A variety of qualities can contribute to a person being a good fit for a career in the trades. Along with the obvious practical skills, there are several priceless personal traits that can go a long way in helping you build a successful career.
What personal skills do good tradespeople possess?
All tradespeople need to possess strong attention to detail. This is vital when it comes to completing work to a high standard and ultimately growing your reputation as a trusted expert in your field.
Organisational skills are also important. It’s not uncommon for tradespeople to be working on multiple jobs across different locations each day, so keeping track of where you need to be and when is essential to keeping your customers happy.
Being personable and a good communicator is another handy trait. A huge part of your job will likely involve meeting new people, building a clear understanding of what work they need completing and regularly providing updates on where things are up to. If you’re able to build a good rapport with a customer, they’re far more likely to be understanding in cases of delays and unexpected costs.
Similarly, there will almost certainly be instances where you’re required to work as part of a larger team, for instance, if you’re working on-site. These are great opportunities to make valuable connections and grow your network, a process which will be much easier if you’re friendly and approachable to others.
What qualities are important to customers?
Many of the above qualities will translate directly into the kinds of things customers look for when hiring a tradesperson — things like punctuality, respect and reliability.
Naturally, customers will always be looking for value for money. This doesn’t necessarily mean people will expect services on the cheap, but offering competitive rates, paired with high-quality work, will always help you stand out.
While word of mouth is still an effective method in building your reputation, customers these days will likely also look for online reviews. Whether it’s sites like Checkatrade and Trustpilot, or your own website and social media, devoting time to these platforms is a worthwhile investment in securing new business.
What can customers do to help tradespeople?
While much of these responsibilities do lie with the tradesperson, it is by no means a one way street.
New research from Ford Pro has found the main causes of frustration for tradespeople when taking on new jobs. The leading reasons cited include arriving at a job to find no designated parking spot or permit, customers not taking the time for a friendly chat, and not being offered the use of the toilet.
Other big annoyances detailed by tradeys are feeling rushed to complete a job and having homeowners constantly watching over them as they work.
All of these things make a big difference, with the survey finding that tradespeople are more likely to go the extra mile for friendly customers, as well as being more likely to return for future work.