5 Tips to Find the Best Area Heating and Cooling Service
Whether you’re transitioning from spring to summer and ready to get some seasonal maintenance for your HVAC system or it’s nearing winter and time for a regularly scheduled cleaning, you want to find the best area heating and cooling service. Although some people like to take care of these tasks on their own, it’s beneficial to call in a professional. They’re trained and skilled at repairs, maintenance, and tune-ups, plus have a knowledge base after years working specifically with HVAC systems.
Ideally, you’re switching out the filter about once a month and keeping on top of maintaining the HVAC system so as to keep the air quality of your home clean. This can also help you avoid repair or service trips, but when you do need to call your area heating and cooling service, it makes sense to know how to find the best service so you can get the job done right by a reputable and knowledgeable expert and don’t have to spend any unnecessary money.
1. Customer Service
These days, many things are automated and don’t offer in-person help or guidance. If there’s a question about something with the system, it’s crucial to be able to ask it, get a clear and comprehensive answer, and be able to follow up should you need it. When choosing a heating and cooling company, take a look at what other customers are saying.
See what current and former customers say about the way they’re treated, about how skilled or knowledgeable the instillation specialist or repair person was, and what sort of overall job was done. If you live in a hot area, having air conditioning is massively important, and you don’t want it to give out suddenly. The same with your furnace if you live in a cold region. Trust your heating and cooling to a company that does their job well.
There are multiple sources or ways to verify a company’s credentials and rapport within the community. Ask around and check reviews online. Many are heating and cooling companies will have reviews or testimonials right on their website.
Ideally, you’ll find a company that has workers who have been with them for a long time. This is a good thing for several reasons. First, it suggests that the company is fair and it’s a good place to work. Second, it provides customers with an opportunity to ask for someone by name. It allows customers to build a relationship with technicians and be able to request whomever back the next time HVAC services are needed.
2. Certified, Credentialed, and Insured
The main point of hiring a professional to do the job is that you want to have the peace of mind of knowing the person working has experience and knowledge and is certified. The best companies require training and certifications to work there. This is an important thing to look for as you’re seeking a skilled technician to come to your home and repair or install something for your HVAC system. Double-check to make sure the company requires its technicians to be NATE-certified (that is, certified through the North American Technician Excellence organization). Even better, employees should be required to do ongoing training.
The company should also be bonded and insured. Plus, there are third-party organizations or affiliations on local, regional, and national levels that can affirm high-quality industry professional standards with their “mark” of approval. Keep an eye out for some of these when you’re researching service companies.
3. Initial Evaluation of the Home
If this is the first time a company’s technicians are visiting your home, they should take the time to look around the home and the property. Seeing the layout of your home and the way the HVAC system runs through it will help the heating and cooling specialists better service your home and system. The technician will be able to review how things are hooked up, what works, what doesn’t, and how to move on from there. This also provides the initial contact so that the customer can get a feel for the level of professionalism.
4. Compare Prices
Comparing prices will require a bit of calling around, but it can be a good investment of time in the long run. Once you’ve found a handful of companies that could work for your budget, be sure to factor in some of the extras. Beyond repair and installation, do they offer emergency services at a fair price? Do they have a maintenance program you can sign up for? Regular care of your system will keep both your energy and repair costs down. If you’re going to work with an area heating and cooling company, you want to be confident they offer the services you need at a good price.
It’s also a good idea to cross-reference cost with the level of experience, whether or not the company is insured, bonded, certified, or has strong references. If one company is far below or above the average cost, find out why. Do they offer more or less than the others as far as services, experience, and qualifications? You don’t want to sacrifice quality for a good price.
5. Look for Complaints
Popular review sites may only give part of the picture. Turn to a number of sites so you can get a bigger picture of those who have used the area heating and cooling specialists. You can confirm that your area heating and cooling service will provide the best service by hearing if anything negative is said about them. Are there concerns about products or services or questions customers didn’t get answered?
If you’re seeing five-stars and raving reviews and you’re still not sure, you can also consult the Better Business Bureau to ask if they have had complaints about a specific company. In doing your research, hopefully, you will find the best heating and cooling specialists for your home’s HVAC system.
For those in the Pacific Northwest looking to install a system or who would like to hire experts with experience, knowledge, and manners, contact Watts Heating and Cooling for a consultation today.
