31st March, 2014

88% of people satisfied with tradies’ work

A high majority of customers are happy with the professionalism of local tradesmen, with 88 per cent admitting they were satisfied with the most recent work carried out on their property.

This is according to a new NSW Fair Trading-commissioned survey by Instinct and Reason, which showed homeowners most often hire a tradie through word-of-mouth recommendations (44 per cent).

Over one-third based their choice on previous experience with the tradesmen, while 27 per cent used Google or other internet search engines to track down the right person for the job.

Jane Stewart of tradesman co-ordination company Tradebusters said she was surprised at the figures for personal recommendations from friends and family.

"Personally, I believe the figure should be higher, because word of mouth is very reliable," she stated. "After all, most customers won't hesitate praising the tradie work if it's good, or putting him/her down if their tradie experience leaves so much to be desired."

The survey also showed homeowners were willing to take risks, with only 13 per cent claiming it was essential to check whether a tradie is licensed. One in four said they did not know whether the tradesman they hired for the last job on their home had a licence.

Despite this, the research is likely to come as good news for tradesmen, indicating that satisfaction is generally high among customers. However, tradies should still consider reviewing their public liability insurance to ensure it provides adequate cover for those times when accidents or mistakes happen.

Whether it's property damage or bodily harm, the nature of tradies' work can leave them open to public liability claims. And while nearly 90 per cent of people were satisfied with their tradesmen, 73 per cent admitted they believed "shonky" work still occurred in the industry.

Author: Murray Bruce