If you’re the owner of an older air conditioner, you don’t want to have to wait until something goes wrong to hire an HVAC technician. When it comes to basic maintenance, servicing your air conditioner regularly can be key to keeping it up and running for longer during the hottest months of summer. However, if you’re not set up with a technician your trust, finding someone to regularly work with you to keep your air conditioning working properly can be a headache. If you’re in the market for a new HVAC technician and you’re not sure what you should be looking for in a candidate, here are a few questions to ask throughout your search.
1. Reputation
Every small business works hard to create a good reputation. That’s why it might be hard at first to get a true sense of what you’re working with just by doing a cursory online search. Luckily, if you’re trying to get a feel for the technician or company you’re thinking about hiring, there are tons of resources to help you in your search, such as the Better Business Bureau and Reputation.com. At these sites, you can search statistics and details about the company’s history, and even read reviews from previous employers. While it’s usually best to take user-based feedback with a grain of salt, reading a good sampling of reviews on a company’s Better Business Bureau page will help you answer a few basic questions about your technician, such as those surrounding reliability, promptness, and even pricing.
2. Experience Level
Each HVAC technician comes with a broad skill level that can be applied to a variety of different jobs and projects. While many technicians have a high level of expertise when it comes to one type of job, they still might not be right for you. It’s not important to focus on the number of years of experience a technician has under their belt, although it’s always helpful to know. What’s more important to focus on is how much experience they’ve had with the specific type of job you’re hiring them for. For instance, does your technician of choice mainly do work on residential buildings, or have they had more experience doing large-scale construction and corporate jobs? What kinds of A/C models are they familiar with? If they’ve done residential work, have they worked with homes that use a similar electrical setup as yours? The more questions you ask, the better you’ll be able to judge if a worker is right for the job.
3. Warranties
Next on your list should be a thorough understanding of all the protective services your technician provides. Does the company they work for provide worker’s compensation? Are they ensured? Do they offer any type of warranty on the work? Getting a sense of just how covered your technician is will help give you a bit more peace of mind should anything go wrong on the job. You’ll also be able to hold them to account if the installation is faulty or gives you problems sooner than you expected. When installing your A/C, there are many potential issues that could occur. You don’t want to find yourself in a compromised position with a hurt worker and no insurance to speak of. Finding out your technician’s protection status is just as much about protecting you as about protecting them from harm.
4. Payment Method
Most HVAC technicians are happy to work for a flat rate. However, for many homeowners, it’s still hard to get together the cash for an installation all at once. Ask your technician if payment plans are available in the future. If you know you have a bit of leeway on payment, you can work to set aside money for future jobs without having to stress about it when the time comes. You should also do a quick online quote comparison to make sure you’re paying what you should be paying for maintenance and installation service.
5. Availability and Attention
The last, but potentially most important factor of your decision will be your working relationship with your HVAC technician. While the most important thing is knowing you’ve chosen someone who will do a great job installing your A/C, you’ll still need to make sure your communication is open and that your technician is available when you need them. If you find your technician of choice is distant, doesn’t listen well, or doesn’t make themselves available to you when you call, you might want to think about hiring someone who’s a bit more prompt and attentive. Communication is everything, especially when you’re trusting someone to get a job done in a timely, professional manner.
