Traditionally, odd-job or maintenance workers have worked on a freelance or self-employed basis. In this respect, plumbers, electricians and other maintenance workers have been responsible for marketing their businesses and building their own customer base. However, since the 1990s the demand for such work, especially in urban areas, has increased, making it difficult to find maintenance workers who can fit in with customers’ personal schedules and are available to work promptly on either an emergency or developing problems.
Since this time, there has been an emerging trend for maintenance work to be outsourced to larger businesses. They have a number of employees on their books so that they can be flexible in accordance to the timings and demands of the traditional metropolitan customer, whilst also ensuring that their employees have regular work coming in throughout the week.
Plumbing
Plumbing problems are often regarded as emergencies. A burst pipe or leaking boiler can prevent an entire household, residential building or commercial property from operating correctly and needs to be dealt with extremely quickly. It’s usually better to contact a company which has many plumbers on its books and is therefore are able to deal with plumbing emergencies quickly and efficiently. Ideally, you should choose one with specialist plumbers who are able to handle a variety of different tasks. Dealing with a plumbing problem quickly can save huge amounts of money in the long term and prevent other problems developing.
Electricians
Competent electricians are also in high demand in metropolitan areas. Finding an electrician in Cardiff, for example, can sometimes be more difficult than in rural parts of Wales. Electrical failures or issues can be life-threatening and can cost a business or commercial property thousands of pounds. It is therefore essential for many businesses and homes that any electrical problems should be dealt with as quickly as possible. Having a team of electricians working for one company provides a level of flexibility which is rarely found when you are dealing with self-employed individuals. This trend for using larger companies is growing in other forms of maintenance work.
Odd Jobs
Many people do not have the time or equipment to carry out simple DIY and maintenance tasks around the home. Therefore the odd-job handyman is in as high demand as ever. There may not be the same requirement for people doing this kind of work to complete a job quickly as is often the case with plumbing and electrical issues, but customers working with limited time in metropolitan areas also like the fact that agencies can provide workers as quickly as possible. This is also very beneficial to the maintenance workers who receive regular work from the agency.