A guide to appliance repair in Pittsburgh
With roots that reach way into early American history and a fun culture all its own, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is an interesting place to visit and a great place to live. If you live in the Pittsburgh area, you know how important appliances are for your daily life. You want to make sure that you have trusted repairmen to call if something ever starts to go wrong with one of your major appliances, such as your cooktop or washer. Having a few key numbers in your contact list can save you a lot of stress when you need a quality repair professional.
However, sorting through all the repair professionals listed in your local area can seem overwhelming. The best way to tackle this task is to know what important areas you want to research to find a professional to help you with your problem.
We will explore what areas to research about the companies you see in your area and what questions you should ask your top candidates to pick your favorites.
What to look for when choosing an appliance repair company in Pittsburgh
To begin your search for the best appliance repair company in Pittsburgh, start by researching key information about each business. There are a few criteria in particular that you want to keep in mind. Researching each of these areas will help you better sort out the top companies in the region to shorten your list.
Online business reviews and ratings
The first place to look for more information is on popular review sites like Yelp. These sites offer customers the chance to leave reviews of the companies they have done business with in the past.
When businesses create their websites and write about their services and expertise, they emphasize the positive. However, to get a more accurate picture, you want to speak with other customers who have done business with them. Reading these reviews can help you better understand the quality of the work performed by the technicians, their level of professionalism, how reliable other customers found them, and how quickly they were able to fix the problem.
It can help to look at several different review sites and collect ratings from all of them, as this will help you get a more complete picture than only relying on Google or Angi, for example.
How long they’ve been in business
You likely also want to work with professionals with the years of experience needed to understand your appliance problem, diagnose it, and repair it as quickly as possible. A business that has been around for a while has likely seen a wide range of potential problems with your type of appliance and can thus be relied on to fix the problem more efficiently.
Looking at how long a business has been around can also give you insight into the company’s reputation. An established business has already performed many repairs. It must also have done a quality job because it continues to receive calls and jobs.
As you consider this point, remember to also look at the experience of the people involved. If someone who has worked in the industry for a long time starts a new business, they will bring experience with them, even if the company itself is new.
Repair business qualifications
Repair business qualifications should also be carefully included in your evalwwwion. You want to consider industry certifications as well as brand certifications. Mechanics who take classes in different skills will be able to provide background on the type of education they have in the industry and any certifications they have for particular types of appliances.
Some manufacturers also provide training for repairing their specific appliances. Suppose the manufacturer of your appliance offers training courses for mechanics. In that case, it can be worth looking for businesses that offer this certification to help you find someone whose skills you can feel confident in.
Areas of Pittsburgh the repair company serves
Keep in mind that Pittsburgh is a very big city, and the area increases substantially when you also consider all the surrounding areas such as Bethel Park, Penn Hills, or out to the rest of Allegheny County. Therefore, when businesses say they serve Pittsburgh, you want to make sure you know exactly what areas they mean.
A great way to cross some businesses off your list is to go through and find any that would not come to your home. Most businesses will have specific geographic areas that they will go to, and you only want to worry about dealing with those who serve your area.
Look on the businesses’ websites, as most will post the name of the towns or ZIP codes they serve. If you are unsure whether or not a business comes to your neighborhood, ask the business directly.
Questions to ask your Pittsburgh appliance repair company
After you go through the research process outlined above, you have likely narrowed down your list of appliance repair technicians to your top contenders. Now you should reach out to each of them to ask a few questions and learn more about their business directly. This can help you make the final decisions about whom to hire.
Ask about their service warranty
Start by asking the company about any service warranties it offers. A service warranty gives you a promise regarding the quality of the work. The business promises that the part it fixed will not break again for a certain time. This protects you from having to pay for the same job twice because of a technician’s mistake or incompetence.
When the company offers you a service warranty, it can bring you peace of mind because you know that you have this protection. It also counts as a point in the company’s favor because it demonstrates the confidence it has in its work.
As you learn about the service warranties, ask what the policy covers, how long it lasts, what would void it, and what you should do if a covered part breaks. You can then take this information about the warranty and compare it to similar warranties offered by the other businesses on your list.
Ask about their experience with your brand of appliances
You also want to ask the business about its experience with your type of appliance and your product brand specifically. Every appliance is built differently, and even models and appliance brands will have differences between them. If you need a refrigerator repair or dryer repair, you can trust that a Samsung machine is not built the same as one from Maytag, Whirlpool, Frigidaire or KitchenAid. The more experience the professional has with your unique type of appliance, the easier it will be for them to provide you with an accurate diagnosis and repair.
Ask the professionals how often they work on your type of appliance and what type of models they typically see. This will help you better understand the level of experience they have with your product.
Ask about pricing, fees, estimates, forms of payment and more
Businesses often structure their bills slightly differently. Some businesses bill by the hour, while others charge a flat rate for the job. You will also encounter differences in whether the company accepts payment plans for financing certain projects. Even the forms of accepted payment may differ from business to business.
Before you move forward with a particular company, make sure you understand all the important factors related to billing. Ask about:
- Any fees that apply to your project
- How the bill is constructed
- How does the business do estimates — are they free, or do you have to pay?
- How long the estimate is valid for
- The types of payment methods accepted
- What payment structures are accepted
The more information you have about the billing system, the easier it will be to avoid any unfortunate surprises. You will also find it easier to compare prices between businesses.
Ask about the repair company’s insurance
You want to work with companies that carry insurance. These insurance plans protect both you and the business, especially if something goes wrong on the job. Sometimes accidents happen, such as something breaking or someone getting hurt during the project.
Therefore, make sure that your potential companies carry insurance, and that you know what instances it covers and what it does not. It also helps to know what you should do if something goes wrong so that you do not have to scramble if there is a problem during your home appliance repair. Also, take a moment to inquire about your own liability. Knowing what you are responsible for while the workers are at your home can help you better protect yourself.
Check the repair company’s appointment availability
As you go through the trouble of evalwwwing these different appliance repair companies, make sure you do not forget the important detail of availability. If your dishwasher or washer won’t run, you don’t want to spend weeks having to wash everything by hand. You want someone out as quickly as possible to fix the problem.
Therefore, speak with the companies directly about their availability to fix your problem. Find out the expected time frame for the fix, including how long it will take to order any necessary parts and how quickly you can get an appointment for the diagnosis and fix. Balance the time frames of your top company selections with the other criteria described above to help you find a professional company that can get you good service quickly.
What to do when you have an appliance emergency in Pittsburgh
No one wants an appliance emergency, but unfortunately, they happen to people every day. The dishwasher stops working with a load of dishes inside, or the garbage disposal stops and won’t drain the sink. When you have a sitwwwion that leads you to count how long it might take to get someone out to your home in hours instead of days, you need a company you can count on.
Often these emergencies do not occur conveniently during normal business hours. That means you need a company with an emergency line you can contact 24/7, including weekends. When you make this service call, you want to find professionals who can provide you with same-day or next day service. Keep in mind that you will generally pay more for emergency service, but securing that help and getting your appliance back in working order will feel like a tremendous relief.
What’s the best appliance repair service in Pittsburgh?
The best appliance repair business in Pittsburgh will vary depending upon a few factors that matter to you. Specifically, you want to consider the criteria we discussed above. Your best company will be the one that:
- Offers outstanding customer service and has a great reputation for its work
- Serves your specific area and has an appointment available within your needed time frame
- Has prices that fall within your budget
- Has experience with your type and brand of appliance
- Has good reviews from past customers, letting you know it is worth the call
When you find businesses that fit these criteria, you want to save this contact information and build your list of preferred appliance repair personnel.
Let Cinch handle the process of finding a professional repair person for you
Finding the right repairman to help you with your appliance problems can be a challenge. Fortunately, there is a solution that does not require you to spend hours filtering through all the companies in your area. The Cinch Home Services Appliances plan is an excellent solution.
With the Cinch appliances home warranty, you can access excellent protection for appliances throughout your home, from the ice maker to the washing machine. If something goes wrong with one of these appliances, we will help you find the best possible technician and professional service. We take care of all the vetting, including verifying that they have the proper insurance and experience so that you do not have to. We can even help you schedule an appointment so they can come to your home as soon as possible.
Start protecting your home with Cinch right away. Get an instant quote today!