The floor coating industry is a specialist field and it takes a lot of experience to get the promised finishes. The industry is not governed by legislation and has attracted quite a few “fly by night” operators who have done a quick low cost job and been long gone when the problems arise.
So here are a few tips before selecting an applicator.
Beware of the operator who claims to do many types of work. We are a company who specialises in concrete floor coatings. That is all we do and we do the best job in our field.
We have been here for well over a decade and we are not going anywhere.
No insurances then no acceptance of the quotation. Insurance is so very important these days and unless your applicator has you covered for any possible damage to your property then there is a risk. Public Liability cover is just as important too. It is so easy to obtain what is called “Certificates of Currency” from an insurance company or an insurance broker, there is no excuse not to have them on hand for distribution to prospective clients or include them as a matter of course when submitting a quotation.
Insist on a written quote. You are entitled to know what you are getting and for what price, before you commit to anyone for work to be carried out at your property.
Confirm that the price is fixed and whether or not it includes GST.
Get more than one quote and if the prices differ greatly then ask all parties to explain why. This should bring forward a full explanation of the works involved and could even prompt a more competitive price.
If you have a quote that is markedly lower than others, treat it with caution. Many slick operators will quote low to get the job and then invent reasons to raise the cost during the work in progress. Or just as often they will reduce the quality of materials compared with what they quoted on using.
Verify any online reviews, we ask our clients to review our every single job in writing when completed.
Value professionalism. No matter who wants to do business with you they should be professional in both their appearance and the way they conduct themselves.
Be wary of a lack of communication and regular tardiness. Another one is a one-man-van claiming to do everything, domestic, commercial and industrial.
The appearance of a person is important, if they present professionally you’re more likely to have a professional experience with them.
General manner is a good indicator and if you don’t feel comfortable communicating with them it’s a sign there could be issues down the track.
It doesn’t matter whether the job is big or small and finding someone who is like minded and you wouldn’t mind making a cup of tea for is general a pretty good selection tool.
Never pay upfront. It is extremely unwise to pay for work that has not commenced.
For smaller works around say $3-5,000 a deposit of 25% is reasonable and for large contracts negotiated progress payments are quite normal.
Beware of cash jobs. Be wary of people who are keen to do “cashies” to avoid the GST in order to offer a cheaper price. This could see your insurances at risk and if anything doesn’t go according to plan you could be “whistleing dixie” for any recourse.
You have rights. If work is not carried out to a satisfactory standard or left unfinished and you are having difficulty resolving the matter go to WA Consumer Protection.
To sum it all up,
“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional tradesman just wait until you hire an amateur!”
