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How to Choose a Great Contractor!
As Published on GoArticles.com and ArticleBlast.com -- September 2008
With so many contractors to choose from today, the homeowner might indeed find embarking on a major repair or renovation project, or even a minor repair for that matter, daunting. And, why not? Hundreds of so-called professionals are vying for your dollars. And not all of them are on your side, either!
Start with referrals from friends, relatives or neighbors. Surely they will have an “A-list” of good references and possibly a list of those to avoid as well! Look for expertise and experience. Your trust will be well founded when choosing a contractor that didn’t hang his/her “shingle” yesterday. How does the “back office” make you feel? If you have a good starting point of reference, initial contact and the response time feels right, professional, and builds the initial foundation, test the waters. Can the company accommodate your busy schedule? Are you leaving messages on an answering machine only to be ignored? That may not be the right fit! What brands does the contractor represent, service and/or install? Quality is what you’re looking for here. However, the truth of the matter is that a good quality piece of equipment installed by a technician that doesn’t know his “stuff” can leave you out in the cold. After hours accessibility today is crucial. We all live such busy lives! Now, we all realize that your friendly plumbing or HVAC contractor won’t necessarily call you back at 3:00am (go find a doctor that easily!) but sending an email through a professional website, leaving word with an answering service and receiving a reply early the next morning definitely invokes a “warm and fuzzy” feeling of confidence, doesn’t it? Look for licenses and certifications. That means that the individual and/or staff have been awarded credentials substantiating a level of excellence. Be sure that the company you are hiring has adequate insurance…for that extra peace of mind. We all need umbrellas when it rains!
Last, but certainly not least, establish a relationship with a contractor and entrust your equipment to his/her care. Create a feeling of friendship so that when the first emergency rears its ugly head, you’ll have someone nearby that truly cares. There’s definitely something to be said about being on a first name basis with the owner of a company that is small enough to know you and large enough to handle your needs. This way you’re not just a “number”, and you and the company both have a vested interest in succeeding.
Written by Bonnie Bornstein Fertel
