Remember the Acronym: V.Q.R.
When it comes to plumbing and septic services how do you know you’ve found the best plumber for the job? We came up with three letters (acronym) to help you remember the steps you can take to ensure you’re hiring a qualified, professional, and trustworthy plumbing and septic service company. The acronym V.Q.R which stands for Verify, Qualify, and Relationship will help you complete the steps to vetting whichever company you choose to call.
Verify
There are important questions everyone should ask their plumber in order to verify that they are a qualified plumbing and/or septic service.
- You will want to ask how many years of experience the plumbing service has in the industry. This gives insight into not only how much knowledge they will have to get the job done, but it also points to their ability to run and maintain a professional business where they do things like pay their taxes on time.
- Another way to verify the company is to ask for their license & insurance information. This makes sure they can be held accountable for the quality of their work. It also ensures that they will be able to look to insurance if an accident happens. Trustworthy and professional plumbing and septic service companies will usually have their license information on their website and vehicles. The license number should be something like #824658, which is ProRooter & Septic’s license number.
Qualify
This brings us to our next letter in the acronym, qualify.
- Always check to see if the company has a website. This guarantees that the company is not a business that just popped up yesterday. They took the time to register a domain and put resources into an online presence. This means they’re invested in their business and have a lot to lose – aka they will guarantee their work gets done timely and without any hiccups. It also shows they’re going to be around for a while and won’t disappear if something goes wrong.
- The next point in the “qualify” category is to check to see if the plumbing and septic company is listed with the Better Business Bureau. Businesses that are with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) pay dues to become ‘accredited businesses’ and pledge and continue to adhere to the BBB Code of Business Practices. They also get a rating of A to F. A is the best rating a company can receive with the BBB.
- You can also ask if a business is local. When we say local, we mean the company has either a branch or a plumber stationed in your city. You don’t want someone traveling from Bakersfield to Visalia to do work at your house because they will be more difficult to track down if you need them for an additional repairs or further maintenance.
Relationship
Relationship is all about trusting your gut and going with your intuition in your initial interactions with the plumbing and septic company you choose to call.
- The next step is the rapport you have with the plumbing and/or septic service which starts with your very first conversation with the service provider. Your first experience with the plumbing service should be a positive, informative, & straight forward conversation. Just like a first date, you want to feel comfortable with the conversation and feel like it has an acceptable back and forth. Make sure the person picking up the phone is friendly and professional as well. That is a good indication that the plumbing technician who shows up will be friendly and professional too.
- The company should also be knowledgeable about your plumbing and septic needs. They should be able to easily answer any questions you have at least at a basic level. There may be situations where they need to come out to your house to take a closer look, but they should also be able to explain why it is they need to schedule an onsite estimate to better answer your questions and/or give you a fair quote.
Needing a plumbing professional can be stressful. It’s never enjoyable when your faucet is leaking or your toilet or septic tank is overflowing. If you’re feeling overwhelmed when choosing a plumber just remember these three things: Verify, Qualify, and Relationship and you’ll be on your way to booking the best professional and qualified plumber who will deliver great service to get your plumbing and septic system up and running again.
