When you’re spending thousands upon thousands of dollars, that’s a big risk.
How to use tech to find a tradesman?
Fortunately, the power of the internet can be a huge help when choosing a tradesperson. There are many ways in which you can vet someone before paying for their services, from discovering their reputation right through to uncovering financial information. Below you’ll find some of the more popular ways of making sure you’re hiring the right tradesperson for the job…
Background Check
There are dozens of great tools for running background checks these days. If you’re looking to find out what the best online background check service is, you’re probably looking at the likes of been verified and truth finder which will give you all manner of information. You’ll be able to find things out such as the following:
Criminal records Employment history Professional reference checks Lawsuits Bankruptcies License verification
And many more. All of which will just confirm their professional credentials and highlight black spots and any untruths they may have told you.
Comparison Sites
There are a number of comparison sites that’ll allow you to not only compare prices between tradespeople but also find reviews of previous jobs. It’ll prove a good indicator of how much other people are charging and which tradespeople are making the most people happy. In many cases, the reviews left could also give you insight into the tradesperson’s personality, time management (did they finish on time) and reliability.
Social Media
You can use social media in a number of ways to ensure you’re working with the right person or people. Social channels can tell you a lot and delve a little further into the personal side of a person. Witnessing how companies engage with customers online can be instrumental in deciding whether to use them. For example, if their social media showcases some rather rude customer service, imagine what they will be like on the job? Additionally, you might find the person you’re tempted to use might have some rather different opinions to you which they are posting online. Ask whether you really want to associate yourself with that. On the other hand, you may discover the complete opposite and they are an engaging, friendly and informative company online. Social media will also highlight what customers think of them, by tagging them into posts or leaving reviews on their walls. This can give you further insight into the work they’ve previously done. What’s more, you can even get in touch with the people commenting on the tradesperson or business and find out more about the work they did. Don’t be scared to ask them questions, after all, you’re the person who’s had to save for the work to be done. Ask previous customers about:
How much they paid? How long the job took? Were they on time? Were they friendly? Would you recommend them?
News Sites
Local news, and in some case national news, can be a good indicator of what to expect from a tradesperson. Horror stories will regularly make the local news so with a quick Google search you’ll be able to discover if the tradesperson you may use has done anything seriously wrong previously. On the other hand, you may also find they are used as a talking head and an industry leader. That reputation would suggest you’re going to get a job well done. You might uncover that the business has done charity work in the past or really stepped up to help someone, which is, of course, a trait that anyone would want working for them. You can learn an awful lot by just Googling a potential tradesperson. In some cases it could well be the deciding factor in choosing someone else, potentially saving you a fortune. In contrast, it could be just the confirmation you need to select the tradesperson you had in mind all along.
