19February 2022
It’s bitter cold outside but you know that the moment you open the door of your home, and walk in the warmth will surround you and all the day’s troubles will be gone – unless your furnace is acting up. Then you might find your entire family on the sofa under an electric blanket trying to keep warm.
If you’re having issues with your furnace it’s important to do your research before hiring a furnace repairman. But, there are some things you may need to know like, how to find a furnace repairman.
Do a Google Search
Search on Google for a furnace repairman in your town. Go to a few of the websites from the search results that appear. Read their policies, their prices, their warranties, and what type of services they offer. Compile a list of which you like most at this juncture.
Get Referrals From Friends & Family
Just like for anything else you want to spend money on, the best people to ask are your friends and family. They will know someone because they’ve used someone, or because someone they know has used someone. Collect a list of furnace repairmen from your friends and family first.
Check Their Websites Out
Even though you got a list of potential furnace repairmen from your friends and family it’s still important to check them out. You should be able to find a website for each potential furnace repairman. If some of the referrals match the ones you liked from your Google Search that is a great sign. Look at their website to determine whether this person does the type of service that you need. Check to see that they’re bonded and licensed. Their license numbers should be right on their site, if not, send an email enquiry.
Interview Potential Candidates
Whittle your list down to repairmen that have good websites and offer the right services. Now contact them to schedule an interview. Perhaps they will come to your home and give you a free quote about the services you need. Ask them to provide at least two or three references outside of your friends and family.
Check References
Now that you have references, actually check those references to be sure that other people think as highly of their services as your friends and family do. If the same type of work will be performed on your furnace, all the better. Don’t skip the part about checking references. Any quality repairman will be happy to give you a list of customers to speak to.
Get Written Quotes
Once you’ve narrowed them down to just two, ask for written bids and estimates if you did not do that already. Choose the best candidate for the job based on an overall feeling you got from each step of the process. If you are equally impressed go with the lowest bid, if you’re not so sure try writing down the pros of each and adding up who has the most pros in their list.
Once you’ve chosen someone, try to keep a long term relationship with them over the years. You’ll find that you get better service if you can keep the same repair person over time. Plus, they’ll get to know your system and be able to make recommendations to you when they’re more familiar with your system.