All Plumbers Are NOT Alike…
You see ads and hear radio commercials for different plumbers all of the time. They all promise excellent services and fair prices, but how do you know that you can trust them? How can you tell which ones will deliver on their promises and which will not?
Unfortunately, you can’t tell which ones are the best by their ads or commercials. You’re going to have to do a little detective work. The strategies below will help you get to the bottom of this case.
Finding the Best Plumber: Secrets to Great Detective Work
All plumbers and plumbing companies promise three things. They promise to charge a fair price, behave in a trustworthy manner, and get the job done right. If you’d like to know which ones really deliver these three things, you’ll have to use the following steps:
- Ask friends or neighbours. They’ve hired plumbers before, and they can give you their reviews on the plumbers who have come to help them. If they were impressed with one and horrified by another, they will tell you.
- Look online. The internet is a great resource for a plumber-seeking detective. Lots of websites can point you in the right direction, but you have to read the reviews. Don’t limit your search to companies who only have positive reviews; negative reviews provide valuable clues. Pay particular attention to how they respond to or address negative reviews. And don’t forget to check out the plumber’s rating and reviews on the BBB. Once you’ve narrowed it down to a couple of companies, visit their websites to get a feel of what they may be like and to find important information such as the type of work they do, the areas they service and their hours.
- Call contractors you have worked with previously. You can even ask the contractors who worked at your neighbour’s house. They work with a lot of plumbers, so they will be able to tell you who they trust.
- Check their credentials. Are they really who they say they are? Look for the company’s AND individual’s plumbing licence, gas licence, insurance etc. Ask them to prove it by showing their credentials to you when they arrive. Also, are the plumbers you’re letting in your home background checked? Drug tested? Safety trained?
- Look through the phone book and place some calls. When you call the different plumbers and plumbing companies, ask how they book appointments; is it a ‘window’ of time, an actual appointment or just when they can get to you? Once they arrive at your home for a service call, ask if you can get a written estimate before they get started. If it’s a large job, make certain a contract will be drawn up for both of you to sign. Ask if they will provide written warranties for their work should something happen. These are ways you can be sure of their honesty.
You can probably trust most plumbers, but you can’t be too careful either these days. You may get tired of looking, but don’t give up! You may even decide to do the job yourself but keep in mind that many jobs have unforeseen complications, and even though you might think it’s a simple job, you may not have the knowledge necessary to fix those complications. You could also make matters worse which could cost you more money in the end.
And most importantly, start your search BEFORE you need a plumber. It never fails that most plumbing emergencies seem to happen at the worst times. By investigating plumbing companies before you experience an emergency, you can relax knowing you have already chosen the right plumber – case closed!
Qualified Plumber