Being paid late and being ‘stood over’ amongst pet hates for tradespeople
New data has revealed tradespersons’ biggest bugbears, with being paid late ranking in top position. Tradefix Direct commissioned a survey with 150 UK tradespersons to find out what annoys them the most as part of their job.
When quizzed on what their top five bugbears were about their job, over a third (35%) considered being paid late as one of their biggest, with 18–24-year-olds finding this the most annoying (50%).
Being stood over whilst your working also ranked highly, with a quarter of tradespersons considering this to be a top bugbear. Ranking in joint third is being told how to do your job by customers, as well as having unrealistic expectations for the job (23%).
| Tradespersons’ biggest bugbears | ||
| Ranking | Bugbear | Percentage of tradespersons which consider this to be one of their top five bugbears |
| 1 | Being paid late | 35% |
| 2 | Being stood over whilst you’re working | 25% |
| =3 | Being told how to do your job by customers | 23% |
| =3 | Unrealistic expectations for the finished job | 23% |
| =5 | Customers trying to negotiate a discount | 20% |
| =5 | Faults being picked out when you’ve not completed the job yet | 20% |
| =7 | Working in poor weather conditions/ having to postpone building works due to poor weather conditions | 19% |
| =7 | Expecting you to complete the job in a shorter time frame | 19% |
| 9 | Being asked to fix another tradespersons’ poor work | 18% |
| =10 | Having nowhere to park your car/van | 17% |
| =10 | Asking you to look over other jobs in the house without payment | 17% |
| =10 | Customers not being in so you cannot get on with the job | 17% |
| 13 | Not having a clear workspace | 16% |
| 14 | Not being offered a drink, such as a cup of tea or coffee, when working | 13% |
| =15 | Indecisive customer changing their minds | 11% |
| =15 | Not being offered access to use the toilet | 11% |
| =15 | Neighbours or customers complaining about the noise during work | 11% |
| =15 | Working with those in the industry which do not have hands-on experience (eg. site managers) | 11% |
| =19 | Long commutes to job location | 9% |
| =19 | Needless health and safety regulations | 9% |
| =19 | Being asked for a breakdown of the quote you’ve given | 9% |
| =19 | Customers not making an effort with polite conversation | 9% |
| 23 | Contacting you outside of your scheduled working hours | 8% |
| 24 | Workplace banter going too far | 6% |
| 25 | Not being allowed to listen to music whilst working | 5% |
Whilst being paid late was a common grievance amongst plumbers, painters & decorators and electricians, roofers were most annoyed by unrealistic expectations for the job, with carpenters irritated by faults being picked out when they have not completed the job yet.
| Biggest bugbears by trade | ||
| Trade | Biggest bugbear | Percentage of tradespersons which consider this to be one of their top five bugbears |
| Roofer |
| 67% |
| Welder |
| 50% |
| Plumber |
| 48% |
| Painter and Decorator |
| 45% |
| Mason |
| 40% |
| Electrician |
| 31% |
| Carpenter |
| 26% |
Commenting on the findings, Paul Kershaw at Tradefix Direct said: “Like any other profession, working in the trades industry can come with its own grievances, with our survey finding that UK tradespersons are most annoyed by being paid late for works carried out.”
“To help make the process as seamless as possible, alongside your quote for works carried out, including a late payment clause would be wise. Be sure to keep in regular contact with your customers, providing any payment reminders which may be needed. If you have not received payment, despite your best efforts, it may be worth considering calling in a debt collection company.”
For further information on Tradefix Direct click here
