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Unsung heroes of the home
They often get a bad reputation, but the majority (90%) of tradespeople will
go above and beyond their actual duties when
it comes to keeping their customers happy.
Top Ten ways a
»» A study into 500 tradespeople
(including Locksmiths), revealed that
many go that extra mile for the people
they work for, and almost a quarter said
they have taken a customer to hospital
when they’ve had an accident.
One in five have given first aid to a
customer, one in 12 have taken a pregnant
customer to the hospital when they’ve
gone into labour; an impressive one in 20
have helped deliver a baby.
Three quarters have taken time out
of their busy schedules to spend oneto-one time with customers they think
might be lonely or in need of some
company, with one tradesperson saying
he has cooked Christmas dinner for a
customer before.
In fact, 40% of tradespeople help out
with DIY that is not part of the job they are
doing, the same number help customers
by carrying shopping for them and heavy
items, while one in ten have taken dogs for
walks.
The research commissioned by Origin,
a British manufacturer of doors and
windows found that many tradespeople
are happy to do small things for customers
that can make a big difference.
Ben Brocklesby, Sales and Marketing
Director at Origin, said: “Tradespeople
work in one of the most versatile
environments, ever changing homes
of the nation, and regularly get insight
into the lives of people within their local
communities.
“They are arguably in a great position
of power and responsibility, not only to
improve the environment in which we
live, but caught up in incidents in our lives
where we may need their assistance in
more ways than one.”
A quarter will help customers use
their phone or computer and even help
assemble furniture. One in ten has helped
fix a broken down car or change a tyre.
And it’s not just in the home that many
help out, with a quarter even taking letters
and parcels to the post office, one in five
popping to the shop for customers and a
similar number running errands.
The study also revealed that two thirds of
tradespeople have observed an argument
whilst at a customer’s house, and around
one in five claim to have witnessed a ‘spooky
event’ while working at a customer’s house.
One in three have come across old or
dangerous work when carrying out a job,
and fixed it without mentioning it to the
customer.
Ben Brocklesby added: “It’s great to
hear that so many tradespeople are going
that extra Z[H