Tender scheme benefits clients

Press, 22 May 1986, Page 18

Tender scheme benefits clients

The consumer considering hiring a tradesman to do a job is faced with two problems: how to ensure that the price is fair, and how to determine that the finished work will be of the required standard.

The tender scheme instituted by the Canterbury Painting Contractors Association goes a long way towards putting the customer’s mind at ease.

For a start, only fully qualified tradesmen are members of the association, so there is no need to fear for the quality of the work.

Under the scheme, when a potential customer contacts the association, three contractors are Invited to visit the property and submit written quotes for the work. The customer

is not charged for this service, nor is he or she bound to accept any of the tenders. Tenders are normally submitted within a week or two of the request being made. In the event of a dispute between the customer and the chosen contractor, the association uses its good offices to bring about a resolution. The association sends two members of its executive to inspect the work and normally manages to iron out the difficulty to the satisfaction of both parties. Should such efforts fall to resolve the situation, the customer knows that tenders submitted under the scheme carry legal weight should the matter be brought to court. Happily, things rarely reach that stage.