Entrusting the comfort of your commercial building’s tenants to a new HVAC company is a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. When you consider the value of the equipment they’ll be maintaining or repairing, it becomes even more important that you choose wisely. This isn’t the time to settle for the lowest bidder.
Instead, when you’re evaluating new commercial HVAC partners, there are some specific qualities and experience you’ll want to look for to ensure you’re choosing the best company for the job: a long-term partner that has the knowledge, experience, and resources necessary to provide the very best service for your building’s unique needs.
What is their area of expertise?
Does the service provider you’re considering handle both commercial and residential work? And if so, do they focus most of their time and effort on one over the other?
It’s certainly possible for one company to handle both residential and commercial HVAC work, but the necessary skill sets are different. A company that does both well is likely to have teams of technicians dedicated to each discipline rather than just one or two “jacks-of-all-trades.” Even that doesn’t automatically guarantee that those techs have adequate support, however. Especially in areas like continuing education and keeping uptodate with changing industrial and environmental regulations, which are more likely to impact commercial buildings than residential.
Without a dedicated commercial specialty, it’s likely the provider won’t be able to offer the same level of knowledge, experience, and quality that a commercially-focused HVAC service provider can.
What kind of reputation do they have?
Consider the level of experience and established track record of any company you’re reviewing. This should include looking at online reviews and customer feedback, talking to current and previous customers, and confirming any claims the company makes regarding their qualifications, training, certifications, and other third-party endorsements.
Are they offering personalized recommendations?
If you’ve gotten to the point of requesting quotes, you’ll no doubt see similarities and differences in the recommendations you receive from potential HVAC partners.
It may be tempting to favor the cheapest estimate automatically, but beyond price, you’ll need to determine who’s offering the best combination of products and services to meet the unique needs of your building. No matter how many times a company claims to have “seen this before,” they should be approaching the quote with fresh eyes if they haven’t worked previously on your building’s HVAC system.
Often, the best way to decide which provider has your best interests at heart is to ask for a forecast of the ROI you can expect by following their recommendations. Chances are very good that the best partnership for you, as a building owner or facility manager, is with the provider who expects the best return on the investment they’re recommending.
Do you like each other?
It may seem like potential personality conflicts shouldn’t have a bearing on what partner you choose, but how you and your team get along with the HVAC company’s representatives and technicians will determine how productive the relationship will be going forward, and how much stress is likely to come along with it. You should be looking for a HVAC service provider you can trust to form a long-term partnership.
If you’re currently seeking a Chicago commercial HVAC company, we encourage you to learn more about us at Midwest Mechanical. We can proudly confirm our experienced team of HVAC technicians and energy engineers meet all of these important requirements and more. Find out how we can help you with your building’s unique HVAC needs by contacting us today.
