Finding Reliable Tradesmen, whether it’s a handyman, plumber, painter or decorator, etc can be quite time consuming
Finding The Right Tradesman You Can Trust ain’t easy. Especially if you don’t know where to start. Here are some tips below to help you on your way…
Check facebook & google reviews along with their dates. Reviews from 10 years ago don’t cut the mustard.
Check if reviews have any connection to the business, e.g. friends or family. 10 positive reviews from a sister, brother, brother-in-law, etc, can give a false sense of security. Don’t buy it.
Watch: Comebacks after a rogue tradesmen & future prevention with trusted tradesmen
Check if the business is registered
By visiting CRO.ie . Check for an address, preferably a full address and connect this to the website. At least if you have this info, you have some comeback.
Check What The Review Relates to
ABC Web design’s the best websites. They also develop ecommerce websites. You are in the market for an ecommerce website. ABC Web have 100 positive reviews. You click into the reviews. They have 90 positive reviews for developing websites. However, on further research, you notice that the 10 negative reviews all relate to ecommerce development. So, at first glance, this all looks quite positive, until you read between the lines.
I’m rambling here but a company might be great at designing websites but not so great at developing logos. If you require a logo, then ask for reviews relating to logos, not web designing.
Warranties, Guarantees & Indemnities
Does the service come with a warranty, or guarantee. Ask for a receipt. Paying through a legitimate source such as PayPal, Stripe or a bank account can help if you require a refund or partial refund.
Qualified Tradesmen
You tend to pay a little bit more for a contractor registered with The Registered Electrical Contractors of Ireland, The Construction Industry Federation, The National Guild of Master Craftsmen , Irish Association of Funeral Directors , or other registered body, but it helps put your mind at ease that they are a legitimate business.
Where possible, pay a small deposit, balance upon completion of the work
This is reasonable and in some cases, if a tradesman requests payment in full before starting, it should raise questions. It differs in each industry. Ask to pay in full upon completion of the work. Better yet, pay a 50% deposit and 50% upon completion. Or 40% at the start, 30% halfway through, then the balance, 30% at the end. This way you and the tradesman gain. If you only offer payment upon completion, you might be ignored over others willing to pay a deposit.