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Trades Business Software Aims To Protect Customers, Fight Cowboy Tradie Culture in Australia

Announcement posted by Tradies Software Pty Ltd trading as i4Tradies 14 Aug 2018

Customers can now make informed decisions when hiring a trades business by checking their credentials first.

MELBOURNE, Australia, August 14, 2018 - (Press Release) - Too many customers have become victim of shoddy work done by unlicensed Tradies, who claim to do a great work at a low price. Sorry to break it to you, that’s exactly how the industry works, hurting not only the customers, but the honest Tradies too!

More recently, the Victorian government has proposed a new legislation, which will require some of the sub-contractors to be registered or licensed. The legislation is already in place in Queensland and NSW and will bring Victoria in line with the industry standards as in the other two states.

The latest legislation will now apply to plasterers, carpenters, bricklayers, water proofers and concreters, in addition to plumbers, electricians and building practitioners who are already required to be registered if they carry out work valued more than $10,000, whether they are solo contractors or running their own company.

The move has been received by praise as well as skepticism. While many believe it should have been done a long time back, others feel there is no stopping the cowboys.

“The laws are already in place in Queensland and Victoria yet there are plenty of Cowboys with licenses, doing substandard work. As long as the customers are willing to pay for jobs based on the lowest quote, nothing is going to change,” says bricklayer Brendan Lyons. “Customers lose the right to complain, if they never make quality their priority when hiring.”

Fair enough!

The argument puts as much responsibility on the shoulders of customers as on tradies. Put simply, the cowboy tradies exist because the market favours them.

Today we see numerous sites that allow customers to compare quotes, as if that’s the only consideration. It’s not and it should not be made so.

Tradie credentials including licenses, certificates and insurance, past work experience and positive word of mouth all come into play.

To protect customers from hiring dodgy tradies, i4Tradies founder Logan Nathan, has built a trades business software platform that connects tradies and customers in a way that makes it easy for the latter to ensure that the tradie they are hiring possesses all necessary credentials to carry out the work that lives up to Australian standards.

Maintenance plumber turned Industry Advisor, Matt Reynolds thinks the app holds a lot of potential.

“The idea is to let customers make an informed decision when hiring tradies, as well as to help tradies put their licences, certificates, ratings and reviews right in front of their prospective customers, so quality work and having a qualified professional becomes more important than price,” says Matt from XRM Plumbing

Today we see too many dodgy tradies flying away with good jobs as they undercut market rates, leaving the honest ones struggling for work. i4Tradies is a win-win, for customers as well as the tradies.

However, there is one more thing tradies are concerned about. The tax.

Many suspect the fee to get registered is a way for the government to collect more revenue. Regardless of whether that’s true or not, the move will keep unqualified cowboys from snatching work from the good ones. Others believe that the initiative should be introduced Australia wide, instead of just for a few states.


About i4Tradies

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i4Tradies connects Trades Services (business owners), on-the-road tradies, and their customers with a single cloud-integrated job management software, accessible anywhere, anytime to help today’s tech-savvy consumers develop a stronger bond with the businesses they deal with.

Website: www.i4tradies.com.au

 Phone: 1800 i4Tradies (1800 448 723)