Being a tradesperson, while regularly rewarding, can have its upsets. There are a few common things that can make work that little bit harder for tradies. The experts at Skills Certified reveal a few of the most common issues that may arise when working with tradespeople.
Poor communication
Although prior discussion between the tradesperson and a client might have occurred, there is the potential for this to get murky down the line when expected results might not be met. This might be on the end of the client or the tradesperson, but either way, confusion and irritation are likely to develop.
Written job briefs are very useful in instances such as this, where tasks are outlined along with dates and times so that everyone is on the same page and confusion is avoided altogether.
Demanding priority help
Expecting a tradie to rock up the next morning after a plumbing disaster is always preferable, but can also be very wishful thinking. Because tradespeople often have appointments with clients made before in advance, potential clients becoming angry that they won’t be helped because of what they consider an emergency situation can be deeply unfair.
If you have a job that you need completed, make sure to book in advance, or in the case of emergencies ring around and see if you can find someone readily available.
Not paying for completed work
Not wanting to pay for work done by a tradie can occur for a few reasons – you might not believe that the work was up to scratch, a tradie friend might have told you it should be a done a different way, or you think yourself experienced enough to think the work could have been done better yourself.
In any case, withholding payment for a job (particularly if it was executed in a timely and completer manner) is very unfair to tradies, as your opinion regarding the work could be very misplaced.
Expecting a friend discount
Many might think that one of the advantages of having a tradie as a friend involves having their expertise available to you at a reduced cost. This shouldn’t be expected, though – your friend is a professional and their time is valuable, so expectations should be adjusted accordingly.
It might be useful to talk to your friend and negotiate for a reduced rate, but don’t go in expecting a massive discount just because you regularly see Gary at the pub.
