Separating the pros from the “pros”

It’s easy to take for granted a garage door as long as it’s working well. But when things go haywire, and you can’t pull out of your garage, suddenly your whole day gets thrown off kilter, and it’s time to start searching for the right repairman for the job. Not just any repairman will do - you want someone reliable, punctual, and experienced. Here’s how to find a qualified professional who will get the job done right.

Consult Online Reviews

For many of us, this is the first step, and perhaps the last. You Google “garage door repair” for your area, and peruse the top few results. A company with a 4-5 star rating may offer excellent service, but a more reliable indicator of quality is the number of ratings a company may have. A provider with hundreds, or even thousands or reviews has a clear record of performance versus a competitor with only a handful. A negative review can be a red flag, but don’t let it be a deterrent. Try to understand what the problem was that’s being described, and look for the company’s response to the review. Very often, companies that respond to negative reviews care about their customer service, and that’s a good sign.

Ask Your Neighbors

If you’re new to a neighborhood and still trying to find anything from a reliable carpenter, a reasonably-priced plumber, a skilled electrician, or a garage door repairman, odds are your neighbors have already done the same. Even better, if your neighbor is handy and knowledgeable, there’s a good chance they had an eye for quality work, and can provide insightful feedback on the competence of the help they’ve hired. While online reviews can be faked for whatever reason, your neighbor is likely to give you an honest answer - provided you haven’t built a fence on his side of the yard, of course.

Be Aware of Warning Signs

Does the company have a fixed physical address? Does it operate under many names or just one? Is it an established company or a brand new one? Does it have a website? When you contact the company, do you receive a professional response? Building a reputation for quality takes time and effort, but building a bad reputation can happen quickly. Many companies with bad reputations might try to shake their history by changing names or uprooting and moving elsewhere. Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of service companies that will take the money and run before finishing the job. Be sure to vet the company before giving them your business.

Get Quotes

Once you have narrowed the list to a sampling of quality repair companies, it’s time to make some calls and get some quotes. This is a little more complicated than just asking “how much will it cost to fix my garage door?” Companies can differentiate their pricing in many ways. Some will provide a free estimate, while others will charge for the trip out to your house. Others still will waive visitation fees if you go with their business. Critically, quality companies stand behind the quality of their work, and they will offer warranties that independent handymen may not. Lastly, if someone is offering dirt cheap prices, it may be too good to be true. Be ready to ask questions, such as why their quote is considerably cheaper than the competition.

Leave a Review

For all the folks that helped you select the right company, you can pay the favor forward by leaving a review of the service you received. This also helps the garage door repair company by steering customers toward their quality work.

Overhead Door Company of Knoxville

Speaking of quality work, Overhead Door Company of Knoxville is widely recognized for its repair and installation services, and its fast, 24/7 responsiveness. If you’re looking for a garage door repair company that you can trust, look no further than the Overhead Door Company.

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