Choosing The Right Plumber

Choosing the right plumber can help you get what you need fixed without worrying about being charged for unnecessary add-ons or paying inflated rates. Ideally, you want to choose a plumber who is reliable and trustworthy. Here are 6 tips to help you choose:

First impressions. If you are looking at ads while you search online, an advertisement or website is a first indication that a plumber cares about his business and attracting good customers. Also look to see what information the company provides, verify that they are licensed and insured, notice what accreditations and affiliations they have, and find out if they have emergency service. These are all indicators of professionalism.

Communication. You might tell immediately when you make the call how you will be treated. It is never a good sign of customer service to connect with a company that doesn’t make you their priority while they are on the phone with you. The same applies to completing an online request form.

You should expect a quick response. You should be able to reach a person who is clear and prompt in helping you. They should provide adequate information about how they can help you. Then once the technician arrives, you want to continue getting good communication. For instance, he should be clear as to what the problem is, what will need to be done, and how much a repair or installation is estimated to cost you.

Wide experience areas. There are all types of people who learned the trade from on-the-job experience. They have had no other formal vocational training or certifications. So their ability to fix complex repairs is often learn-as-you-go. If that sounds scary to you, it should.

Timeliness and cleanliness are indicators of professionalism. Your time and your home are important. You should expect the company to treat you with respect by keeping you notified with a time range for when their technician will arrive and the technician should arrive at the time you were told. You should also expect a technician to take all necessary precautions to protect your home. An example of this is wearing shoe covers. A good indicator of cleanliness is the clean, professional appearance of the technician and his tools when he arrives at your home. There is a saying that you can often tell the quality of the work by the tools.

Upfront pricing. When you call for service, you should be given information about the initial cost of a visit and during that visit you should be provided a written quote that adequately addresses the issue. A professional plumber should be able to provide an accurate estimate before any work is done. The company should also be able to apply any fees for quoting a job to the actual cost of the work once the work is completed. And when a company has integrity, they will be upfront with you regarding any extra fees you might incur due to unforeseen problems.

Reviews. In today’s technological world, there are many ways to find out about how a company is rated. A plumbing company that is transparent readily shares reviews on their website and also has good feedback on their social media. In addition, you can check reviews on Yelp and Angie’s List. And don’t forget to see what rating the company has with the Better Business Bureau. Another way a company shows transparency is through their affiliations.