Check a trade

[TheHungrySquirrel]

Anyone here using check a trade and have some feedback on it?

 

A few guys I sub to use it and really rate it, varies from £90 -120 a month so it's a fair bit if your not getting calls.

 

It seems to be heavily based on review percentage but until you start getting jobs how do you build the reviews??

 

 

[tonytree]

It’s OK don’t expect to have loads of calls all the time, couldn’t have that as your only advertising alone.

[forestboy1978]

16 minutes ago, tonytree said:

It’s OK don’t expect to have loads of calls all the time, couldn’t have that as your only advertising alone.

I have it as my only advertising for 8 months of the year apart from the local rag I'm in cos it's cheap. 

 

I'm a small company though at the moment with no immediate interest in expansion.

 

Only problem is is there are 100+ other fencers in there in my city alone which is a joke.

 

90% of my business comes from checkatrade and any other advertising is compounded by it. 

 

Downside is customers kinda have you over a barrel re the "would you mind if I asked you to do this thing here that you haven't quoted for....." - You can't say "when you go to burger king do you ask them for a happy ending with your burger and fries?"

 

 More than 1 bad review and you may as well leave CAT. If I get a whiff a person is trouble, I mean the slightest whiff, I utter the immortal line "We are very sorry we cannot tender for this work at this time" and now I don't even respond if questioned why. 

Edited June 10, 2018 by forestboy1978

[TheHungrySquirrel]

Interesting feedback cheers. As you say it's very feedback based on how you appear to victims (customers)

[forestboy1978]

15 minutes ago, TheHungrySquirrel said:

Interesting feedback cheers. As you say it's very feedback based on how you appear to victims (customers)

On checkatrade YOU are the victim, not the customer. 1 screwball can ruin your business if you become reliant on it, as I have.

 

The best model I would imagine is to build a solid customer base by being good at what you do and in line with the market, building a huge customer base and people in your corner and then GTFO checkatrade so you can tell ass****s to ***k themselves.  

Edited June 10, 2018 by forestboy1978

[tonytree]

I have it as my only advertising for 8 months of the year apart from the local rag I'm in cos it's cheap. 
 
I'm a small company though at the moment with no immediate interest in expansion.
 
Only problem is is there are 100+ other fencers in there in my city alone which is a joke.
 
90% of my business comes from checkatrade and any other advertising is compounded by it. 
 
Downside is customers kinda have you over a barrel re the "would you mind if I asked you to do this thing here that you haven't quoted for....." - You can't say "when you go to burger king do you ask them for a happy ending with your burger and fries?"
 
 More than 1 bad review and you may as well leave CAT. If I get a whiff a person is trouble, I mean the slightest whiff, I utter the immortal line "We are very sorry we cannot tender for this work at this time" and now I don't even respond if questioned why. 

I’ve been on it just over a year, if this next year I only get the same return as the last I probably won’t renew.

Out of curiosity do you find it hard for people to actually leave feedback as most don’t seem to bother.

I’ll try once with a polite reminder to leave a review but if nothing I don’t bother because I think it’s unprofessional to keep pestering someone for a review.

[Steve Bullman]

Just now, tonytree said:

 

I’ve been on it just over a year, if this next year I only get the same return as the last I probably won’t renew.

Out of curiosity do you find it hard for people to actually leave feedback as most don’t seem to bother.

I’ll try once with a polite reminder to leave a review but if nothing I don’t bother because I think it’s unprofessional to keep pestering someone for a review.

 

In this case I wouldn't say its unprofessional at all, thats the whole idea behind this particular service

[forestboy1978]

4 minutes ago, tonytree said:

 

I’ve been on it just over a year, if this next year I only get the same return as the last I probably won’t renew.

Out of curiosity do you find it hard for people to actually leave feedback as most don’t seem to bother.

I’ll try once with a polite reminder to leave a review but if nothing I don’t bother because I think it’s unprofessional to keep pestering someone for a review.

 

No not really. I get 50 reviews a year at least without much effort. 

 

I have links at the bottom of my email though. One of them is "view or leave checkAtrade reviews" and it takes them straight there. 

 

I always say, please, if you get time, leave a review, they are SO important to us cos they bump up advertising. Just click the link. Most people do. some don't. I never ask twice. 

Edited June 10, 2018 by forestboy1978

[john k]

On checkatrade YOU are the victim, not the customer. 1 screwball can ruin your business if you become reliant on it, as I have.

He would need to be a determined screwball though as it’s all a bit of a scam and they make it difficult to leave any reviews which are less than excellent.

All in all Checkatrade is pretty meaningless, and is just about making money for Checkatrade. Some people still think it stands for something though so it might bring in work, but I wouldn’t want to get too reliant on it.

[forestboy1978]

38 minutes ago, john k said:

He would need to be a determined screwball though as it’s all a bit of a scam and they make it difficult to leave any reviews which are less than excellent.

All in all Checkatrade is pretty meaningless, and is just about making money for Checkatrade. Some people still think it stands for something though so it might bring in work, but I wouldn’t want to get too reliant on it.

 

WRONG!!

 

I had 2 lunatics try to bend me over for reviews and I was told verbatim by checkatrade if the customer give you a zero because you left a packet of crisps on site then they have to allow the score. I got away with it cos the tenants were so happy with the job and heard my convo with the landlord (who said I made his pregnant wife cry - tenants and neighbour were stood next to me during the convo and were shocked at the accusation) that he said "screw it mate. I'll review you. He's a prick" and he saved my ass. 

 

Another time the customer wanted me to do more work for them but didn't want to pay for it so I said sorry but that's my price so they phoned to leave a review of another small job I'd done. (already left a 10 for a fence which they tried to change to a zero) I phoned checkatrade and they said there was nothing they could do about it but off the record the guy said if you deny you did that other job then they would have to produce an invoice. If they haven't got invoice they can't leave the review. I denied I'd been there, it was a tiny gutter repair, and they hadn't kept the invoice. I got lucky.