Ever wonder why the most inexperienced, costly contractors end up in your home? Actually it could have less to do with you than it does with the kind of information you’re gathering before you contact a heating and cooling company in for work.
Let’s be clear: You usually take the time to call a heating and cooling contractor because you are either: a) very hot or b) very cold. So an untimely breakdown (are they ever timely?) has forced your search for someone who can make the repair.
From this point, the service you receive can either soothe – or increase – your feelings of panic and irritation. There are several factors that contribute to both.
Here are the top five things to look for before opening your home—and your wallet:
1. Credentials – If a contractor begins to stutter or make up excuses when you ask for an HVAC license, it’s probably a safe bet that you should take your business elsewhere. Oddly, many customers don’t ask but wish they had.
Our dealers are required to be licensed and insured. In fact, all heating and cooling contractors should be able to readily (and eagerly) provide licensing and insurance information, plus references from recent customers.
Be sure to check the references and inquire about timeliness, job performance, and overall satisfaction of results. The best question you can usually ask is, “Would you hire them again?”
2. Technical Skill –Even though fairly common, you do not want your home to be the training ground of an inexperienced technician. By the time you see your contractor scratching his head or tossing “spare” parts back in his tool kit, it may be too late to ask about prior training.
Granted, not every company meets the stringent hiring and training advised by most equipment manufacturers. Heating and cooling work is serious business, and not suited for “guesswork”. Skilled training is the only path to proficiency.
Plus, don’t necessarily assume that “30 years of experience” is a fair method of judgment; it could very well mean one year of mistakes repeated for 30 years.
You’ll learn more about a company asking specific questions about training policies and experience requirements for hiring. Our dealers are willing to share this with you to help you make the best choice for your home or business.
Check back next week for tips 3, 4 and 5 to help you stay comfortable while saving money!
Have questions? Contact the indoor air quality and air conditioning
experts at Castellano A/C Services in Tampa. 24/7 emergency services
available. www.aircastellano.com
Showing posts with label save money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label save money. Show all posts
Monday, 13 May 2013
Monday, 29 April 2013
Tips To Choose a Maytag Air Conditioning Contractor
Last week, we went over two big tips for helping you choose a heating and cooling contractor in the Tampa Bay. As a follow up, Castellano A/C Services is pleased to present you with tips 3 to 5:
Three more things to look for before opening your home—and your wallet:
3. Up-Front Pricing – Couple of points here. First and most common are the contractors who just say, “We’ll let you know how much it is and how long it’ll take once we take everything apart.” That’s dangerous, since you could be stuck with parts scattered everywhere or just a “guess” on the completion.
Legitimate heating and cooling contractors—and there are many—should give a price for services before work begins, and ask for payment only when work has been completed. We call this up-front pricing, and it’s the fairest, most convenient method.
Our technicians arrive, ask questions, diagnose and then give you a price and schedule for the work’s completion. Then you decide to go forward or not.
4. Scheduling – Think about it. You’re hot or cold. And your HVAC contractor has just said he’d be glad to come out and take a look at your system a week from Tuesday. The fact is, if he can’t provide satisfactory relief, maybe you should keep looking.
Sure, the more popular contractors will have scheduling issues in the middle of a busy season – us included - but the scheduling should be explained with the assurance that the contractor will get there as soon as he can.
Many Contractors offer Maintenance Agreement programs that allow for Priority Scheduling – even in busiest times – which is one of many benefits. Regardless, when you schedule for a repair, ask for a specific time, and expect your contractor to keep it, with reasonable updates during any delays.
5. Guarantees – Most companies “say” they guarantee their work but sadly, the words often get conveniently forgotten if a problem arises. And that’s the only time you’ll know… or care. Without a guarantee on parts and labor, you may have another system breakdown and be expected to pay the same price to have it fixed again. That’s crazy.
Plus, on a replacement system, you’re investing in a long-term solution. That’s why MAYTAG not only manufactures state-of-the-art reliability into new systems, but gives you real peace of mind with some of the longest warranties in the entire industry.
So if your contractor answers your questions with answers like “Oh, trust me it’ll be fine." or "What do you need a guarantee for?”, then you should make other arrangements. MAYTAG contractors come with the assurance of having been pre-screened in their abilities to consistently provide prompt, efficient assistance for our customers. As a MAYTAG approved contractor, your satisfaction, future business and referrals are too important to us to risk otherwise!
Remember, you are calling a contractor because you have a problem. The contractor's job is to solve those problems – not add to them. Understanding the above list can save you time, money, and quite possibly, a few gray hairs.
Want more solutions to these and other heating and cooling challenges and get more than you pay for? Contact Castellano Air Conditioning Tampa Bay Services at 813-877-6997 for more information. 24/7 emergency services available.
Three more things to look for before opening your home—and your wallet:
3. Up-Front Pricing – Couple of points here. First and most common are the contractors who just say, “We’ll let you know how much it is and how long it’ll take once we take everything apart.” That’s dangerous, since you could be stuck with parts scattered everywhere or just a “guess” on the completion.
Legitimate heating and cooling contractors—and there are many—should give a price for services before work begins, and ask for payment only when work has been completed. We call this up-front pricing, and it’s the fairest, most convenient method.
Our technicians arrive, ask questions, diagnose and then give you a price and schedule for the work’s completion. Then you decide to go forward or not.
4. Scheduling – Think about it. You’re hot or cold. And your HVAC contractor has just said he’d be glad to come out and take a look at your system a week from Tuesday. The fact is, if he can’t provide satisfactory relief, maybe you should keep looking.
Sure, the more popular contractors will have scheduling issues in the middle of a busy season – us included - but the scheduling should be explained with the assurance that the contractor will get there as soon as he can.
Many Contractors offer Maintenance Agreement programs that allow for Priority Scheduling – even in busiest times – which is one of many benefits. Regardless, when you schedule for a repair, ask for a specific time, and expect your contractor to keep it, with reasonable updates during any delays.
5. Guarantees – Most companies “say” they guarantee their work but sadly, the words often get conveniently forgotten if a problem arises. And that’s the only time you’ll know… or care. Without a guarantee on parts and labor, you may have another system breakdown and be expected to pay the same price to have it fixed again. That’s crazy.
Plus, on a replacement system, you’re investing in a long-term solution. That’s why MAYTAG not only manufactures state-of-the-art reliability into new systems, but gives you real peace of mind with some of the longest warranties in the entire industry.
So if your contractor answers your questions with answers like “Oh, trust me it’ll be fine." or "What do you need a guarantee for?”, then you should make other arrangements. MAYTAG contractors come with the assurance of having been pre-screened in their abilities to consistently provide prompt, efficient assistance for our customers. As a MAYTAG approved contractor, your satisfaction, future business and referrals are too important to us to risk otherwise!
Remember, you are calling a contractor because you have a problem. The contractor's job is to solve those problems – not add to them. Understanding the above list can save you time, money, and quite possibly, a few gray hairs.
Want more solutions to these and other heating and cooling challenges and get more than you pay for? Contact Castellano Air Conditioning Tampa Bay Services at 813-877-6997 for more information. 24/7 emergency services available.
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