1 in 3 customers nervous about opening their doors to tradespeople

Homeowners are looking for reassurance from heating engineers that they are taking steps to protect their health and safety, as new research by ATAG Heating reveals that one in three people is nervous about opening their doors to a tradesperson during the second lockdown of 2020.

Taking simple actions before and during home visits – such as calling the customer in advance to discuss what to expect, and always wearing a mask – will help essential servicing, repair and installation work continue smoothly, says the company.

When asked how they feel about having tradespeople entering their homes at this time, one-third of homeowners said they felt uncomfortable. This was higher among women than men: 34 per cent of women said they felt uncomfortable, while 51 per cent of men are comfortable having someone in their home to carry out work.

Older homeowners are more worried about having work done in their home: two in five of those aged over 55 said they felt uncomfortable with it.

Gas engineers in the North-east of England and the East Midlands should be most aware of these feelings, with those regions being the most anxious. The warmest welcome for a visiting tradesperson is to be found in London, where more than half (53 per cent) of people are comfortable to welcome a tradesperson in.

ATAG sales director David Stolton says: “With millions working from home over the winter, having a warm house all day every day has never been more important, so it’s vital installers can reassure their customers that they are working safely.

“Emailing or calling ahead with what to expect ahead of your arrival, making sure that you are wearing the appropriate mask and additional safety equipment, and having the boiler delivered direct to the home are all ways of reassuring the customer that you are taking their health and safety seriously.”

ATAG has created a useful sign for installers to show customers to reassure them they are working safety and to these guidelines.You can download the safe working sign and find out more about becoming an ATAG Selected Partner at: https://blog.atagheating.co.uk/covid-19-safe-working-practices