Before you start shopping for the company that’s going to handle your air conditioning repair services, you should know what to look for first. For starters, below are a few things to look at before choosing this all-important company.
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Get A Price Estimate First
When your AC is starting to act up, it’s time to call a repair company, but if you have time, try to call two or three companies and get a price quote from each of them. In a perfect world, all of the estimates will be similar. If one stands out as being too high or even too low, you might want to consider rejecting it. The important thing is that estimates are crucial because they give you an idea of what the job should cost in the end.
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Ask For References
Any reputable air conditioning repair company will be willing to provide you with a few references, and these real-life customers’ reviews can tell you a lot about the company itself. If you’re looking for a specific trait, such as price or timeliness, these reviews will tell you everything you need to know before you make a final decision. In fact, references are crucial when it comes to choosing the right AC repair company.
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Find Out How Long They’Ve Been In Business
While new companies can still do a great job, the bottom line is that companies that have been around awhile have made it this far for a reason. If they’ve been in business a long time, it means that they have tons of satisfied customers. Otherwise, they would’ve gone out of business years ago. Don’t be afraid to ask the company rep how long they’ve been in business, and use that as one of the ways to decide whether or not you should use their services.
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Check Their Availability
AC repair companies should be available 24/7, or they should at least have long business hours just in case of an emergency. Even if they’re not open 24/7, many of them are available by phone 24 hours a day, which means that they can be contacted if your AC breaks and it’s the middle of the night. If their business hours are short and there is no emergency contact information, you might want to consider moving onto another company.
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Check For The Right Licenses And Permits
Any reputable air conditioning repair company will be properly licensed and have all of the documents they need to legally conduct business, and this includes any bonds or insurance required by the government. Find out what the legal requirements are for AC repair companies in your area, then make sure the company you’re researching has all of these things.
Fly-by-night companies are not that uncommon, and if there is no license or other documentation available to you, it’s easy to come across one of these companies and not even know it.
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Ask Them To Provide Their Quote In Writing
This one may seem to be common sense, but if they’re not willing to provide you with a price quote that is in writing, you might want to consider walking away from them. Reputable companies are happy to do this for you, and even though it is just a quote, you can still count on the service being that price in the end, or very close to it.
