Choosing A Quality Contractor

If you see beads of sweat collecting on your contractor's forehead when you ask him some of the following questions, it's time to see Climatemakers for a competitive estimate. Never forget, the contractor you choose to install or service your system will determine the degree of comfort and satisfaction you enjoy.

Q.  Are they licensed and insured?
A.  We are state licensed and insured.

Q.  How long have they been in business?
A.  We have been in business since 1953 (over 50 years).

Q.  Do they provide workman's compensation for their employees?
A.  Climatemakers does.

Q.  Do they have liability insurance?
A.  Climatemakers has.  Certificates of Insurance can be provided upon request..

Q.  Will they sign a lien waiver when the job is finished?
A.  Climatemakers will.

Q.  Do they offer you references?
A.  We are pleased to provide a reference list upon request.

Q.  Do they offer testimonials?
A.  We cheerfully provide dozens of unsolicited letters upon request or click here to "Oh, what People Say."

Q.  Do they have access to all the latest equipment?
A. Climatemakers is a Lennox D-5 Dealer (highest rating) and a recipient of the Lennox  Centurion award which is reserved for the top 7% of the 5000 + Lennox dealers in North America. The award recognizes "outstanding accomplishments in the area of business management, company growth and a commitment to make their organizations the best".

Q. Do they use sub-contractors?
A.  We do not use contract labor.

Q.  Are all of their warranties and guarantees in writing?
A.  All of our job specs, warranties, and guarantees are written and honored with promptness, courtesy and enthusiasm.

Q. Do they answer all your questions?
A. No question is too trivial for an honest answer nor is any
question a "dumb" question if you do not know the answer.

Q. Are they a one-man operation?
A. We have a fleet of 15 vehicles, fully stocked for the jobs for which they are designated.

Q.  Do they have an office where you can reach them or do they work out of their house?
A.  Climatemakers has been in business for over 50 years; has owned its own building at 2805 Crusader Circle, Virginia Beach for over twenty-five years (25 years).

Q. Do their service vehicles have 2 way radio and are they computer dispatched?
A. Climatemakers Service Vans are not only equipped with two-way radio, but are computer dispatched, assuring you of the quickest, most efficient service possible.

Q. Do they offer financing?
A. Many of our customers have felt that while highly desirable, "making the weather behave inside their homes," was an unaffordable dream.  Climatemakers offers many flexible financing plans.  Tailored to suit specific needs, we have made the "unaffordable dream" a reality for hundreds of happy families.

Climatemakers also participates in the rebate programs offered by the utility companies and by Lennox Industries. We help our customers to file their rebates and provide all the necessary information on their equipment.

Q. Can they accept credit cards?
A. We accept Visa and Master Card.

Q.  Do they have a Service Department staffed by real people or is there just an answering machine?
A.  Climatemakers office (staffed by real people) hours are 8am - 6pm Monday - Friday and 8am - 12pm on Saturday.  To further improve our service, our phones are answered by a reliable answering service after regular office hours.

Q. Do they have technicians? Are they factory trained?
A. Our technicians are not only factory trained but a weekly service meeting, with mandatory attendance to discuss "on going" problems and the latest techniques to solve them, is required.

Q.  Are their Service Technicians in uniforms? Do they have their company names on their trucks?
A.  All of our technicians are in uniform.  Climatemakers name, phone number, and website address are prominently displayed on all our vehicles.  Companies that do not take advantage of the free advertising on a service vehicle may not have the long range planning necessary or the financial stability to be in business very long.

Q. Do they offer Preventative Maintenance services and Service agreements?
A. We have many different service plans to assure uninterrupted comfort, extend life of equipment and provide highest operating efficiency.

Q. Are they offering a brand of equipment you never heard of?
A. We only offer national brand equipment.

Q. Do they offer you a choice of efficiencies?
A. A good company will supply you with a written proposal, clearly outlining the equipment to be used, the work to be performed, and the agreed upon price. They will also usually offer you a choice of equipment with "good", "better" and "best" computer generated operating performances. An up-to-date contractor won't ever try to talk you out of high efficiency equipment.

Q.  Is the best thing they have to offer is a "cheap price"?
A. Don't be misled to believe that "low price=best value". When buying any component of a HVAC system, the lowest first cost is virtually never the best value. Common sense dictates that in business "you may not get ALL that you pay for but you never get MORE than you pay for.

Q. Do they specialize in "service after the sale"?
A. Our 2nd and 3rd generation customers plus our thousands of customers with service agreements all attest to the validity of our slogan that "365 days of the year, we make the weather behave (inside)".

Q. Can they provide a complete, computerized history of your service at the touch of a button?
A. ALL of our installations are completely computerized providing a complete record of every detail including the make and model of equipment, date of installation, warranty registration and the nature of every call made on your equipment since the date of installation. All available at the touch of a button. 

P.S.   Do your friends and family a favor. E-Mail them the link below so they too can get these Buying Secrets and other answers to their HVAC questions....They will thank you for it!

Got a question? Need more information? Have a constructive comment? Click here.