Ratedpeople.com Launches Find a Tradesman App

 

The Ratedpeople.com app connects homeowners with quality, local tradesmen on the go

The UK’s number one tradesman recommendation service RatedPeople.com has today announced its new tradesman comparison app. Available both on Android and iPhone platforms, RatedPeople.com’s Find a Tradesman app enables users to easily locate job-specific tradesmen instantly through their mobile phones.

Predominantly functioning as the fastest and easiest way to connect homeowners with quality tradesmen, the RatedPeople.com app gives homeowners the opportunity to upload descriptions and photos of the work they would like to be done, whenever and wherever. The user is matched with up to three tradesmen in their local area, who are interested in the submitted job. Each tradesman will provide a quote for the work. The homeowner has access to ratings and reviews from the tradesmen’s previous customers, to help when selecting which tradesman to hire.

When the job has been completed, the user can add their own review and recommend the tradesman to their friends. The app also automatically builds a list of all the tradesmen the homeowner has used, creating their own ‘little black book’ of tradesmen.

Key App Features:

·         Upload up to 5 photos to the posted job

·         View each tradesman’s profile: ratings, photos of previous work and qualifications

·         View the RatedPeople.com checklist, with advice for hiring a tradesman

·         Rate their tradesman

·         View all their tradesmen in an address book

·         Share the app and tradesmen details with friends

 

Tariq Dag Khan, CMO of RatedPeople.com, commented: “The mobile industry is booming in the UK at the moment, with 75% of Brits now projected to own a smartphone by 2013. Our tradesmen are well ahead of the curve, 70% already own a smartphone, which is why our business is taking off. With both homeowners and tradesmen able to react with immediate response, finding a tradesman has never been quicker or easier.

“We understand how busy homeowners are during the day and we wanted to come up with a solution that enabled them to more speedily and efficiently manage their home improvement needs. The RatedPeople.com app now gives our customers the chance to instantly connect with tradesmen whilst on the move, providing a service that we believe will help generate more and better quality leads for tradesmen.”

Brits Rely on Their Mates when choosing a Tradesperson

Word of mouth x 4 more powerful than Advertising – survey reveals

Happy customers are the most powerful form of marketing, according to new research from Checkatrade.com – the UK’s most trusted website for monitoring the reputation of tradespeople.

The research, conducted amongst 2,000 homeowners, found that more than two thirds of people said they valued a reliable recommendation from a friend or family member friend more than any advertising or marketing.

In contrast, only 15% said they were content looking through the local directory to find a tradesman – just a quarter of those who favour the views of friends and family. However, despite rogue traders and cowboy builders on the rise and increased internet usage, only 1 in 20 people are taking the trouble to consult a tradesperson review site before employing a trader.

Brits rate tidiness
The survey also highlighted that, with the exception of price and workmanship, Brits rate tidiness above all other qualities when choosing a tradesperson. Almost two thirds (61%) cite it as the deciding factor, and, despite our increasingly hectic schedules, just 1 in 13 property owners favour tradespeople who simply get the job done quickly.

Meanwhile 1 in 7 busy homeowners are more concerned with whether their tradesperson turns up to the job on time, and 1 in 7 homeowners say being polite is the best way to win them over.
For one in twenty people builders arriving in scruffy overalls simply won’t do – they say it’s more important than anything else that their tradesperson is clean and well presented.

Commenting on the findings, Kevin Byrne, founder of Checkatrade.com, said: “Our research findings just go to show that tradespeople competing in difficult times need to offer the whole package – accuracy, speed, punctuality, politeness and personal presentation. Homeowners consider it vital for tradespeople to treat their properties with respect.

“Reputation matters. Word of mouth and recommendation are immensely powerful and this is what we have built our business on. Customers remember a job well done, but neither will they be quick to forget poor service.”