10 Things to Consider Before Hiring an Appliance Repair Company
Friday, August 14th, 2009This Report Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars!
1. Check the obvious first. Read your manual. Maybe it came unplugged, or tripped a safety switch or circuit breaker, or has some other simple problem that’s easily repaired. Every appliance comes with an owner’s manual, most of which have troubleshooting sections.
2. Response time. Refrigerator – not cooling the same day. All other issues – within 24 to 48 hours.
3. Is the machine still under warranty? Knowing this can help you decide whether repair or replacement makes more economic sense as you work through the questions in the next step. If the appliance is still under warranty, then the problem is covered.
4. Maybe you can repair it yourself. If you know the difference between channel lock pliers and a pipe cutter, you may tackle the job yourself – paying only for parts and donating your time and aggravation.
5. Can’t repair it yourself? It might make economic sense to get a trained appliance technician to look at it and get an estimate on repairs; if it’s less than the new, sporty model you were looking at and worked fine before this problem, have it repaired. You’ll save time and money in the long run.
6. Stability. Is the business localy owned and operated.
7. Number of trained technicians. Five (5) or more will allow the company to respond the same day or next day. This means, due to time off, the company is well staffed to respond to your appliance repair problems quickly.
8. “First Call Completes”. Large supply of instock parts is a good indication the repair company will have the correct parts in stock to repair your appliance on the first trip.
9. Is the company Factory Authorized to repair your brand? Correct answer, yes. Even if the unit is out of warranty, the Factory Authorized repair company may be able to obtain help from the manufacturer to cover a portion of the repair costs. They will also have the knowledge to quickly and efficiantly diagnose your appliance
10. Last but not least: Promptness and ability of technicians to communicate directly with their customers. No need to wait all day. The repair company’s technicians need to have the ability to contact you when he is on the way to your home so you can be ready OR contact you on your work or cell so you can meet him there saving you valuable time not waiting for technician to show up.