Kev said:
Realistically we could ask the question of "what do you look for" about any trade, but I think it's relevant here simply because there's professionals on the FOG that could glean some insight from the way prospective customers think.
It's a great question, and as a customer, I'd like to share my personal thoughts if it helps others.
TL;DR version - be active online, show your work, know your stuff, have a neat and tidy workplace, keep your promises.
When I'm looking for a tradesman, there are two unique situations that will possibly send me off in different directions, and one that then brings it all back together.
The first is for trades where you can "see" the type and quality of the work. Carpentry and joinery are some great examples of this, but there are others like painting and decorating, kitchen fitting etc. These are the trades for me where most of the quality can be seen visually either in person or through photos of completed or in-progress work.
If I don't already know someone with the particular skills, my search for these type of trades will usually start with asking my online buddies for recommendations. Clearly not all of them will be appropriate depending on the job because location will play a key part in some tasks, but I generally get some good advice and some directions to investigate. The very next step is then to look at their online and social presence. If they're active online, engaging with customers and fellow trades alike, learning, asking questions, offering advice and showing off their work, they get a tick in my book. It's a good sign that they're proud of what they do and that they don't have to hide from the comments of disgruntled customers.
So for those, I'll then contact them electronically, asking qualification questions about their work, telling them about the project, requesting availability etc. If all the right things fall into place, then I'll phone them and arrange to meet to discuss things further.
The second type of trade for me is things like electricians and plumbers. A lot of their work is "hidden" and photos don't show off their work quite as well. I've found they tend to be less active socially online. I guess this is because you find, for example, a lot of painters talking about paint, about brushes and rollers; about the tools that help them to improve their game. For electricians, this sort of chat is less. Sure they talk about measurement instruments etc., but much of their skill comes from technical knowledge that is difficult to share socially and what prospective customer wants to see pictures of your cabling? (Except me!)
So for these people, I tend to reach out to local networks to find them. I'm quite lucky that I now have great relationships with an awesome electrician and an excellent plumber, and both were found through local recommendations. Their work is superb. They are technically knowledgeable, but they also have a huge pride in their work. My electrician is so technically competent it scares me. He doesn't just use snips to size galvanised channel protecting cables, he files and folds over the ends so if there's ever a need to pull a new cable or repair an existing one, it should be much easier and won't snag. My plumber cleans all his joints, bends pipe like it's an art form, and labels everything for ease of future identification.
If they didn't do these things, the electricity would still be on and the water would still be flowing, and I'm sure they could complete work more quickly and possibly cheaper, but I'm willing to pay a little more to see this quality of work and to have people around me that take that sort of pride in what they do.
Clearly some trades can be delivered from afar (making windows or furniture) and some need to be delivered on-site (electrical work) and that also plays its part. Which brings me back to my final point. When I meet you in person, either when you visit me or when I visit you, have a clean and safe workplace that again shows your pride in what you do. Don't be offended if I ask to look in the back of your van, because I feel that tells me a lot about how you'll leave my house. Don't worry about sawdust on floors and "work in action", that's not what I mean. But if I see hand tools scattered on the floor and power tools that clearly aren't being maintained, I'll be going elsewhere.
Finally, if you say you'll email me a quote in the next couple of days, make sure you do. Or if you're coming to see me on Saturday at 4:00pm, come and see me on Saturday at 4:00pm. I don't want to phone you at 4:30pm to have you tell me that you've had some problems and won't be able to get round to me. I understand these things happen, but I expect a call before 4:00pm to tell me and to give us an opportunity to renegotiate our commitment to each other.
And if you've told me something will take five days, make sure it does. If something happens that throws those timings into question, discuss it with me early so we can jointly decide what the best course of action is. Don't start on Monday and plough on until Friday and *then* let me know you'll need to come back on Monday to finish up, even if that hasn't changed the price. I have plans too.
So, I know that was long, but I hope that's been useful to at least some people.
In summary, be active online, show your work, know your stuff, have a neat and tidy workplace, keep your promises.
