A Lancashire-based tech start-up has launched a new mobile and desktop app designed to help tradespeople run their businesses more effectively and put an end to payment disputes.
The brainchild of CEO Tim Mullock, the Kiistone app is designed to financially protect both tradespeople and customers, who agree job specifications and budgets via the app. Payment is then protected and held independently, by the largest Escrow provider in Europe, until both parties are satisfied that the job has been completed as agreed.
CEO of Kiistone, Tim Mullock, said: “My experience of being a British tradesperson over the last twenty years has shown me both the good and the not so good that the industry has to offer, and the biggest issue that we’ve still got today is a lack of trust between the customer and the trade.
“Customers who have watched programmes such as Rogue Traders have begun to treat tradespeople with a certain level of distrust. While it’s undeniable that there are some cowboys out there, professional tradespeople often find themselves tarred with the same brush, which doesn’t make for good customer relationships.
“On the flipside, tradespeople can experience lack of understanding from customers or unrealistic expectations, which can lead to disputes over final invoices.
“The Kiistone app has been designed to provide a professional solution for both parties, providing absolute clarity to customers at all stages of the project and ensuring fair payment for the job delivered.”
As well as the Escrow solution, the app provides further functions to help tradespeople manage their projects, diary, cashflow, admin and communication. It also links to the Kiistone Community website, providing industry news, guidance and support for trade businesses and homeowners.
Mullock continues: “The aim of the app in the long term is to build a community of tradespeople who take pride in their profession and who understand the value for everyone in modernising the industry. Kiistone’s ultimate goal is to be a gamechanger for the industry, to reinstate pride and quality in British trades, and to represent a new benchmark in professional standards.”
