How important is your presentation to you ?

[Mickyplumb]

Afternoon gents,

Just curious and this is probably aimed at the one man bands. Going back to the old days all my 'teachers' wore baggy jeans, butts hanging out and holes in the knees. Tops were normally stained Adidas tee shirts. Generally, they looked a bit of a mess.

What do you guys wear and those of you that do dress smart, what difference do you think it makes to how the customer perceives you and your services ?

We have white polo's (not ideal sometimes) with company logo left breast, GSR logo left sleeve, Grohe logo (c/w) appointed service engineers on right breast and on the right sleeve the Exor accredited contractor logo.

Very rarely wear jeans, normally snickers type trousers.

Interested to know.......

 

[Killy Bing]

Never in jeans.
Work trousers or shorts with kneepads
steel toe caps

need to order some work tops actually.

 

[Kev the gas]

Always worked for me

 

[Mickyplumb]

Always worked for me

[/QUOTE
Crikey.....that's bound to win some estimates with the old ladies.......or squirrels !

 

[Kev the gas]

I think if I was a squirrel I would be starving by now, everyone can see where I hide me nuts

 

[A1P]

I always try to do my quote visits on evenings or weekend.'Smart 'set of work clothes with company details or smart casual.If I have to come from work I make sure they know I will be coming in work clothes.You are representing your company and with some clients it is a bit like an interview situation.As a sole trader you are selling yourself as the 'face'of the company.It is then how you come across a person and your ability to convince them of your competence.

 

[Mickyplumb]

I always try to do my quote visits on evenings or weekend.'Smart 'set of work clothes with company details or smart casual.If I have to come from work I make sure they know I will be coming in work clothes.You are representing your company and with some clients it is a bit like an interview situation.As a sole trader you are selling yourself as the 'face'of the company.It is then how you come across a person and your ability to convince them of your competence.

Exactly.

I went on a sales course once as a Worcester approved installer, probably 15 years ago now. It was more geared around being able to offer finance to customers (long before strict FSA rules).

We were given a list as to pick out the most likely reason that a possible client may choose you over another htg eng.

In the list were cheapest quote, puntuality, etc, etc.

2nd top answer was you would be chosen because of your presentation.

Top answer was surprising......you would have more chance of wining the job if you were a 'normal' person and was able to converse with client about everyday things as opposed to just plumbing and boilers !

Being chosen for being the cheapest was right down the list, mind you, people had a bit more money back then.

 

[Koogatubac]

I think presentation is a must! Tells people exactly what type of tradesman you are.

If you have trousers thats full of silicone, paste, paint etc that normally tells people what tradesmen they are like compared to a tradesmen whos got clean clothes

Either that or hes bought new clothes

 

[Ray Stafford]

Being chosen for being the cheapest was right down the list, mind you, people had a bit more money back then.

Nah, they only thought they did. Actually they were just running up debts, or constantly re-mortgaging to keep up with the joneses.

Real average household incomes, adjusted for inflation, have risen steadily since the war, with real-terms drops only occuring in 1981 and 2010. And they were chicken-feed compared with the ***ulative rises.

Its an absolute myth that people buy on price. If they did, Heatline or Biasi would be market leaders and not Worcester and Vaillant. The vast majority of people buy "perceived value for money". All the cheap boiler makes put together wouldn't sell as many boilers as a single model - Vaillants 831.

If you are self employed, your job is to convince people that you will be good value. That includes how you look. Too smart is wrong. Wearing a suit would make me think of double glazing salesmen. But covered in silicon is not smart enough - at least not for a first call.

You have to decide whether you want to present as a Vaillant 831 plumber or a Biasi plumber.

 

[Barry98]

spare set of clean clothes behind seat in van for if im doing a quote stright from tools , van is ALWAYS clean and tidy as some come out to greet you or wave off. if they come to wave off i make a point of opening side doors so they can see inside is clean and tiday too.

 

[Irish]

"You have to decide whether you want to present as a Vaillant 831 plumber or a Biasi plumber."
Very eloquently put Ray, like it

 

[SimonG]

I wouldnt turn up to price a job through the week too tidy. My work clothes are lived in. If somebody wasnt going to employ me because I had a bit of paste/silicone/dust on me then I dont want to be working for them. Theyd be follwing you round with the hoover.

 

[leethegasman]

We always wear snickers trousers and polo shirts with logos on we used to have blue work wear,but the wife seen a tradesman in black work wear and said it looked smart so we went to black workwear last year. don't think colour makes any difference but I do personally like the black so will be sticking with it.
I know not many do this and it is so simple and that is wear overshoes, I know we get work from just doing this simple thing quoting and working.

 

[Ermintrude]

We have a pritty boy who can talk legs of donkeys. He hates cats but will sit and stroke it for ages if he can smell a sale. U do surveys clean ish trousers and my customer fleece

 

[Mickyplumb]

Nah, they only thought they did. Actually they were just running up debts, or constantly re-mortgaging to keep up with the joneses.

Real average household incomes, adjusted for inflation, have risen steadily since the war, with real-terms drops only occuring in 1981 and 2010. And they were chicken-feed compared with the ***ulative rises.

Its an absolute myth that people buy on price. If they did, Heatline or Biasi would be market leaders and not Worcester and Vaillant. The vast majority of people buy "perceived value for money". All the cheap boiler makes put together wouldn't sell as many boilers as a single model - Vaillants 831.

If you are self employed, your job is to convince people that you will be good value. That includes how you look. Too smart is wrong. Wearing a suit would make me think of double glazing salesmen. But covered in silicon is not smart enough - at least not for a first call.

You have to decide whether you want to present as a Vaillant 831 plumber or a Biasi plumber.

Intersting facts about people's financial situations. There certainly seemed to more of a 'feel good' factor back then though, but probably just false security.

 

[Riley]

Reckon presentation is massively important always turn up to quotes and jobs in company branded gear with a few cards in the pocket. Customers like courtesy I find remember pleases and thank yous. Shoes off without being asked or break out the overshoes always gets nice comments. If I'm doing a gas job or quote I try n wear a shirt or jacket with gas safe on just to show quals to custard

 

[IDCHAPPY]

I must admit to being a bit of a tramp, jogging bottoms and casual top as i feel comfortable in them.
This year though I'm going to get proper work clothes with company labels stitched into them to try and upgrade my company image :lol:

 

[Reg Man]

Smart Suit, flash car X.... clapped out old van scruffy work clothes X...... Modest clean van or car with smart trousers and company logo polo shirt ?

 

[Riley]

Option 3 reg man

 

[JLock21]

I think it's a balance, if you look to squeaky clean and like you've never done an honest days graft customers might not trust you to do their work. you have to expect plumbers to be a bit rough around the edges after all you don't need to wear a tux to dig around in u bends!