How to Tell a Good Garage Door Business From a Bad One

Although the Internet has made it easier than ever to find the products and services we need, it can also make it difficult to distinguish a good product or service provider from a poor or bad one. This is true of garage door businesses, too. Even if you experience just one untrustworthy firm, it can sour you on all garage door businesses. This is why we want to provide you with some tips for how to tell a good garage door business from a bad one; uncovering how amateur or incompetent services gain trust, impress and mislead and get your business.

Learn How They Operate

One of the first things you might wonder is just how these companies operate, or how they are different from other firms. Here are some good tips to keep in mind:

• Most are in urban areas where neighbors may not even know one another and where name brand recognition may not indicate the level of skill or expertise. There is a huge difference between working in a small town and a large city, and if you cannot knock on the neighbour’s door or phone a friend to ask about a company, it is much easier to trick you.
• They use flashier advertising, and they appear everywhere – online and in print. They often have the biggest, costliest ads.
• If you could take the time to look, you would find they operate under several names, without any fixed address, and often with many numbers that work in one main city and all surrounding areas
• They self‑describe as "the best" or "#1" in far too many services, but especially emergency repairs on the garage door or opener.
• Their ads reveal logos and vehicles that do not correspond to the logos or vehicles they have in real life. As an example, they show modern vans painted white and with the company logo, but the repair technicians show up in dark blue vans that are battered and unrecognizable
• You think "wow" as you read their ads and self‑promotion…that is their goal!

What to Watch For

If you do begin to work with one of these firms, here are further warning signs that they are probably not of the best quality:

• You phone about 24‑hour repair service, but their hourly rate is very high in comparison to standard rates.
• They do a job but they do not have the experience or skill to get it done in a single visit and have to return to finish the work because they did not anticipate the parts or time needed.
• Their discounts are huge…so huge, that you realise they are just too good to be true or realistic.
• That issue with the vehicles (i.e. they are not what’s shown in the ads) is often due to the use of subcontractors who have their own businesses and their own vehicles. This lets the firm get more work, but they cannot meet the level of service you expected or were promised.
• They have to order parts every time because they operate without a formal headquarters. This means no storage for parts or inventory and a "fly by night" status.
• They push replacing a door or opener when it is obvious that a simple repair is probably far better a solution.

So, how on earth do you avoid falling into a relationship with them?

Ask Questions and Demand or Find Answers

As a potential customer, it is up to you to do the due diligence needed to uncover a low quality provider. Here is what we recommend:

Always ask for references, and especially those in your area. Did someone have repairs or a new installation? If so, ask for their number and ask them if they were satisfied with the work.

Ask around in general…Did family, friends, colleagues or neighbors ever hear of them? If so, was it good or bad?

Inquire about their main office? If they do not have a public office, and you cannot get a good idea of the quality of the firm, it may be a warning sign. Google their address and see what Street View shows.

Ask for "alternatives". A good business is never going to give you just one option in terms of repairs, upgrades and so on. A good service offers two to three alternatives as a solution to your needs.

When You Are Ready

If you are not sure about being so cautious, you can always contact us at 781-270-5066 anytime. We are authentic and reliable garage door experts with years of reviews and happy clients. We offer a detailed quotation via email, and give access to a simple to use online design center, and inspiring image gallery to show you what we can achieve when we work with you!