Checkatrade: 45% Of Gen Z Find Calls To Tradespeople 'Especially Difficult'

• The rise of the Tele-Phobes: Gen Z admit that picking up the phone is too ‘intimidating’ - especially to tradespeople

Half of Gen Z’ers (49%) admit they feel ‘uncomfortable’ speaking on the phone - with calls with tradespeople ‘especially difficult’ for 45% - according to new research released today by Checkatrade, the UK’s leading home improvement platform.

Fast Facts

• Half of Gen Z find it ‘uncomfortable’ speaking to ANYONE on the phone, admitting that calls to tradespeople are ‘especially difficult’ due to a fear of looking silly 
  
  
• To avoid speaking with trades directly, Gen Zers enlist landlords or parents to do it for them
  
  
• Gen Zers also turn to parents, friends and partners for home improvements - leaving the average parent working over £700 of unpaid work in their children’s home each year
  
  
• Checkatrade provides simple tools to help tele-phobic generation with home improvements 

With more people relying on digital tools, Gen Z are at the forefront of a shift away from phone calls.  When asked why they avoid calls with tradespeople, half (50%) say they prefer to get their landlord to speak with them, 16% find the process ‘intimidating’ and a further 16% rely on their parents to be the go-between. As a result, almost a third of Gen Z (29%) say they currently have jobs that need doing in their home, but they have put them off due to reluctance to speak with a tradesperson.  

The aversion to speaking to a tradesperson comes from the fear of looking silly - with one in three Gen Z’ers afraid of looking inexperienced or unknowledgeable (35%), unsure of the questions they should be asking (34%) and feeling awkward negotiating prices or asking for quotes (33%).  

Checkatrade’s research also found that most Gen Zers do not have any essential maintenance tools in their home, increasing the need to enlist outside for even basic tasks. For example, a quarter don’t own a screwdriver (24%), a third don’t own a hammer (31%) and less than half own a drill (49%).  

When something does go wrong, Gen Z are more likely to turn to their parents (25%), friends and partners (24%) for help, over getting in touch with a tradesperson. As such, parents end up doing nearly six hours’ worth of unpaid work in their adult Gen Z children's homes - equivalent to around £720 every year. 

Top tasks Gen Z say they would call their parents to help out with are:  

• Painting a wall or ceiling (43%)
  
  
• Putting up shelving units (36%) 
  
  
• Hanging picture frames (31%)
  
  
• DIY repairs, e.g., fixing a cupboard door (30%) 
  
  
• Garden work (26%) 
  
  
• Troubleshooting, e.g., fixing a boiler (25%) 
  
  
• Fitting a lightbulb (23%) 

Interestingly, Gen Z do not appear to have the same aversion to all household ‘help’, with a third having a window cleaner (32%) and a fifth (22%) employing a cleaner to keep their home tidy. 

Among Gen Zers who are lucky enough to own their own home, over a third admit they wouldn’t be confident if they were planning to undertake a larger-scale home improvement - with 41% saying they would likely need someone to ‘project manage it for them’. 

Commenting on the findings, Emma Grant, Head of Trade Experience at Checkatrade said: “We understand that talking to a tradesperson isn’t an easy task for everyone - particularly in this day and age, where landlords are usually responsible for organising repairs and day-to-day communication is increasingly typed, rather than spoken.

“However, knowing exactly what to say to a tradesperson and helping people communicate in a way they feel comfortable is why we’ve taken steps to make it as easy as possible.  If you know what needs fixing and it’s a simple job, you can easily book and pay on Checkatrade.  We also have an easy to use Job Estimate Calculator, that helps people know how much a project should cost before they start, to in-app features Gen Zers can use to communicate with their tradesperson throughout the project, without having to pick up the phone.”

Checkatrade now has even more measures in place to help Tele-phobic Gen Zers that need a tradesperson. Communication couldn’t be easier with Checkatrade’s in app functionality, prospective clients can speak directly to a tradesperson without picking up the phone. And for any that are uncertain about what a project should cost, Checkatrade’s Job Estimate Calculator provides a clear guide, based on prices in their area. What’s more, customers can have complete peace of mind knowing that all tradespeople on the platform undergo thorough checks and vetting, ensuring their comfort and safety when welcoming them into their homes.

Source : Checkatrade - https://www.checkatrade.com/blog/news/gen-z-telephobes/

Image : Highwaystarz / iStockphoto / 522776150

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