Brits interest in retailer-led Services for Home Improvement and Maintenance

Summary

Retailers such as Amazon and John Lewis are making waves in the home improvement and maintenance market.

Article

Retailers such as Amazon and John Lewis are making waves in the home improvement and maintenance market. They have created similar services in which consumers can book tradespeople directly from their website, app or call centre.

Why Services for Home Improvement and Maintenance is Appealing

The main selling point is that all tradespeople must go through a rigorous recruitment process. This involves interviews, background checks and a thorough review of their past work. Since the relevant due-diligence is done by the retailer, it removes the stress that customers often face when trying to find the best local tradespeople.

Figures suggest that this type of service could come in quite handy. According to British Gas, 41 per cent of Brits shockingly admit to not knowing where to turn when trying to find a qualified tradesperson.

The Survey

Interested in property upkeep, Sellhousefast.uk analysed the latest findings from ‘Eureka!’, who surveyed 328 UK homeowners with the intention of understanding what home improvement and maintenance jobs they would be most open to arranging through such a service. Sellhousefast.uk found that electrical work is the property enhancement element that most Brits (45 per cent) are willing to organise with the new scheme. Kitchen fittings came second (38 per cent), followed by plastering (37 per cent).

Pros and Cons

Interestingly, a considerable number of Brits are confident enough to trust a brand to find them the right professionals to do the expensive tasks that need doing. With the rise in Wi-Fi enabled thermostats, appliances, lighting and more, 30 per cent of households would use a retailer’s service for finding a competent professional to set-up a full smart home installation.

In contrast, Brits would be least enticed to use a retailer’s programme for someone who can assemble garden furniture (18 per cent). What’s more, only 26 per cent would use the retailer to find a professional who can adequately change a bathroom tap.

On top of this, Sellhousefast.uk also sought to identify some of the biggest concerns that British consumers have regarding utilising a retailer’s home improvement and maintenance offering to search for a tradesperson. 42 per cent of Brits were hesitant toward having someone called out if they did not know who the tradesperson was. Subsequently, 39 per cent believe that using a retailer to find a tradesperson is likely to cost more than using the traditional method of acquiring them.

Concerns of the Public

A significant number of Brits (34 per cent) are concerned about how they could resolve any potential issues after installation. Although, consumers needn’t emphasise on this too much. For example, John Lewis has a one-year guarantee in place for their own scheme. Of course, there are more concerns. 26 per cent are sceptical about home improvement and maintenance service not having enough local tradespeople signed up to a given retailer’s database.

Alternatively, 11 per cent won’t give the service another thought as they simply do not like buying anything technical online. 21 per cent of homeowners is hesitant due to the belief that a tradesperson from a home improvement and maintenance program will only do the job if they had the products or parts specifically from the retailer they were hired through.

Robby Du Toit, Managing Director of Sellhousefast.uk commented:

“Searching for a tradesperson that is dependable can often feel challenging. With well-known retailers now allowing their customers to find the desired tradesperson through them, it represents a helpful and exciting new service. Especially, when the tradespersons involved in the schemes are extensively vetted to ensure their work can consistently be completed to a very high standard. This research certainly highlights the property improvement and maintenance jobs British homeowners are at present most likely to consider and use such an initiative to sort out. Looking forward, people’s attitudes are only set to become more positive towards the service as they gain a much better grasp of it”.

Be Ready for Change with ECTA

Whether you wish to be part of such a programme, or you’re following your own path, it pays to be prepared. Keeping all your knowledge and experience up to date with ECTA training will ensure that you have the credentials to move forward with your career. Get in touch to find out more.

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