared first on O'Brien.

Update 31 August 2021:

Please find below an update following the continued restrictions for NSW, VIC and ACT. We are still open and providing essential and emergency services as usual, with COVID Safe protocols.

In NSW, VIC and ACT O'Brien^® AutoGlass branches are operating as an essential service provider and will continue to offer both a mobile and branch service for vehicle glass repair and replacement, and branch service for safety camera recalibration. O'Brien^® Glass branches will also continue to offer home and business glass services as an essential service provider.

O'Brien^® AutoGlass in NSW
For NSW branches located in and affected by LGA’s of concern, we are operating a contactless service, and now a ‘Drop And Go’ service, which means that customers will need to place their key in a dropbox and leave their vehicle. Customer waiting rooms are also unavailable. Phone details will be displayed on the door for the customer to contact to discuss any job-related queries. Our O'Brien^® AutoGlass branches outside of these LGA’s will continue to also offer both a mobile and branch service for vehicle glass repair and replacement and branch service for safety camera recalibration.

O'Brien^® Glass in NSW
We are still providing emergency home and business glass services to all affected LGAs as an essential service provider. Please know that O'Brien^® adheres to COVID Safe protocols and offer a contactless service. Our O'Brien^® Glass branches outside of these areas are operating fully.

Please contact us on 1800 645 011 if you have vehicle, home or business glass damage, or any questions and one of our agents will be happy to help.

For the latest service updates and changes due to COVID, please check our COVID Update page and Status Tracker here.

Following the latest COVID guidelines, O'Brien^® would like to reassure customers that we are open and our O'Brien^® experts are available to provide essential vehicle and property glass repair and replacement services, and electrical and plumbing services in any affected areas and/or hotspots.

We are working on the latest lockdown guidelines and COVID safe practices including hygiene protocols, touchpoint sanitisation, contactless payment and mandatory wearing of face masks.

Don’t forget we can come to your home or work location as we do offer a mobile service. Check out your nearest O'Brien^® location here.

During these challenging and changing times, we continue to be committed to the safety of our customers, staff and the community and closely monitor the COVID-19 situation across Australia.

We want to reassure you that we’re still here to help. Where we can, we will continue to support our customers, and solve their problems with real care.

If you need help, our call centre continues to remain open 24/7. Call us anytime on 1800 059 829 that is convenient for you.

O'Brien^® AutoGlass services remain open!

We are operating to the new lockdown restrictions, which for our business, means we are still able to provide services to customers requiring emergency repairs.

As customers in states with restrictions can only leave home for certain reasons, we believe it is essential that your vehicle is safe and secure in the event you need to travel, which includes vehicle glass such as the windscreen.

In support and understanding of the requirements for people to stay at home, O'Brien^® is also able to come to you via our mobile service team.

If your vehicle has broken glass that will impact your safety or the security of your vehicle, please contact us for support. If you’re unsure, call us, and we can help you.

What to expect when making a booking?

When you call us, we’ll ask you a series of questions to ensure we can complete the work.

Our technicians will be wearing face masks and adhering to all the necessary hygiene restrictions in place, they may also carry out touchpoint sanitisation on your vehicle.

If your car has a forward-facing safety camera, we also offer a recalibration service after a windscreen replacement for many vehicle types.

O'Brien^® Glass services remain open!

Under the latest restrictions, we can repair the glass in your home or business for safety and security reasons such as broken glass in your windows or doors.

If you have a safety or security concern, you can contact us 24/7 to see how we could help you.

What to expect when making a booking?

When you call us, we’ll ask you a series of questions to ensure we can complete the work.

Our glaziers will come to the place of damage and advise how they will undertake the repair to address your safety or security concerns.

They will be wearing face masks and adhering to all the necessary hygiene restrictions in place.

O'Brien Electrical & Plumbing services remain open!

Our O'Brien Electrical and Plumbing businesses are independently owned and operated. Each business has its own COVID Plan in place. Click here to find your nearest location.

The post COVID Restrictions Update appeared first on O'Brien.

Since 2003, Movember has been the leading charity in helping to change the face of men’s health. A big motivation for Graham Dorries, Branch Manager of O'Brien® Autoglass Toowoomba, in taking part is his four boys. 

“I have four young boys so men’s health is a topic very close to my heart as they grow up,” said Graham. 

Graham is a veteran mo grower and says the key is to “go big or go home”. 

“I always like to aim for a Merv Hughes-type mo.” 

So far, O'Brien has raised over $1,500 for the cause. If you would like to donate to the MO'Brien team this Movember, click here. 

The post Team MO’Brien Supports Movember appeared first on O'Brien.

Daniel Lewis, Head of Central Operations, O'Brien^® said the response from his team to the recent storms in South East Queensland that created an excess of $60 million in damages, is proof the O'Brien^® team is well poised to respond to other similar storms in the coming months.

“Our priority always is to ensure that we can answer the incoming enquiries as efficiently as possible and give our customers a booking or a clear indication of when someone will be back in touch to arrange this for them,” said Daniel.

Although O'Brien^® monitors weather patterns and follows the Bureau of Meteorology for weather updates, quite often the most reliable indication that a storm has struck and caused damage is when the phones start running hot.

“Patterns of calls to our Customer Solutions team will always confirm exactly where that storm has struck and gives us the initial indication of its intensity,” said Daniel.

Once that has been confirmed, a task force including the regional and branch managers in the affected areas and the Customer Solutions team is established to ensure calls can be answered and request for bookings made. The effort doesn’t stop there, however, as all departments in the O'Brien^® network also step up in times of emergency to support the operations team and continue to provide our expert service to all customers across the country.

“Each of these teams will ramp up their resources appropriately and quickly. Customer Solutions and the Central Administration teams will all pitch in to create new capacity to deal with the volume of calls. At the same time, we open up as much capacity as we can so as to be able to solve as many customer problems as quickly as possible. Then we rally the techs across the country to get as many into the affected area as we can. The central teams work to organise flights, meals, accommodation, tools and admin support to make it all happen.”

Getting the techs on the ground is vital as well as ensuring the additional stock of glass and windscreens will be ready and available in the area. All of this happens on day one. The central team continues to work together to flex resources up or down as needed.

“The most recent storm in South East Queensland hit at around 2 pm on Saturday 31 October. Over the rest of that evening and all day Sunday, we experienced 20 times the amount of calls we would normally. People were calling through to report hail damage to windscreens, building glass and even solar panels! Everyone across AutoGlass, Glazing, Electrical & Plumbing has worked together brilliantly; pulling extra shifts, working overtime and evenings to ensure our customers get serviced.”

Daniel is especially proud of the teams’ response to the latest storm, the first since COVID restrictions.

“I am one on the lucky ones that get to see all parts of a storm response and whilst all of the things listed above are amazing, for me the most impressive thing is that we get to see our entire company work collaboratively for the same purpose but in such a caring way for each other and our customers,” said Daniel.

The post A Lightning Quick Response to Storm Season appeared first on O'Brien.

NEW RESTRICTIONS IN VIC ANNOUNCED

We are still open and our O'Brien^® experts are available to provide vehicle and property glass repair and replacement services. We are working to the latest lockdown guidelines and COVID safe practices including hygiene protocols, touchpoint sanitisation, contactless payment and mandatory wearing of face masks. Don’t forget we can come to your home or work location as we do offer a mobile service. For Electrical & Plumbing services or if you are in an area operated by an O'Brien^® Authorised Dealer, please contact them directly, check out your nearest O'Brien^® location here.

During these challenging times, we continue to be committed to the safety of our customers, staff and the community. We are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation in Victoria and taking advice from the Department of Health and Human Services.

We want to reassure you that we’re still here to help. Where we can, we will continue to support our customers across Victoria, and solve their problems with real care.

If you need help, our call centre continues to remain open 24/7. Call us anytime on 1800 059 829 that is convenient for you.

O'Brien^® AutoGlass services remain open across Victoria

O'Brien^® AutoGlass is working to the new ‘circuit breaker’ restrictions, and for our business, this means we are still able to provide services to customers requiring emergency repairs.

As Victorians can only leave home for one of five reasons, we believe it is essential that your vehicle is safe and secure in the event you need to travel. A Certificate of Roadworthiness (RWC) in Victoria is required in some circumstances to check that a vehicle is in good condition for safe use on public roads. This includes parts of the vehicle such as the glass in the windscreen. For more information on RWC, please click here.

In support and understanding of the requirements for people to stay at home, O'Brien^® is still able to come to you via our mobile service team.

If your vehicle has broken glass that will impact your safety or the security of your vehicle, please contact us for support. If you’re unsure, call us, and we can help you.

What to expect when making a booking?

• When you call us, we’ll ask you a series of questions to ensure we can complete the work.
• We’ll come to you via our mobile service teams.
• Our technicians will be wearing face masks and adhering to all the necessary hygiene restrictions in place.

What if your car requires Cal-Tech^® recalibration?

If your car has a forward-facing safety camera, we also offer a recalibration service after a windscreen replacement for many vehicle types.

O'Brien^® Glass services remain open across Victoria

Under ‘circuit breaker’ restrictions, we can repair the glass in your home or business for safety and security reasons such as broken glass in your windows or doors. If you have a safety or security concern, you can contact us 24/7 to see how we could help you.

What to expect when making a booking?

• When you call us, we’ll ask you a series of questions to ensure we can complete the work.
• Our glaziers will come to the place of damage and advise how they will undertake the repair to address your safety or security concerns.
• They will be wearing face masks and adhering to all the necessary hygiene restrictions in place.

O'Brien Electrical & Plumbing services remain open across Victoria

Our O'Brien Electrical and Plumbing businesses are independently owned and operated. Each business has its own COVID Plan in place. Should you require electrical or plumbing emergency services, please ask your local O'Brien business about their COVI Plan. Click here to find your nearest location.

Wherever we can, we will continue to service and support our customers while complying to the latest changes in the government regulations to keep our customers, staff and the community safe. You can always contact us 24/7, so if you have any questions, one of our friendly call centre agents will be there to assist.

The post VIC COVID Circuit Breaker Restrictions Update appeared first on O'Brien.

NEW RESTRICTIONS IN VIC ANNOUNCED | READ OUR UPDATE

We are still open and our O'Brien^® experts are available to provide vehicle and property glass repair and replacement services across Victoria. We are working to the latest lockdown guidelines and COVID safe practices. Click here for details on how we are continuing to support customers in Victoria.

During this uncertain time, our teams across Australia continue to be available to service your vehicle glass, glazing, electrical and plumbing needs.

We are monitoring the COVID-19 case numbers and outbreaks across Australia on a daily basis and putting the required changes in place according to the latest government regulations.

The below information continues to be applicable across Australia and contains everything you need to know about how O'Brien^® continues to operate and support customers during these times. 

Working with O'Brien^® during COVID-19

We’re still here for you! At O'Brien^®, we’re trusted around the country by Australians to help – and we believe that should not change during times like this.

To help ensure the safety of our team members, customers and the general public we are constantly adapting to the changing regulations. This way, we can still fix your problem while focusing on making the right choices to keep everyone safe.

We’re offering contactless in-branch and mobile payments and services to help limit physical contact between our staff and customers.

Here are the important and latest updates you should know.

1. What we are doing: continuing to increase hygiene practices as required

In accordance with the advice provided by the Australian Government, we have implemented new policies and hygiene practices to help protect you, and our staff. Some of these include:

• We are in constant communication with our colleagues, including our technicians and glaziers, to ensure that they are healthy and are following the latest advice from the Australian Government.
• We’re offering contactless in-branch and mobile payments and services to help limit physical contact between our staff and customers.
• We are following social distancing practices and will maintain a 2-metre distance between customers and colleagues – this includes not shaking hands.
• Our technicians and glaziers will be wearing disposable gloves throughout your appointment and will dispose of them when finished.
• Our technicians and glaziers are wiping down all tools, work areas, and common items like keys, with appropriate cleaning materials whilst completing your job.
• Our technicians are cleaning their hands before, and after, every appointment.
• We’ve increased the cleaning regime in our branches, particularly in commonly used areas and for commonly used tools.
• Hand sanitiser has been provided at all branches for customers to use upon entering and exiting the building.
• The mandatory use of face masks in locations across Victoria.

2. What to expect when making a booking

To keep everyone safe, we are asking you a series of health-related questions to help manage your appointment. This will include:

• Have you, or anyone in the household tested positive for COVID-19, or are awaiting test results?
• Do you fall into a category where you should be self-isolating for COVID-19? For example, close contact with someone with COVID-19, been told to isolate, recently arrived back in Australia (last 14 days)?
• Do you, or anyone living with you, have any flu-like symptoms, a fever, cough, or shortness of breath?

Depending on your answers provided, we will work with you on the best way forward to support your needs.

After a booking is made, if you start to develop flu-like symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, fever or shortness of breath, please call us immediately on 1800 059 829  so we can help to manage your appointment.

3. What to expect when visiting an O'Brien^® branch

As the situation for COVID-19 is ever-evolving, instructions may change by state and by branch, so please read the notice on the branch door before entering.

To help protect each other, we respectfully ask all customers to follow social distancing rules and/or government guidelines.

In addition to our increased hygiene protocols, if you’ve booked your vehicle into one of our branches, you may see our team complete a Touchpoint Sanitisation service. This service is being conducted in locations across Australia where the government has raised COVID protocols. It involves sanitising your vehicle particularly around the door handle and steering wheel of your car – this is just to further help ensure the safety of everyone. Please read our procedure here.

4. What to expect when an O'Brien^® employee comes to your home or business

On arrival, our team will be asking the same health questions asked at the time of your booking, to ensure your circumstances have not changed. Plus they will be following our increased hygiene practices and any government regulations.

When undertaking the work, they will tell you exactly what they will do before they enter your home, business or vehicle and will clean all surfaces they touch with antibacterial wipes before and after your job. This will include any objects handed over during our processes, like car keys or house keys.

We’re always here for you

Our call centre is open 24/7 so you can always reach us about your vehicle glass, glazing, electrical and/or plumbing needs.

With the continued outbreak of COVID-19 across Australia, we want to reassure you that we are taking all precautionary measures to help protect you and to minimise the risk of further spread. Our teams are taking advice from the Australian Government and monitoring the situation daily, all to help ensure that we take the necessary steps to protect you.

We will continue to adapt to the changing government requirements, and we will continue to work hard to serve our local communities.

What safety precautions have been put in place to protect me and my family?

For the safety of you and our team, we have put in place additional rules and standards that must be complied with. Our technicians and glaziers have been issued a strict COVID-19 Customer Checklist to ensure consistency and care is taken at all times.

This includes hygienic practices such as frequent hand washing, wiping down tools and cleaning all surfaces. They may be wearing a mask and gloves, will remain at a 2-metre distance and will try to avoid all physical touch.

We’re also offering contactless in-branch and mobile payments and services to help limit physical contact between our staff and customers.

What if I feel a little unwell?

It’s important to answer our health-related questions honestly, when you make a booking over the phone, upon arrival at a branch or when our technicians and glaziers visit your home or premise. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the virus, it’s difficult to determine if someone has a normal cold or flu or COVID-19.

Because of this, if you are feeling unwell, sneezing, coughing or feeling short of breath, it’s best to let us know in advance by calling 1800 059 829 so we can help to manage your booking.

What happens if I become unwell between when I booked in my job and when my job takes place?

If you start to develop symptoms such as coughing, sneezing or fever, please call us immediately on 1800 059 829 so we can help to manage your booking.

If you have a job booked with us you may have received a booking confirmation email and/or SMS and you can change your booking via the link provided.

If you have booked an Electrical or Plumbing appointment, please contact your local Electrical or Plumbing Member.

What happens if I think I’ve been exposed to COVID-19?

If you have a booking with us, please call 1800 059 829 prior to your appointment and we will reschedule your booking to help keep both our staff and you safe.

If you have booked an Electrical or Plumbing appointment please contact your local Electrical or Plumbing Member.

Are you still able to come to my home/business to complete the job?

As long as you haven’t answered yes to any of our health questions, we are still able to do so. We’ve stepped up our hygiene practices and added precautionary measures so we can still come to your home/business as well as complying and adapting to any changes in Government regulations.

As part of their visit, our team will practise good hygiene, depending on the circumstances and changes in Government regulations may be wearing gloves and a mask, they will wipe down surfaces that they’ve touched and will be maintaining a 2-metre distance at all times.

What method of payment do you accept?

We accept debit cards and major credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. To maintain a safe social distance, as recommended by the Government, we ask that you make a pre-payment over the phone.

Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support.

Please know that we have your best interest in mind during these uncertain times and we are endeavouring to continue to provide the best service that O'Brien^® is known for.

We look forward to continuing to work with you on your vehicle glass, glazing, electrical and/or plumbing needs.

The post O’Brien® COVID-19 Update appeared first on O'Brien.

A local high school in Sunnybank, QLD is paving the way towards helping graduate Year 12 students finding full-time work in the future. Sunnybank State High School has started the ‘Year 13’ initiative with teachers providing practical help finding, preparing for, and securing work.

2018 graduate, Ali Maisam was among the first students to partake in the newly established Year 13 program. The 18-year-old refugee from Afghanistan knew he wanted to be an electrician, but had no idea where to start. After discovering Ali struggled to get interviews or work (despite applying for dozens of electrical apprenticeships) O'Brien Electrical & Plumbing Coopers Plains decided to take part in the program by inviting Ali to join their team.

Images courtesy of ABC News: Allyson Horn

The program has been a huge success so far, not only for the students but also for local business and workplaces – 96% of last year’s graduates are now in full-time work or study, and nearly 20 students from outside Sunnybank State High School also joined the program.

For more information about the initiative, contact O'Brien Electrical & Plumbing Coopers Plains
or read the full ABC article here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-07/high-school-graduates-attend-year-13/11653506

Licences

O'Brien Group Services Pty Ltd | ACN 132 161 285 | NSW Lic. No 333269C | QLD Lic. No 15117259 (issued under the Queensland Building
and Construction Commission Act 1991) | ACT Lic. No. 201935 | SA Lic. No. PGE 291631 | NT Lic. No. C 9336 | TAS Lic. No. 15606548

The post Year 13 – Nurturing future Electricians appeared first on O'Brien.

The scoring criteria was extremely thorough and covered health and safety, working methods, car and customer care, as well as final quality and speed of completing the job. Even though our O'Brien® (and Australian) representative Jason Tomlinson didn’t win, he made us all so proud! His hard work and dedication leading up to and during the competition was a true representation of an O'Brien® expert. Congratulations Jason, and we can’t wait for Best of Belron® 2020!

The post And the best of Belron has been decided! appeared first on O'Brien.