No matter if you own a home, commercial facility or any other building, they will all have some sort of plumbing involved. Water heaters, sewer lines, faucets, toilets, gas lines, garbage disposals, the list goes on! And while it would be nice if everything worked perfectly normal all the time, that isn’t always the case. Water heaters are only built to last for so long. Depending on what material your sewer line is made out of, it will likely eventually show signs of deterioration. Garbage disposals can get jammed up. Even with regular maintenance in-place, you may still find yourself coming across these issues.
Unless you have a background in the plumbing industry, it is at times like this where you’ll be forced to call in your local plumber. While our Kansas City readers are always welcome to call our team at Stine-Nichols Plumbing, we didn’t want to ignore those that may not live here in KC. As such, this week’s blog is going to be fairly straightforward and will answer the question, “What should you look for in a plumber?” Having said that, let’s hop right in and start analyzing what attributes make up a professional plumber!
How will you be billed?
At the end of the day, homeowners want their problem fixed in a professional manner and at a competitive price, right? With that in mind, the first question you’ll want to ask is in regards to the fee structure. Is it at a fixed rate or an hourly rate? Keep in mind that both are extremely common in the industry and some of this may depend on the project itself. If your project is bid on an hourly rate, it doesn’t hurt to ask for an estimated time for the particular project. Yes, there are always going to be some variables that the plumber can’t control beforehand, but it’s a good starting point for the homeowner. Likewise, more experienced plumbing professionals will possess the ability to give a more accurate estimate this way. They’ll have done these types of jobs on countless occasions and know exactly what to expect.
What is their digital image?
While word-of-mouth is still essential for all small businesses, it’s safe to say that one’s digital presence has become increasingly more important! If someone needs a plumber and either hasn’t used one before or had an unpleasant experience with a prior company, they’re probably going to do some due diligence before hiring another company. And that’s exactly what you should be doing!
Make sure to do your own research and see what they look like online. Do they have social media pages set up, such as Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram? If so, how active are they there? Is it enough of a presence to prove they’re a legitimate business? Another great avenue to look at is their Google Reviews. However, don’t let yourself get persuaded by just a large number of reviews. Read through some of them and that’ll help you determine whether or not they’re real! All in all, in 2021, how a brand looks online can say a lot about the quality of their work.
How long have they been in business?
Our next question is one that could certainly be applied to just about any industry there is. While ‘years in business’ doesn’t always signal that they’re the right one for your job, it is something worth asking. Furthermore, for the plumbing industry itself, you’ll want to ask about the technician doing your project as well. This will help ensure they have the appropriate training and experience necessary to guarantee a flawless experience.
Are they licensed, bonded and insured?
With any type of construction or home improvement/repair project, this is a no-brainer! Even though the majority of plumbing companies should easily be able to answer “yes” to this question, it never hurts to be safe rather than sorry! By clarifying this in the early stages, it’ll help ensure you’re covered in case anything were to go awry.
What are their customer service skills like?
Even though some of the other points on this blog are more reflective of one’s actual plumbing skills, customer service is still an important attribute. When you call into their office with your initial inquiry, how friendly are they? Do they take the time to listen to the problems you’re experiencing and provide detail on how your technician can fix the issue? Do they seem to have a thorough understanding of the problems you’re seeing? In the end, what this will tell a customer is whether or not they should feel comfortable trusting this company with their plumbing problems. After all, assuming it’s an indoor plumbing problem, their technicians will be inside your home to make the repairs, so you want someone you can trust!
Do they offer emergency services?
While some plumbing problems aren’t absolute emergencies, that isn’t necessarily the case with all of them. For instance, you can probably afford to wait a few hours or even a couple days to have a faucet replaced or to clear a garbage disposal. However, a pipe burst that’s shooting water everywhere or a basement flood? Safe to say those situations may fall under the category of emergency plumbing! Having said that, when you’re on the hunt for your “go-to” plumber, make sure they offer emergency plumbing services. If something happens outside of the normal working hours and is a true emergency, you need reassurance that your project will be taken care of.
Have you asked for referrals from friends or family members?
You can learn a lot about a company from what you read online. That’s a big reason why we added the section about researching one’s digital image before committing to them for your project. This is particularly true in the 21st century. Nonetheless, you can never underestimate the value of experiences your friends or family members have had with small businesses. Remember, this has been one of the most effective marketing tactics for years, much longer than the time Facebook or Google has been around! Just based on personal experience, our team at Stine-Nichols receives plenty of customers each year that’ve heard about us from someone they knew. Always awesome calls to receive!
With that being said, in addition to all of the points mentioned throughout this blog, take some time to reach out to a few of your friends or family members to see what local plumbing companies they’ve used in the past. We’re sure they’ll be just as likely to tell you about a plumber that didn’t meet their expectations, as one that exceeded them!
Need a Reliable Plumber in Kansas City?
If you live in the Kansas City area and don’t already have a plumbing company that checks all of these boxes, we would love to have the opportunity to earn your trust! Started by two life-long plumbers, Stine-Nichols Plumbing is dedicated to providing reliable and timely plumbing services without breaking the bank. We understand plumbing problems can be extremely frustrating for homeowners and strive to be a one-stop shop for all of your plumbing needs.
To learn more about our available plumbing services and request a free quote, give us a call at (816) 348-3481. We currently offer a full selection of residential, commercial and new construction plumbing services. Likewise, we serve the entire Kansas City area, as well as all of the surrounding cities.