Name: Robert Briggs (Rob)
Job title: Service Engineer
Tell us a bit about yourself
I was born in Dagenham and grew up in Basildon in Essex. My father served in the Second World War and I am the second youngest child from a big family. I have one brother and seven sisters – mum and dad had no television. I have been with my wife Karen for 43 years and married for 35 years. We have three daughters, three grandsons and one granddaughter. This is all to explain why I have grey hair and a knackered look. I like going to live sports, theatre, cinema and live music. My music tastes vary from classical to heavy rock; mainly gangster and action movies. I enjoy musicals at the theatre and seeing the mighty HAMMERS (West Ham United). COYI!
I enjoy life and try to always look forward and be positive; if you look back you will walk into a lamppost. My family mean everything to me and there is nothing that I wouldn’t do for them, except give up my bed, my chair or miss West Ham if they got to another cup final, share my sweets! Well, almost anything.
Describe your job to a five-year-old
I fix the things that take away your poo poo and pee pee, and clean you when for some unexplained reason your come in covered in mud from head to toe and blame your sister when she is still in her pushchair.
What do you like most about your job?
I love my job and wish I had it 20 years ago, and although we work most of the time on our own, from the very first day my colleagues have made me feel welcome, whether it’s my bosses, fellow service engineers, everyone in the offices at Hull or Armitage. I feel part of a team, which helps when you need advice.
How did you get here?
I started work in 1977 as a £14 per week apprentice sheet metal worker. I wanted to be a plumber but my dad told me I was going into engineering so I did. I met my wife at college and became a fully skilled metal worker/welder. I had various jobs over the years making parts for everything from aeroplanes to gas fires. I managed a sheet metal company for 14 years, dealing with all the problems that come with production and managing people. I overlapped two careers, building and plumbing at the weekends with my mate, building houses from the footings to the roof including drainage, tiling, learning skills in a lot of trades. It was at this time that I got my City and Guilds in plumbing which gave me the paperwork to back up my plumbing skills. I was working for myself when I applied to Ideal Standard and was over the moon when I got the job. All my hard work and training over the years had paid off and I was so happy when I got the phone call to say I got the job.
What motivates you?
I have never really needed any motivation – I’m glad to wake up in the morning. The advice my parents gave me was you have one life enjoy it, so I do. I’m quite lucky that I am a positive person and things don’t really get me down. Although we have had some tough times in our life, I have a beautiful family and that’s motivation enough for me. I deal with things when they happen. As I have said before I always look forward.
If you could swap jobs with anyone, who would it be?
Not sure really. I would have loved to have been a professional footballer, or maybe a film star!
Your favourite song lyric or line from a film?
I have often quote lyrics or lines wrong.
Song would be "Through it all when there was doubt, I ate it up and spat it out, the record shows I took the blows and did it my way” – My Way – Frank Sinatra.
Film would be “He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy” – Life of Brian.
Your favourite app?
I hate social media with a passion but if I had to choose one…The West Ham app.
Biggest facepalm moment at work?
Probably when I was a manager, I used to like a laugh with everyone when appropriate and one of the girls that I worked with jumped out and made me spill my coffee hiding behind the coffee machine. Determined to get her back I saw her coming down the workshop and hid behind some boxes and jumped out arms raised growling like a big grizzly bear only to scare one of the directors. The girl had stopped to speak to someone and he had over taken her. I did get called into the office and told off.