New survey reveals how Tradespeople and clients feel about each other

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  Posted by: electime      12th September 2023

  • 74 per cent of tradespeople would like to be offered a cup of tea during the day
  • 92 per cent of tradespeople would not expect to be tipped for their work
  • Belfast, Birmingham and London are named the most generous tippers of tradespeople
  • For tradespeople, the most complained about action is when clients don’t pay on time (46 per cent)

Hiring a tradesperson to work on your property often raises questions about how to approach the working relationship. Should you engage in conversation or let them focus on their task? Should you offer refreshments or let them handle their own needs? To shed light on these etiquette matters, Toolstation spoke to both tradespeople and clients to get their opinions.

Chatting through the day

The survey delved into client preferences regarding interactions and hospitality with tradespeople. Almost half (45 per cent) of client respondents indicated a neutral stance on having a chat with tradespeople, while a quarter (24 per cent) welcomed friendly conversations with tradespeople. Generally positive worker-client rapport is favored, a minority or homeowners expressed a preference for minimal conversation, with 17 per cent of homeowners not wishing to talk much to tradespeople while their on a job.

The survey towards trade people indicated that tradespeople may be friendlier than the clients they are working for, with the majority (71 per cent) of tradespeople not minding a chat with a client, and 22 per cent like it. Only a very small amount (7 per cent) of tradespeople did not like having a chat.  Having a casual chat throughout the day is something both sides can mostly agree on, as most results for this are positive. But what kind of behaviour annoys both clients and tradespeople?

Asking clients: What are the most complained about things tradespeople do? The responses included:

  • 33 per cent voted for leaving a mess in their work area and not cleaning up
  • 26 per cent voted for showing up late to work.
  • 23 per cent voted for raising the price after one was already agreed.

Asking Tradespeople: What are the most complained about things clients do?  The responses included:

  • 46 per cent voted for clients not paying on time
  • 35 per cent voted for clients attempting to reduce the agreed payment
  • 33 per cent voted for when client had not cleaned the work area before they arrival
  • 25 per cent voted for when clients asked for additional services which was not agreed ahead of time
  • 21 per cent voted for when clients lingered around and watched them work

Clearly breaking financial agreements and keeping an area tidy are things that annoy both clients and tradespeople, as the results reflect.

In the full study, we ask both sides more questions on the matter of etiquette, such as how tradespeople feel about pets near their workspace, and how clients feel about offering food and drink to their workers. Toolstation also shows which cities in the UK give tradespeople the best tips.

See the full piece here: https://www.toolstation.com/content/tradie-etiquette