When choosing a maintenance provider for your business there are several key items to consider. After considering which of these items are most important to you, contact the service provider directly so you can ask them direct questions and clear up any concerns you may have. Here are just some of the important points to consider:
- How long has the provider been in business?
- Is the provider insured?
- Are the provider's services available to your business when necessary? i.e. nights and weekends
- Do you have more than one location and can that provider service all of them?
- Does the provider use contracts, change orders, completion sign offs etc.?
- Does the provider guarantee his workmanship and on-time completion?
- One of the most important things to look at is, does the provider have any complaints listed with the Better Business Bureau?
Of course when you are deciding whether or not to hire a professional maintenance provider, cost is always a consideration. Why not just hire your own maintenance person(s)? Lets look at some of the cost savings associated with hiring an outside firm:
- No workers comp insurance to file.
- No costly on the job accidents or potential lawsuits.
- A lot less paperwork to file and maintain. The time savings here can be astronomical!
- No uniforms or tools to provide.
- No copay of health insurance premiums or matching 401k.
You can probably think of even more reasons that it would make sound financial sense to outsource your maintenance needs.
Every company is different and has special needs. In these tough economic times, outsourcing your maintenance program could save you and your company a substantial amount of money. Please keep in mind the important keys to consider, listed at the top of the page, when hiring a maintenance provider. It could make all the difference between having a worry free provider and a "not so great" provider. Having a dependable maintenance company that you can call on when needed should be an enjoyable experience that saves you both time and money.
