Four in ten (41 per cent) UK adults have been ghosted by a tradesperson

  Posted by: electime      30th March 2023

• New research from HomeServe uncovers ‘Tradesperson Ghosting’ trend, with one in ten (11 per cent) UK adults blanked in the past six months
• After a quote was requested, four in ten (38 per cent) never heard back, despite chasing
• Plumbers are in highest demand with a third finding it harder to find one than any other tradespeople, however builders, general handy men/ women and landscapers (all 10 per cent) revealed as most likely to ghost
• UK homes are suffering as a result, over a quarter (27 per cent) of adults took on a DIY task themselves and now regret it

Forget about dating, ghosting has taken hold of the home improvement space – with four in ten (41 per cent) UK adults admitting they’ve been blanked by a tradesperson.

That’s according to new data from HomeServe, one of the country’s leading home assistance providers. It would seem people are most ghosted after they request a quote from a tradesperson (38 per cent), leaving potential customers feeling annoyed (43 per cent) and rejected (12 per cent).

Despite the average UK adult having £656 per job spare to spend on home fixes, increased demand for tradespeople – up 22 per cent year on year – means many adults are struggling to find someone to commit. Plumbers are in the highest demand with a third of homeowners claiming plumbers are harder to find than any other tradespeople.

When it comes to the professions most likely to ghost, the research shows builders, general handy men/women, and landscapers (all 10 per cent) come out top.

When thinking about the reasons why they were ghosted, close to a third (30 per cent) believe they didn’t hear back as their job wasn’t considered high enough value. The same amount (30 per cent) reasoned the tradesperson was too busy with other jobs. One in ten (9 per cent) reflected they may have been too specific about the work they wanted done.

Others (8 per cent) felt they were ghosted for being a ‘difficult customer’, whilst one in ten (10 per cent) women felt it was because of their gender.

Location also was shown to play a role in response rates, with the trend more common in larger cities. London (51 per cent), Leeds, and Liverpool (both 48 per cent) ranked as the top ghosting hotspots overall.

The prevalence of Tradesperson Ghosting has led to some people making ill-informed home improvement or repair decisions. One in four (27 per cent) said they took matters into their own hands after not being able to find a good tradesperson and ended up regretting it. A similar amount (31 per cent) paid for work that ended up being low quality as they were eager for it to be completed quickly.

Such is the appeal of a good tradesperson in 2023, over half (69 per cent) of UK adults say they’ve gone out of their way to be a good host to ensure repeat work. One in four (23 per cent) have even kept the details of a good tradesperson to themselves so they don’t get too busy, with men more likely to do so than women (26 per cent vs 19 per cent).

Talking about the findings, a spokesperson at HomeServe said:

“The research shows that demand currently outstrips supply when it comes to finding good tradespeople in 2023. Understandably, many can’t keep up with their admin as there are too many jobs for every tradesperson, leaving one in four UK adults ghosted, annoyed and alone. 

“With a nationwide network of Home Experts and claims lines open 24/7, 365 days a year, you can feel confident that with cover from HomeServe, our engineers will never ghost you when you need help taking care of your home.”

To discover the most in demand job, and for top tips on how to avoid getting ghosted, visit here.