What's your view on Check a Trade and similar sites?

[Laines]

Hello there

I'm asking the question as we are considering using one of the Check a Trade or similar sites, although, we are aiming for bigger jobs, not smaller handyman type ones. I wonder if people with larger budgets look on these sites? We are already accredited by other schemes where existing customers fill in feedback forms etc.

Do you find it useful, does it bring you business, does it get your company name out there?

I wanted to hear any positive/negative experiences?

Thanks!

 

[fisicx]

Never bother to check. I only go on referrals. This means I talk to people about tradesmen and use the ones they are happy with.

Checkatrade means nothing, any old cowboy can get listed if the tick all the right boxes.

 

[prjbicell]

I agree with fisicx I'm afraid. We were approached many times from various trade organisations. Whilst they said they would vet us first and look at a minimum of 3 installs before our acceptance it just wasn't the case. All they we after was the annual membership fee and didn't really give a toss about anything else

 

[PDW Electrical Services]

Any decent tradesman/business wouldn't touch sites like this, full of chancers and bottom feeders(tradesman and customers)

I dont think its going to be the place where your going to be picking up decent contracts, you dont say what trade your in but if you look on any trade forum about these kind of sites youll quickly get a good idea of the way they operate

Once the economy returns to anything like normal these parasitical middlemen will soon disappear as quickly as they all sprung up

Spend your marketing budget on something more worthwhile

 

[Talay]

Joe Public is largely stupid, ignorant or both and these "organisations" give them comfort over a random "stick a pin in the Yellow Pages" approach, or so they think !

Dig a little into the business practices and you find cases of negative reviews being expunged, even passed to business owners for approval (what is the likelihood of that ?) and as mentioned above, it all comes back to the omnipresent joining and ongoing fees they can suck out of tradesmen and companies.

The fees themselves are quite high for single tradesmen to pay but quotes from some I called state that a lot of their business does come from the referral so whether it is a sign of quality or not (cobblers IMHO), I think a lot of business is passed to small traders due to public ignorance and a perception of trust way beyond the truth.

It wouldn't work for us but whether I believe in it or not, if it put extra in the bank I'd sign up in a heart beat.

 

[SecurityInstaller]

I got in touch with a similar scheme signed up for free then they send you leads ....... Sounded great till I got the phone call ....... you pay for a subscription then you pay x amount per lead only catch is it went to another 4 companies and the leads they were sending were daft and not worth paying to get!

 

[SugarCubeProductions]

If you are going to sign up with a company then make sure it's one with an annual fixed fee and not one that charges per lead.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

As much as I don't like the rated people type sites, I think the check a trade etc can have some benefit.

The basically help re-assure customers that you're not a cowboy, which will make the sale easier as they're main worry of being ripped off is out of the way.

You still need to show your competent, competitive and a nice person to win the work.

 

[PabloRoberts]

Good evening,

I'm the Checkatrade rep for the North West. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have, should you still have any.

David

 

[PDW Electrical Services]

As a tradesmen who is constantly spammed and cold called weekly by these companies, i can attest that they simply cannot afford to pick and choose the tradesmen they 'vet' to put on their books, and would not turn away anyone willing to send them a cheque

The only way to really assess if a tradesmen is truly competant and not a cowboy is to have a truly competant tradesmen assess their work for a few months on jobs they are unaware they are to be assessed on

This of course would never be cost effective or practicable, so we are stuck with these companies who are really nothing more than a trades directory service, which is at best hit and miss

Its a saturated industry which ironically gives poor tradesmen a platform on which to operate

Do you think anyone whos anygood will be willing to pay a middle man a good slice of his profit for a suspect lead, then compete with a bunch of monkeys for a likely lowest price bid

Have a laugh!

 

[ukbf0001]

Word of mouth in your local area or FaceBook Twitter are the bext options surely. A national based trust a trader type site - there is no way they can verify anything

 

[SMR Locksmiths]

We have been using checkatrade for a year now and it has been a positive experience. we get constant business from there and all the membership fees has have paid off long time ago. We are only a small business of 5 and do house locksmith/locksmith emergency jobs locally in London areas.

Checkatrade operate on the positive reviews these days, so business' with most positive feedback gets ranked better and put on top of their search results for trade in the area...

 

[SangDuong]

I would always use word of mouth. My sister used someone from a similar site to check a trade and they said if you give me a good review I will knock off £25 so hard to tell whether they are giving a good review for the workmanship or the discount.

 

[farmerswife]

waste of time - similar to My Builder. You pay for a lead and the customer may be a dreamer. The customer is usually looking for the cheapest quote. All they do is check your insurance its nothing to do with quality of work. We are registered with the Trust Mark we get no work from it but gives us an edge and its just another nice logo (sad). We are particularly specific in the type of works we complete and not willing to spend night after night pricing up works. Think it suits the handyman type of business but not for us.

 

[InternetMarketingPlatinum]

The opinions I've heard are that many of the customers that use these types of sites are looking for the cheapest quote. If you're looking for a tradesperson then ask around for referrals. Ask someone you trust. Online tradesperson resource websites like www.mytrade.tv don't provide this type of service and have a different approach and long-term plan.

Say I was looking for a conservatory fitter I'd do a search and want to see previous work that a tradesperson had carried out, I'd like to see case studies and so on. Go to the typical find a trader type website and they have this kind of functionality so I suppose they are hitting many of the wants and needs of the consumer.

 

[Darryl Wright]

Not sure if your still looking? I've not used them myself, but I remember watching them on Watchdog - they didn't get good reviews. I can't post a link to the video (forum won't let me), but if you Google for 'watchdog checkatrade' the video is in one of the first results. I hope this helps

 

[Tom Smart]

When you say Checkatrade or something similar.

In regards to "someting similar" unless you are talking about the Buy With Confidence scheme or at a stretch Which Trusted Traders don't bother, their all unnecessary middle men.

I take the view Checkatrade, that it's nothing other than glorified advertising-certainly not an accreditation. Personally I hate Checkatrade, but I am a member and will continue to be.

The reason being to my customers Checkatrade is a trusted brand and it helps me re-enforce my own. The Checktrade site performs great in search engine and will bring up your own page rank, so naturally Checkatrade throws up lots of leads and enquires. Compared to other forms of paid advertising performs well.

 

[fisicx]

Is Checkatrade a trusted brand? I haven't met anyone for ages who thinks accreditation means anything, they will let any old cowboy join as long as they pay the fees.

 

[Talay]

Is Checkatrade a trusted brand? I haven't met anyone for ages who thinks accreditation means anything, they will let any old cowboy join as long as they pay the fees.

But we are business folk, who view risk and reward very differently to the masses. They are sheep who follow and do not lead. We know CheckaTrade and Trusted Trader are complete crap and any old cowboy can join but if it would bring in a huge return for me, I'd have their shitty stickers plastered all over !

 

[SMR Locksmiths]

CheckaTrade and Trustatrader have brought A LOT of business to us and having their websites backlinking to your website is always a positive plus in terms of SEO for your business website...

 

[Talay]

CheckaTrade and Trustatrader have brought A LOT of business to us and having their websites backlinking to your website is always a positive plus in terms of SEO for your business website...

No-one ever said Joe Public was intelligent, sophisticated or smart.

 

[Audrey Wright]

I'm a marketer of trades / services websites in the UK. I haven't found yet a trades directory that offers fully legit ratings on trades and services. NONE.

Everything is biased, from stars and reviews to display order and "recommendations", etc.
If you're looking to purchase a service, then these "statistics" should mean nothing to you, as they are all manipulated. (speaking from the manipulator's point of view here)

The only real way to get a recommendation is direct referral from someone you trust - family, friends.

Of course, as a trader, it's worth it to get a free account in almost any trades directory. Online marketing is simply about getting as much eyes on your business as possible and any such registration might help one tiny bit.
I don't recommend actually spending money on such accounts, no matter what the offer is - far more often than not it's just a shady scheme that offers you leads for money. But mostly these leads are crap.

 

[PDW Electrical Services]

Yep thats what i thought thanks for your honesty!

 

[Simon.P]

I am afraid to say that the general public's opinion of tradesmen is generally poor (often with good reason!) and the sites referred to in this thread seem to offer some kind of reassurance when the adverts come in-between coronation street, or morning breakfast.
It's a genius idea when you think about it.
Public are quite rightly concerned who they want working in their homes and most tradesman are always looking to fill their diaries without spending huge amounts of money on advertising. So, the answer is to pay for qualified leads based on what is considered a fraction of the total job cost.
I know someone who paid £70 recently for a lead for plastering work he said was worth £750 - if he got it.
Puts the quote in, contacts them and is informed they just discovered their new neighbour is a plasterer so they are going to do it. £70 straight down the drain. But, its actually £210 - because three people bought that lead! I'm afraid to say its these same people that keep feeding these sites because they will spend £50 on something that turns in to a 5K job, so a lot of boys look at it like the William Hill of job hunting!

 

[PD Services]

Looks a bit desperate if you ask me. If the customer knows you could be paying up to £70 for leads it begs the question why are they so desperate for work?

Just my opinion anyway

 

[Simon.P]

If the customer knows you could be paying up to £70 for leads it begs the question why are they so desperate for work?

i have never used these lead generating sites, but know of people that do. they read of juicy looking potential work coming in, but its pot luck if you get it. You can be the best salesperson in the world, but i am told a lot of people that use this service either want work based on price (and lowest quote wins regardless), or they are window shoppers and perhaps *thinking* about having the work done. I dont believe they make customers aware of how much the lead will cost either.

 

[Deleted member 250482]

Thought i'd give my two pence for what it's worth... Firstly I am in the process of starting my own plumbing business.

It is my understanding that if/when I sign up with Check a Trade, you don't only become registered with them, but also with Trading Standards. That in my mind is a good thing surely?
They say that if being on the site doesn't generate enough work to cover the annual membership then they will give the money back guaranteed. If this is the case then it pays for itself then right? To me it seems like a win, win situation. Ok all these people saying "it's all word of mouth, blah blah"... Trouble is for people trying to promote there new business, then we need all the help we can get!
I am having a website designed, leaflets printed, business cards, etc... With Check a Trade included in that I should give myself a chance of generating work and making my business successful.

Fingers crossed...

 

[Deleted member 250482]

I will also add, that the sites where you have to pay for leads, are an absolute rip off!! One of which you pay on average £25 per lead, and even then you are not guaranteed to win the job as they sell the same lead to a few others...
How they get away with this is beyond me!

 

[Tom Smart]

Thought i'd give my two pence for what it's worth... Firstly I am in the process of starting my own plumbing business.

It is my understanding that if/when I sign up with Check a Trade, you don't only become registered with them, but also with Trading Standards. That in my mind is a good thing surely?
They say that if being on the site doesn't generate enough work to cover the annual membership then they will give the money back guaranteed. If this is the case then it pays for itself then right? To me it seems like a win, win situation. Ok all these people saying "it's all word of mouth, blah blah"... Trouble is for people trying to promote there new business, then we need all the help we can get!
I am having a website designed, leaflets printed, business cards, etc... With Check a Trade included in that I should give myself a chance of generating work and making my business successful.

Fingers crossed...

You are wrong in assuming that when you become registered with Checkatrade that you also become registered with Trading Standards. Some areas Checkatrade have a relationship with the local council where they can say this, Kent for example were talking about it. But this isn't the case for the majority or areas. In my area East Sussex. To become Trading Standards Approved I had to join the Buy With Confidence scheme, a process with took several months. For Checkatrade all I had to do was sign a cheque, hand over six references and a copy of my Public Liability schedule.

 

[Deleted member 250482]

You are wrong in assuming that when you become registered with Checkatrade that you also become registered with Trading Standards. Some areas Checkatrade have a relationship with the local council where they can say this, Kent for example were talking about it. But this isn't the case for the majority or areas. In my area East Sussex. To become Trading Standards Approved I had to join the Buy With Confidence scheme, a process with took several months. For Checkatrade all I had to do was sign a cheque, hand over six references and a copy of my Public Liability schedule.

Yes I am in Kent. My apologies, I didn't realise it wasn't the same everywhere else.

 

[Tom Smart]

Ahh, well you are an exception then my friend.

 

[fisicx]

Half the cowboys round here have checkatrade membership. Nobody I know takes any notice any more, it's all about referrals.

And Chris, don't spend too much on a website. Just get a something simple up and get the rest sorted once you have some testimonials and project pictures to post.

 

[simon field]

Half the cowboys round here have checkatrade membership. Nobody I know takes any notice any more, it's all about referrals.

^^^ That ^^^

 

[PDW Electrical Services]

The more visible your nice new website, the more spam adverts will be filling up your email account and cold calling your mobile no.

I get this day in day out, for every real work inquiry i get 20-30 spam emails or cold calls, i get sick and tired of deleting/hanging up on them

 

[cory beevers]

I honestly dont mind it, but at the end of the day i see it as each to there own

 

[Ghs-london.]

Personal, as a new business owner, checkatrade has worked well for me. Seeing all of hear posts saying that "word of mouth is the only way for any respectable tradesman/ company to get business" frustrates me! That's fine for companies that have been up and running for years, or for people who are quite happy just being a local tradesman...but what about new companies/ tradesmen? I get that word of mouth is a great way to get work...but before you are going to be getting any new customers through word of mouth, you need to be working, checkatrade has paid for itself around 8 times and I've only been a member for 3 months. Since joining checkatrade, I have become so busy that I've had to take on an apprentice, two other plumbers and still am turning down work!
Stop living in the past people...the Internet is he way forward, word of mouth had changed now and doesn't just include your neighbors and their friends, with sites like checkatrade you can reach thousands of people in a short period of time...then all you have to sdo is keep your customers happy and you will be very busy!

That said, steer clear of rated people, it's ok if you are using it every now and then to supplement other work, but can cost an absolute fortune, I've paid up to £60.00 for a lead before and not even been given a chance to quote.

 

[Marcus Allen]

Coming from an internet marketing standpoint if when you type in your target keywords into google and one of the listings are any of the directory sites get listed in those sites. If Checkatrade isn't on the 1st page for your terms I would not bother.

If you have a skilled SEO then he could help rank your site and the checkatrade page and your yell page to blanket the front page of the search results. But if its just you alone my 1st piece of advice of getting in the directories on the 1st page should help.

 

[ChrisBarling]

We recently did a survey of over 1,000 home owners and in the last year 72% used tradesmen either personally recommended or that they already knew; 12% found them using Checkatrade, MyBuilder, Rated People et al; 18% used a search engine; and 11% found their tradesman using either Yellow Pages, Thomson, local paper etc. i.e. traditional.

So everyone in the above thread is partly right!

Chris

 

[John Stuart]

Using word of mouth especially on these sites can also be useful i think. As the recommended traders can be most trusted one for people's job.

 

[12345671]

If you (a sole trader tradesman) don't have a site you should dip your toe into creating a basic site for free with a service like www. wix. com.

The Checkatrade starting fee is around £600 p/a. This time / money is better spent on making sure you are listed on the Google Map with a claimed / detailed listing (ask happy customers to review you on the Map), listed on all relevant local web / print directories and making your site shareable with interesting content. You should also experiment with Adwords for exact match local phrases e.g. [emergency plumber aldershot]. This is a more sustainable strategy than Checkatrade.

The web visibility Checkatrade gives you will only last as long as you pay.