Almost half of tradespeople (47%) say they have walked away from a job due a customer’s behaviour or an argument, according to research from Direct Line business insurance. The study revealed the average value of each job walked away from was £1062.
Four in 10 (41%) tradespeople report they have had arguments with customers because of their behaviour, with the most common issue being late payment (62%). It is a key issue for the industry and can significantly impact cash flow, tradespeople are owed an average £6984 in outstanding payments%. Other reasons for arguments include customers trying to tell tradespeople how to do the job (57%) and customers adding additional jobs on top of what had already been agreed (39%).
The top 10 most annoying customer habits according to tradespeople
| # | Annoying habit | Per cent |
| 1. | Late payment | 62% |
| 2. | Customers trying to tell you how to do your job | 57% |
| 3. | Adding additional jobs on top of what you have agreed to do | 39% |
| 4. | Customers nagging you to finish faster | 39% |
| 5. | Customers checking up on you or hovering over you while you work | 36% |
| 6. | Customer indecisiveness or changing their mind on something | 33% |
| 7. | Children hovering over you while you work | 31% |
| 8. | Not keeping pets out of the way while you work | 29% |
| 9. | Not being able to start at the agreed date | 27% |
| 10. | Customers trying to get involved or help | 26% |
Source: Direct Line Business Insurance
With 42% of Brits struggling to find a tradesperson to do work in their home, the survey also revealed the ‘red flags’ that cause professionals to decline some jobs altogether. On average tradespeople turn down five jobs a year due to the ‘red flags’ they have identified.
The most common ‘red flag’ was a customer telling them that they can get someone else to do the job for less (49%). This was followed closely by dictating how much a job should cost (47%) or how long it should take (41%), wanting to cut corners to reduce cost such as using cheap materials (45%), and asking for a discount with a sob story (43%).
Alison Traboulsi, product manager at Direct Line business insurance, comments: “We’ve all had to manage challenging situations and people that have tested our patience. While tradespeople understand that often customers questions are about trying to understand a task that sits outside of their general knowledge, frequent questions and demands can make for a difficult working environment for tradespeople. It bodes well for customers to remember that the person they’ve hired, or are looking to hire, is an expert in their field. A tradesperson relies on word of mouth and a good reputation, so ultimately, they want to make sure that they do a good job, on time and at a fair price for the work they’re doing.”
