Tips For Selecting a Plumbing Company
Tuesday, March 4th, 2014
Choosing the right plumbing company can be a daunting task if you are not well versed in the ins and outs of the maintenance business. The cheapest plumber you find may not be the best one. However, that is not to say that an expensive plumber is automatically better than a more modestly priced one. Cowboys come in all shapes and sizes, so you need to be sure that you are dealing with a legitimate contractor before allowing a plumber to have access to your property.
Selecting a Plumbing Company
Taking heed of the following advice will allow you to make an informed decision and select a plumbing company with confidence:
Always Ask For A Quotation In Writing
When arranging any form of plumbing service with a plumbing company, it is always a good idea to make sure that you agree on a fixed price beforehand. In practice, this means that you can budget for your plumbing works accordingly. It also gives you a ‘checklist’ that you can look over when your plumber is finished, allowing you to ensure that all of the plumbing services you are paying for have been completed properly.
Make Sure There Is An Insurance Schedule
Sometimes called a “policy schedule”, your insurance schedule is a very important document which outlines precisely what forms of insurance your chosen plumbing company has. In practice, the insurance schedule details exactly the type of redress you would be entitled to in the unfortunate event that something, where to go wrong during the course of your plumbing, works being carried out.
Full public liability insurance comes as standard with all services provided by DeWAR Plumbers. In addition, all DeWAR Plumbers’ services come with a full warranty (please note that warranty length and conditions may vary depending on what the service entails).
Accumulate References
Any professional plumbing company that has been running for any length of time should be able to provide at least five quality references without any hassle. This is the absolute minimum number you should expect to receive when looking for references. It is also worth your while to verify at least two or three of said references in order to ensure that they are legitimate (ie: not made up or exaggerated).
DeWAR Plumbers have a multitude of high profile business references as well as domestic ones. We are more than happy to present them when asked.
Ask About Plumbing Jobs That Are Currently In Progress
A good plumbing company always in demand and, as such, will almost always be working on a job somewhere at any given time. Enquiring about an ongoing plumbing job is a bit like getting a reference in ‘in real time’, allowing you to see how your plumbing company operates. Their current client is also likely to be contactable, which means you can get a customer satisfaction critique straight away.
Gather Images of In Progress & Finished Jobs
A description is one thing, but images offer you an even better perspective of how well your chosen plumbing company operates. Before, after and in progress photos will give you a good visual indicator of what you should reasonably expect from your plumbing company’s services. Most plumbers take before and after photographs (for insurance purposes) these days and will be happy enough to provide you with copies of them.
Get A Conformance Certificate
Often referred to as a “Completion Certificate”, your conformance certificate is a very valuable document. Your plumbing company is legally obliged to issue such a certificate within five days of completing any plumbing works. A conformance certificate explains, in meticulous detail, all of the works your plumber has carried out in your property from start to finish.
Get a Receipt
It is best practice to make sure that you get a full receipt when having any plumbing services undertaken on your property. A receipt will act not only as proof of purchase but also as a way of ensuring simplicity of redress in the event that something goes wrong.
If your business is having plumbing works done then you should make sure that you ask for a VAT receipt. This will allow your business to reclaim the value of your plumbing services’ VAT at the end of the financial year.
All DeWAR Plumbers’ services come with a receipt as standard. VAT receipts must be specifically requested.
Get a Final Guarantee
A final guarantee acts as an additional piece of security on your plumbing services. Like a contract between the plumbing company and the customer, a final guarantee declares that all of the plumbing services undertaken have been completed to the highest standard of quality possible and, as such, any problems that may arise are guaranteed to be rectified by the plumbing company promptly. For the sake of verification, your final guarantee should be signed by the plumber who carried out the plumbing works.
All DeWAR Plumbers’ services come with a complete 12-month guarantee. This comes in addition to your warranty and your statutory rights. Contact us by email or on 01 514 3300
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