Without a doubt, you will need plumbing services sooner or later. You can only hope it’s not too late when you do! Either way, it is best to be prepared. After all, you are letting someone into YOUR home. But, with so many plumbers out there, how do you know which to choose? Take a few moments to ask these questions before hiring a service technician, and you can be sure your new plumber will be a good fit!
First things first:
Can You Do This Yourself?
If it is not an emergency, and you feel comfortable with the situation, why not do a little research? It can potentially save you hundreds of dollars! If you don’t have the time, or don’t want to get your hands dirty, by all means hire someone to take the task off your hands.
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If you decide it’s best to hire someone, here are some questions to ask to make the best choice.
Licensing and Insurance
“Are you and your staff properly licensed and insured technicians?”
Simple, quick, and covers it all. Don’t waste your time, or theirs, asking multiple questions like “Are you licensed?”, “Are your technicians licensed?” just to reach the same simple answer!
Experience
“How long have you been in the industry, and do you have any references I could see?”
This will help establish trust for you. Service industries rely on referrals and quality service. A plumber with a good, long track record has to be doing something right!
Reliability and experience established in a couple seconds!
Guarantees and Warranties
“What if something goes wrong?”
It may seem like this would sour the conversation, placing doubt in the service. On the contrary, it is a perfect open ended question. The plumber can showcase, in full detail, the extent of their quality assurance and guarantee.
Price
“…And what would a service like this cost?”
Why is price the last question when it is SO important? Well… Because it’s not. If you are paying a little more to have an established, high quality plumber with a guarantee on their services, you could be saving a TON of cash.
Nothing is worse than settling for a lower cost, and then having to have the job redone at the slightly higher price anyway!
CAUTION: Be weary of answers that include statements like,
”plus the cost of materials”, or “plus the cost of labor”.
The estimate should include these, and if it doesn’t, inquire further about them. Ask things like “Do I have a choice in the materials used?” or “Does labor include clean up?”.
Bonus Question!
So… You have found your plumber, how about asking them THIS once they arrive:
“How has your day been so far?”
Wait, what?! This seems silly! Well, it’s not! You have someone coming into your home, why not establish a relationship with them? It will help build a trusted relationship, and open the door for more conversation. If you have a plumber you like and trust, you don’t have to look for another one next time you need plumbing done!
I would probably have asked anyway! You would be surprised, once the plumber gets to your home, you forget about casual conversation and your mind goes straight to business. “Oh, the leak is down in the basement! It’s right this way…”
Sound like a typical opener for you?
I am sure you have had questions, concerns, mishaps, or circumstances that don’t fit this preliminary questionnaire. Please, feel free to add questions or comments below! The communities input is always appreciated!
Satterthwaite Plumbing 