Running a busy facility means juggling endless maintenance tasks, but with limited time and budget, staying on top of it all can feel like an impossible challenge.
This is why good tradespeople are worth their weight in gold. Not only are they able to get the job done on time and budget, but quality workmanship also eliminates the prospect of costly rework. But what’s the best way to tell a good tradesperson from someone who just says they’re good?
There’s no simple answer to this, but, as with many things in life, a bit of planning can go a long way. Here is a best-practice guide to finding tradespeople who will deliver the goods.
Define your needs
The first step to finding the right person for the job is understanding the work that needs to be done. For instance, the skill set required for an exterior commercial painting project differs greatly from major brickwork or carpentry. Defining the scope of work is the best way to do this.
The advantage of creating a comprehensive scope of work is that it identifies the critical aspects of the maintenance project, including:
- Objectives
- Timeline
- Budget
- Materials
- Quality standards
Understanding these needs not only makes it easier to find the tradespeople with the suitable skill set but also makes it easier for the tradespeople to see what they need to do on their end.
Research and referrals
Once the scope of work has been defined, it’s time to find the tradesperson who ticks the boxes. Recommendations can be a great starting point and it’s also worth checking online reviews to ensure there haven’t been any red flags in previous jobs. Getting more than one written quote can also help and offer flexibility if the arrangement isn’t working out.
Tradespeople need a licence to work within certain buildings, and many states and territories offer tools to help you verify a selected tradesperson’s credentials.
For example, the NSW Government offers a contractors and tradespeople licence check that lets anyone check whether or not the tradesperson possesses the appropriate qualifications.
Conduct interviews and assessments
Even if a maintenance project is ad hoc, a formal interview process can help you determine a tradesperson’s work ethic, cognitive ability and cultural fit. Preparing a set of questions ahead of time will help the interview go smoothly and tell you everything you need to know.
Use the interview as a chance to test the tradesperson’s communication skills. Once contracted, the tradesperson will communicate with you and the tenants of the property, and good communication skills make this much smoother.
Tradespeople should also be willing to provide a set of references if requested.
Finding the right tradesperson the first time around is worth the investment, and it means you won’t be desperately combing the internet looking for a replacement tradesperson in six months’ time.
Get detailed quotes
Before you request a quote for the job, it’s a good idea to spend some time on a job brief. Providing the tradespeople with a job brief before you ask them for an estimate will help you clarify exactly how you want the job done, including specifications such as material quality.
Once settled on a brief, obtain at least three different written quotes. Having a few options will give you the chance to prepare and make sure you’re getting the best deal.
Each written quote should include the following information:
- Outline of all work to be completed
- Information regarding materials used
- Alignment with specifications in job brief
Assess work quality and reliability
The last piece of the puzzle before signing the dotted line and agreeing to the project is assessing the quality of the tradesperson’s previous work. Do they have any online reviews? Are examples of their work available? Has anyone posted negative information?
Get into contact with the references provided during the interview stage and ask them about their experience with the tradespeople. Were there any problems, such as punctuality and professionalism? If there were any issues in the past, it’s better to know at this stage rather than before they show up to the building without their toolbelt and ladder, 45 minutes late.
Trust your gut, and if you’ve got more than one quote, you can always go with someone else.
Build a long-term relationship
The best tradespeople are the ones you can rely on time and again. So, if they’re holding up their end of the bargain, make sure you do yours by building a long-term relationship. This means paying their invoices on time, being clear and communicative and not throwing any spanners into the works that haven’t been agreed upon with prior notice.
Good tradespeople are worth their weight in gold. So, if you find a good tradesperson, do everything you can to keep them.
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