With over $22 billion spent on air conditioning in the US every year, energy bills can get expensive — and if you need to get HVAC service, you’ll want to make sure you’ve found the best person for the job.
One way to do this is by asking them all of the questions you can possibly think of.
If you’re not sure what to ask, here’s what to say to your HVAC service technician.
1. Are You Licensed and Insured?
Making sure the HVAC company is licensed and insured is absolutely crucial when inviting them into your home to take care of your unit or replace it.
A license proves that your technician has the necessary experience and qualifications to perform the repair well.
Insurance covers two things. The first thing it makes sure of is that if anything is damaged when your HVAC unit is serviced, the bill will be covered. The second thing it covers is the technician if they happen to get injured on your property.
Both of these things may end up being important.
2. How Much Experience Do You Have?
Asking how much experience the professional has is essential. While someone starting out in the business may be good at what they do, it’s safest to pick someone who has years behind them. After all, you don’t want to be part of someone’s learning curve!
The best HVAC service company won’t find this question intrusive and will be happy to answer. The information may even be readily available on their website.
You should also make sure they have experience with your specific HVAC system. There are different manufacturers and some may only be experienced with certain kinds.
3. Do You Run Background Checks on Employees?
When you’re inviting someone into your home to perform a service, they’re going to be amongst your personal life and belongings. This can be a bit daunting, especially if it’s an all-day job and you plan to leave them alone unsupervised.
For that reason, you need to make sure you’re inviting trustworthy individuals into your house. Ask the company if they run background checks on employees, and run the opposite way if they say they don’t. Background checks should be the least they can do for their customers.
4. Can I See References?
It’s also a good idea to ask for references. The best HVAC company will have a trail of happy customers behind them, so they shouldn’t hesitate to provide.
You can also do some research on your own. Some companies will proactively provide client testimonials on their website you can look at.
An even better idea is to check out reviews on third-party sites like Google, Yelp, and Facebook. The company should have a good overall rating and you can even dive into the one and five-star reviews to see what they did well and what they didn’t.
Company responses to bad reviews can also be very helpful in getting a feel for them.
If they don’t have a lot of reviews, this suggests they’re new, so you might want to ask what businesses they’ve had previously, if any.
5. When Can You Come Out?
Different HVAC problems have different urgency levels.
If your HVAC is simply wearing down and aging, and may need to be replaced soon, you can afford to wait a bit longer and don’t need to worry about this point as much.
However, some HVAC problems are more of an emergency. They may require urgent solutions, like if your cooling and/or heating isn’t working at all.
If someone can’t come out immediately, you may be forced to go with someone else.
6. How Much Will This Cost?
Supply chain issues have currently bumped HVAC prices by up to 80%, which means your servicing may not be cheap. You need to make sure it’s within your budget.
At the same time, however, going with the cheapest price may not be the best option. Someone may be the cheapest option because they have bad reviews they’re trying to make up for and struggling to get business, or they’re new to all of this.
They may not even be licensed!
Make sure you consider the quote along with everything else, as relying on it alone may provide you with poor service that becomes more expensive later when you have to fix that along with the original issue.
7. What’s the Best Way to Contact You?
Knowing the best way to contact your HVAC service provider is essential. There may be delays or problems, or you may have to reschedule, and this can be a problem if you can’t get in touch with them.
If they’re busy, they may not be able to always answer the phone right away which is why you need to know the most efficient way to get in touch. While you should also be understanding of them having a lot of work, you should be able to expect them to always get back to you in a reasonable timeframe.
Ask These Questions Before Getting HVAC Service
Although you might not want to ask your HVAC service provider too many questions in case you seem haughty or invasive, know that any good one is expecting those questions and should be open and transparent in their answers. If they seem evasive or impatient, they’re not the right company for you.
Asking those questions and getting answers will help you find the best fit.
Looking for reliable HVAC service in San Francisco, CA? Contact us today and let’s see what we can do for you.
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