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Two weeks wasted waiting for tradesmen!
Brits spend more than two weeks of their lives waiting for tradesmen, according to new research.
Clock watching: on average Brits waste 15 days of their lives waiting for tradesmen
Over the course of a year, the average UK homeowner waits for three different tradesmen for a total of six hours and three minutes, adding up to 15 days over the average adult lifetime.
Some wait even longer as 82% of those polled said a contractor turned up late, and 60% said they waited all day for a tradesman who failed to show up at all.
Plumbers have been named as the worst for keeping people waiting, taking an average of 59 minutes to arrive, with heating engineers next in line.
The research, conducted by TrustMark, revealed bedroom fitters to be the most reliable, keeping people waiting for an average of just 23 minutes.
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By Maggie Langley
It may be true that plumbers are more likely to arrive late than a bedroom fitter, but it's important to keep in mind the nature of their work. A bedroom fitter is unlikely to be called out to an emergency repair that changes his/her daily schedule. Plumbers and heating engineers often fit in emergency jobs for customers and this can mean that people waiting for quote appointments or other non-urgent work might have to wait a bit longer than expected.
There is no excuse for a customer having to wait in all day for a tradesmen who doesn't bother to call or show up. Although, please remember that tradesmen are professionals who are skilled at what they do, and sometimes they may be late. How much time does the average UK resident spend waiting in a doctor's or dentist's office over the course of a year?
I provide administrative support to tradesmen in the UK through my business OfficeHounds, and I am disappointed with how little respect some customers give to tradesmen. Clearly there are some cowboys out there, but most are doing a great job. Give tradesmen a break if they're a little late.
18/02/2010 18:07:00
Give reliable tradesmen a break!By Maggie Langley
It may be true that plumbers are more likely to arrive late than a bedroom fitter, but it's important to keep in mind the nature of their work. A bedroom fitter is unlikely to be called out to an emergency repair that changes his/her daily schedule. Plumbers and heating engineers often fit in emergency jobs for customers and this can mean that people waiting for quote appointments or other non-urgent work might have to wait a bit longer than expected.
There is no excuse for a customer having to wait in all day for a tradesmen who doesn't bother to call or show up. Although, please remember that tradesmen are professionals who are skilled at what they do, and sometimes they may be late. How much time does the average UK resident spend waiting in a doctor's or dentist's office over the course of a year?
I provide administrative support to tradesmen in the UK through my business OfficeHounds, and I am disappointed with how little respect some customers give to tradesmen. Clearly there are some cowboys out there, but most are doing a great job. Give tradesmen a break if they're a little late.
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