How to avoid being ghosted by a tradesperson

What does it mean to be ghosted?

Just like in the dating world, being ‘ghosted’ by a tradesperson means they have suddenly stopped responding to you, or never replied to your enquiry in the first place. If this sounds familiar you’re not alone.

Tradespeople are currently in high demand and our latest research has found that four in ten (41%) UK adults have been ghosted by a tradesperson after reaching out for a quote.

The impact of tradespeople ghosting leaves people feeling annoyed (43%) and rejected (12%) and many UK homes are suffering as a result. After getting ghosted, over one in four (27%) UK adults took on the work themselves and lived to regret the outcome.

Tips to avoid being ghosted by a tradesperson

To avoid falling foul of the ghosting trend, our experts have shared their top tips on how to increase your chances of getting a response from local tradespeople:

1. Request at least three quotes

Improve your chances of getting a response by contacting multiple tradespeople about a job. We recommend contacting three to four different people, meaning you’re more likely to get a reply from at least one.

2. Consider the job from a tradespersons’ perspective

Try and put yourself in the shoes of the tradesperson you are contacting. Is the job low value, or something you could realistically do yourself, such as bleeding or balancing a radiator? If so, the tradesperson might not see the value of attending, and you could potentially save yourself some money by completing the job at home.

If you think you might be able to do the job yourself, our how-to guides should help you on your way.

3. Provide the perfect amount of detail about your job

Tradespeople are very busy, so before you send that text or make that call, make sure you know the specifics of the job at hand. Make a checklist which details:

• A description of the work
• Your budget
• Your ideal timeframe

Providing a good amount of detail up front makes it easier for everyone involved.

4. Be patient and understanding

You might be disheartened by the lack of an instant reply, but don’t be tempted to double or triple text a tradesperson or leave multiple answerphone messages on the same day. This might make you seem like a difficult customer, making them even less likely to come back to you.

Instead, we recommend being patient for 48 hours and following up with a polite phone call to remind them about the job.

If you need an emergency repair and can’t wait, try calling straight away rather than sending a message. Calmly explaining the urgency of the problem could convince them to fit you in between other appointments.

5. Get cover with HomeServe

To avoid being ghosted in the future, get covered by HomeServe. We offer various home emergency cover options, meaning that you can rest easy knowing that somebody will always be on hand to help when things go wrong.