On 02/10/2011 00:30, The Medway Handyman wrote:
On 01/10/2011 18:18, Roger Mills wrote:
On 01/10/2011 15:11, The Medway Handyman wrote:
Any thoughts on the above?
Seems like a good idea & cheap enough for a punt.
Anyone care to try the postcode search & see if you know whoever it
brings up?
http://www.guildofhandymen.co.uk/index.php
In my case, it only came up with one member - and he was about 20 miles
away. It found a couple of dozen who are "not currently a member" within
a 35 mile radius - but *not* a bloke who is virtually on the doorstep.
The criteria for joining seem a bit dubious - including an on-line
competence test. I suppose you might demonstrate your rank
*incompetence* via an on-line (presumably multiple choice) test - but
how the hell do you demonstrate your *competence* in things practical
that way?
There was a multiple choice test, not especially difficult at all. Some
of the questions were a bit vague and you had 15 mins to answer IIRC.
Plenty of time to Google for the odd answer. I hit 90% in 4 mins, but as
I said, some of the answers were vague.
Ok, you also need a couple of positive customer reviews - but I'm sure
that even the BBC's Rogue Traders would have no problem in forging those!
TBH I could find dozens of positive reviews in 5 minutes. I'm hardly
likely to offer any negative reviews an I?
I'm sure you could - and genuine ones at that. But the point I was
making that even if you were totally useless and/or a complete rogue, it
wouldn't be difficult to conjure up a few positive references.
I suppose if it catches on, you may have to become a member - and
presumably pay a fee - in order to get any work. But I suspect that it's
just a licence to print money for whoever dreamt up the idea - and not
worth a lot to the consumer.
True, but at £22:50 a year its very cheap advertising.
Still a nice little earner for the site owner. Get your customers to
recommend you on Which? Local - that's free!
--
Cheers,
Roger
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