Help! You Need Somebody - But How Can You Know You Can Trust A Company You Hire?

Image via Pathfinder at PixaBay

There comes the point where we have to acknowledge that we need outside help. It can be in the middle of a DIY renovation or because there has been some mishap, but the result is the same. You have got a problem, and it's outside of your ability to fix it.

You can:

a) Try and fix the problem yourself. Nine times out of ten, this is just going to mean that you're making the problem worse. On the rare occasions that you do bundle a fix that holds, thank the gods of DIY for their forgiveness - and chalk it up as a miracle.

b) Hire someone in who actually knows what they are doing.

I'm going to go ahead and assume that you're a sensible person, so you know that option B should also be known as "the correct option".

For some of us, this means calling a handyman we have known for years and settling down in the trust of vast experience. This, however, is a rarity. There are some things you will need to bring in someone new to help with, so how on earth do you know who to trust? The stories of customers being scammed or lied to and work that is if not bad then outright dangerous are everywhere. Surely this isn't a time for "pick at random and hope"?

1. Use The Resources Available To You

In years gone past, this may have meant canvassing friends and see if they have any experience in the relevant area. This is still a valid form of finding a recommendation, but it might not be possible for every job that you have.

So use the internet and perform thorough searches for any company you're considering hiring. Do they have a social media presence? Are there reviews online? Do they appear on forum posts talking about watching out? All of these, you need to pay attention to.

2. Check Their Longevity

The worst of companies - the ones who specialize in the dangerous side of things - don't tend to last long. Their record soon catches up with them, and they either shut down or switch their company name and branding. As a result, they don't have a lasting footprint of business you can search. Try and find firms with a long, well-reputed history; for example, Dr DRiP have been operating for 16 years now, and plenty others will have similar track records.

3. Get A Quote

This is tough in an emergency situation when your mind is just on getting the problem rectified. If you're frazzled, then you're more likely to make a mistake and not pay as much attention to warning signs as you might. However, the cost of not doing so could be substantial. Never agree on a job without a full, written quotation being provided - this is something you can refer to in the case of a disagreement. It's also a good idea to talk to the people doing the job and just trust your intuition - it should highlight them to you if something isn't right.