Tips for choosing a commercial electrician
So, your company needs the expertise of a commercial electrician, and you need to be safe in the knowledge that the electricians that undertake work upon your premises are reliable, knowledgeable and, above all, qualified.
Unfortunately however it can be difficult to sort the metaphoric wheat from the chaff when it comes to commercial electrician services, particularly as you likely know very little about this realm to any technical depth.
So in a world where marketing words are cheap, and every electrical company found online is seemingly a self-proclaimed team of experts, it pays to know what to look out for when making your decision. And to this end here we talk you through all that you need to know to find an expert commercial electrical services company. By following the twelve essential pointer here you will be taken you through the process from beginning to end, ensuring that your business benefits from an expert who knows how to create a safe working environment that functions as it should.
1. Identify what your needs are
Before undertaking so much as a Google search you need to initially establish what your needs actually are, as well as considering what your short, medium long term goals are if your project or needs are ongoing or involve premises that may have expansion works undertaken over time. It’s then worth asking yourself these questions:
– Will you need ongoing electrical work, or are these services being sought for a one-off project?
– Do you expect that the company will be employed by you on a relatively regular basis? For maintenance work, for example?
– If you do expect to build up a working relationship with a lead electrician, then what communication would you expect from them?
2. Consider price, but never base your choice upon pricing alone
There are many realms in which you may be able to make savvy savings by shopping around, from commercial utilities through to everyday postage needs, however a commercial electrician is most certainly not one area in which you should be scrimping. So always remember that when dealing with electrical services, the cheapest option is a nonstarter.
That being said, commercial electrician services should be priced fairly for the expert service that you’re to receive, and as such it may be advisable that you gather a good number of quotes so that you can compare and contrast what is on offer. Of course amongst these you should always look out for those who are priced significantly higher or lower, with the former signalling unfair pricing, and the latter signalling a company that may be inexperienced and underqualified.
3. Choose a company with a great reputation
Within any services realm, reputation is everything, but particularly so when choosing a commercial electrician. So be sure to ask the company in question for client testimonials (as well as the contact details of these clients, should you wish to check out the validity of the comments in person).
You may also want to check out the company that you’re considering online, through both social media presence as well as via consumer review websites. In this latter instance you can simply take to Google and search for ‘business name + location + review’.
If you do find that there are no reviews online, then you may want to seriously consider the experience of the company in question.
4. Know what qualifications to look out for
The qualifications that commercial electricians must meet are the same as those that residential electricians must possess. Specifically this means that each electrician must hold a minimum of an NVQ Level three in electrical installation. Although this must then be coupled with the next point…
5. Proof of plenty of hands on experience
Hands on experience is absolutely essential within the commercial electrician realm and, regardless of the qualifications that a company can boast, the need for demonstrating their work upon similar projects is a must if you’re to truly be assured that the company in question are up to the task.
6. Don’t base your choice upon a single recommendation alone
Hearing from a friend or contact about the quality of an electrician’s work can certainly be a reassuring first pointer upon the level of service that you may receive, however it should be by no means the be all and end all, particularly where that friend or contact has a work premises that is significantly smaller in size to your own.
7. Ask about insurance… and know what the answer should be
It’s all very well and good asking the company in question whether or not they are insured, however knowing what the exact answer should be, and moreover the way in which they can prove that they actually hold the insurance in question, is vital.
So to this end you should be looking for, at minimum, a company that holds liability insurance, and it should be held up to an appropriate value. This generally begins at £1 million, however within the commercial realm, and depending upon your business premises and the work that you undertake, can range upwards indefinitely.
8. If you have specific needs, then know how to establish whether or not a specific company can meet them
Whilst it pays to choose a company that is extensively experienced and with a good, all-round reputation for commercial electrical work, you really need to consider whether your needs are specialist or not. If you believe that they may be, and that not all electricians may have had experience with a project or contract such as yours, then you should ask the electrician explicitly about their experience with your needs. This will be particularly important when seeking electrician services for tasks such as installing audio/video components, a comprehensive network infrastructure or a complex security alarm system. For very specific projects you may wish to:
– Ask the electrician about similar past projects,
– Check into the references from these projects,
– Search the company’s websites to see whether this project or work type is specifically mentioned.
9. Ask about whether the company signs up to any professional bodies
Whilst not a legal requirement if a company signs up to a professional body then you can take heed that this may well be a company dedicated to adhering to professional standards. Within The electoral realm this body is the NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting).
Being a member of this body can demonstrate both that the company in question has had its installation tested for skilled workmanship and safety, as well as that the company adheres to the BS7671 electrical safety standard.
10. Ask about the safe Contractor seal of approval
The Safe Contractor seal of approval is a certification that shows an electrical company as one that operates to the highest of health and safety standards and that consistently meets the legally required legislation in relation to health and safety working standards.
11. Establish how, exactly, the company will meet your needs
Finding about the ways in which the commercial electrician company works, and moreover how they may meet your needs is vital if you’re to be able to compare quotes upon a like for like basis. Of particular interest may be services that are supplied upon an emergency basis, particularly as companies will differ as to their operating hours and response times. What’s more you may also need to categorically nail down what, if any, services fall outside of the contracted, monthly pricing.
12. Know how to interview your candidates
Meeting electricians at your place of work is essential prior to commencing with a service provider, as this will allow you to informally interview the electrician that will ultimately deliver the services. As well as this particular electrician however you may also want to speak with other members of the company’s team, particularly if you’ll be using the services in question over an extended period and talking with the company office regularly.
13. Plan ahead for accountability
Planning ahead for electrical services that encounter a problem is essential in limiting the possibility of them, with the most effective way of achieving this being the setting up of a process to check upon and confirm the work to be performed.
What’s more proper accountability will likely be backed up by an assurance of service quality. This may come in the form of a workmanship guarantee, whereby the company promises financial recompense or refunds should the service fall down in any specified area.
One Way electrical are tried, tested and trusted commercial electrician experts. We provide businesses of all shapes and sizes with the robust electrician services that keeps staff safe and their businesses functioning free from issue on a day to day basis.
We can design, install and maintain electrical systems for any sized commercial client, and we can do so at industry leading prices.