For most of us, the first step when searching for a new service provider is to ask our friends, neighbors or family. Your sister Amanda just got a great haircut – ask her for a stylist recommendation. Your neighbor’s kid just got braces – maybe he knows a good orthodontist?

While getting recommendations from people you know and trust is a good place to start, choosing an HVAC contractor is a bit more complicated. Here are four reasons why you may need more than a friend’s advice:

  1. They don’t know what they don’t know. Your neighbor may feel like they received good service or a great price, but errors in HVAC services may not present themselves immediately. Ask Tom when he had his service done and make sure enough time has passed to ensure the service was done right.
  2. Your service needs are vastly different. When getting advice from your inner circle, be sure that your service needs align with those being recommended. For example, if your neighbor only received a quick AC tune-up and you are seeking installation of a brand-new system, ensure that the recommended vendor is qualified, skilled and licensed to perform the services that you need.
  3. Your selection criteria differ. Similar to service needs, your selection criteria may differ slightly or dramatically from your best friend. Perhaps she chose a vendor based on price alone whereas you are factoring in quality, certifications and awards. Perhaps she selected a vendor based on one specific area, whereas you are looking for someone with broad-based experience. Ask Sarah to outline her selection criteria, and make sure it aligns with yours.
  4. They didn’t do their research. People love to recommend their service providers to others, even if they didn’t do a lot of research of their own. Unfortunately, there are many cases where service providers are not properly licensed or insured. They may have performed well for your colleague’s project, but the lack of proper certifications, licenses, and insurance can put you at risk. Ask Rick what type of research he did when choosing the vendor he’s recommending.

At Front Range HVAC, let us be the first to say that we love when our customers recommend us to friends and family. It drives a lot of our business, and we appreciate our valued clients helping to spread the word. However, we also objectively understand and recommend that potential clients are thorough in their search for a HVAC vendor. That’s where third-party validation comes in handy. In the coming blogs, we’ll take a deeper look at unbiased check-lists and certifications. With these resources and great service experience in hand, you can recommend Front Range HVAC with confidence.