Does your van make a good first impression?
11th November 2014
New research has shown that nearly nine out of ten consumers (88%) feel that most tradespeople should take greater care in the appearance of their vans.
The survey of 2000 people indicates that tradespeople should not under-estimate the importance of first impressions, or risk losing repeat business due to dirty and neglected vans. A vehicle in poor condition would make nearly two thirds of consumers (63%) unlikely to hire that tradesperson in future.
In contrast, 38% of consumers felt that new or high quality vans suggested an experienced, reliable tradesperson. One in four said cleanliness was the biggest influence on their buying decision.
Nationally, ‘condition of repair’ was identified as the biggest factor in shaping a consumer’s first impression (40% of respondents) and was most associated with poor service and the potential to be ‘ripped off’. The same adjectives were closely associated with tradespeople who run vans with unclear signage and livery too.
People in East Anglia had the strongest views on the state of vans coming to their home, with 71% of consumers in the region claiming they would think again about rehiring a tradesperson who turned up in an unsightly van.
The buying decisions of Londoners and Yorkshire men and women (67%) would also be strongly influenced by the condition of a visiting van, while consumers in Wales (51%), Scotland (56%) and North East (58%) were the least fussy.
“Repeat custom is vital to the success of any business, but it appears that many SMEs could be falling at the first hurdle and putting off consumers before they even start a job,” said Tony Murtagh of Lex Autolease, which conducted the survey.
“Trade vans act as ‘calling cards’ and play an important role in forming people’s first impressions of a business. Our research shows the British public are quite discerning. They will draw conclusions on the quality of a business’ goods and services by the condition of its vans, paying particular attention to cleanliness and state of repair.”
However, British consumers also appear to live up to the national stereotype of politeness. Only 7% of respondents have asked a tradesperson to park their vehicle away from their house due to how it looked, although 9% have turned away a van because of its condition.