TradesTalk is a weekly Twitter chat for all trades to get involved in! Bringing the trades together in one place to discuss, chat, debate and laugh about a different theme every week.
This week’s #TradesTalk Twitter chat was a takeover run by the e5 group, an organisation set up to promote improvements in the electrical industry.
The chat was primarily aimed at electricians, but lots of different trades got involved. Here is our round-up of the best bits.
First up, the guest hosts asked about etiquette among the trades, and whether you consider the others that will be working on projects after you have finished.
All the time.. it annoys the hell out of me when trades don’t
We are all supposedly there for the person ordering the work.
The way I see it, if everyone fills in the gaps between trades, everything runs so much smoother, and the person ordering the work gets a higher standard
— Pure electric ltd (@PureElectricLtd) February 5, 2019
The second question looked at a much-discussed issue, that of tidying up…
https://twitter.com/Andy_J_Mayar/status/1092880506201489408
Next, the discussion moved on to finding skilled labour when needed.
I only take on jobs I know I can complete on my own now, been let down too many times in the past. I focus on quality not thrashing out as many jobs as I can. Used to subby out quite a bit of work but the trust wasn’t there unfortunately. Too many numpties around. #TradesTalk
— Lee Harvey (@HarveyDecor) February 6, 2019
A3- I’m quite lucky in that I’ve got a couple of guys I can call on who do a good job, I’d be annoyed if they weren’t doing the level of work I want to achieve especially when it’s my name on the certs
— rowlingelectrical (@rowlingelectric) February 5, 2019
After a bit of discussion about regulation bodies, the conversation moved on to the issue of late (or non) paying customers. Not surprisingly, feelings were running high on this subject.
Just don't work for the estate agents anymore!
Always trying to weasel out of paying, "tenants not paid rent yet" is a common one— Yousef (@Y1Installations) February 5, 2019
https://twitter.com/AnslowElectric/status/1092892745813897225
The next question was on how to stand out against the competition, and professionalism was highlighted by all trades.
https://twitter.com/RKENNEDYDEC/status/1092904421149822976
A5 – I ensure I keep up to date and understand the service I provide flawlessly. Confidence is key. Know what you can and understand what you can't do. It's very important.#TradeTalk
— TCW (@TCW_01) February 5, 2019
The final question gave other trades the opportunity to say what they’d like the electricians they work with to know. Here are some of the publishable replies.
A7 #Tradestalk
think of the next trade in behind you when chopping half the wall out and be aware that a dustpan and brush is your friend— Jennifer G Interiors (@Jenthedecorator) February 5, 2019
A7 Campaign for more awareness of the dangers of unqualified electrical installations and those who did the installation to be held responsible, considering the damage they can cause. I see so many DIY installs of wired appliances and fittings. #TradesTalk
— Oilcanfinish Landscaping and Property Maintenance (@oilcanfinish) February 5, 2019
If you’d like to chat to other tradespeople around the UK (and further afield!) do tune in on Twitter every Tuesday from 8pm – just search the hashtag #TradesTalk.