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Almost half of tradespeople (47 per cent) say they have walked away from a job due a customer’s behaviour or an argument, according to research (1) from Direct Line business insurance. The study revealed the average value of each job walked away from was £1,062.
Four in 10 (41 per cent) tradespeople report they have had arguments with customers because of their behaviour, with the most common issue being late payment (62 per cent). It is a key issue for the industry and can significantly impact cash flow, tradespeople are owed an average £6,984 in outstanding payments (2). Other reasons for arguments include customers trying to tell tradespeople how to do the job (57 per cent) and customers adding additional jobs on top of what had already been agreed (39 per cent).
The top 10 most annoying customer habits according to tradespeople
| # | Annoying habit | Per cent |
| 1. | Late payment | 62 per cent |
| 2. | Customers trying to tell you how to do your job | 57 per cent |
| 3. | Adding additional jobs on top of what you have agreed to do | 39 per cent |
| 4. | Customers nagging you to finish faster | 39 per cent |
| 5. | Customers checking up on you or hovering over you while you work | 36 per cent |
| 6. | Customer indecisiveness or changing their mind on something | 33 per cent |
| 7. | Children hovering over you while you work | 31 per cent |
| 8. | Not keeping pets out of the way while you work | 29 per cent |
| 9. | Not being able to start at the agreed date | 27 per cent |
| 10. | Customers trying to get involved or help | 26 per cent |
Source: Direct Line Business Insurance
With 42 per cent of Brits struggling to find a tradesperson to do work in their home, (3) the survey also revealed the ‘red flags’ that cause professionals to decline some jobs altogether. On average tradespeople turn down five jobs a year due to the ‘red flags’ they have identified.
The most common ‘red flag’ was a customer telling them that they can get someone else to do the job for less (49 per cent). This was followed closely by dictating how much a job should cost (47 per cent) or how long it should take (41 per cent), wanting to cut corners to reduce cost such as using cheap materials (45 per cent), and asking for a discount with a sob story (43 per cent).
Alison Traboulsi, Product Manager at Direct Line business insurance commented: “We’ve all had to manage challenging situations and people that have tested our patience. While tradespeople understand that often customers questions are about trying to understand a task that sits outside of their general knowledge, frequent questions and demands can make for a difficult working environment for tradespeople. It bodes well for customers to remember that the person they’ve hired, or are looking to hire, is an expert in their field. A tradesperson relies on word of mouth and a good reputation, so ultimately, they want to make sure that they do a good job, on time and at a fair price for the work they’re doing.”
For more on Direct Line business insurance visit Business Insurance Quotes | Direct Line for Business.
