When your furnace is on the fritz, the problem can quickly disrupt your life. However, if you already have a company in mind to get in touch with as soon as the problem happens, it’s less likely you’ll have to deal with frustrating furnace issues. There are several ways you can choose a reliable provider to fix your furnace.
Ask Your Friends
Getting insight from your friends about which furnace companies are the best in the area is usually an almost-foolproof strategy. That’s because friends want to protect your opinions of them, and know if they recommend a company that gives bad service, your friendship could quickly become strained, and you might never trust their input again.
Request Social Media Recommendations
Besides calling your friends to ask advice or speaking to them face to face, you can tap into a cool new feature offered on Facebook that allows you to get recommendations from your friends list. Facebook is primed to pick out words in status updates that suggest you’re seeking recommendations. If it seems likely you are, it turns on the feature automatically.
You could simply write a status update that says, “Anyone knows a good company that could repair my furnace on short notice?” Then, Facebook automatically assumes you’re looking for recommendations and compiles all of them into a special section on your Facebook sidebar. It can even create a map so you can see how close each recommendation is to your house.
After getting the names of companies to potentially do business with, consider checking to see if they have active and updated social media pages. Customers may have posted reviews there that’ll give you a good idea of the kind of service you could expect. Additionally, some businesses advertise special offers for new customers on their social media pages, so you might be able to get discounted service.
Browse Company Websites
By navigating to furnace company websites and spending time there, you can efficiently gain an understanding of the fundamentals that make up each company. For example, you may learn even if you get a furnace tune-up from one provider at night or during a weekend, you won’t be charged more.
Companies may also wisely use their websites to discuss what sets them apart from other providers in the area. They may highlight awards they’ve won, mention that their technicians are fully certified, or inform that heating experts can come to your home in an emergency.
As you learn these features about each company, make a list of the attributes that matter most to you. Then, if you need to weigh the pros and cons of several companies, you can look at their respective characteristics all in one place.
Have Phone Conversations With Providers
Before finalizing your pick for a company to provide furnace-related assistance, call all the businesses on your shortlist. A phone conversation can help you determine if the providers seem to genuinely want to help you, and sound committed to your satisfaction.
Choosing a furnace maintenance and repair provider isn’t always easy. However, the tips above should make the task go more smoothly.