7 Questions To Ask Your Air Conditioning Contractor
1. Ask for their name before the job
Whenever you are bringing in anyone you don’t know personally to your business you should always take precautions. Be sure to take note of the name of your contractor before they arrive to do the job. This way when they do arrive you can check and make sure that they are who they are supposed to be. If the contractor who arrives to do the job’s name does not match the one you were told beforehand you should not allow them access until you have contacted their supplier. Only when the supplier has confirmed that the contractor in question is a legitimate representative of their business should you allow them access.
Any legitimate tradesperson will not mind you checking, so there is no need to feel awkward or embarrassed in doing so.
2. Ask if they are a registered air conditioning contractor
It is extremely important that you check and make sure that your contractor is appropriately registered to carry out the services they are required to do. If you have an unqualified person carrying out your works the results could be disastrous. Things like oil, gas and electricity are simply too dangerous to have potentially unskilled labourers tinkering with.
In addition to safety concerns, unregistered workers may be hard to get in touch with should problems arise later, making redress difficult to obtain.
Tradespeople must be registered with specific organisations depending on which services they provide. For example, contractors must be certified with F-Gas before being allowed work on Air Conditioning or Refrigeration units in Ireland.
3. See if there a call out charge
Most reputable contractors will not charge a fee unless there is actual work done. You should not be expected to pay for a simple call out. Make sure that you are guaranteed that there will be no call out fee before agreeing to have a contractor sent out. With so many good companies out there who do not charge for travelling expenses, there is no need to be caught out with unnecessary charges.
4. Are you getting a written quote before the service?
The best way to avoid unexpected charges is to establish with your air conditioning contractor exactly what needs to be done when they come out and agree a price on it beforehand. By getting this made out in writing you guarantee that you will not be charged more than you bargained for when all works are completed. It also acts as a ‘checklist’ for you to look over, allowing you to make sure all tasks were completed as planned.
5. Does the service come with a guarantee?
Getting an air conditioning service is one thing, but making sure it is guaranteed is every bit as important. If you get work done and it is not guaranteed you could end up paying through the nose at a later date when something goes wrong. All legitimate air conditioning contractors will offer some form of guarantee with their works. A guarantee can last anywhere from a year to twenty years, depending on what service is being carried out.
6. Does the service come with a receipt?
It is good practice to get a receipt for all works done. A receipt acts as proof of purchase (which is useful for establishing when a guarantee expires). In addition, a VAT receipt will allow you to claim tax back at the end of the financial year.
7. When was the company established?
It is a good idea to find out when your contractor’s company was established. If a company has been on the go for many years it is usually a sign that it has been doing good work on a consistent basis. Any company worth its salt will also be willing to provide references which they have accumulated over this time.
