TrustMark Blog

Trading Standards Officers have enormous responsibility for enforcing a vast array of regulations and I think that is why I still find my job so interesting after all these years. To illustrate the point, we had an obscure enquiry this week about the rules regarding the marketing of baby milk, which had us scratching around the office looking for the relevant legislation.

As TrustMark nears a close on its 10th Anniversary year, we nostalgically look back on how we got to this point. This year we’ve been campaigning heavily to promote reputable tradespeople, and shone light into the daily activities of our ten TrustMark Ambassadors, all of whom excel in customer service, trading practices and standards of workmanship.

It’s that time of year when our thoughts turn to Christmas and how we are going to decorate our homes to get us into the festive spirit. I am actually ahead of the game and dug out my external lights from the garage at the weekend. I wasn’t sure if they needed replacing – they are about ten years old and I remember that a few of the lights weren’t working last year. They are the LED variety and plug into the mains but operate at a low voltage via a transformer kept indoors.

Gardening in winter… not the most attractive prospect to many of us it must be said. However, some careful planning will go a long way to give you the garden you’ll be longing for come spring time.

I write this on a day when Donald Trump has been announced as President Elect of the USA. There are many questions that are being asked and soul searching for answers to them. Amongst others - are we in a post truth era or an era that wants to kick over the traces of corporate and institutional power that have bypassed them? One thing is for sure, it has been very difficult to see the truth from the myths and the authenticity of the message.

As an electrician you’ve probably encountered heaps of disastrous and somewhat dangerous electrical messes left behind from previous traders. You might even be left to clean up the mess! But when horror stories are picked up in the press, what many people don’t realise is that rogue traders are the exception, not the rule

As we hit the colder winter months, you won’t be alone if you find a slow-down in work coming through the door. In the run-up to Christmas, many people will be counting the pennies and splashing out less on home improvements – but this could end up costing them more in the long run if they leave a faulty boiler undetected!

Let me just say that before I start this blog, I am most definitely not an expert in home design, structural engineering, materials technology or environmental science. What I do know is that we are approaching the time of year when, for a large number of households, the dreaded “C” word starts to be mentioned and it can have a devastating impact on day-to-day life. The word is condensation.

Have you ever thought about expanding your business’ visibility by setting up your own website? It’s a meaty task, and with such a busy career to juggle anyway, it’s easy to understand why you might never find the time to get round to it.

I set up my own company, Karl Terry Roofing Contractors Ltd in 1993 in Wittersham, Kent after working for my Dad’s company previously. I felt there was a gap in the market for a traditional company with traditional values. I’m proud of our commitment to customer service, and I find that by setting out clear goals and expectations with my customers from the beginning, unforeseen circumstances are avoided further down the line.