Apr 2014
Here at Nova Insurance we have previously discussed a new phenomenon where traders go online and use websites in order to advertise their services and customers can leave reviews of the work that they have done. These websites are becoming more and more popular due to the fact that many people find it difficult to distinguish a reliable tradesman from one that will cause an issue with their properties or provide sub-standard work. In fact, it has recently been reported that last year homeowners paid just less than two billion pounds to fix errors made by unreliable tradesmen.
A survey carried out by the market research agency ComRes revealed that a quarter of the two thousand people who took part didn’t know where they could find impartial advice about tradesmen, while six per cent of homeowners said that they generally choose tradesmen who provide the cheapest quotes. It’s not surprising to see then that eighty four per cent of the three hundred tradesmen who also took part in the study said that the main reason that most homeowners end up with poor workmanship is because they choose the cheapest quote instead of a reliable tradesman.
It is claimed that one in five of the eighteen million households that used a tradesman in the last year had to pay around six hundred pounds in order to repair sub-standard work, with two thirds also stating that they are not confident in knowing where to report problems. Furthermore, a third of homeowners claimed that they would not know how to get an issue with a tradesman solved, leaving them vulnerable to rogue traders.
Following this study, the government-endorsed ‘find a tradesman’ scheme TrustMark released a new set of standards for tradesmen in order to protect homeowners. Discussing the study, consumer minister Jenny Willott said: “TrustMark gives consumers more confidence in their tradesman when spending their hard earned cash. Every trader who has signed up to the scheme has been independently assessed for their competence.
“We want to put rogue or unscrupulous tradesmen out of business. One of the best ways to do this is to pick out the best businesses, so people know where to turn first for their home improvements, maintenance and repairs. I would encourage all legitimate and honest tradesmen to sign up to this scheme.” Meanwhile, TrustMark chairwoman Liz Male said: “Something that has become increasingly apparent is that people need a reliable and trustworthy source for finding trusted and good quality local tradesmen. This is where TrustMark comes in.
“Unlike many other ‘find a tradesman’ schemes, TrustMark is not an advertising directory or a website that sells leads. It is a not-for-profit organisation which means that is does not make money from consumers. We are using these new standards to set the bar at the highest level for tradesmen, and to empower homeowners to expect the very best from the tradesmen who work in their homes.” With the new TrustMark standards being launched, it may soon not be enough for tradesmen to go online and have their work reviewed in order to be trusted by potential customers.
The new TrustMark standards include being stricter on tradesmen and leaving less room for interpretation of their code of conduct. For example, TrustMark’s licence used to require tradesmen to use “best endeavours” when it came to their work, now the wording has been changed to “scheme operators must”. Furthermore, the TrustMark brand is being changed in order to reduce the amount of people who use their logo fraudulently, and the group are also planning on bringing in harsher measures against those that are found breaking the standards of the scheme.
As a tradesman, this means it may be wise to register with TrustMark in the near future, or if you are already part of the scheme to make sure that you are adhering to their new standards. By being part of the TrustMark scheme not only will you be more likely to find customers, but you will also be able to say that the work you provide is always of the highest quality. If you have been approached by a customer to fix a mistake made by a previous tradesman, you can also give them peace of mind by showing you are registered with TrustMark, as well as have an extensive tradesman liability insurance policy which will cover you and your customer should any damages occur.
