Pro handyman moves vs not pro

There are differences that separate a professional handyman from a non professional. 

The Pro's goal is to provide ethical and responsible service to clients and customers.  It's more than just fixing, building, assembling, or installing a thing.  It's building trust and accountability, confidence,  and meeting or exceeding reasonable expectations as well.

For example...

A property owner has a need for a handyman to keep a physical key to the property for emergency and maintenance access. 

The non pro handyman will just add it to their key ring and might even label it somehow. Keys come off keyring more easily than we like. They get lost or mixed up.  This is both a security and liability issue.  The handyman would be unquestionably responsible for locksmith costs or if a thief found and used the key to enter and rob the property.

A Professional handyman will have a lockable key box that is mounted somewhere in a shop or office with tags to identify both the property and lock.

In the key box situation, keys are not likely to get lost or misplaced.  Keys are not accessible to anyone but the handyman.  Keys are only removed then returned as needed.  Keys don't get mixed up because they are marked with address AND lock they go to.

IF the key box is illegally accessed, liability insurance is more likely to cover the issues and the professional handyman is not likely to have charges filed because they took necessary steps to maintain security.

Using an ID badge is an example of building trust, accountability,  and confidence.  Now maybe, like me, you're self-employed.   No employee number or company contact information to provide.

That's OK.  What they want is a way to verify that you're legit.  In some states,  a handyman should be registered with the state as a contractor.  You can list that registration and number on an ID tag.  That gives the customer or client a way to check and see that you are doing legitimate work.

By being a member of a trade association or similar affiliation like the "Association of Certified Handyman Professionals", you are provided with a certificate of membership that includes a membership number.  By listing that association and number, you can give the client a way to verify that you are backed by something other than yourself.

Whichever you use, a simple ID card with your name, photo, and verifiable association that they can check, you are giving your customers and clients a way to see that they can place trust in you, also building confidence. 

Being a professional handyman is more than just knowing about tools, materials, and techniques.  It's more than charging lower rates than licensed trades.  As another professional handyman I talk to says, any "Chuck in a truck" can do those things.  And some of those, don't even bother to do it well. 

But being a professional means taking extra steps to give clients and customers something more.