Checkatrade

[cr0ft]

Just make sure anyone thinking of joining up does a quick search on the competition first. It will be a bit of a waste of time and money if there's already 10 established plumbers (or even one potentially) in your area. Like anything else, if there's a gap in the market then jump in there before someone else does.

 

[Linkyplumb]

I joined back in 2011. Never looked back. I am similar to mike and keiran, in the fact that 75% of my new customers come to me through checkatrade.

For me it has worked well, and has enabled me to build up a very big customer base, in quite a short time.

Just looking through my diary, and have averaged 8 calls a week though it, since January,

 

[lame plumber]

£10 plus vat a week, is same as a couple of ads I use now, so dropping them and trying something else may benefit me, only 3 plumbers/2 gas and 1 oil lad within 9 miles, then no more within 30! However, I would think that being rural, the benefits will be less for me than the likes of those living near Pompie where the lemmings are all squashed in on a little island

 

[Mike Jackson]

There's quite a few in my area now but because I've been on a while I've got a lot of feedback which people like. I think it's one of those things that benefits the early adopters.

 

[Linkyplumb]

There are loads in my area, but still get lots of work from it.
Get loads of jobs in Petersfield an Midhurst from it £££££

 

[IDCHAPPY]

You will have me and blackhall which is under 20. Rest are glasgow. Mind use me as a ref as u did a job for me

Excellent idea dude

 

[smtplumbing]

the more jobs you get the better checkatrade will improve for you. No word of a lie thats one week mine has been live and i have complete 2 day which have turned into other job and got a further two calls today.

It does work i will see how i get on the next month or so, Ian one thing i will say is you also get a rep any hassle just give them a call they have been really good customer service.

The one thing you will have a problem with is the part p paper which we dont have in scotland which falls under our sqa, but that is easy sorted.

I got a nice wee pack from them today with new feedback cards, stickers etc so really hoping this takes off..

PS wish ray would open a branch in scotland lol your fittings prices are half the prices up here.

Steven

 

[Ray Stafford]

wish ray would open a branch in scotland lol your fittings prices are half the prices up here.

We deliver...

 

[smtplumbing]

yes i no cant beat your service, btw tell amy in accounts thanks for scaring me with saying my card was declined when she entered the wrong number lol,

See you accepted my challenge with bath and the cyclinder lol

 

[LPC]

I've got one guy in my very large town. He already has 7 positive reviews having joined in August 2013. Would it be worth me even joining because he'll always have more reviews?

What worries me about these sites is, you pay your £800, everything goes well for 6 months etc then some numpty has a misunderstanding and posts a bad review. Bang, that one bad review will make any potential customer look elsewhere. You know what customers are like, we've all fell out with 1 or 2 but if that messed-up my Checkatrade page I paid 800 for, i'd be peeved.

 

[cr0ft]

I've got one guy in my very large town. He already has 7 positive reviews having joined in August 2013. Would it be worth me even joining because he'll always have more reviews?

What worries me about these sites is, you pay your £800, everything goes well for 6 months etc then some numpty has a misunderstanding and posts a bad review. Bang, that one bad review will make any potential customer look elsewhere. You know what customers are like, we've all fell out with 1 or 2 but if that messed-up my Checkatrade page I paid 800 for, i'd be peeved.

I have a very bad review (which was mostly false but that's another thing). It hasn't really stopped my flow of work because I have 86 good ones.

 

[Mike Jackson]

I've got one guy in my very large town. He already has 7 positive reviews having joined in August 2013. Would it be worth me even joining because he'll always have more reviews?

What worries me about these sites is, you pay your £800, everything goes well for 6 months etc then some numpty has a misunderstanding and posts a bad review. Bang, that one bad review will make any potential customer look elsewhere. You know what customers are like, we've all fell out with 1 or 2 but if that messed-up my Checkatrade page I paid 800 for, i'd be peeved.

7 reviews since August 2013, isn't that many. Leave review cards with every job and you'll soon beat 7. If checkatrade receive a bad review they always check with you and give you a chance to respond before it is published.

 

[lame plumber]

I've got one guy in my very large town. He already has 7 positive reviews having joined in August 2013. Would it be worth me even joining because he'll always have more reviews?

What worries me about these sites is, you pay your £800, everything goes well for 6 months etc then some numpty has a misunderstanding and posts a bad review. Bang, that one bad review will make any potential customer look elsewhere. You know what customers are like, we've all fell out with 1 or 2 but if that messed-up my Checkatrade page I paid 800 for, i'd be peeved.

pay by direct debit monthly save the problem

 

[Ray Stafford]

What worries me about these sites is, you pay your £800, everything goes well for 6 months etc then some numpty has a misunderstanding and posts a bad review. Bang, that one bad review will make any potential customer look elsewhere. You know what customers are like, we've all fell out with 1 or 2 but if that messed-up my Checkatrade page I paid 800 for, i'd be peeved.

Apparently bad-review blackmail has become a big enough problem that tripadvisor have a page on their website dealing with it.

 

[SimonG]

pay by direct debit monthly save the problem

Thought you had to pay it all at once?

 

[lame plumber]

their site said they do dds to ease payment

 

[SimonG]

[QUOTE lame plumber;654426]their site said they do dds to ease payment[/QUOTE]

Found it in the faq's

 

[Linkyplumb]

Thought you had to pay it all at once?

You can pay all at once, two payments, quarterly or monthly.

 

[Millsy 82]

7 reviews since August 2013, isn't that many. Leave review cards with every job and you'll soon beat 7. If checkatrade receive a bad review they always check with you and give you a chance to respond before it is published.

Is it only on jobs that come through them or do you leave them at every job?

 

[Linkyplumb]

Is it only on jobs that come through them or do you leave them at every job?

You can leave them at all jobs, not just customers that have come through CAT

 

[cr0ft]

I give customers a £5 discount off their next job too if they get the feedback card back or do an online review within a week. Seems to work well for me and pretty much guarantees repeat business!

 

[TBServices]

I've applied today. Got the rep coming next Wednesday.

 

[smtplumbing]

tb recommend me lol

 

[IDCHAPPY]

I'll be phoning them back tomorrow, just had to dig out the PLI and certificates and get previous customers permission to be called for feedback

 

[TBServices]

tb recommend me lol

What does that mean for you dude?