Checkatrade

[Leo21]

My only gripe with it is there are 2/3 pages worth of adds on my post code all with feedback of 10 9.9 9.8 so what is the point in me bothering I'd be bottom of the page for the first year until I got all the feedback in and scored

Same here,I also don't like the the thought of being someone's pig. Worrying about wether a customer will give me agood review or not.

 

[SimonG]

I would rather know that a customer wasnt happy and take steps to address it. Nothing worse than a customer that says to your face that they are happy but then tells people you did this, that or the other.

I know people like my work, I know that people they know also like my work. It will just give me a bigger audience for people who like my work. Cost wise, its cheaper than an ad in the local rag.

I'll give it a go for a year and see how it goes. If it doesnt work then I wont renew.

 

[IDCHAPPY]

discount next year haha thats it, ian make sure you have everything there for colin when he comes up as you get a discount

Yip, i have my appointment on the 6th of June and got all my details at hand 😀
PM me your details or txt me them so i can say about you recommending me 🙂

 

[GasmanxxxR1]

My only gripe with it is there are 2/3 pages worth of adds on my post code all with feedback of 10 9.9 9.8 so what is the point in me bothering I'd be bottom of the page for the first year until I got all the feedback in and scored

It doesnt work like that, most recent relevant review goes to the top

 

[Ray Stafford]

Same here,I also don't like the the thought of being someone's pig. Worrying about wether a customer will give me agood review or not.

If you're in business, you are always your customer's pig.

And they are constantly giving you good or bad reviews - talking to friends, neighbours, relatives and co-workers. All that sites like checkatrade do is amplify those reviews which would otherwise only be broadcast to a few dozen people and extends that to the entire web.

 

[smtplumbing]

I spoke to colin today if anyone wants speak right to membership consultant please drop me a pm and i will give you his number. he can answer any questions and tell you about checkatrade.

Ian is your appointment not wednesday the 4th he said

 

[IDCHAPPY]

I spoke to colin today if anyone wants speak right to membership consultant please drop me a pm and i will give you his number. he can answer any questions and tell you about checkatrade.

Ian is your appointment not wednesday the 4th he said

Aye, something like that 😉.
Looking forward to seeing if it's good.

 

[gasmanrob]

It doesnt work like that, most recent relevant review goes to the top

So why is the first company's last review April and the 6th company's review may? It's good if it does work like that and that would make me consider it.

 

[Leo21]

I'm just not keen on bringing in a third party into it.
i don't even think it's expensive, I don't like the feeling that someone else has an influence over me.
And the fact that I simply don't trust any of these business to be fair in the long run, when there's money to be made.
It almost feels having a boss again.
ive been self employed sixteen years, guess I don't like change.

 

[SimonG]

I think its each to their own. I've had a good look at the site, had a search of the nearest companies to me and had a good look at the quality, volume and content of the feedback.

I like the opportunity to address any poor feedback and give your side of the experience.

Personally for me it looks like something that will work well.

I currently make a decent living but want to expand. This just might generate the volume to do that.

 

[Reltub]

I'm thinking about jumping on board as well, ive got 2 boiler installers within 10 miles of me thed nearest being 6 miles, so seems like it might be worth it

 

[SimonG]

Signed up this morning. I'll give it a year and see how it goes.

 

[kris]

I spoke to checkatrade on friday and if i was to join id have to do a skype meeting as too far away and there is no one within 100miles of me is on checkatrade . So im wayin up pros n cons to see if viable. Its not that i need work but its a good way of them building up a public profile for u. Where i stay everyone knows everyone and i built my business up simply with word of mouth and recomendations. They said they are doing a money back garauntee system if it doesnt work.

 

[smtplumbing]

how did it go simon Did you get colin

kris if you want colins number ( membership consultant) let me know

 

[Reltub]

Whats the turnaround from the day of applying roughly?

 

[smtplumbing]

depends when they can book you in for a chat

 

[Reltub]

How long did it take you?

 

[lame plumber]

I had a ring round of people using cat last night one was binning them after a yr, the other had joined recently and wasnt getting anything, and another name from much further afield couldnt fault them, just get your page right was Mikes advice. So having a chat with some more tonight. Asking customers was interesting as all the ones so far use wom!, only one considered using the net, so in this area things seem to be the devil you know and the internet isnt king, but this is Devon 🙂 Ps thanks Mike for taking your time up last night.

 

[Ray Stafford]

Asking customers was interesting as all the ones so far use wom!

Isn't this self-fulfilling though Jon?

If your customer-acquistion strategy has been strongly based on personal recommend and word-of-mouth, then its not surprising that when you ask your existing customers, they report this preference.

On the other hand, if Mike Jackson surveyed his customers, they would mostly mention Check-a-trade, since that has been the focus of his marketing.

You will both tend to have the customers who prefer to engage tradesmen via the particular route that you have chosen. Its dangerous to assume from this data that their neighbours would feel the same way. Your sample may be skewed.

 

[lame plumber]

skewed on my own customer base for sure, but i was a bit worried that guys in the sticks 40 miles away didn't rate the company. Mike noted that your front page is important to attract customers, don't just be saying your brilliant, personalize it to their level of thinking, have a read of Mikes if you want to get a perspective on this, I believe he is spot on there.