If there’s an unsavoury smell emanating from your kitchen sink at home, or something untoward has come up in the bathroom at the office, you probably don’t want to tackle the problem yourself. So it’s time to call the drain clearance St Albans company. A quick web search or a flick through the Yellow Pages will confirm that there appears to be a wealth of local professionals whose ads make them sound perfectly professional and clearly qualified… So the question becomes, how do you decide?
The question is complicated by the fact that everybody knows somebody who has suffered at the hands of a less-than-reputable contractor. If you’re new to the area or you’ve never needed a drainage company before, how do you find someone you can trust? It turns out that finding a reliable drain clearance St Albans company, with pro-level equipment, affordable prices and a high standard of customer service is tricky, particularly in London.
Getting started
The first step is to see if you can diagnose the problem yourself: if you know what you need, you can look for a company with plenty of experience and all the right kit, and then get a quote. Do you need water-jetting and other drain-cleaning or blockage-clearing services, or is it something more specific, such as root removal, CCTV-survey or pipelining? Search engines and free helplines can help you make a rough diagnosis, and any company worth their salt will work with you over the phone to get the specifics so that your quote counts.
Once you have an idea of what you need, start gathering quotes. Instead of just listing figures and choosing the cheapest one, try and get more detail. For example, it’s no use just going with the cheapest quote if the company in question is rude and unreliable, or if they don’t have the equipment on-hand to do the job. Remember, if they don’t have the tools they need, it won’t just be more expensive as they drive back to HQ for back-up: they could also use inappropriate equipment and damage your pipes.
If a quote seems especially high, instead of discounting it, ask the representative you speak to why it’s as high as it is, and see what they think will be involved: if they’re doing twice the job, it’s not unreasonable to charge twice the price. Equally, if a quote seems especially low, ask the company what is covered in the quote, and what extras they’ll charge: does it include call-out? Is it charged by the item, or by the hour? Will they be as thorough as other companies? Will they tack on add-ons like parts and, if you’re in London, congestion charge?
Considering quotes according to more than one factor makes companies work harder to sell you on the work, and also gives you a chance to assess the manner and professionalism of the company. Are they polite, helpful and consistent on the phone? If you ask to speak to the same person every time, are they accommodating? Or are they rude and pushy, trying to coax you into making an appointment?
Hence, these are some of the factors that are important to consider when hiring a drain clearance company in your areas