It’s been 10 years since we launched Which? Trusted Traders! In that time, the team have endorsed thousands of traders across the UK, published 257,308 reviews, and have benefitted 311,297 consumers (and counting!).
Which? set up Trusted Traders to help people choose the right trader for their needs and give reliable traders the recognition they deserve. Over the last 10 years, the way we recognise traders has evolved, with the creation of Trusted Trader of the Month, and our involvement in the annual Which? Awards for Trader of the Year.
To ensure that every endorsed business benefits from being Which? Trusted Trader members, they not only get the licence to use the Trusted Trader logo, they also get access to a Which? Membership, their own Profile Page to showcase the work they do, and many other benefits including our monthly newsletter.
The assessment remains a key part of the scheme to this day, and only those who meet our high standards can become Which? Trusted Traders.
The Trusted Traders team have celebrated a number of milestones over the past decade, from their launch back in 2013 to publishing their 250,000th review in July this year. We’ve put together this timeline of their key milestones to help you celebrate their achievements whilst taking a trip down memory lane.
We love hearing how businesses make the most out of their endorsement, and you can read more feedback on our Testimonials page.
‘Being a member of Which? Trusted Traders has helped raise our profile’, says E J Carpets (endorsed since 2013).
English Barratt & Gray (endorsed 2013) say that ‘constant work, customers feeling reassured, and having the profile page to show the business off’ are just some of the benefits of being endorsed.
'Getting an endorsement from such a well established and recognised organisation seemed like a no brainer. The Which? brand sells itself and gives new customers confidence from the start. Most of my work is repeat business so I rarely take on new customers but having that stamp of approval keeps the enquiries coming.' - Mycroft Heating & Plumbing Ltd - endorsed since Sept 2013
'It's been a great association, I get probably more enquiries from Which? than I do personal recommendations, nothing else in over 30 years has managed to do this. Belonging to Which gives new clients a feeling of assurance' - Splash Painting and Decorating - endorsed since Sept 2013
We took the time to get feedback from some of the names behind Which? Trusted Traders about why they love working for Which? as well as some of their favourite memories:
'Having joined Which? Trusted Traders in 2016 - it's been such a great experience being part of the company and seeing it develop into what it is now. It’s easy to see that achieving our goal of continuing to endorse only the highest quality traders, and reduce consumer detriment, wouldn’t be possible without everyone working together. It’s such a great place to work, with ideas and feedback shared regularly. There’s a strong sense of “togetherness” and the support for our teams and our Traders to succeed is second to none.'
Rosie Farmiloe-Williams, Head of Trader Engagement
'We are incredibly proud to say that Trusted Traders has turned 10 this year. The success is a result of the hard work put in by companies to pass our rigorous assessment and maintain Which?s high standards, to the dedication of all the teams in supporting them, and to the input of many thousands of customers who have taken the time to write reviews.'
Raj Kakar-Clayton, Managing Director - Endorsements
‘Which? as an organisation appealed to me as it’s a household name and I liked the organisation's ethos and reputation for standing on the side of consumers. It makes a real difference to work with people that inspire, encourage and believe in you. The company also treats employees well which goes a long way.’
Adam Sweet, Premier Account Team Leader
‘I remember attending a Trade Event and meeting our endorsed traders there who were talking to other companies and saying "Which? Trusted Traders is not a lead generation platform, they are so much more than that". It was like they worked for W?TT, they knew our messaging so well! It's a place where you can really make a difference to a business and consumers.’
Suzanne Dobbins - Head of Applications
‘It's so nice to speak with some really great businesses that have a similar Which? ethos and to build those relationships, as well as reading lovely feedback regarding the onboarding process via Trustpilot. The feedback is always very rewarding, as the newly endorsed traders seem to appreciate and value the process of becoming endorsed and see the benefits of the scheme.’
Kristin Colpitts - Onboarding Endorsement Coordinator
‘One of the best parts of working for Which? Is doing re-assessments and companies telling me that joining Which? Trusted Traders was the best thing that ever happened for their business. Biggest surprise? - Assessing a Trader the week after I had been out on a Christmas do with him and a mutual friend, without knowing who he was, only to knock on his door a few days later - living 50 miles away! Incidentally this same Trader told our mutual friend that he had got a big contract on the strength of being endorsed as a Which? Trusted Trader’
Alistair Newton - Trading Standards Assessor
Thank you to all our Traders and customers for 10 successful years!