How To Pick The Right Electrician For Your Job

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Whether you’ve got a simple job or a multi-stage renovation, working with the right tradies can make or break a project. In this blog we go through what to look out for when hiring tradies and how to know if your electrician has the characteristics that will make the job run smoothly, safely and reliably.

Recognising the tradies you DON’T want to work with

You may have experienced calling a tradie only to get a gruff voicemail and waiting days for a return call. Or that one tradie who promises the world but never even shows up.

So how do you sort the good from the bad? Do you just have to put up with it to get the job done? NO!

Here are some tips on what to look out for to AVOID bad tradies:

Poor communication

This type of tradie doesn’t answer the phone and there are long delays in calling or emailing you back. Even after the job you might be left waiting for a follow-up or an invoice that doesn’t itemise the work completed. This leaves you guessing and means you can’t tick the job off your to-do list.

Poor time management

They might leave you waiting around all day for a visit that never comes, or arrive on your doorstep with no warning. Part of this comes down to the systems they have in place, like whether they use an online job management software or are still relying on an old paper diary. Poor time management is ultimately disrespectful to the customer. You have things to do and places to be and a good tradie will recognise that.

Dirty and untidy

Muddy boots, grubby outfits, bad body odour. There’s no reason a tradie can’t bring a spare change of clothes, leave their boots at the door or put on some fresh deodorant. Tradies that don’t clean up after themselves or leave things lying around show a lack of respect for your home.

Bad manners

There are some tradies that are outright rude, but others might be harder to spot. They’re the ones that you can tell aren’t listening while you’re trying to explain the job, or talk over you in a rush to explain the problem and get onto the next job. Although tradies can get a bad rap when it comes to manners, poor etiquette is NOT something you have to put up with.

Makes you feel uncomfortable in your own home

When you have tradies in your home you want to feel comfortable having them around. Always listen to your gut. If someone has no regard for personal space or privacy, show them the door!

No accountability

This might take the form of poor workmanship, not owning up to a mistake, not having insurance or showing up without a uniform or branded work vehicle. Accountability is central to building trust and you want to be able to trust the people working in and on your home.

How to pick the RIGHT tradie for the job

Alright, so we know what type of tradie we DON’T want, but how do we find the right type of tradie before we start the job? There’s a few questions you can ask yourself before the job even starts…

How do they answer the phone?

Do they answer the first time you call? Do they sound professional and friendly, or like they’re annoyed you interrupted them? Just this simple question can tell you a lot about the processes they have in place for customer service.

Are they friendly and polite?

This one’s easy to get a vibe straight away, over the phone or via email. Do they listen to your concerns without cutting you off?

Do they have an online presence?

Whether they have a website is a great starting point. Even better if that website is informative and gives you an idea of what to expect when they show up at your door.

Do they have good reviews?

Always check out the Google reviews of a trade company before you hire them. Reviews can tell you a lot about the experiences of previous customers and whether the company is reliable and trustworthy.

Do they have the appropriate licenses and qualifications?

You might even want to check that they are fully licensed. Good tradies will have their license number clearly stated (on their website or vehicle etc.) and will show you their license on request.

How do they present themselves?

A good tradie will show up in a branded work vehicle and uniform so you instantly know where they’re from. They’ll be clean (as much as you can expect from a tradie!) and offer to take off their boots (or put boot covers on) at the door.

Do they offer upfront and transparent quotes?

Ask how they run their jobs and whether they will give you a quote upfront. A good tradie will be able to give you a quote (or at least an estimate) for your peace of mind.

Do they deliver on their promises?

If they promise to come at 10am, do they? If they promise to call you to follow up after the job is complete, does it happen?

There are many other questions you could ask, but the main thing is to make sure the tradie is trustworthy, friendly and reliable.

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Why choose Kenner Electrics?

We’ve thought long and hard about the things that make great tradies stand out from the pack. And we’ve built our business on it!

If you asked all the questions above about our company, we hope that you’d give us a big tick on each one!

Here’s a summary of the Top 10 Reasons to Choose Kenner Electrics. Click through to the blog to read more about how we strive to be the best choice electrician for your job.

  1. We’re a local, family-run, community-oriented small business
  2. We communicate!
  3. Our team are friendly and trustworthy
  4. We’re there when you need us, for whatever you need
  5. Our tradies are tidy and well presented
  6. We’re the experts (but we’re continually learning!)
  7. We quote upfront before we start the job
  8. We share our knowledge of electrical safety
  9. We are sustainability-focused
  10. We are highly recommended

We hope that this blog has given you confidence in choosing the right tradie for your next job. And if that job involves electrical, security or data, we hope that you choose Kenner Electrics!

Why Choose Kenner Electrics?

Kenner Electrics is your trusted local electrician. We have a friendly and professional team of highly qualified, experienced and licensed electricians ready to handle all your commercial and residential electrical needs.

We provide up-front pricing with a clear explanation of the work required to avoid cost overruns. We provide prompt and efficient service and prioritise safety on each and every job. We are fully insured, licensed and accredited, we're a member of the National Electrical & Communications Association, and we are a registered electrical contractor with Energy Safe Victoria. We always provide compliance certificates for all completed electrical installation work.

We're one of the top rated electricians in Melbourne with over 250 genuine 5-star reviews from residential and business customers just like you.

Call our friendly team on (03) 9996 0663 or contact us online now.

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