Developing a decorator business with Wayne de Wet

We spoke to long-standing Checkatrade member Wayne de Wet for some insights into his painting and decorating business. Based on his responses, we’ve put together some of our top tips to help you nurture your customer relationships.

Any successful trade business starts somewhere, and with these tips to creating better customer experiences, it will help you reap the rewards.

Interview with Wayne de Wet

How long have you been a member of Checkatrade?

“I joined Checkatrade around 15 years ago to help market my business, and I use them to generate new work.”

What’s your trade and how long have you been trading for?

“I’m a painter and decorator by trade with 45 years experience.

“I also test and review tools and products for a trade publication called, ‘The Decorator,’ which is the leading industry members journal for the Painting and Decorating Association. They celebrated 130 years this year.

“Only the very best tools and products that meet my incredibly high standards make it into the magazine. This is so the reader can make an informed choice and invest in quality. I know the hard graft involved in earning your wages. So, when you spend money on tools to help you run your business, you want them to last. You lose money if your tools aren’t up to standard. Quality matters.

“I’m pretty passionate about my trade. I love talking about it and sharing my recommendations on my social media channels. My clients call me the gadget man!”

Over the years, how have you mastered building customer relationships, and what do you feel is involved in achieving this?

“Alongside Checkatrade, I’m also a Dulux select approved decorator.

“Being in the industry a long time means I’ve built up a network of happy customers over the years. I also use Instagram, Twitter and Tik-Tok to stay in touch with people, showcase my work, and share good news stories.

“My customers are my clients and often become my friends. I pass on trade discounts, give free advice on what needs doing, and don’t do things the easiest way just to make more money. I do things the best way to avoid having to go back in and fix it. That’s how you build trust and happy clients.

“I love my work, but I also have my work associates (other trades) to thank for making me look good.

“Before I do my job, a carpenter, interior designer, plumber or whoever’s needed has to do their bit. I’ll often recommend people to my clients that I know do a great job, and I don’t make any money from that, but it benefits me as it’s a pleasure to do work after another passionate trade has done theirs.

“It goes back to trust. If your clients trust you and who you recommend, they’re more likely to recommend you or use you in the future.”

At what point/how do you ask for customer feedback?

“It’s harder to get reviews from existing clients as they’ve likely reviewed you in the past. So, they know how good you are and see it as a chore to review you over and over again. But, I’ll always ask nicely anyway!”

“However, when it comes to new business, it’s a lot easier. First impressions count.

“On the first meeting and survey, I’ll shake hands, and be courteous and polite while discussing the project and surveying the room or rooms. I’ll then ask if there’s anything in the room that’s been winding them up – like a bulging ceiling, bad coving joints, or cracks.

“By engaging the client this way and talking them through everything, you’re setting the parameters of how far you need to go with their project.

“I might walk into a room and see a million things that need fixing. However, if the client doesn’t require them, there’s no point in changing it.

“It’s about meeting expectations and exceeding them where you can. Completing the work to a high standard is a given, but when you chat, you can talk to them about exactly what they want. They might even like some of the faults you see as they add character.

“For example, I asked a client about paint runs and nibs and grit on spindles, but they didn’t even notice it. More often than not, what most potential clients are looking for is a good, clean, honest job.”

Do you have any tips on how to make your customers love you?

“When you do a good job, clients become your brand ambassador. Word-of-mouth usually means your client’s neighbours or friends have come in and asked who did their decorating. As a result, they’ll chat about how I always sing Elvis songs, met all their needs, cleaned up after myself, polished, and put all the furniture back!

“Going above and beyond is crucial. For example, if my clients are away and they’ve given me a set of keys, once I’ve finished the job, I’ll make sure there’s milk in the fridge, bread in the bread bin, and even flowers in a vase. People remember those nice touches and remember you because of them.

“Ultimately, good customer service equals good quality work. Be yourself, set boundaries, and meet or exceed expectations. This will all help with repeat work in order to keep your business churning over. Furthermore, by joining Checkatrade, your word-of-mouth referrals are written down as reviews. That means more circles and clients are going to see what you’ve achieved.

“There’s only one setback, which is getting to a level where you’re always booked! Regulars will wait while newbies won’t hang around on a waitlist for a year. However, when your clients love you, they don’t just want your skill, they want all the other stuff you bring to the table – like your happy-go-lucky personality.

“At the end of the day, I’m just me – doing what I love during the day and going home to my family in the evening.”

What’s your main highlight from building good customer relationships?

“I feel pretty lucky with the opportunities my painting and decorating has given me.

“For example, my family and I were flown to Malaga so I could decorate a place out there. I also decorated The Dulux house in London’s, Belgravia – a project that involved decorating the whole property for a location photoshoot for their colour cards and inspirational photography. The house was also used for photoshoots for magazines like, ‘Homes and Gardens,’ ‘Marie Claire,’ ‘Good Housekeeping,’ and ‘Ideal Home’ – to name a few!

“In return for incredibly styled rooms to accompany their fantastic magazine articles, they were allowed to use the house free of charge.

“One of my all-time highlights was when I was a trade judge at my local college. While I was there, I noticed how the students were learning with poor-quality tools. When I asked why I discovered it was due to a funding issue.

“Because of that, I tasked myself with helping them out by ringing a few of the companies whose products I’d reviewed over the years, asking whether they’d be happy to donate to the college. Thankfully, they were.

“So, in the end, I presented over £6,000 worth of products and tools to the college – stuff like sanders, sprayers, filler, brushes, steps, £1,000 of paint from Dulux etc. It was a proud moment as I got to pay it forward, which is what it’s all about to me.

“Ultimately, the best part about building customer relationships – in a work sense – is gaining an extended family. Working with the same people over several years means you see them grow. You hear about their life, meet their family, see them growing up, and get a rare insight into their lives. Not many other jobs give you that.”

How to handle customer contacts

It is important to start with the basics. For example, always making sure to respond to customer queries, even when busy or the job isn’t relevant. You never know when people might come back or recommend you, based on interaction alone.

If you can, respond to customers in the same way they contact you initially.

For example:

• If it’s by message on the Checkatrade app – keep conversation there
• If a customer has emailed, then it’s best to email them back
• If you have received an SMS or WhatsApp, then use that when you reply
• If someone has called, that’s when to call them back

Working as a tradesperson in any discipline can be very labour intensive. It makes admin such as messaging one of the last tasks of the day. It is why so many opt for speaking over the phone.

However, one of the simplest ways to communicate better and improve customer satisfaction is simply to respect their choice of contact method and responding accordingly.

The benefits of good communication

Remember to keep in touch with your customers so they keep coming back. It’s worth considering semi-regular texts or emails thanking them for their business.

That way, you can also use the opportunity to maintain them as a “warm” lead. For example:

• Reminding about annual checks or repairs
• Letting them know about  your upcoming availability
• Offering any repeat customer discounts
• Highlighting any seasonal promotions you might be running
• Asking if there is anything else the person needs

If you have kept in good communication with a customer during a job, then keeping in touch afterwards will seem more natural.

In order to grow a painting/decorating business, getting more leads and jobs is key. Referrals and repeat work is a very simple and effective way to do that.

For some more insight into how our tradespeople manage their customer relationships, we spoke to expert painter and decorator, Wayne de Wet.

Key takeaways

• Invest the time to make sure you have a great Checkatrade profile
• Always respond to queries
• Respond to people via their chosen method
• Ask for a review as early as possible
• Use your expertise to give free advice and recommend other trades
• Ask before taking photos
• Keep in touch so customers keep coming back