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San Diego has a relatively small HVAC community. Most of the contractors get along well and know each other's business. The community is sound with some excellent companies installing great products and wonderful service to San Diego homeowners. There are several, however, that do not perform in the best interest of the consumer. So just how do you tell the good from the bad? There are a few approaches that are outlined below. Have a look.
Perhaps you've already checked to see if the contractor was properly licensed, but that information is not going to tell you how they treat their clients or if they run an honest business. The Better Business Bureau is a fine place to check, but please don't rely on them too much. It is essential to understand that the BBB is a business enterprise, too, and not a consumer protection organization. They collect dues from businesses. As long as businesses keep up-to-date with those dues, the BBB isn't going to be in a rush to give them a poor rating or file consumer grievances. Contrary to popular belief, the BBB exists to serve business, not the consumer.
One of the more reliable places to get a good San Diego heating and air contractor is Yelp. If you don't know already, Yelp is a web platform that enables people to rate and review companies they have used. This is a great resource as it gives power back to the customer and forces companies to conduct business responsibly.
Once in a while you can find a company's Yelp description when you search Google for phrases like San Diego heating and air conditioning or HVAC San Diego. That's the first place I would try. If a contractor has its Yelp page on the first page of Google, then they must be doing something right. You can even search directly within Yelp's database. With the toughest review filter in the industry, you can be quite certain that most reviews there are authentic and not bogus. Additional platforms like ShowMeLocal.com, Insider Pages and the Online Yellow Pages are all easy to create fake testimonials so I wouldn't trust them too much. Google is getting better at removing phony reviews from their platform, but they still have some work to do. Just be suspicious if there is a large difference between the number of ratings in Yelp and those in Google. A business will usually have a lot more feedback in Yelp than Google as well. If it's the reverse, then I wouldn't trust them.
Good heating and air services are important, especially if you are installing a new system or changing out an old one. Find a dependable contractor by first checking the Internet for those with solid customer ratings and reviews. If you're in San Diego, double check their status by searching the database of the California State Contractors Board.
It's not a fool proof process, but it will reduce your choices down to a select few. Beyond that, a few phone calls will bring you to your final choice.
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