The public image of the UK builder, plumber or electrician is “woefully out of date,” according to a new report by Government-endorsed scheme TrustMark.

The report, which aims to debunk myths surrounding UK tradespeople lacking in professionalism, finds that a wide range of behaviours are “continuing to build trust, confidence and loyalty among homeowners,” with a commitment to excellent health and safety, training and skills development, and responsible waste management noted as major factors.

The scheme, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, also cites pride in smart branding, uniforms and van livery, professional quotations and detailed contracts as primary reasons for the generally high levels of trust, along with the use digital tools, tablets and mobile technology to improve the way they communicate with customers at every stage of a job.

Accreditation is also increasingly being recognised as a mark of the tradesperson’s all-round professionalism, according to the report, as it ensures that technical competence, business processes and service frameworks are in place, helping homeowners to specify with confidence, with the study also highlighting the hard work, long hours and total commitment to good business practice among these TrustMark-registered firms.

Liz Male MBE, Chairman of TrustMark, believes the report provides a snapshot of the many thousands of smart, motivated and hardworking men and women steadily changing the reputation and the public’s experience of an entire industry.

“I feel completely inspired by what I read here. TrustMark is proud to be part of this story. Of course, the work to tackle rogue traders is never over, and I still see a future full of new opportunities to improve the way the home repairs and improvements market operates,” she says.

“But TrustMark has helped many millions of people over the last 10 years, so today it’s right to celebrate the local firms who do so much to support homeowners and build a £27 billion economy. They epitomise a new era of professionalism across a wide range of trades, a million miles away from the old stereotypes of ‘white van man’.”

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