A new homeowner survey measures the mood and spots trends in relation to builders. It has some cautionary tales if you’re hoping to get work done on your property. The booming UK housing market is fuelling demand for builders, electricians, decorators and the like, but over 80% of UK home owners feel that hiring a tradesman is a frustrating experience. Key findings include:
• The average UK consumer has had two tradesmen visit their home over the past year.
• More than 80% felt frustration with the service they received over a range of issues.
• Over half of those surveyed would pay their tradesman quicker if credit or debit card payment was an option.
The biggest complaints were around general organisation and reliability with 85% of those surveyed experiencing tradesmen failing to turn up as agreed. However, for homeowners that do manage to get a visit, 83% are unhappy about how difficult it is to get a quote/estimate afterwards. Having obtained a price, 84% complain that the final bill is more than the amount quoted.
Reports in the national press have highlighted that many home owners admit to paying ‘cash in hand’, resulting in an estimated cost to the economy of £2 billion per year in lost taxes. The survey confirms that cash continues to be the payment method of choice, used for 65% of jobs. Over half of respondents would pay more promptly with the option of credit or debit card payments.
So tradesmen are missing out on two counts - failing to present professional-looking quotes and for preferring to be paid in folding money. Unsurprisingly, 58% of those surveyed would have preferred to pay via credit or debit card, and over half said they would pay faster if this were an option.
Powered Now provider of a mobile app for tradesmen’s admin conducted the survey. The firm provides a mobile app for iPads and iPhones that helps to manage customers, send quotations and invoices, take payment etc.
View the full survey results
here.
Visual representation of the findings:
Infographic.
So tradesmen are missing out on two counts - failing to present professional-looking quotes and for preferring to be paid in folding money. Unsurprisingly, 58% of those surveyed would have preferred to pay via credit or debit card, and over half said they would pay faster if this were an option.
Powered Now provider of a mobile app for tradesmen’s admin conducted the survey. The firm provides a mobile app for iPads and iPhones that helps to manage customers, send quotations and invoices, take payment etc.
View the full survey results here.
Visual representation of the findings: Infographic.
