Plenty of us have had the experience of wasted hours being stuck waiting for someone who never shows up. Do you have concerns when getting a trader in for a job?
Life is busy – none of us want to hang around. Particularly not in these days of instant communication – after all, how difficult is it really to send a text or make a call with an updated ETA?
In fact, not turning up when they said they would, was listed as the number one worry about employing traders by almost two-thirds (62%) of people in our recent survey.
Other issues that bothered the survey respondents were the traders doing a bad job (55%) and the possibility of being ripped off (46%), because of a lack of understanding of the job the trader was doing.
Knowledge is power
I’m always painfully aware of any gaps in knowledge when I have traders round to my home – particularly as I write for Which? Trusted Traders.
However, the second-hand learning I’ve picked up from interviews doesn’t always come in handy. One plumber suggested that I must’ve ‘been on Google’ when I asked him about the possibility of a silted-up heat-exchanger being the cause of my shower running cold!
Being taken for a ride and/or ripped off were also among Which? members’ concerns, so whether anyone thinks you may have been Googling or not, it can still pay to be clued up on the issues you’re having.
Planning ahead
Forewarned is definitely forearmed. Aside from finding out as much as possible about the technical issues you need a trader for, the internet is also a great place to check up on how their business has delivered for others.
It can take a lot of trust to welcome a trader into your home, especially if they’ve never worked for you before. That’s why we’ve written advice on everything from hiring a trader, to contracting and making complaints to guide you through the process.
Personally, I like to read as many reviews as I can these days before employing someone to start work in my home. But of course, sometimes the old-fashioned ways are the best! It’s even better if I can get a recommendation from a friend or neighbour.
Do you share the concerns from our survey when hiring a tradesperson? Do you make the most of online reviews before going ahead? Whether they were positive or negative experiences, we’d like to hear your stories.
Have you had problems with builders and other tradespeople?
No problems. (43%, 188 Votes)
Yes – they did a bad job. (26%, 115 Votes)
Yes – they ripped me off. (18%, 78 Votes)
Yes – they didn't turn up on time. (13%, 57 Votes)
Total Voters: 371
