Viewing 26 posts - 41 through 66 (of 66 total)
  • Your tradesman's image – how important is it to you as a customer?
  • mightymarmite
    Free Member

    I ranted previously about a sky install we had booked, first technician turned up, battered white van with no markings, fag in hand, complete with dirty clothing and traipsed dirty boots throughout the house as he assessed were the cabling needed to go. Typical to appearance after much sucking of breath through teeth informed me it was a two man job and he’d have to rebook it. Spent 20 minutes flicking fag ends on the drive and left.

    Week later, two liveried Sky vans (discovery channel) arrive, both technicians wearing clean polo shirts and trade pants (the ones with the external pockets), on entering house both pulled out plastic shoe covers without blinking an eyelid, sussed everything out and had the job complete in 30 minutes.

    They both got a cup of tea and some of the SO chocolate cake, while the first one got a rant on STW.

    People judge by appearance, if you take pride in that then chances are you’re work will reflect with the same level of attention to detail.

    As to sign writing, I’ve booked a few trades after being stuck behind them at lights, I’ve also cancelled a contract after getting cut up by one of them on an onramp so its a double edge sword.

    Its argued marketing / branding is the key to business longevity, and given the low outlay of some vinyl graphics I’d say its money well spent for a mobile billboard, if not just to tell the neighbours of the next job they’d best get their chequebooks out if they want to keep up with the jones’s.

    Leave them with a pen with your name on it, and a fridge magnet that they can pass to said neighbours.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    Thanks for the suggestions & opinions everyone – definitely some food for thought.

    @ Stoner, you are a worry sometimes. 😛

    deluded
    Free Member

    If i was paying for a bespoke service I’d expect them NOT to be wearing a uniform.

    Having some personal knowledge of your appearance DD, I’d suggest you start off by running a comb through your hair and brushing your teeth 😀

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    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    Having some personal knowledge of your appearance DD, I’d suggest you start off by running a comb through your hair and brushing your teeth.

    😳 You caught me on a bad day deluded.

    Still, at least my shortcomings are reversible. You, on the other hand… 😉

    Last time I buy you alcohol…bizzie! 😛

    molgrips
    Free Member

    How much for two lots of stairs and landing in light oak?

    muddydwarf
    Free Member

    Don’t know if this has been covered, but RE: the van sign writing/insurance thing…

    Am mate is a landscape gardener and so has a large van for his work. However, work dries up in the winter (obviously) so he then goes contracting as a delivery driver for another firm.
    His solution was to have some magnetic panels made with his Co. logo and details on them that can be removed when not needed. They look rather smart and make his vehicle look more professional.

    It would mean you could then remove the logo panel and not bollox up your insurance.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    How much for two lots of stairs and landing in light oak?

    Is that a serious question Molly? A whole staircase or cladding existing?

    Interesting muddy – I might look into that.

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    Really just depends what you’re doing. If you’re doing gas/elec I’d want details of who you’re registered with etc so I’d want a sign written van and some ID. If you’re in just to fluff the carpets and rattle a few water pipes I’d probably care less, but a well presented, well identifiable person seems more trustworthy. I dislike the idea of letting an unknown, unmarked person into my home on a sub(butnow)conscious level.

    imnotverygood
    Full Member

    I tend to take the view that the best tradesmen don’t need to advertise & rely on the service they provide to work for them by word of mouth. Therefore, anything like logos or signs on vans I just regard as a waste of (ultimately my) money. In the past I’ve found that the biggest cowboys are the ones with the best ‘image’. Let’s face it. If you are going to con someone then a little bit of bling always helps.

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    I tend to take the view that the best tradesmen don’t need to advertise & rely on the service they provide to work for them by word of mouth. Therefore, anything like logos or signs on vans I just regard as a waste of (ultimately my) money. In the past I’ve found that the biggest cowboys are the ones with the best ‘image’. Let’s face it. If you are going to con someone then a little bit of bling always helps.

    Very true, but a) someone who takes care with their image is more likely to take care with a job (or more likely a scruffy sod who turns up in a beaten up rusting van is less likely to take care) and b)most people work by recommendation. Picking a wildly over-advertised van and a guy in pressed black trousers would be stupid, but so would picking the local hobo who managed to drag together a few quid for a van.

    chickenman
    Full Member

    Well, I get all my work by word of mouth (in business 25 years), am a scruff and use an estate car for my work (=family car at weekends). I do however turn up on time, take my boots off on cream carpets, tidy up afterwards and do the work at the agreed cost (unless asked to do extra stuff).
    Most of the good tradesmen I have met arn’t too image conscious..the well dressed ones are usually too busy checking their lippy to get any work done! 😀

    donsimon
    Free Member

    If it ain’t broke, don’t (try and) fix it. Why do you need a uniform if you’re a one man band?
    A logo and identity and, dare I say it, a brand image might be beneficial.
    If there’s enough work and you’re not looking at expanding, I don’t see any need to do anything differently.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    DD, it was part serious. When we moved in I didn’t think you could get wooden floors for stairs, so I dismissed the idea. Then later I thought a whole new hardwood staircase might’ve worked and not cost as much as I thought. Bit late now cos there’s floor in all the rooms now and it’d cost a bomb.

    TheBrick
    Free Member

    I’d agree with don, if you’re getting enough work I wouldn’t bother.

    Personally I don’t have preference for a uniform / logo and the as long as the van is not a rust bucket sign written or not dose not matter. Magnetic signs sound like a good idea as I’ve herd from several people that sign written van = thief magnet.

    RustyMac
    Full Member

    I wouldn’t and haven’t picked a tradesman because of his apperance, I don’t think having your comany logo on your shirt or jacket is necessery but i would expect someone to turn up in clean clothes witout holes ripped in them.

    A clean well cared for van is something i look out for, not too fussed if it signed up or not. I do know of some people who use the magnetic signs and pop them on the van when on the job as it were to help generate buisness. In the past i have had neighbours come and ask me for details of a sparky i used because they saw his van outside my flat.

    Elfinsafety
    Free Member

    Having some personal knowledge of your appearance DD, I’d suggest you start off by running a comb through your hair and brushing your teeth

    That’s payback for you being unnecessarily nasty last night.

    I think personally a nice logo/uniform/logo on vayn looks more professional, but then BT have nice looking vayns and they are shysters of the highest order of magnitude. 😥

    You would of course need me to do your rebraynding, DD. I do for you cheaper than Binners. He has to charge a pie premium because he is Northern. 😐

    donsimon
    Free Member

    No, I repeat NO SKINNY JEANS!!!

    TroutWrestler
    Free Member

    I would prefer a liveried van, a local name AND a landline number.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    Mrs deadly would be looking after logos, re-branding etc but thanks for the offer Effin 🙂

    Stoatsbrother
    Free Member

    Most of the best work we have had done has been by clean peole getting out of old vans and cars. Very rarely any van sign painting or uniform. If you ar busy and your punters like you..what’s the problem?

    cinnamon_girl
    Full Member

    Hmmmm … quite a few tradespeople have been through C_G Towers over the last few years. In the main I have used Checkatrade or personal recommendation.

    I tend to take folk as I find them so a liveried vehicle or company uniform is fairly meaningless.

    Mind you, and I’m quite sure I’ll be flamed for this, one particular appliance manufacturer ensures its engineers are very well turned out and, er, rather easy on the eye. 😉

    Elfinsafety
    Free Member

    BOSCH!

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    Well, not a problem so to speak Stoat, but just canvassing opinion. Sometimes, I can get set in my ways thinking everything I do is more or less the right thing so it’s not a bad idea to get opinions from the hive.

    thomthumb
    Free Member

    magnetic panels

    no no no.

    magnetic panels on a work van are used by drive tarmacers with a certain accent so they can change company details weekly. would rather have a clean unliveried van.

    clean and smart clothes is more important than a more formal uniform imo. clean t shirt, work trousers looks smart.

    Stoatsbrother
    Free Member

    Fair point. DD.

    donsimon
    Free Member

    Hard hat and a hi viz so that your customers know you’re serious.

Viewing 26 posts - 41 through 66 (of 66 total)

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