How do I check a garage door company’s tracked call-back and re-repair rate?
Ask whether the company logs call-backs and repeat repairs, then read the log yourself. A business that records them, studies the causes and acts on them is better run than one that says call-backs are rare but has nothing written down to prove it.
Begin by asking how a call-back is defined. Is it any return visit within a set period, or only those where the original work failed? Definitions differ, and a company can look good by counting narrowly. Ask for the full log, with job dates, the fault, the technician and what was done the second time.
Then look for patterns in it. Are repeats concentrated on one technician, one type of door or one supplier’s springs and openers? Do some fixes keep coming back because the customer chose the cheaper repair? Patterns tell you whether a problem is a training issue, a parts issue or a pricing issue, and each has a different remedy.
Also see who pays for call-backs and how they are treated in the books. Free return visits cost technician time and parts, and some owners never record them as a cost. Ask technicians how they feel about reporting their own repeats, and read reviews for complaints about the same issue. Your accountant can show how the cost appears, and your lawyer can tell you how warranty promises would pass to you.
Key takeaways
- Ask how a call-back is defined and who decides.
- Read the full log for patterns by technician, part or door type.
- Find out who pays for return visits and where the cost is recorded.
- Ask technicians whether reporting their own repeats is encouraged.
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
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