Is there a customer "avoid" list in trading or business?

zorz

Is there such a thing as a customer "avoid" list in trading or business?

I find it almost impossible to hire tradespersons for jobs using sites such as MyBuilder and Checkatrade. I receive a call following placing an advert (occasionally a single visit), and then I'm ghosted before even a quote is generated. It has now happened five times.

I previously took legal action (for the first time in my life) through a solicitor (it ultimately went unresolved due to no response to letters) against a developer who did a less than satisfactory renovation on my house, leaving me thousands out of pocket. I suspect - but I have no evidence whatsoever - that said developer has unfairly and unjustly communicated my name and address to others in similar trades as, for example, "high risk" or "very likely to take legal action", which is patently untrue.

Assuming such a list (or similar) exists, how would I communicate to tradespersons and businesses I am not a risk to work with or a "problem" customer?

twopenny

Zorz, you are just a beginner. I've contacted 12 plumbers and even come but no quote or just don't reply to my call.

Pre pandemic they couldn't wait to give me their card - post pandemic they have more than enough work. Some booked up to a year so they can pick and choose the nicer jobs.

CSI_Yorkshire

Nobody has blacklisted you.

Direct friends of the developer will know, because people talk to their mates (and give their own skewed view), but I'm sure you knew that.

Everyone else is just busy and your job clearly isn't interesting/profitable enough for them at the moment.

zorz

Thank you for the encouraging comments. As @twopenny (and @CSI_Yorkshire) both pointed out, I agree they are likely overwhelmed with work post-pandemic and - as most of us would - choose jobs with the greatest return, i.e. a new kitchen over some basic carpentry in my scenario.

DullGreyGuy

Blacklisting is illegal as it is anti-competitive behaviour.

Sharing details of bad customers and leaving others to decide if they want to deal with them or not is not illegal however difficult to do and remain compliant with GDPR (not impossible though if the privacy statements are correct)

More likely its just there is more work than trades at this point in time so they can be picky about who they take on. People with a record of awarding jobs (most these platforms charge for leads not sales), paying on time and larger rather than smaller jobs will get prioritised over people with no history or just wanting a small job done etc.

jim1999

Personally I've had to resort to home cover type policies to get small jobs done, not because I think the product is a great one, but just because I couldn't find any tradespeople willing to do small jobs.  Even for bigger jobs it has been tricky to get people to come and quote.

You're certainly not alone in this and I really doubt it's because of some sort of blacklist.  What I would say is that if you go about trying to convince tradespeople that you're not a "problem" customer as you put it, you'll probably make them more worried.  In all likelihood they'll have no idea about your past experiences.  They've got enough work to do out there without having to discuss customers with each other.

CliveOfIndia

twopenny said:

Pre pandemic they couldn't wait to give me their card - post pandemic they have more than enough work. Some booked up to a year so they can pick and choose the nicer jobs.

I have to agree with this.  Certainly in my area, any decent tradesperson is booked up months in advance.  In fact, I'd actually be wary of anyone who says they can start immediately.

OP, as a slight aside it's probably worth mentioning that word-of-mouth recommendation (or asking on your local community FaceBook page) is the best way to find a good tradesperson.  The likes of Check-A-trade are simply a modern-day Yellow Pages.  Anyone can pay to advertise there, there's no guarantee of how good/reliable they are.  In fact, it could even be argued that a good tradesperson has no need to advertise as they'll get more than enough work through personal recommendations.

Section62

zorz said:

Is there such a thing as a customer "avoid" list in trading or business?

....

Assuming such a list (or similar) exists, how would I communicate to tradespersons and businesses I am not a risk to work with or a "problem" customer?

If you live in a large town or city then probably not.  If you live in a smaller town or village then a lot more happens by word of mouth and it is possible traders know you as the person who threatened court action (or whatever).  Sole traders often work as subbies for larger traders and developers so have opportunities to 'network' and share stories of customers who caused issues.

Typically there will be traders (often the less reliable type) who won't necessarily be part of the networking, or won't care about customer reputation because their reputation as a trader is worse than anything a customer can do.

But the fact you've not had any joy (rather than say only getting responses from obvious cowboys) would tend to suggest the issue is with there being too much work on for everyone, or that the type of job you want done just isn't appealing.

In any event, any communication with traders and businesses to the effect that you are a good customer despite what any secret blacklist says is likely to have the opposite effect - all you'll do is to alert them that they may have been an issue in the past, and/or look a bit 'odd'.  If there is plenty of work around they aren't going to be enthusiastic about working for anyone who thinks there are blacklists being shared around traders (even if such things do exist).

twopenny

As it happens i had a good recommendation from the guy in bathrooms for 50yrs and contacted a trade.
Appt 10am thurs, another call make it 9am.
Waiting at the doir 9am. Another call, I've a new list for your town can it be 2pm  Tue.
Waiting at door 1,55pm another call. Joes been called away, can I come instead 3-4pm.
So my life is trying to plan around these changes and continually cancel stuff that I didn't need to but desperate for a bath for a pai ful condition.
Not so sure about this company now. I've been waiting for a bathroom (none there) for 4yrs being messed about.

YoungBlueEyes

4 years?! Bladdy hell  

plumb1_2

I had a job booked in for a customer for next week. And because of his attitude during a phone call the other day to confirm a time. I messaged him saying I won’t be going. And blocked him on my phone. End of!!!