Hiring a handyman is not easy and most people have bad experiences with handymen. There are many negative things about them such as not showing up, not calling back, and committing to do the job only to let their employers down.
On the other hand, there are plenty of people who are happy to hire these guys to do the odd jobs around the house. So when it comes to miscommunication, is it the fault of the handyman or the owner? Chances are it’s a bit of both. It is best to investigate the relationship between the two parties to find a way to remedy the situation.
First of all, it’s important to know what a handyman really is or isn’t.
Definition of handyman
It is not so simple to define the handyman as a profession. It may be correct to say that a handyman is a person who is paid for their repair services, but this may not be very helpful. However, if a handyman’s job is defined by the specific skills he must have, this will be even more confusing.
This is because each skill that is added to the list of requirements, such as electrical repair, locksmith, plumbing, and masonry, among others, would eliminate a multitude of handymen. So if the job a handyman would take on was more specific, such as painting a house, painting a wall, or painting the Sistine Chapel, this would eliminate more workers with each additional scope of work.
Perhaps it would be better to let the workers define the meaning of handyman, although this won’t work either. However, some people consider themselves small-job handymen and professionals, the truth is that they are tradesmen looking for big jobs but could also accept small jobs when what they are looking for is scarce. This may or may not be honest, but anyone is free to work to survive. However, are they handyman in the true sense of the word?
work of a handyman
Certainly, the skills of a handyman do not define who he is.
Handymen are not multi-talented workers, they come from all different walks of life, with all sorts of interesting practices. Some of them have business experience with carpentry or construction skills. Others are plumbers and electricians, but only a few, as licensed and unionized professionals generally make more money. Still others are appliance repairmen, roofers, or shingle installers who, as mentioned above, accept hand labor from referrals or present clients during difficult times.
However, not all handymen are trades or craft experts. Some of them are honest, hard-working people who are content to get paid for a day’s work. They will do anything for a dollar, like raking leaves or cleaning a foundation. Some may have some skills but want to learn to become independent learners. They receive training on the job and only charge considerably low fees for the opportunity to learn more while working on a house.
skills of a handyman
In truth, the skills of a handyman are defined by the specific work that they can do. In reality, this worker does not have a standard profile so each one has his own skill and ability. A roofing technician, for example, can clean gutters or replace a door lock efficiently, but he can’t get rid of trash and clean toilets. A carpenter will do very well renovating a small basement, but he won’t be able to fix a broken bicycle and garage door opener.