It is not easy to hire a handyman and most people have bad experiences with these types of workers. There are a lot of negative things about them, like they don’t show up, they don’t call back, and they promise to do the job only to disappoint their employers.
On the other hand, there are many people who are happy to hire these guys who do the small jobs around the house. So when it comes to poor communication, is it the fault of the maintenance staff or the owner? Most likely it is 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 is important to know what a handyman really is or is not.
Definition of handyman
It is not so simple to define handyman as a profession. It may be correct to say that a handyman is a person who is paid for his repair services, but this may not be very useful. However, if a handyman’s job is defined by the specific skills he must have, this will be even more confusing.
This is because every skill that is added to the list of requirements, such as electrical repairs, locksmithing, plumbing, and masonry, among others, would eliminate a multitude of handymen. So if the job a handyman would take on was more specific, like 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 will not work either. However, some people consider themselves to be handymen and small-job professionals, the truth is that they are tradesmen looking for big jobs but might as well take on small jobs when what they are looking for is in short supply. This may or may not be honest, but anyone is free to work to survive. However, are they handymen in the true sense of the word?
Work of a handyman
Certainly, the skills of a handyman do not define who he is.
Tinkerers are not multi-talented workers, they come from 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, since licensed and unionized professionals generally earn more money. Still others are appliance repairmen, roofers, or tile installers who, as mentioned above, take on hand labor from referrals or customers on hand during tough times.
However, not all handymen are trades or craft experts. Some of them are honest, hard-working people who are content to be 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 on-the-job training and only charge remarkably low rates for the opportunity to learn more while working on a home.
skills of a handyman
In truth, the skills of a handyman are defined by the specific job they can do. In reality, this worker does not have a standard profile, so each one has his own skill and capacity. A roofing technician, for example, can efficiently clean gutters or replace a door lock, but can’t get rid of trash and clean toilets. A carpenter will do just fine renovating a small basement, but he won’t be able to fix a broken bicycle and a garage door opener.
