Is Trust All That Important?
You’re probably already aware that trust is important in every area of life. However, when you’re in a crisis situation and you need a service company to fix it right now, you may feel rushed enough that you can mistakenly think “Does trust really matter that much? I just need someone to take care of this now!”
Yes, despite the stress of the moment, trust is still absolutely essential. Most service companies you might need for a home disaster — including water damage restoration, pest control, HVAC, and more — will need to come into your house to fix the issue. You have to allow a stranger you’ve never met before onto your property!
So, how do you choose a service company you can trust? You choose a service company you can trust by investigating 3 key factors: their years of experience, their history of trustworthiness, and the satisfaction of their customer base. There are several methods needed to properly investigate each of these 3 things. Read on to learn what to do.
Need the Fastest Answer Possible? Follow the Flowchart Below.
We’re going to unpack in detail below all the essentials of picking a service company you can truly trust. But if you really need a quick answer, our infographic flowchart below is a great place to start. It doesn’t go into all the crucial details you really need in order to be careful about choosing a trustworthy service company, but it’s a great place to start.
Trust Factor 1: Look at How Much Experience They Have
Experience is one of the most important facets of determining how to choose a service company you can trust. Here’s why: if a company is dishonest, has terrible customer service, and is generally an awful company to deal with, they won’t stay in business very long. This is because no one who has dealt with them will return to them, and past customers will probably even warn their friends away from them!
Now, there are plenty of great small businesses that are just starting out, that don’t have years of experience yet, but are still great companies! In order to not rule out those young companies unfairly, their experience must combined with other factors as well. One great indication that a young company can be trusted is if they have great reviews.
Trust Factor 2: Do They Have A History of Happy Customers?
Often, a company can stay in business for years — even if they’re not the best — if they provide an “ok” experience. This is evident in the company having a lot of 3 or 4-star reviews, where people said that overall they were decent, but there were some things wrong. You deserve better than that! So what you’re looking for is service companies with the most years of experience, AND a history of great reviews.
When you find a company that’s been in business for years, and also has a history of happy customers, you’ve found a company seriously worth considering! For example, Cleaner Guys consistently sits in the number 1 spot on Google for our area, because we have 20+ years of experience in the field (compared to our competitors’ 10 or so years), and have almost entirely glowing 5-star reviews. A company like that proves that not only do they have the most experience, but also that they are great at making their customers very happy.
Younger companies can also be tested with this method. If they haven’t been in business for many years, but they have a Google rating of above 4.5 stars, they’re proving themselves to be a company people love, despite their young age!
Trust Factor 3: Seek Recommendations From Your Network
Before even doing research, you can make a huge leap ahead by simply asking people you know and trust about the service companies they’ve used and liked! Ask them if they’ve ever had damage like yours, who they turned to, and whether they would recommend them. This is an incredibly powerful and easy way to both learn of great companies to consider, and know which ones not to go to.
Trust Factor 4: Get Multiple Consultations!
Once you’ve done the work to ask people you trust for recommendations, and once you’ve done your online research and found a handful of good-looking service companies, there’s another crucial step. Ask more than one company for a consultation and a price estimate!
Two companies might both have lots of experience and good reviews, but if you don’t talk to both of them, you’ll never know if one of them charges higher prices. For example, Cleaner Guys has a couple of competitors that have great reviews and lots of experience, just like us. However, they charge far more for their services, and the Cleaner Guys team is dedicated to driving for the lowest cost possible for our customers. That’s a difference no one would know if they didn’t ask for quotes from us AND from other companies!
Important Notes
It’s important to consider that sometimes, there are anomalies that defy one of the above factors. That’s why it’s important to take all factors into consideration when figuring out how to choose which service company to trust.
For example, sometimes there are startup companies that are just breaking into the service companies industry. If they’re a good, honest company, they may not have decades of experience yet, but they work hard to have a very happy customer base! If you find a company that is fairly young, but all their customers have been happy so far, give them a try! They may be an awesome team. Don’t dox a company solely because they don’t have the most experience. Consider all the trust factors equally.
Furthermore, don’t make the mistake of hiring someone solely through the internet, without meeting them first. Humans usually have a very good instinct about who to trust and who not to. Let that instinct have its chance as well; ask for an in-person consultation before hiring. If you don’t like or trust them in the initial meeting, there’s a good chance you won’t feel comfortable giving them access to your property.
We hope you’ve found this guide on “how to choose a service company you can trust” to be useful and empowering! If you live in Washington State and are in need of water damage restoration, fire damage restoration, mold inspection, or mold removal, consider looking into Cleaner Guys as a viable option for taking care of you. We’re the only company in the area that boasts award-winning customer service, as well as the best prices.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. No part of this article is medical or legal advice, and may not be used as such. For all serious medical matters, consult your doctor. For all serious legal matters, consult your legal advisor. This article contains Cleaner Guys’ experience and opinions only.
