Finding an HVAC company with which you can work is essential. Your home is a significant investment, and it should be a place of comfort to you. However, if your heating and cooling system is not working efficiently, that comfort can be compromised, especially in the heat of summer, or the extreme cold of winter. Therefore, it is the purpose of this post to provide the reader with tips on how to wisely choose an HVAC company.
Make a List
Create a list from the phone book or a website. Call each one individually; you should also have a list of questions for hvac san francisco the potential contractor prepared prior to making your calls. If the company does not offer you straight answers, it is time to look elsewhere.
Check for Credibility
The key questions to ask your prospective HVAC contractor involve licensing, insurance, longevity, and physical address. First, pose questions about the company's licensing. Ask to see a copy of it, and as you are reading the document, ask yourself if the license is current. HVAC service standards are constantly evolving, and you want a contractor who is trained and licensed according to the latest HVAC standards.
In addition to licensing, you should perform a thorough background check on the company. According to AirConditioningandHeating.com, you should examine whether there are disciplinary actions or complaints pending against the contractor. You can check these facts with the Better Business Bureau by entering the name of the company into the appropriate fields. Also, you can check with the local or state licensing boards.
Another way to check the company's credibility is to ask for references. Once you have received this list of names of prior customers, follow up. Prior customers will be more than happy to share with you their experiences with a contractor, especially if such encounters have been less than positive. If the general consensus among these prior clients is negative, take your business elsewhere.
Find out how long the company has been in business. Research the contractor on the Internet. The longer the contractor has been in existence, the more likely it is that it has the experience level you as a homeowner (or business owner) are seeking.
Check for Stability
Also, research how long that this HVAC company has been in one place--the same city, state and address. If it has moved around very much, that may be a sign of instability. If you cannot trust the organization to stay in one place, you probably would be unable to trust that, if you were to give the contractor any money, that the company would still be there next week to do the work that you have requested of it.
Communication
Being able to communicate with your HVAC contractor is paramount. Make sure the company has a physical address (rather than a post office box). See that the organization you choose has a solid telephone number, a website, and an email, as well as an emergency number. Heating and cooling systems break down on nights, Sundays and holidays, so it is important that you have someone who can always respond to your concerns.
Personal Comfort/Rapport
As the Air Conditioning and Heating website indicates, the ideal scenario between you and your contractor is that this is a working relationship that will last for years. In light of that, you should seek a company whose employees you would feel comfortable letting into your home. To test this, plan an unannounced trip to the contractor's place of business. Speak with the employees. If they seem too distant, or busy, to talk to you, then move on.
Pricing/Bidding
Gather at least three bids on the work you need done. According to the Air Conditioning and Heating website, this is so that when you choose a contractor, you will feel more confident that you have made the right decision. Do not take the least expensive bid. In fact, if a contractor bids too low, it is grounds for suspicion. Ask the contractor why its bid is so low. It may be a sign that the work package is not large enough to meet your needs.
Conclusion
Get all of the information you discussed--especially pricing--in writing. Ask what type of payment the company takes, and if it all must be paid up front. Place this information in a safe location in your house. The time may come when you need to refer back to it should a dispute arise.
Besides the house itself, your HVAC system is one of the most expensive items in your home. Whenever the system needs servicing or repaired you will want a qualified company to handle the service. The HVAC industry, like many other industries, can contain some very good companies along with some very bad ones which you will want to steer clear of. There are a few tips which you can follow which can help you find a great company instead of going to the phone book and taking your chances.
By far and away, the best way to find a great HVAC company is to ask your friends for referrals. Companies which are worthy of a referral are much more likely to deliver great service. In fact, many company's entire marketing strategy is designed to attract new customers through referrals. The only way to get a customer to recommend your business is to deliver great customer satisfaction. Hiring an HVAC company which has been recommended by a friend is one of the best ways which you can find your new service provider.
You can always check the Better Business Bureau for complaints for any company in which you are thinking of hiring. This can be a great way to see how many complaints a company is receiving. Nearly all companies will receive at least one or two complaints from hard to satisfy customers. However, companies which received an extraordinary amount of complaints should be avoided at all costs.
Finally, if all else fails you can usually have a good chance of finding a great company by how long they have been in business. Many longtime businesses will proudly display the year they began servicing customers. Many of these businesses which have been around for 30 or 40 years are obviously doing something right and taking care of customers.