How to Choose Property Management Electrical Services
Property management in Southern California is a tough job. Your responsibility to your tenants never sleeps, and sometimes it can seem like you never get a chance to sleep, either. One of the most important phone numbers on a property management company’s speed dial should be a dependable electrical service.
Smart property managers in the Los Angeles area understand the value of having trustworthy and dependable electrical contractors like Branover Contractors Inc Electric Service that they can rely on whenever they have an electrical problem.
The Electrical Services a Property Manager Needs
Property management electrical services are different than what’s required for a homeowner or other business. Property management companies have responsibilities to their tenants that don’t allow the luxury of going through a long, drawn out bidding process for every problem that comes up. You need electricians on call who know the unique needs and budgets of landlords, whether it’s a residential or commercial property that ‘s being managed.
Round-the-Clock Communication
Property managers need reliable, licensed contractors that can be reached at any time of the day or night. During regular business hours, you should be able to speak to a live operator at all times. On nights and weekends, a messaging service should bring a reply to an emergency call within a few minutes. An Los Angeles electrician that can’t be reached in an emergency isn’t suitable for property management work.
Just Answering the Phone Isn’t Enough
When you call an electrician in Los Angeles with an urgent request, just answering the phone isn’t enough. An electrician must have enough personnel to handle your work in a timely fashion. If your property management company has commercial tenants, they may be out of business until their electrical problems are sorted out. Many lease and rental agreements have specific promises about the availability of utilities like electrical service, Internet, and security systems, and if you can get your customers back in business in a hurry, you can be on the hook for the losses.
If you manage residential property, you must respond to tenant inquiries almost immediately. You don’t want the tenants to take matters in their own hands and try to fix an electrical problem by themselves because it’s taking too long for an electrician to come.
One Call Should Do It All
Property managers shouldn’t need to keep contact information for dozens of electricians at hand for different jobs. Property management electrical companies should be available to fix anything from a popped breaker to a sub panel overhaul. To be considered as a regular contractor for a property manager, an electrical company should offer a wide range of services:
- Code compliance surveys
- Upgrading for energy efficiency
- Exterior lighting
- Landscape lighting
- Buried services
- Low voltage wiring
- Internet and telephone connections
- Electrical fixture and equipment replacement
- Troubleshooting
- Emergency lighting
- Smoke and CO detector installation and maintenance
- Working with HVAC and plumbing personnel as necessary
- Signage
- Intercom systems
A Property Manager Needs to Cost Controls
While property managers are prepared to pay appropriately for emergency services, there are budgets to be maintained. Electricians need to keep in close contact with property managers before undertaking any expensive work that might require a substantial outlay, but still take care of minor repairs at an hourly rate that makes sense.
Property Management Electricians Must Act Professionally
When a property management company calls an electrician to make a repair, they need to be certain of a high standard of professionalism. Landlords need to rely on contractors to send clean, neatly dressed, and polite workmen who can explain to a tenant what they’re doing and who they work for. Electricians who are accustomed to working for property managers understand that they are not only a representative of the electrical services company, they are a representative of the property management company as well.
Knowing how to work in occupied homes and businesses is an important skill. Dealing with the public in stressful situations takes tact and confidence. Electricians need experience in explaining the nature of the problem, working quietly and efficiently, cleaning up after they’re done, and informing tenants about what work has been performed.
Timely and Accurate Billing Is Part of the Job
Property managers are busy people with many details to look after. They rely on electricians to understand the proper format for billing. They need bills submitted in a timely fashion so that the property manager can review them and apply them to the proper budget item. Highly organized electrical service companies save clerical work and time for property managers. Property management electrical services should have a backbone of communication and billing that’s as efficient and timely as the company they’re doing the work for.
Licensed, Insured, and Highly Trained
It’s false economy to skimp on the quality of your electrician to save a few dollars. You can’t afford the risk of an accident or injury caused by a contractor that isn’t covered for risk. Property managers need to be able to rely on their electricians to handle any job that comes up, large or small, and send only qualified, experienced, licensed and insured people to the job. That’s your best guarantee of expert work with no worries.