Tradesmen harrassed by ‘rogue customers’

Tradespeople routinely face “rogue customers” who try to knock down an agreed price for the job, insist on cheap materials, or even flirt with them, a study has found.

Some workers have also been attacked by a home owner’s dog.

A survey of almost 400 builders and other tradespeople by insurance firm AXA revealed that four out of five had costs disputed after work was finished.

About one in four said a customer had flirted with them, with a female painter and decorator saying she faced sexist jokes.

Gareth Howell, managing director of AXA, said: “It’s hard to imagine someone in a white-collar role encountering such high levels of harassment or casual disrespect.

“People are quite happy to argue a builder’s fee down once he’s finished work, but would they do the same to a dentist, solicitor or architect?”