How can the tools your trade customers use help them work faster and harder while not compromising on quality? And how can you help them tell if a tool will really save them time and not turn out to be a marketing gimmick? John Dabb, Sales and Marketing Director at Hyde, takes a look.
‘Not having enough hours in the day’ is a common complaint from those on site and when the project manager is determined to squeeze every inch out of them to get those deadlines met, it’s little wonder that builders can be left feeling under pressure and stressed out. And if they are self-employed, time — or the lack of it — can feel like even more of a burden, as there’s no doubt that time equals money.
Aside from some of the more obvious ‘time bandits’ such as delayed deliveries or weather conditions halting work and cash flow, the tools and equipment being used can also have a huge bearing on things, serving either to slow trade professionals down or help them to speed up, but never really in equal measure.
While the last thing tradespeople want to do is carry out any work in such a hurry that it ends up less than perfect, and at risk of a follow-up call out at best — whilst tarnishing their reputation into the bargain — working efficiently is a skill that builders do need within their arsenal, and ensuring they have the right tools to hand will undoubtedly help.
Being organised is one sure-fire way of saving time, with your customers making sure that their van is organised and their tool bag is tidy as a positive first step. However, there are other very practical and hands-on ways that may be a little less obvious that can help them save time on site.
Many tools promise to change builders’ lives in terms of their time-saving innovations, yet it can be difficult to know which of these are genuine and which will leave your customers paying out for the promises on the packaging, but still short on time on site. The trick is for them to not fall for the marketing gimmicks at face value, but rather to help them make some considered choices over where they really could do with saving wasted time during the day and then finding suitable solutions.
Take the Bora Speedhorse as a good example. It takes under two seconds to fully assembly this essential piece of kit and about the same again to take down. Quality isn’t compromised though and the legs won’t wobble, but it does mean an end to battling to put up a workhorse not knowing which bit goes where or which end to start on first. Similarly, teardown can start with either leg to really speed things up.
Working conditions on site can potentially force tradespeople into calling it a day even when they really you need to be cracking on to meet those deadlines. Again, going in armed with some suitable tools for the job can really make all the difference when the clock is ticking, with the Stabila LED spirit level being a case in point. Its two integrated LED light sources ensure intense, balanced illumination for optimum readability of horizontal and vertical vials, even under poor visibility conditions.
In addition, laser levels offer a super-fast yet accurate way of measuring up. The LD520, for example, is Stabila’s highest specification model, with a number of key features that ensure efficiency as well as accuracy, including a built-in digital camera, simple navigation and a handy built-in calculator that also provides an easy estimating tool
The Bora Speedhorse and Stabila measuring devices are available to the merchant sector via Brian Hyde. For more information on its full portfolio of brands, go to http://www.brianhyde.co.uk/page/brands
