A guide to appliance repair in Tampa
If you’re living in the Tampa Bay area, keeping your appliances in good working order is a must for everyday life. Items like your Sub-Zero refrigerator or Hotpoint washing machine are comforts that likely help bring joy and a sense of order to your home.
But what happens if they break down? Maybe your oven is on the fritz ahead of you having guests over for dinner, or maybe your air conditioner calls it quits on a humid day. If you’re unsure where to turn, that could be a real hassle. It’s important to know the best appliance repair businesses in your area before encountering any problems so you know where to turn when you need reliable fixes.
This page will walk you through what to consider when choosing the best Tampa appliance repair service, the questions you should ask repair companies and more.
What to look for when choosing an appliance repair company in Tampa
As you search for an appliance repair company in Tampa, the following sections will discuss some key issues to keep in mind.
We’ll walk you through how to decipher online reviews and ratings to determine if a company is a good fit for the work you require, as well as some other websites — such as the Better Business Bureau — that might provide insight into how an appliance repair shop operates. Also, we’ll discuss some of the qualifications to look for when hiring a repair company.
Online business reviews and ratings
One of the first things you should do when searching for a Tampa appliance repair company is read their online reviews and ratings. This will allow you to hear customer experiences (both positive and negative) directly so you can assess whether you want to work with a particular company. Is the consensus of the reviews that the company is on time? Does it return calls in a timely fashion and offer same-day service? Are customers happy with the quality of its work? Does it seem to handle all major appliances or specialize in certain areas?
Pay close attention to the dates of the reviews. If you find a bad review that’s several years old, the company may have improved its quality of service since then. Newer reviews provide better insight into the current state of the repair company and the service it offers its customers.
How the companies respond to them is just as important as the reviews themselves, especially negative ones. This could be a good indicator of their overall customer service. If a company is defensive or doesn’t appear to handle customer complaints, it might not be the right repair shop for you.
An example of a good customer service response to a negative review would be an empathetic comment that asks questions about the customer’s issues and offers solutions or to look deeper into the problem so they can take action. If the company seems rude or dismissive of a customer’s issue, that’s a sure sign to stay away.
How long they’ve been in business
When selecting an appliance repair company, check to see how long it’s been in business. This could be an indicator of its experience and how skilled it is in its field. Would you rather work with a company that’s been around for less than a year or one that’s been around for more than a decade?
Many businesses will tell you how long they’ve been open on their websites or social media pages. If they’re family-owned and have been around for decades or even generations, longevity is likely a source of pride. Some companies will even provide bios for their employees so you know how long they’ve been in the business.
But if they don’t offer that information upfront, you can do a little digging to find out. Before starting a business, repair companies often must register through their state (sometimes even in their county or city) or apply for a license. So, this information should be on record through your state government or local municipality.
Also, it’s important to realize that longtime, experienced appliance repair professionals who decided to branch off and create their own companies might own newer companies. So, your research doesn’t stop when you learn the date a state or county issued a shop license. You should also ask questions about the owner’s experience and how long they’ve worked in the field.
Repair business qualifications
There are other ways to determine the legitimacy of an appliance repair specialist. Check if a repair business is certified through sites like Angi, Yellow Pages or Yelp. These certifications also provide a level of trustworthiness and good standing for a company.
You can also see if these repair businesses have specific manufacturer qualifications to work on certain brands or types of appliances. Be sure to specifically check that they can work on the brands you own. At the very least, an appliance repair service company should be knowledgeable of major brands, like Whirlpool, General Electric, Samsung, Thermador and Kenmore.
It’s important to note that certain appliance brands come with a warranty at purchase. Frequently, people void these warranties by having a non-certified brand technician work on the appliance. Do your due diligence by ensuring the company you hire has the training and certifications to work on your particular appliance so you don’t accidentally void your warranty.
Repair company service areas in Tampa
Before hiring a company, check to ensure it serves your area, as it likely needs to travel to your home to work on your broken appliances. The Tampa Bay region is a large metropolitan area encompassing multiple counties and cities, from Wesley Chapel to Clearwater. A washing machine repair company in Land O’Lakes in Pasco County, might not be willing to make the drive to Brandon. Likewise, a repair company based in Seminole in Pinellas County, will likely want to stay closer to its office and might not be interested in making the trek into Hillsborough County for a job.
Most service companies, especially those with detailed websites and social media pages, will be upfront about their service areas. Either they’ll name specific cities and counties they serve or a mile radius. Don’t hesitate to call and ask if you can’t find this information.
Questions to ask your Tampa appliance repair company
Now that you’ve done your online research when looking for an appliance repair company, you might consider calling to collect additional information. Here are some questions you should ask a repair technician or business.
Ask about their service warranty
Before hiring a repair shop, ask if it provides a service warranty on its work. This guarantee or extended warranty usually protects the appliance’s owner and covers the cost of the repair, maintenance or replacement part for a specific period.
An appliance repair company should tell you the details of its service warranty upfront. This could vary depending on the brand, type of appliance and scope of the work.
Without a warranty, the work the business completed or the replacement part it installed isn’t covered. If the problem isn’t fixed or another issue pops up soon after making the repair, you could pay out of pocket again. A company that offers a service warranty could prevent you from paying even more money to fix an appliance.
Ask about their experience with your appliance brand
Some appliance repair businesses are experts on specific brands. If you own an Amana refrigerator and the company is certified to work with Maytag brand fridges, it might not be the best fit for the work you need. The same goes if the company specializes in washer and dryer repair, but you need dishwasher repair or service to your ice maker.
Often, companies will share brand certifications on their website to attract customers. If you don’t see that information online, call the company to ask which brands it services. This information will play a large role in whether you decide to hire it.
And if you own a newer smart appliance, you’ll want to ensure that you’re hiring a technician who is trained in this modern technology.
Ask about pricing, fees, estimates, forms of payment and more
The cost of the work you need will also influence whether you choose to go with a repair company. When questioning a repair shop, ask about pricing and fees and the forms of payment it accepts. Ask repair shops for an estimate or quote; if they refuse, they’re likely not a company you should hire.
Ask about the repair company’s insurance
When a technician comes into your home to work on your appliances, it’s important to understand the repair company’s insurance coverage and the policies it has in place should something go wrong. Whether it does further damage to your Electroluxcooktop or Jenn-Airgarbage disposal or accidentally breaks something else when on your property, you want to know that you’re covered and it will take responsibility. It also provides a homeowner peace of mind if the repair technician is injured while working on their property.
Check the repair company’s appointment availability
Be sure to check with the repair company about its appointment availability. Some companies might be able to fit you into their schedule quickly, but others could take longer to get to your appliance. If you have a family dinner coming up and are in dire need of oven repair, it might not suit your needs if it can’t schedule you for a week out.
What to do when you have an appliance emergency in Tampa
A limited number of home appliance repair services offer 24-hour emergency repair. So, if you find yourself in a bind in the middle of the night — maybe a significant leak from your washing machine or an air conditioner on the fritz during a heat wave — it’s possible to find a company that can take your emergency service call at the last minute and even during off hours. Most repair shops will include this information on their websites or social media pages.
For situations like these, consider doing your research in advance and having the emergency contact information of a repair company handy. It’s important to note that you could pay considerably more if you call an appliance repair technician after normal business hours or ask to prioritize your problem rather than waiting until the next day.
What’s the best appliance repair service in Tampa?
The short answer is that Tampa has no best appliance repair service company. The best company for you largely depends on your exact needs. First, consider the brand and type of appliance you need fixed and find a company specializing in that area. And if you live in Tarpon Springs but the company is based in Riverview, you might want to find one closer to home.
From there, do your research. Read reviews to understand whether the company offers good customer service and high-quality work, and consider its prices and policies for emergencies. Many factors go into determining which repair service is the best fit for your home’s needs.
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