You get what you pay for. How many times did your parents, grandparents, or other trusted adults tell you that while you were growing up? Most of us learned how to avoid cheap imitations simply by listening to people who had already been there and made those mistakes. We learned not to buy certain cheap products because that’s all they are – cheap products. They don’t really save money in the long run because they have to be replaced more often than their more expensive, higher quality counterparts.
That same ages-old adage works with trades and service companies as well. Anyone can study electricity, plumbing, chimneys, or HVAC, put a sticker on their truck and call themselves a journeyman tradesman. Unfortunately simply making the claim doesn’t mean that they are capable of swooping into a neighborhood, undercutting competitors’ prices by half or more, and becoming the next big thing in their field.
This is when homeowners begin to feel scammed or otherwise taken advantage of. I’ve heard stories of other chimney sweeps in the area charging much less than my normal fee, but then the same homeowners tell me about the quality of service they received for that price. They feel taken advantage of because they hired someone to do a job that requires experience but the job wasn’t done satisfactorily. The shoddy job requires another set of more experienced eyes at the regular rate the additional experience warrants.
Certifications
A certified chimney sweep is one who has taken classes and passed a rigorous test in order to obtain certification. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certifies chimney sweeps and offers continued education in order to ensure we keep abreast of the latest breakthroughs in our field. The chimney sweeps here at Lou Curley’s Chimney Service are CSIA Certified, F.I.R.E. Certified, C-DET certified, NFI Certified, AIFCI Certified, and we’re licensed through the state of Pennsylvania as home improvement contractors. You’ll find that our work is far from shoddy and we’re highly recommended throughout the Main Line.
Angie’s List is a good place to look for information about local tradesmen. The website allows people to leave reviews about local tradesmen who have done work for them at some point. You can generally rely on those reviews to form a good idea of the type of work to expect from that tradesman if you were to hire them.
Facebook, Yahoo, and Google are great sources of information for finding local tradesmen. You can find a lot of reviews, both good and bad, using these sites. Facebook is used by nearly 90% of people in America, so locating the Facebook page associated with tradesmen in the area shouldn’t be an issue.
Their company website is also a great place to find information about the company and reviews from other people. Their website is a great place to see the certifications, services offered, the service area, and sometimes a blog. Tradesmen who offer information via blog usually have very helpful information to share. Some will even offer DIY advice.
Lou Curley Chimney Service is located in Drexel Hill and we provide all types of chimney services throughout the Main Line. Call us at 610-626-2439 to schedule an appointment for a consultation.