Nobody's home: over half of UK tradespeople left in the lurch by customers

• More than half of tradespeople in the UK have attended a call out where the customer was not home
  
• One in six tradespeople have completed a job to find the customer did not have the funds to pay them
  
• Interesting excuses for property damage include – ‘the bull sat on it’
  
  

New research from Direct Line for Business (DL4B) reveals that over half of tradespeople (52 per cent) in the UK, have attended a call out in the last 12 months only to find that the customer was not home and in more than a third of these cases (35 per cent) the customer failed to turn up at all. Even if the customer was there waiting, the tradesperson didn’t get to meet them, as nearly one in five (18 per cent) have been given a wrong address by the customer for a call.

Though a missing customer or a wrong address isn’t the only challenge that locksmiths, plumbers, electricians and other tradespeople face; getting paid for the work they do can be a struggle. The survey discovered that within the last year, approximately one in six (18 per cent) tradespeople had completed jobs, only to find customers did not have funds to pay them.  Customers have come up with creative solutions to avoid paying their bills, just over one in 10 (11per cent) said that customers had tried to pay their bill with goods and services, with one in 25 (four per cent) propositioned in lieu of pay!

DL4B’s research also outlined tradespeople’s most frivolous callouts, including:

• A carpenter was called to a property where he had recently fitted a new door and told the lock did not work, only to find that the customer was using her old key.
  
• Electricians being called out to change light bulbs, with one finding this out only after travelling eight miles to the customer’s house.
  
• A gardener on a call was tasked with catching a customer’s goats.
  
  

Customers are also ingenious and outlandish with their excuses for breakages and property damage. A carpenter was blamed for a dripping tap after visiting the house to install a new bathroom window.  A gardener, on asking how a plant was damaged was told that a bull had got out and sat on the shrub.

Source: Direct Line for Business

Jazz Gakhal, head of Direct Line for Business, commented: “Tradespeople fulfil a vital role in our day to day lives and are some of the few strangers that we will allow into areas of our homes such as our bedrooms, bathrooms and living rooms. So it’s not a surprise that they witness more than their fair share of interesting events!  It is a shame that some people do not respect hardworking tradesmen enough to be on time at an appointment.”

“That said, tradespeople should also be aware of this too. Working in a customer’s house provides a number of unique risks and challenges. For example, many of the tradespeople we surveyed were blamed for damaged property after a call out. Tradespeople must ensure that they are adequately protected through careful work, managing customer expectations and investigating the benefits of purchasing public liability insurance.”

DL4B offers tradespeople the following tips on how to deal with customers:

• Manage expectations – Agree on a price before starting a job and clearly explain the estimated time of the work and the reasons behind this
• Job de-brief – Ensure that you properly de-brief a customer on what was done, how a job was completed and if there are any issues that they must watch out for
  
• Meet deadlines – Set yourself achievable objectives so that you do not overrun jobs or miss appointments. If a job is going to be finished later than first anticipated tell the customer and explain why this is
  
• Public liability insurance – If you regularly work on customers’ properties it would be wise to investigate public liability insurance to cover against claims made by members of the public who have suffered injury or damage to their property in connection with your work
  
  

Direct Line for Business offers up to £1m public liability cover as standard. More can be learned about Public Liability insurance here.

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

Amrit Nijjer

020 7282 2803
 

Simon Henrick

Head of News and Issues

Direct Line Group

Tel: 0208 313 5965

Mobile: 07833 166 717

Email: simon.henrick@directlinegroup.co.uk
 

Notes to editors:

1. Survey amongst 74 tradespeople commissioned by DL4B undertaken by Consumer Intelligence between 24th – 28th January
    

Direct Line for Business

Launched in 2007 Direct Line for Business provides a range of insurance products for the small business sector direct by phone or on-line.

Direct Line for Business insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Direct Line for Business and U K Insurance limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.

Customers can find out more about Direct Line for Business products or get a quote by calling 0845 301 4827 or visiting www.directline.com

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