Second survey reveals more naivety over rogue traders
21st April 2015

More homeowners judge a tradesman by politeness, promptness – and even whether they take off their shoes – than by references from former customers, according to a new survey by the HomeOwners’ Alliance and TrustMark.

The new figures also show that nearly half would check whether someone is listed in a ‘doorstep directory’ even though these are more often nothing more than paid-for adverts.

These findings come only three weeks after a TrustMark/Age UK survey (The Glazine, Mar 31) revealed that nearly a quarter of older people did not know how to find the right tradesman and only one in 50 based their choice on having the right qualifications.

TrustMark Chairman Liz Male said of the latest figures: “The research shows that the UK is at risk of letting the wrong ones in. Rogue traders are the vampires of the sector, seeking out vulnerable homeowners and taking valuable jobs away from the best tradespeople in the country.

“Checking recent work and up to date qualifications are vital checks – TrustMark is the only scheme that checks live projects, on site, by experts”.

The latest survey showed that 84% of homeowners were impressed by prompt arrival, 51% by polite language and 38% by taking shoes off at the door. Only 39% might want to visit a former customer and 28% would think to ask for a former customer’s written references. That figure more than doubles however , with 81% saying they would rely on recommendations from someone they knew.

HomeOwners Alliance CEO Paula Higgins added: “People don’t want flash tradesman, but ones that show good old fashioned values of listening to what their customers want, turning up on time and giving upfront quotes. It can be a complete nightmare getting the wrong tradesman in, so it is really worth investing the time to make sure you get the right one.”

Previous data from TrustMark revealed that incompetent tradesmen cost UK homeowners £1.9bn between 2013 and 2014, five times more than domestic burglary claims.

http://hoa.org.uk/
http://www.trustmark.org.uk/