Hiring A Service Technician, What I Need To Know. Via The Web Site of the

    

 

What To Look For, Pre-Hiring 

      To be honest with you, the hiring of a service technician isn’t as complex as it may seem, as a long as you know what to look for. In the first part of this blog I will go over some key point that you should be alerted to. The first thing to ask is, are you a licensed contractor? The next question should be, do you have insurance? Most reputable service contractors, you find will have both. Being licensed doesn’t guarantee they will do a good job, or that the company has immense customer service skills, but is does guarantee that they have a stake in the project, because they have something at risk. Here is a sample of what the insurance form the contractor issues you should look like.

     When the contractor is preparing the insurance document, you should always ask to be named as the certificate holder, and also the additional insured. Also, always call the insurance company to verify. You should also request that the contractor carry general liability, worker’s compensation, and commercial auto. I would recommend limits on the general liability be around $1,000,000.00. After you get the license and insurance out of the way, you can ask for references and reviews. This is we’re Google is your friend. Most service companies, unless just starting out, advertise on Google, and if they’re as good as they say they are, then Google is speaking. In some cases you can even check to see if your service technician follows safe work space habits, if they are OSHA 10 or 30 certified. Now knowing what to look for you can comprise a list of contractors you would call for a service visit or an emergency.

The Service Technician-On The Job

Now that you have selected your service technician, when they arrive, ask them to where booties on there feet. You do not want a technician bringing in foreign contamination from someone else’s home. Show the technician what you need serviced, and give them a moment to come up with a Strategical Work Plan (SWP). Let the technician know that before any work can begin, they must discuss their SWP with you. Please express any oppositions or recommendations at this point. Once the SWP is agreed upon by both parties, work can begin. Throughout the entirety of the service call, the technician should be keeping you informed. If there is work above and beyond the SWP is to be done, the technician should get an approval from you, the home owner first. After all work is done according to the SWP, the technician can proceed to close out the service call.

Service Technician’s Service Call Closeout

All of the work was completed according to the SWP., and the technician has started to process the close out paperwork. One essential subject you want to discuss at this time is your warranties. How long is the manufacture warranty? How long is the workmanship warranty? Is there a service charge for service request that turns out to be a warranty call? Never give payment information over the phone, if the technician cannot process credit or debit payments, use a check. It’s best to always have a paper trail just in case anything comes into question. Take time to make sure that you receive a receipt for your payment transaction, and a final invoice for the work that was completed. If all goes well with this service call, you can add this contractor to your list. You can easily make an Excel spreadsheet with a list of all your contractors. As always, I really appreciate the DIY Educator family, and I encourage you to keep the community growing. 

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