7 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Commercial HVAC Repair Company
There are currently an estimated 333,000 HVAC technicians in the USA. This means that from the biggest cities to more rural areas, you likely have your choice of professionals if you're looking for a commercial HVAC repair.
Since you'll likely want a reasonably priced, timely, and expert repair, that means choosing the right technician for you — so how do you go about that?
Here's what to look for when choosing a company. Make sure to consider all of these factors carefully to arrive at the right choice!
1. Experience and Qualifications
The first thing you'll want to do with any commercial HVAC repair company is to ensure that they have the right experience and qualifications for the job. At the very least, this means that they should be licensed — which proves they've been trained on the job and are considered a trustworthy person to do it.
Companies often have their license number listed on their website but if they don't, just ask.
They should also have insurance, which covers the work they do and also their safety in your home. Otherwise, any damage to equipment or injuries could get costly.
The more experience that the company has, the better. While a new HVAC technician may be amazing at what they do, there's nothing more promising than many years of experience behind someone, and the last thing you want is to be part of someone's learning curve! After all, it takes an estimated 10,000 hours to be an expert at something.
2. Check Their Specialties
As well as ensuring they have years of general experience in the HVAC world, it's critical to make sure the HVAC services you hire have specific experience with your system, your problem, and your world. There are different manufacturers, and your technician needs to know how your system works to identify and solve a problem.
Commercial HVAC repair (or commercial HVAC maintenance) is different from residential, as the systems needed to cool and heat a large area are usually not the same as the ones you'd find in a small home. Therefore you should at least make sure the company has done plenty of commercial repairs.
3. Read the Reviews
Once you've landed on a company that has a valid license, insurance, and experience, make sure to go and read some reviews. There may be customer testimonials available on the website to browse, or you can Google them and find third-party reviews.
At the very least, they should have a good overall rating, but it's a good idea to read a few reviews to ensure that:
People felt they did a good job
People appreciated their communication
The job was done in a timely manner
They were friendly and professional
Often, a lack of major complaints is enough to signify these things, as people are likelier to share a bad experience than a good one!
4. Consider Their Communication
Once you start talking to a company, you should consider their communication for yourself. While the best commercial HVAC companies have a number of customers and may be busy, they should be able to get back to you in a timely manner and answer all of your questions before or during the appointment.
If they seem impatient or even rude, you can always choose another company. Having a good relationship with your technicians and feeling safe in their hands is as important as their qualifications and experience.
5. Check Their Availability
Before committing to an appointment to get the issue fixed or a new system installed, you should ask about their availability. If you have an urgent need and a company can't get to you for a week or two in the height of summer, then they may not be the best one to go for!
If you have flexibility, then this is always best as you don't need to consider the availability as much — but it sure doesn't hurt if the company can get to you as soon as possible.
6. Ask About the Quote
Commercial HVAC services can be expensive, and people always dread asking about the quote — but it's important to consider when you're hiring a service. It's also fine to get quotes from multiple companies so you can compare them.
Remember not to automatically go with the cheapest quote and consider it alongside everything else. The cheapest quote may be the way for a reason. Maybe the company isn't as experienced as others, or they have bad reviews to make up for.
So make sure the quote is within your budget, but don't use it as the sole deciding factor or you may regret it when you need to hire someone else to fix mistakes shortly after.
7. Consider Other Perks
As well as all of this, you can consider other perks to arrive at your decision. For example:
Consider the warranties that the company offers
Ask if they have any deals for first-time clients
Ask if they will diagnose the issue for free before performing a service
Ask if they have financing options to cover the quote
Each of these things is a bonus.
Consider These Things When Choosing a Commercial HVAC Repair Company
It can seem daunting to look for the best HVAC repair company when there are so many options. What if you choose the wrong one?
As long as you do your research, make sure the company has plenty of experience, and consider their quote and availability, you can't go wrong. Ask all of the questions you need to before settling on a choice.
Do you need help with your HVAC in Austin, Texas? Contact us today for our commercial services, and let's see what we can do for you.
