Qualified contractors will perform a thorough survey of your company and ask lots of questions to make sure they are providing you with the right service for your needs. Here are some of the things they should ask you:
Most qualified HVAC contractors want to know about you and your business. Just as you want to know more about your contractor, your contractor should want to know more about you. They want to know your business goals and plans, and how the building has an impact on your business and your daily activities. Early questions about the building, usage, age, and importance to the business will help your contractor craft comprehensive solutions to help you operate and maintain your facility’s HVAC equipment and its environment.
The qualified contractor will want to know about specific comfort or mechanical problem areas. This helps the contractor focus the survey efforts and cost analysis so he or she can provide you with correct options. The contractor may ask to meet with several people in different roles with the business to gain different perspectives. Access to the building and the ability to take equipment photos will help you “see” what the contractor “sees” and understand his or her recommendations.
The contractor should also ask about the financial impact the HVAC systems have on the business. Cost categories may be discussed that include utilities, major repair costs, outsourced services costs, certain administrative costs, and even equipment replacement budgets. When the contractor notices budget issues, costs that are out of line, or energy escalations, effective solutions are sure to follow. Financial information also validates what is known about the equipment from the survey.
To help you evaluate contractors who commit to quality against those who don’t, we’ve created a special checklistthat you can use to “score” the contractors competing for your business.
More than just a scoresheet, this form actually explains in great detail all of the questions you should be asking your contractor, and all the steps they should be following when performing to the QI standard.
Quality Installation Checklist