When you’re in the market to hire someone to do work on your house or business, trust is crucial. Whether it’s repairing a leak, rewiring your home or painting a room, you want/hope to know that the job will be done right and by someone who has your interest at heart. That’s one of the reasons selecting a Local Trusted Trader or Trading Standards Approved Trusted Trader is such a good idea.
These are professionals who have been vetted and approved to ensure that they’re honest, proficient and safe to trade with. We’ll explain in this article what a trusted trader is and why it’s important, as well as how you can find one near you.
What Are Local Trusted Traders?
In your area Local Trusted Traders are tradespeople or small businesses that have been recommended by people in the Your Money Saving community who live near you. These people are your electricians, plumbers, builders, gardeners and decorators. They’ve been vetted by previous customers and are often monitored by official bodies to make sure they deliver good service at a reasonable cost.
What are the advantages of local trusted traders?
They are nearby, which can mean they reach you more quickly.
They value what other people think of them – because their business is local, word-of-mouth and reputation means a lot.
They’re up to date on local rules — and follow the correct safety and building standards.
Who is a Trading Standards Approved Trusted Trader?
Some traders also go a step further and gain approval from Trading Standards. The government funded department looks after the customers of all the unfair or unsafe businesses. Once a firm is Trading Standards Approved Trusted Trader, it has been vetted and meets certain conditions.
They must:
Be honest in their advertising
Give clear pricing
Do quality work
Have good customer service
Follow the law
When you select a Trading Standards Approved Trusted Trader, it means they have been vetted properly and are committed to doing things correctly.
How to Locally Source Recommended Tradespeople
There are many ways to locate reliable traders in your area. Here are some of the most popular and reputable ones:
Trusted Trader Schemes
There are plenty of local authorities that operate their own official Trusted Trader schemes. The sites provide databases of recommended local tradespeople. You can browse by trade and region.
Popular platforms include:
Shop With Confidence – operated by Trading Standards
Which? 2: Trusted Traders – trusted with your home Though they’re obviously not ‘trustees’ in the same sense, we as a nation bestow a substantial amount of trust uponamateur tradespeople.
Checkatrade – includes a review and rating section.
TrustMark – government-endorsed
Ask for Recommendations
Speak to friends, relatives or your neighbors. You have had good experiences with a recommended local tradesman.
Read Online Reviews
Look for online reviews from actual customers. Look at how recent the reviews are, and check whether the trader responds to feedback in a professional manner.
Keep an eye out for the Trading Standards Approval Badge
Most Trading Standards Approved Trusted Traders display the badge on their website, van and or business paperwork. This means they have undergone additional checks and follow high standards.
What Types of Work Do Approved Traders Carry Out?
Reliable traders can assist with a range of jobs in and around your home. This includes:
Plumbing
Electrical work
Roofing
Painting and decorating
Garden maintenance
Building work
Cleaning services
Locksmith services
And in any job, it’s better to bring on somebody trusted and approved.
What to Ask Before Hiring a Trader
Even when employing a Local Trusted Trader, here’s some questions which may help:
Do you conform to Trading Standards?
Do you have insurance?
May I see your reviews, or have a reference?
Will I get a written quote?
Do you warranty your work?
These are questions that a professional trader should be glad to address.
Why You Need a Reputable Decatur Trader
Selecting the right person for a job can really save time, money and stress.” Should you choose the wrong (unqualified, untrustworthy) person, you could get poor results — or damage so awful it costs loads more to repair. That’s why it is really important to select a Local Trusted Trader, particularly one who happens to be a Trading Standards Approved Trusted Trader.
These are traders who take a pride in good customer service, accurate work and fair prices. And in the event of something being not quite right, Trading Standards can help to sort out problems.
Final Thoughts
Hiring someone to the work on your home is the big decision. You’re looking for someone you can trust, who will do a good job without overcharging or otherwise taking advantage of your need. Given that if you select a Local Trusted Trader you choose ‘The best traders in the area and ones trading standards officers would level their backing too’ – which seems like a good decision to me!
Before you hire anybody, do some homework — look up their approval status and read customer reviews. It’s always better to be safe and armed with information about your own home.
