25 Jul How to Choose the Best Duct Cleaning Contractor Description
How to Choose the Best Duct Cleaning Contractor Description
If someone asked you when your home’s air ducts were last cleaned, what would you say? Do you have an answer ready or would it require some time to figure out when the last cleaning took place? If the latter happens to be the case, it’s time to have the duct system cleaned again.
That means finding the best duct cleaning contractor to handle the job. How do you find the right service? Use these tips and it won’t take long to decide who deserves your business.
Assemble a List of Potential Contractors
Start by creating a list of local companies that offer duct cleaning services. You can use online resources to develop the basic list. At this juncture, don’t be overly concerned about collecting data about each company; the goal is to identify who in the local area provides the service that you need. There will be time to narrow the range of choices later on.
Do Some Preliminary Research
With the list assembled, do some quick research on each company on the list. You aren’t interested in going into a lot of detail right now. This is a first round of qualification that’s based primarily on a cursory review of ratings left by past customers.
Set a benchmark that you will use for qualifying the companies on the list. For example, most of the ratings may be on a five point scale. You decide that anything below an overall 3 rating is off the table. This helps to eliminate duct cleaning services that don’t seem to get much positive word of mouth from their clients. Assume you would probably feel the same way and remove those from your list.
Pare Your List Down to 3-5 Candidates
Now it’s time to reduce the overall list to somewhere between three and five candidates. This can be done by focusing more on the companies with higher ratings. For example, you have several that have close to perfect ratings. Choose what appears to be the ones with ratings closest to five based on greater numbers of ratings and comments. There’s an excellent chance that one of the companies that make your short list will turn out to be the ideal service for you.
Check Out the Contractor Websites and Social Media
With your short list prepared, spend some time checking out the business websites. Is it easy to find information about how long the company has been around, the amount of experience the team brings to the table, and what’s included in the duct cleaning? If so, that’s a good start.
Don’t overlook social media as a resource for information about these companies. You might find that they operate business pages or accounts designed to inform clients and maybe entertain them with something funny now and then. You might also learn about upcoming special deals or discounts that the service is offering now or in the next week or so.
Dig Deeper into Online Ratings and Consumer Comments
By now, you’re likely starting to lean in the direction of three or so candidates. Go back to those online ratings and comments. Your goal now is to look into the specifics behind the ratings by looking closely at the comments.
Ignore the comments that are nothing more than quick “good job!” or similar entries. You want to read the ones that tell why the customer rated the service so high. Look for comments that tell you things about punctuality, expertise, and professionalism. That’s the type of information that will move you closer to the right choice.
Place a Call to the Top 3 Contenders
Now you have your list of possibilities narrowed to the top 3. It’s time to make a call and see what sort of first impression each company makes. What you’re looking for is someone who greets you professionally, listens to what you have in mind, and then connects you with the right person.
Your goal is to get a taste of how each company handles customer service and support. If the initial call leaves you with a positive impression, there’s a good chance that the same will apply to further contacts. Should that first phone call leave you feeling more like a bother than a valued customer, take that as a sign to move on to the next company on your list.
Arrange for Inspections and Quotes
Your last task is to arrange for contractors to visit the home, check out the duct system, and provide a quote for the task. During this visit, you have the chance to learn more about what’s done during the cleaning, the precautions taken to protect floors and furnishings, and how the cleanup afterward is handled. You also get a chance to find out who offers the best pricing for the work.
By the time you finish with these tips, it will be easy to pick a duct system cleaning service to take care of your home. Schedule the cleaning date and make sure everything is ready for the contractor to take care of the job. Assuming you’re happy with the results, there will never be the need to search for another duct cleaning contractor again.