Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Steve Gunn on April 09, 2013, 07:13:58 am

Title: Checkatrade
Post by: Steve Gunn on April 09, 2013, 07:13:58 am
Good or bad already member of North East Checked and Vetted which has been a complete waste of money.
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: benny d on April 09, 2013, 07:57:02 am
I dont understand your message...
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Len Gribble on April 09, 2013, 08:02:50 am
 

Sorry, this trader is not a member of Checkatrade ;D
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Steve Gunn on April 09, 2013, 08:08:31 am
Is Checkatrade any good had rep on the phone giving it large how much more work can I handle etc etc
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: AshWhite on April 09, 2013, 09:33:11 am
Are you going to the TACCA day, cos I believe a rep from Checkatrade is?
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Steve Gunn on April 09, 2013, 02:41:55 pm
Yes going to Tacca day
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Helen on April 09, 2013, 05:03:49 pm
Yes it works but don't expect to get instant results, as it takes time to build up credibility
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: bennymon on April 09, 2013, 05:42:56 pm
As soon as they say how much more work can you handle I get rid of them give it a miss gunny
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Len Gribble on April 09, 2013, 06:23:30 pm
Minty

Credibility can be instant if you want it ;)
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: greg2040 on April 09, 2013, 08:13:56 pm
I joined check a trade back in December ish last year. It has definitely paid for itself and without a doubt I will be continuing my membership next year. As mentioned dont expect shed loads of enquiries but we get a customer or 2 a week from them. Hopefully as we build up more feedback the number of enquiries will also increase.

We do domestic house cleaning as well as carpet cleaning. We only joined as a lot of people are nervous about giving the keys to their house to someone so this was a good way to get some crediability.

Hope that helps.
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Craigp on April 09, 2013, 08:21:08 pm
How much is it?
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: greg2040 on April 09, 2013, 08:59:20 pm
think we paid circa £500 plus VAT for the year. If you want to go into their local magazine (a leaflet with a couple of each trade sent out to 100,000 local properties per year) then it was something around £900 inc VAT for the year. we didnt go for the mag originally as were a bit sceptical. As we have had a reasonable response we will be going in the magazine next year.
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: dan paton on April 09, 2013, 09:17:48 pm
greg are the customers coming  directly from check a trade or are they seeing the checkatrade logo on your van,leaflet,website etc then going through checkatrade  . just interested mate because there's a fair few in my area who are in it
                         dan
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: derek west on April 09, 2013, 09:31:59 pm
Bridget & Karen will be attending the TACCA day and doing a full presentation about checkatrade, i do believe there will be a generous discount for your first year if you show interest on the day. I Think i will give it a go allthough i do believe it works better the further south you are at present, but that doesn't mean you can't get the ball rolling now ready for when its big up north.
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: COLIN BRIGHT on April 09, 2013, 10:36:20 pm
whats the difference between them and trust a trader
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: derek west on April 09, 2013, 10:41:09 pm
never heard of trust a trader so not sure.
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: COLIN BRIGHT on April 09, 2013, 10:52:11 pm
REALLY? the bloody ad is never off the TV or Radio, personally i dont trust them!
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Teddycare on April 10, 2013, 08:04:26 am
Rated people.com ?
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Craigp on April 10, 2013, 08:10:35 am
myhammer.com

That's the problem is there is too many, which will dilute their users, it would be better if one dominated.

Still checkatrader sounds best.
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: derek west on April 10, 2013, 08:40:21 am
REALLY? the bloody ad is never off the TV or Radio, personally i dont trust them!
ive Just googled trust a trader tv ad and got nothing!!!

on tv i've seen rated people and checkatrade, also my hammer but not seen that for a while.
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: bennymon on April 10, 2013, 10:23:19 am
Just because people pay to be on them doesn't mean they are any good .used to be a painter round our way on there and he was crap .
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Neil Williams on April 10, 2013, 06:48:57 pm
Checkatrade is similar to Buy with Confidence as run by some County Councils.
I would say in excess of 50% of our enquiries come to us either via checkatrade site or because we are part of it (our advertising).
Helps with the selling part of the job when you have enough positive feedbacks.

Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: garry22 on April 10, 2013, 07:09:19 pm
Excuse my ignorance but how do they vet their tradesmen?
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Neil Williams on April 10, 2013, 07:44:48 pm
Excuse my ignorance but how do they vet their tradesmen?

From memory you supply 3 x commercial customers name and 3 x domestic customers names you've done work for. They do follow them up, and proof of suitable insurances.
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Len Gribble on April 10, 2013, 07:52:59 pm
Would assume one has to give previous customers details to them (data protection springs to mind) and they follow up with a questionnaire well guild of master craftsmen did when I was a member (DON’T FORGET TO PICK AND CHOSE CUSTOMERS ;))
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Dani J on April 10, 2013, 09:41:07 pm
Rated people.com ?

I wouldn't touch them, they are big con  >:(
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: greg2040 on April 11, 2013, 09:50:13 am
greg are the customers coming  directly from check a trade or are they seeing the checkatrade logo on your van,leaflet,website etc then going through checkatrade  . just interested mate because there's a fair few in my area who are in it
                         dan

Hi Dan

Yes the work is definitely from check a trade. I know that because lazy me hasnt bothered chaging any van signwriting, flyers, webstite etc to say I am a member of checkatrade yet.
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Len Gribble on April 11, 2013, 07:50:04 pm
Greg

Bit confused with the scoring you are rank one on there site 10 score 24 reports where as a competitor whose being going a lot longer then you is 7th 10 score 746 reports

Hope Bridget & Karen who I believe are attending TACCA day can quantify (worth questioning methinks)
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Tony_C on April 12, 2013, 01:29:45 pm
Greg

Bit confused with the scoring you are rank one on there site 10 score 24 reports where as a competitor whose being going a lot longer then you is 7th 10 score 746 reports

Hope Bridget & Karen who I believe are attending TACCA day can quantify (worth questioning methinks)


The position of a business on any page is governed by the area that enquirer typed into the search bar. Example: enquirer types in 'carpet cleaner' 'kingston', if your business is based in Kingston or if you have a lot of feedback reports from Kingston you will appear at or near the top of that particular page. 
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: greg2040 on April 12, 2013, 04:16:21 pm
I asked exactly the same question and have a rough idea on how it works. It is worked partly depedant on the area the customer is searching and how well your company represents that area. ie. if a customer is looking for a cleaner in Fareham and 90% of your business and reviews are from Fareham then it will see you as a relevent result. 

From there it is then based on how recent your last bit of feedback is. So if I had some feedback from yesterday and my competitions last bit was from the day before then I will come up above them.

Checkatrade dont work on how many bits of feedback otherwise it would be nearly impossible for new members to get a look in against companies who have built up 100's of feedback over the years.

Anyway good luck with whatever you decide.
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: derek west on April 22, 2013, 04:16:02 pm
Just been informed that checkatrade are doing a £100 discount on the TACCA day and also they are holding there prices for us which are due to go up soon, this is an introductory offer for first timers to checkatrade so if your thinking of joining then why not get a ticket and come along to the tacca day. they will be doing there talk at 10am and 1pm for anyone interested.
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Peter J Haigh on April 23, 2013, 06:33:05 pm
Derek
 Any chance of asking them to give the discount to clean it up forum members ? I am quite interested, but cannot make it to the training day. I would also be interested in the opinions of others after hearing their presentation.

Regards
Pete H
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: derek west on April 23, 2013, 07:01:11 pm
I will ask on saturday peter.
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Steve Gunn on April 28, 2013, 08:54:06 pm
Interesting chat with checkatrade and saved £100 to boot
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Neil Williams on April 28, 2013, 09:14:52 pm
Interesting chat with checkatrade and saved £100 to boot

Steve, if you want to ask any questions from someone who has been with this scheme for several years then give me a call.
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Steve Gunn on April 28, 2013, 09:22:34 pm
Will do before I sign up cheers
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: COLIN BRIGHT on April 29, 2013, 08:21:03 pm
has anybody else heard of trust a trader its that david mitchell that advertises it
Title: Re: Checkatrade
Post by: Neil Williams on April 29, 2013, 08:48:50 pm
Much the same but with less effort from them, also and as far as I know don't do the same level of advertising that C.A.T do including the TV advertising.