2020 was a year of unprecedented ups and downs. Life presented us with more challenges than ever, and people across the world had to adapt to many new obstacles. But one thing didn’t change: we still needed to call the plumber.
A new survey conducted by Rated People and Vanarama asked 1000 people questions relating to their reliance on tradespeople over the past year, to find out the kind of impact that lockdowns and restrictions had on our tendency to call out a tradesperson. As it turns out, not a big impact at all.
On the contrary, the survey revealed that 64% of those questioned called on a tradesperson at some point in 2020. Of all the tradespeople that were called out to homes last year, plumbers were in highest demand, with 23% of all calls being made for plumbing-related issues. In second place were the electricians, with 11% of all calls made for them.
"Lockdowns have not diminished peoples reliance on the service of tradespeople"
One glimpse of how much people spent on tradespeople in 2020 is enough to confirm the notion that tradespeople are still able to rake it in, despite the threat of lockdowns and restrictions. 20% of respondents to the survey said that they’d spent over £1000 on tradespeople in 2020. And to top that, 10% said that they’d spent over £5000!
The highest proportion of costs reflected how most tradespeople thrived off a number of lower-paid odd jobs and quick fixes, as over 50% of people spent between £10-100 on domestic trade work. But keeping busy is the key factor to success as a tradespeople, and any opportunity to produce high-quality work, and to make a customer happy, is an opportunity to secure even more work. And this fact is particularly worth remembering: the survey also said that a whopping 70% of customers choose their tradespeople not according to how much they charge, but rely instead upon positive word of mouth.
Another important revelation that this survey has brought up, is that lockdowns did not diminish people’s reliance upon the services of tradespeople. In fact, it could be argued that they even increased people’s likelihood of calling out for a tradesperson, as 54% stated that more time spent in the house under lockdown meant that they noticed more issues that needed fixing. That’s right: lockdowns actually increased the chances of people getting the plumber in.
"Working in the construction industry is a safe bet for guaranteed work, no matter what future pandemics throw at us. People will always need their boilers fixed, their homes powered, and their lives moving forward. Tradespeople play a massive role in making sure that this happens."
Not only that, but more time spent at home meant that people had the time to attempt fixing things themselves. Of course, untrained hands are going to make mistakes, and there’s a reason why becoming a qualified tradesperson takes training and commitment. 20% of respondents admitted that they were forced to call out a tradesperson to fix a DIY issue that they’d caused themselves. It just goes to show – we need tradespeople more than we think.
The most uplifting statistic produced by this survey for those working in the construction industry, was that 68% of respondents felt comfortable having tradespeople enter their homes, even during lockdowns. It’s testimony to the fact that tradespeople undergo incredibly important work, and without them, people would be living in discomfort, or even in danger. Without power, energy, heating, particularly at a time in which our homes become our constant places of refuge, where would any of us be?
This pandemic has shown us how truly indebted we are to our tradespeople, and how they continue to be in high demand. Working in the construction industry is a safe bet for guaranteed work, no matter what future pandemics throw at us. People will always need their boilers fixed, their homes powered, and their lives moving forward. Tradespeople play a massive role in making sure that this happens.
Access Training can give you that certainty: a future of fulfilling work, security, and professional purpose.
Learn your trade. Get qualified. Make it happen.