Reviews are a great place to start. On Checkatrade but also on other areas that capture reviews (Facebook, Facebook Community Groups, LinkedIn, Nextdoor, Google My Business, Yell.com etc.).
I also recommend searching for the company on Google and seeing if there's anything that comes up (positive or negative) to help inform ones decision. Aside from that you could ask people who've used the supplier/service provider before - either by asking the company for a reference customer or within Facebook Community Groups.
Lots of ways to check these days and of course CheckaTrade Members are pre-vetted and reviews monitored, so it is a good start point!
Read reviews and look at social media accounts to see any pictures ect.
checkout website and talk to the tradesman ask questions and ask about previous jobs.
Seems like you’re new to a Checktrade, to begin with , I give you a tip if the trades person has at least 10-15 reviews, you know it’s genuine, because to start a membership with Checktrade they really check the first five reviews and call those numbers that you done a job , before they allow your account to get activated. That’s why they’re outstanding, if someone is a cowboy, he will get caught up really quickly by negative reviews soon he starts to work and receive negative reviews. I hope 🤞 that explains you very well, how it works .
We tell customers to not only read the reviews but check that the work is relevant to the job they require and ask for the addresses so you know they aren't fake.
Check credentials and qualifications: We are master-builder endorsed, Which trusted traders and also registered in the government Trustmark scheme which all go a long way to proving to customers that we are competent and trustworthy and (also include additional customer protection should something go wrong). You're going to pay a certain premium for peace of mind but it's cheaper than rectifing work done by cowboys.
Scope of work: Ask for the work to be in a quote where possible and understand that an estimate is not a fixed price and should be considered as a starting price with extra costs to come. Get a detailed written quote that includes T&C's and states what will be done under the quote and what won't. Definitely don't proceed with work based on a few lines in a text message (the modern-day equivalent of a *** packet quote!).
Understand that the cheapest quote is normally only cheaper because it's been rushed or corners have been cut and cheap work can't always be rectified.
Most important of all; when you meet the trader, trust your gut. Gut instinct is surprisingly accurate!
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