Pro Installer November 2017 - Issue 56 | Page 17

News
Read online at www . proinstaller . co . uk
NOVEMBER 2017 | 17

News

CASH IN HAND TREND

A survey by home service marketplace , Plentific . com , has revealed that almost half ( 46 %) of UK adults admit to having paid a tradesman cash in hand for work , to get a cheaper deal .
This data comes following the recent Taylor Review , by Matthew Taylor , in which a reduction of cash in hand payments in the UK was suggested . Mr Taylor stated that work paid for using cash could be worth up to £ 6bn a year , and quite often goes untaxed . While a complete ban on cash payments was not put forward , the review did suggest that a cashless society , largely due to the increasing popularity of digital payment platforms , could one day be the norm .
This compares to 22 % of adults in Plymouth and Southampton , and 21 % of adults in Cardiff .
But being paid for work using a payment platform helps to ensure a level playing field in terms of job competition , as well as often providing a lot more security than cash in hand payments . Having a backed guarantee and digital paper trail means that any dispute over payments can be backed up with hard evidence .
Metin Savas , from renovation firm Metin and Co ., commented : “ When I quote a customer for a
Mick Clayton , CEO of GQA Qualifications Ltd , commented : “ It was great to be at the opening of Liniar House and have the opportunity to hear from Roger and Martin on the story so far and what ’ s next ; whilst on a completely different scale , the ethos and culture that was highlighted is very much something that we at GQA try to operate and promote .
“ Lord Digby Jones was also an entertaining speaker with a number of common sense anecdotes and thoughts that fit perfectly with the theme of the day .
“ The day looked to be a great success and the facilities are fantastic .”
Charlotte Davies , Head of Marketing for Edgetech UK , said : “ The new facility is impressive and the large showrooms are a great addition as it ’ s good to be able to experience the current range as well as reflect on how far the company has progressed over the years .
“ The tour impressed upon me the attention to detail and pride that everyone at Liniar takes in
what they do and it made me proud to be part of the same group as such a market-leading company .”
Installers are part of the family
Martin Dera , Director at Homeworks Solutions in Bath , was highly impressed with the new facilities : “ As I have come to expect from the team at Liniar , the official opening day spoke volumes for the company ’ s ethos , as well as to serve as an indicator for future growth plans .
“ Everyone I spoke to on the day had high praise for the new purpose-built facility and the showrooms , as well as the future Liniar Training Academy - which I would definitely like to attend once it ’ s up and running .
“ As an installer we are at the end of the supply line and frequently overlooked , at least prior to our association with Liniar . We really are made to feel like part of the family and our invitation to attend the opening day only goes further
to reassure this belief and encourage us to push the Liniar brand forward at the coalface .”
Throughout the day , many guests commented on the extensive timeline on the wall of the new showroom , which begins in 1974 with the formation of HL Plastics , and leads up to 2017 with the launch of the EnergyPlus90 Passive House window system and the opening of Liniar House . This huge graphic leads visitors through each step of the company ’ s progress , with world events from the same year putting things into a wider context .
It ’ s difficult to believe that Liniar ’ s chamfered window system was launched less than ten years ago in 2008 , given the incredible progress of the brand over that short period of time .
It will be interesting to see how that timeline continues to grow .
Find out more about the Liniar product range at www . liniar . com and follow Liniar on Facebook at LiniarUK for a photo gallery from the day itself .

‘

it can be the customers who are driving this option to save a few pounds

’

The statistics show that adults aged 55 and over are more likely to pay a tradesman cash in hand ( 56 %), compared to young adults ( 18 to 34-year-olds ), of which just 33 % admitted they had paid using cash to get a cheaper deal . While this suggests that the older generation may be more thrifty when it comes to hiring a tradesman , it could also reflect the changing times , with cash payments becoming far less frequent in today ’ s economy .
Based on location , Liverpool came top of the table for the number of adults who say they have paid a tradesman cash in hand for work ( 54 %). According to the data , a quarter of Londoners ( 25 %) said they have paid a tradesmen in cash in the past year .
job , I do sometimes get asked if there would be a discount for paying in cash . But in today ’ s society , it ’ s so much easier to deal with online payments or bank transfers which are protected , so for me that ’ s the far better option .’
Stephen Jury , spokesperson for Plentific , commented : “ Tradesmen are often painted in a bad light by the media when it comes to things like cash in hand payments . Our statistics show that actually , it can be the customers who are driving this option to save a few pounds .
“ Plentific allows homeowners to find and pay tradesmen securely online . Paying in cash is costing the government an enormous amount of money and people are putting themselves at unnecessary risk .”