The end of ‘Do-It-Yourself’? Research reveals younger generations call on tradespeople more than parents
Posted by: electime 21st November 2023
- Young people are less likely to attempt home repairs themselves, with 18-34 year olds making more than twice as many tradesperson call-outs as those in the 55+ age bracket.
- 2024 looks busy with 51 per cent of UK adults foreseeing the need for home service trades again, and 37 per cent actively planning home improvements.
ToolTime, a new job management software solution for tradespeople, has launched in the UK with a research report into British attitudes to hiring trades. Conducted by Opinium, it reveals a growing tendency to call on professional help for home services, with 18-34 year olds making more than twice as many call-outs as those aged 55+ in 2023. But it is not just the younger generation relying on UK trades. More than half of UK adults (51 per cent) that have used tradespeople before expect to need their services again in 2024, and 37 per cent are planning home improvements for the New Year – signalling a busy time ahead.
“With increased service demand comes greater organisational and administrative challenges for small businesses and sole traders,” commented ToolTime CEO and co-founder Marius Stäcker. “Our own research has found that the 150,000 companies in the finishing trades across the UK still rely on pen and paper or basic computer software such as Word and Excel to run their businesses. Clearly there is an opportunity for increased digitisation to bring an end to paperwork chaos, enhance efficiency and customer service, and save time.”
This is where ToolTime can help. Since its launch in Germany in 2018 and expansion into Austria earlier this year, ToolTime’s cloud-based web and mobile application is already saving 10,000 tradespeople up to 30 per cent on working time. Developed specifically for home service trades, it can be used to digitise and centralise all company processes to simplify operations and find efficiencies, giving tradespeople the power to effortlessly keep track of work in real-time and from wherever they are, create administrative efficiency, and provide a smooth, more transparent service for their customers.
Key findings from the survey include:
- 51 per cent of UK adults who have used tradespeople before will need to do so again in 2024, while 37 per cent have planned home improvements next year.
- The average number of callouts in the last year was three. This fell to just two on average among those aged 55+, and peaked at over five in the 18-34 year old bracket.
- More people who call out tradespeople value reliability over trustworthiness (75 per cent v 73 per cent), followed by professionalism (65 per cent), experience (60 per cent), and good reviews or recommendations (56 per cent).
- The most frustrating thing about hiring tradespeople is when they do a poor job (64 per cent), followed by bad timekeeping (56 per cent), costs going up (45 per cent), and a lack of respect for the home they are working in (44 per cent).
- 41 per cent stated that a lack of transparency in quotes and invoices frustrated them. 83 per cent of those who hire tradespeople check the costs of resources when they have a quote, while 47 per cent always check costs.
With reliability and timekeeping featuring highly in customer expectations, ToolTime’s appointment scheduling, free customer SMS confirmation service and map-based appointment visibility for easy operational planning can all help to ensure timeliness on the job and clear customer communications. Meanwhile job time tracking and documentation, and the ability to link these to quote and invoice creation, ensure transparency and professionalism.
Other key attributes of the ToolTime job management software include:
- Easily integrated plug and play web software with complete customer data transfer service and live team training, as well as ongoing dedicated customer support,
- Customer signature capture for mobile application, with iOS and Android compatibility,
- Configured for the UK tax system to allow financial information to be easily exported for hassle-free tax returns,
- Recommended by Vaillant, a leading manufacturer of boilers, heat pumps & heating systems.
“Our mission is to simplify the work of home service industry businesses and free tradespeople from the time and effort involved in tedious administrative tasks. By doing so, they can not only create a better working environment for themselves and their employees, but also enhance the service they offer to their customers, overcoming many of the frustrations experienced when hiring tradespeople. By saying goodbye to paperwork chaos and investing in administrative efficiency, business owners can invest the time saved back into business growth,” concluded ToolTime CPO and co-founder Marcel Mansfeld.
