Handyman Maintenance:
Try and think back. Not necessarily way back, but back a few generations or so. In the not so distant past, many individuals knew how to do home repair on their own, as well as maintain their property. In fact, that used to be the norm, not the exception. It was most certainly bred out of necessity; being out in a rural area with no one around, or due to the simple fact of being able to save money. Most individuals wouldn’t call on help unless the job got too big or too complicated, and even in those situations most people were likely to enlist the help of a neighbor or family member, not spend money to hire someone, that’s for sure. Compare that to present-day, when people are all too happy to call in a professional to get a job done. Chalk this change in habit up to a multitude of factors, but one of the main reasons for this seismic shift undoubtedly lies in the fact that we as a society, overall, just live a different style of life than those of 100 years ago. Individuals are constantly busy with work, taking care of their kids, ect. This is why there has been such a rise in demand for specialized handyman maintenance: The majority of citizens would rather hire someone who knows what they’re doing so they can go about their day focusing on the other things happening in their lives.
Do Specialized Maintenance Workers Deliver A Better Product Than Chain-Stores?
In an apparent response to the skills and services offered by mom-and-pop maintenance businesses, there has been a surge in the last 30 years or so of the emergence of Big Box Store Chains within the maintenance world. One largely negative impact of this on the local businesses is the fact that prices have been lowered by the chain-stores, thus challenging the mom-and-pop stores to stay open. While there is no doubt that the lower prices can be a huge boon for you, the consumer, there is also the well-argued point that the quality of craftsmanship has gone down with the explosion of chain-stores infiltrating the marketplace. In terms of comparable items, one that tends to stand out is customer service. When you are dealing with a local handyman, they tend to treat their customers better than a large company. The local handyman tends to treat you like a person, and not just another number. Heck, after a few visits, you may even come to know your local handyman by name. This may not seem like a big deal on the surface, but getting to know your neighbor maintenance worker can put one’s mind at ease when the jobs become more complicated and expensive. In addition, many local businesses have been in operation for years, if not generations. Therefore, you are more likely to get someone who is highly skilled in their specific home repair area.
Final Thoughts:
At the end of the day, you have to be willing to ask yourself, what is more important: The skills and delivered quality of a local handyman, or the cheapness and impersonalness of the Big Box Stores? For some this is an easy answer, but for others, it is not.