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How to find a good appliance repairman- The Old House Web

I'm always hunting for great articles about how to choose good and reliable repair services.... not just for myself when I need assistance, but also so I can see just what folks are hunting for when they are looking for someone like me to work FOR them! I found this article on the net and thought it was pretty darned comprehensive. Read it and take notes!

I highlighted in bold where I think it is notable.....and wrote in parenthesis where I wanted to respond, - this is copy/pasted so all typos are there's not mine.... but it is definitely worth reading!

Chowzers to all-

ArchAngel the Appliance Guy

http://www.oldhouseweb.com/how-to-advice/how-to-find-a-good-appliance-repairman.shtml

How to find a good appliance repairman

By The Old House Web

It's Saturday morning ... and Mr. Washer is feeling unwell

By Rosemary Thornton

It's Saturday morning and as you are stuffing the first load of theweek's laundry into your trusty old washing machine, you set the dial on the washer andpush in the knob. You wait for the sound of rushing water to fill the tub, but nothinghappens.

There is only a cold and unnerving silence. Mr. Washer is feeling unwell. So you grabthe yellow pages and look up "appliance repairs" only to discover dozens of ads,in all shapes and sizes.

How do you choose? How can you find a good appliance repairman who will be honest andeconomical and intelligent and capable?

A good place to start is by asking friends and neighbors. Who have they called in thepast? Were they satisfied with the repair work? Would they use him (or her) again? Why orwhy not? Were the prices reasonable? Did the service technician look and act like a professional?

While you're perusing those yellow pages, look for an appliance tech who accepts creditcards. Small business owners have to jump through a few hoops to accept payment by creditcards. The business owner's credit history (personal and business) must be satisfactory toa bank before they will approve a merchant's application for accepting major credit cards.

And credit cards offer the consumer some recourse for shoddy repair work.

If your appliance is not repaired to your satisfaction, you can contact your creditcard company and request that the cost of the repair be charged back to the merchant.You'll get a credit - the appliance repair shop will get a debit. (This takes a little paperwork and patience, but offers a degree of protection to the consumer who's worriedabout getting ripped off.)

Study the yellow page ads. A sizable display ad indicates the company has made aserious commitment and large financial investment in the future of their business. Yellow page ads are due in monthly installments for the full year the phone book is in effect,whether or not the business is successful. Our average-size display ad in our small community costs over $500 per month.  (We are in the Asheville phonebook as well as in Jan. the Hendersonville book!- ArchAngel)

Don't shop price by looking for a firm that promises "no service charge withrepair." Call a few appliance companies and ask some leading questions. Such as "How much would you charge to change the water pump in a 1996 direct-drive Whirlpoolwasher? What would be the bottom-line total bill for this repair, including any servicecharges, call out fees, trip charges, parts and labor?" (This is why we have a straight rate- $90.00 a repair... not by the hour!)

This is a very common repair and most companies should be able to rattle off a price pretty quickly. A specific repair is a good way to compare true costs and uncover anyhidden "gotcha" fees.

Don't shop price alone. You don't want the cheapest guy in town working on yourelectric or gas appliances. (Saving $23.87 on an appliance repair doesn't look like such agood value when you're dialing 911 and herding the kids out of a burning house. And then when you call back that guy who fixed your appliance so cheap, you find out he went back to his full-time job delivering pizzas.) Find someone in the middle or on the high end.

Call a major real estate firm and ask who they use for appliance repairs. Real estate firms have appliance repairmen on retainer. Walk-through inspections, conducted just prior to closing or move-in, often reveal broken dishwashers, disposals, refrigerators, etc. A good portion of our service calls come from desperate Realtors and rental property managers. ( Now see, I learned something here! I had no idea I could get setup with Realtors and so I'm going to do it! What a tip!)

When you call the appliance repair company, ask some questions, such as:

How long have you been in business? (For us, we are new, but we are honest and tell ya so up front, but we also have 10 years experience, in fact five of which were for the largest company in our area.)

Are you insured, in the event that a repair causes damage to my home? (it can happen to the best of the appliance repairmen...) (Yep, wouldn't work without it!)

Is there a written guarantee on the work performed and the installed parts? How long is the warranty?  (Yep again, please see our warranty on our Service&Rates page on our website... also we give a copy each time we do a repair)

Ask if the firm's owner does the repair work.  Finding a successful and growing businesswhere the owner still runs calls may be challenging, but you'll usually get superiorquality work. (Yes, Joe runs the calls and puts his all into it!)

Ask for a corporate reference.   We do a lot of work for repeat customers - real estate agents and rental agents, appliance rental companies, warranty companies, etc. These folks have usually been through a lot of appliance technicians and can speak with authority on what makes an appliance repairman good or bad.

Don't hesitate to ask about the training of their techs. Like many vocations, today's appliance repair work demands a high level of skill and a comprehensive understanding of a variety of mechanical, electrical and electronic systems.

A zinger for the gutsy - "have you ever been taken to small claims court by acustomer?"   We had a bailiff who gave us great references and called us to her ownhome.   (OMG- yes this is a zinger but a good idea too)

Her reason? She told us, "You're the only appliance company I've never seen in ourcourtroom."

Tidbits:

Clear the way for the tech. When repairmen have to clean a path to the appliance before the service work begins, it costs extra. He'll need "scooting" room to move the appliance around a bit. (Now this is a nice tidbit, but jeepers, we wouldn't charge you extra for this)

If your washer or dryer died full of clothes, remove the clothes and wring them out.  No sense in paying us $50 an hour to fold your laundry.  (Now again, no extra money, but yes this helps as we have seen all kinds of stuff and it is nice to not have to do so- I could tell you hilarious stories about the things I see in washers and dryers.... or dishwashers for that matter!)

Exercise preventative maintenance. Keep a thermometer in the fridge and observe the operating temperatures and then glance at it from time to time. Get your dryer cleaned every two years or so. Maintenance work (such as a dryer cleaning) is a good way to meet appliance techs and prevent lint fires.(This is the best tip ever.... yes yes yes preventative maintenance not just on our part, but yours as well is the absolute best way to keep your appliance running and make your money last)

Watch the appliance tech work and ask plenty of questions. A great one "where did you learn to do this?" or "how long have you been doing this?" ( I love this one! More folks should do it!)

Find an appliance repairman on a good day. A day when you're not stressing about your busted appliance.  (Yes, so you don't pick the first one or put up with someone you usually wouldn't.... I've heard stories of appliance guys who are rude and people are tired and just put up with it, only to rethink that later.... stand up for yourself! You shouldn't put up with crud...)

Never ever never leave an appliance running while you are asleep or away from home. The stories we could tell... (like the one about the woman who stuffed a load of laundry in her brand new washer and left town for several days. Before she was out of her driveway, the water level switch had failed and the washer began to overflow...)  (NUFF SAID)

When the repair is done, ask for the old parts and ask how and why they failed. Most appliance techs are happy to explain the what and why of their work.  ( LOVE this one too... wish more folks were interested. It's kinda like a mechanic, ask for details! Now, we recycle so we like to keep the parts but if you want them, ok, can you recycle? Thanks!!!)

Unfortunately, there is no standard of excellence [currently] for the appliance repair industry. In automotive repairs, an ASE [Automotive Service Excellence}  certification indicates the tech has attained a certain level of expertise. There have been attempts to establish certification standards for appliance techs in years past, but none are in place now. ( Now this one is the doozy!!!  So true and so not good for yall the consumer! Expecting the EPA Refridgeration Certifications.... The best way to get around this and find a good appliance guy is to ask loads of questions, listen if you're on the phone for their demeanor and if you have a good gut feeling for them, their ethics, their motivation to help you, do they wanna put you off for days? or get out there and help you, do they ask you pointed questions so they can get you going again quickly? stuff like that.... if in person, watch their body language!!! If you meet them in the grocery store or round town which is how we meet folks from time to time, watch them, do they make eye contact? Are their eyes shifty or do they look more interested in other things? Do they give you honest answers? Do they pause alot.... these are negative signs. And, ask for references and a bit about their private lives.... you are letting these folks in your home! For pete's sake, be cautious.  My wife is an ex police officer and now a certified Reserve Sheriff's Deputy for Buncombe County... she is doing any active work right now, but has been through the rigorous background check.  Be sure the people you allow in your home are given a clean bill of morals/ethics/ and safe.)

Once again, all parts in ( ) written by ArchAngel.........