Top 10 things you should never do when hiring a tradesperson

Dusty work conditions, hagglers, and indecisive customers have been highlighted as some of the biggest pet peeves of tradespeople working across the UK.

Have you ever hired a tradesperson to help complete a job in your home or workplace? As the demand for tradespeople has increased by 50% in two years, it’s likely that if you haven’t already, you will be looking for one soon.

For those who have hired tradespeople, hopefully you haven’t forgotten to offer the tradesperson a drink! Or are you guilty of following them around your house while they’re hard at work?

If so, you may be adding to your local tradesperson’s list of pet peeves.

With over 26,000 tradespeople in London alone, there are professionals to cover almost every job or issue that you can think of. However, it’s important that we respect our tradespeople and don’t irritate them to the point where they’re tempted to refuse your custom next time you’re in the market for a tradie.

The trade insurance experts at Toolbox have researched and highlighted 10 of tradespeople’s biggest pet peeves:

1. Delayed payments

Whether you’re expected to make a deposit payment, a payment before work is complete, or a payment after work is complete, you should never delay the payment so the tradesperson receives it after the agreed date.

Once you’ve agreed to the work being done, whatever the scope of work is, you should ensure that you’re going to be able to make full payments for the work as and when they’re needed and agreed to be paid.

Tradespeople often suffer from a loss of income and this can cause a multitude of issues, especially when they’re self-employed.

2. Price hagglers 

Although, many people believe that they should be able to get a discount on what they’re buying, whether that’s a new TV, insurance policy, or in this case, work by a tradesperson, it shouldn’t always be the case.

Once a price has been set, as a customer, you should not go back to the tradesperson and ask for a discount once the fee has already been agreed. The tradesperson will have ordered and purchased supplies, as well as booked in time to complete the job for you, based on the initial agreed cost.

3. Indecisive customers

Once you’ve booked in your work, please be mindful not to request lots of changes to the work originally agreed upon.

Constant changes to the plan can cause delays and increase the cost of the project, which is probably something that you haven’t already planned for. So, it’s important to try to have a clear idea of what you want before work begins, as you will need to pay extra for any changes that you make.

4. Dirty workspaces

No one is expecting a workspace to be sparkly clean before the tradespeople arrive to complete their job, however, it needs to be a workable environment.

If you’ve booked work in an area of the home that is full of cobwebs and dust, or is completely inaccessible because of clutter or furniture around it, we’d suggest giving it a tidy before the work is due to begin.

While cleaning the area, ensure that it’s clean and tidy enough for you to feel comfortable working there yourself.

5. Overscheduling of different trades

Although you might be eager to get more than one job done at the same time, to save yourself time, it may make it more difficult for the tradespeople that you hire.

If you hire people from two different trades to work on the same day, you may find that they end up getting in each other’s way or worst case scenario, they may not be able to complete their work while the other trade’s work is getting completed.

6. Following tradespeople around as they work

If you’ve hired a tradesperson to complete work in and around your home, one of the worst things you can do is follow them around your home as they’re trying to complete their work.

The same goes for trying to interfere with their work. It’s more than okay to offer tradespeople a cup of tea or something to eat, or even offer them any equipment you may have around the house that may be of use to them, however, try to leave them to it. They’re the experts, after all.

7. No offers of food or drink 

More often than not, a tradesperson that you’ve hired will be working around the clock to get the job done within the agreed timeframe, therefore, they’re going to spend a lot of time within your home.

Throughout the day, especially if you’re making one for yourself, offer any tradespeople working for you a tea or a coffee, as it will more than likely be well appreciated. You could even leave out some snacks on the side, with a cold drink or two in the fridge for them to help themselves to.

8. Poor communication

Make sure that you stay in contact with your tradesperson and remain open and transparent with them. Ensure that you’re being totally honest about what work you want done, your visualisations, your timeframe, and even your budget, to make sure that they’re on the same page as you.

That said, you also want to ensure that you’re not over-communicating with your tradespeople and overwhelming them with messages and calls when they may be working on other jobs.

9. Unrealistic expectations

Your tradesperson will be very good at their job, but they won’t be able to make miracles happen.

Make sure that your views and plans for the work that you’re getting done are realistic. You may have an idea of your dream room that you’re hiring tradespeople to help complete, however, you may be working with a space that is a lot smaller than the space that you’ve been picturing in your mind.

10. Customers cancelling last minute 

Last, but certainly not least important, is no last minute cancellations! A lot of work goes on behind the scenes of every job, such as the ordering of products and materials, and it all has an impact on finances, and most importantly, time.

It’s crucial to remember that tradespeople are typically balancing multiple jobs. So, respect their time and avoid last-minute cancellations or abrupt changes that could disrupt their schedule or result in loss of income.