To think Asian name may put off customers

[Stcatherine]

I'm prepared to be flamed for posting this. My dp is Asian and is trying to get jobs as a handyman but nobody is responding to him. Do you think that when people see a Asian name in his profile that it puts them off. He is very experienced and skilled. By the way I'm not trying to say that everybody is racist but have been aware from past experience that some people think along these lines.

My step-granddaughter has an Indian surname. Her brother took their English father's name. Yes, people do respond differently to a non-British surname.

It wouldn't put me off at all but then I'm not racist. Having listened to the racism that just slips out of people's mouths, I think it would stop some people from using your husbands business. That's really depressing.

He shouldn't have to use a different name but we all have to earn money so I suppose if that means he gets more business then he may need to.

So I guess I am unconsciously racist. Never noticed it before and it’s embarrassing.

Nesssie, I admire your honesty in owning your unconscious assumptions. We all have unconscious biases about different things. Self-awareness is the first step towards tackling them.

In my previous career I worked in a recruiting field. I went to a seminar about CV writing, and one of the things they brought up was names that were easy to pronounce. Apparently it is not so much about racism, but about feeling self conscious about mispronouncing someone's name. The person ringing feels more confident saying 'hi is this Bob', then muddling a name that might be difficult to pronounce. I have an unusual name myself, and I know there's always that awkward minute at the start of any conversation "Is this Xxxx?" "It's Xxxxxx." "Oh, is that how you pronounce it?" "Yes." "Are you sure?" "Pretty sure, since my parents have been calling me it since I was born."

I've done this backwards in France. When I've needed someone to do something quickly near holiday season (July/August) I've deliberately looked for the non French names otherwise no will turn up before September.

One, assuming on the basis of a name that Rashid’s English is going to be poor, on the assumption that all Asians are recent arrivals, is pretty racist, as well as dumb.

Someone from my university applied for jobs using the same CV with an Anglo-fied name and his own name which is an African name ( both first and last)

Guess which got more interviews?

@LunafortJest @PengAlly

Different background and professional but my dh and others use short 3 letter nicknames from their names, eg Jon , Ant, Rus, Bav, Gal..

Easy to say and ambiguous

I do think you have a point OP.
I had some handymen in just before Xmas. Their name consisted of initials then handyman Services. I found them on check a trade. Chose them because of high rating, great reviews and were approved by our county council. They were not English and told me they used their initials as they got more enquiries than using their name. So there is something in that.

They were fabulous and will have them again.

Don’t know whether to be impressed or appalled by the transparency and openness of the racism on this thread

Race wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

My first question is insurance - I wouldn't choose anyone if they weren't insured - even if they came highly recommended

Then I choose tradespeople by:-

1. Word of mouth/recommendation

2. Local advertising. A good clear notice in the village shop or in our village newsletter or local page on FB. I avoid flashy websites. ( = businessmen "employing" people on zero hours +minimum wage)

3. Clear price structure. I bloody hate teeth suckers. Be open - you charge £xx per hour + materials and a typical length of time to do that job is e.g. 4.5 hours. Then no-one needs to waste their time bothering with the actual quote unless the rough estimate is what they were expecting.

4. Courtesy. I also bloody hate sexist pigs or unnecessarily rude tradespeople. I like people to be polite and friendly on the phone - and TURN UP on time.

@FenellaMaxwell Please could you elaborate on why I'm tagged in that image? I'm the poster whoa actually stated not liking the term "Asians" because of how vague it is. But I respect that is my OWN personal opinion and its not wrong for others to use it.

I am in need of a good handyman & quite frankly I don’t care if they are called Sam or Sandeep if they are good at what they do ...
I am very wary of the folks who pop up on local Facebook groups every other day advertising as it comes over as desperate & I wouldn’t use a random person from Facebook unless they also have a business website, simply because I want to be sure they are legit & qualified if doing electricals etc.

Some of it down to racism, some it down to ignorance, some of it down to fear. Fear of accidentally offending someone from a different culture, or maybe fear of repeating 'pardon?', when faced with a thick accent.
Unfortunately, a significant amount of people would rather check the reviews of someone called Ed, than Rasheem. Also, whether it's deserved or not, East European builders have a MAGNIFICENT reputation in my area.

Some of it down to racism, some it down to ignorance

I feel like racism and ignorance can go hand in hand really. In my experience ignorant people make the assumptions that then become racist.

My DH runs a handyman business, DIY Si.... Si being his name. We felt when choosingthe name it had to roll off the tongue and be easy to remember. Maybe try use a slogan approach?

My DH had a steady stream of customers after leaflet dropping, facebook and word of mouth....then he was contacted by check a trade and is now registered with them and now inundated with queries so that is another option to look at.

Has he priced himself in the market? We found that the hardest bit.

Yeah I think it does. It's a shame but it's not a massive deal.

It's not unreasonable to reverse the situation: if John Smith set up a handyman business in Pakistan, would people be put off? The answer is almost certainly. That's just the way it is.

Maybe he should use his initials. Or a name like Mr Fixit.

You seem to be very level-headed about it, which is commendable. People can get upset as they like about it but it wouldn't change the situation.

I hope you both work something out.

Was a slight conundrum for us too. DH is Chinese but had very British surname due to stepfather. When we got married we talked about what surname to have and he said he liked the element of surprise - as at interviews! We ended up - via deed poll - with a Chinese name which I love (it was his mum's) and he's a local gardener - has plenty of work. Small town so people go from personal knowledge that he's a good guy and a sold worker.

solid

and what Giraffetower said. All of that.

I rang round all the competition to get a feel for pricing when he was starting up. Covert operations :) Pays to do your research though for a small business.

Trusted Trader and word of mouth from happy customers will soon get him the work once he gets going

As a possible suggestion, I hired a local Polish painter recently, and he trades under the name of our local area followed by the word services, e.g. “Shropshire Services.” His business card said his name underneath.