Finding a reliable commercial electrician in London can be difficult. So many people fall for the façade of perfection displayed by some electricians, only realising their mistake when it is too late to be corrected. If you are seeking a commercial electrician for some electrical services in your company or industry, then there are ways to discern the professionals.

Chances are you do not want an electrician whose unreliability and non-transparency competes with his incompetence. If you are going to spend some good money to get a job done, then you deserve the best quality.

However, since no electrician would want to admit their inability to efficiently complete a job rightly, you the hirer must make your decision. We have compiled a list of some essential tips which can serve as a guideline to making the right decision for your company. By the time you have made research based on these tips, you should be able to recognise competence and award your contract accordingly.

Here are the essential tips to follow;

1. Understand your needs

If you are going to employ the service of an electrician, then you should know what you need the electrician to do. Understanding your needs will avoid a lot of confusion and lengthy discussions. Do you require a short, medium, or long term service? Is your project a one-time thing, or is it going to be continuous and probably require expansion soon? Here are some vital questions to ask yourself to help you decide what your exact needs are;

• Will this be an ongoing project or a one-off project?
• For related services like maintenance and servicing, would you expect the same company to handle it?
• If you would like a work relationship with the electrician involved, what kind of communication would you want to receive?

2. About Pricing

Pricing will always be an important aspect of every service. Electrical service is one service where you do not expect to beat prices down to a relatively low place. If you expect a good job to be done, then you should expect to pay properly for it. The price should neither be too low nor too high. A ridiculously low price might be tempting but might hint at inexperience. An outrageously high price might hint at non-transparency and hidden charges. To be safe, gather several quotes for related service, and make comparisons.

3. Reputation! Reputation!! Reputation!!!

A good service can barely hide, just like bad service. Ask your potential electricians for their previous clients’ testimonials and check to see that it is valid (Collect contact details of the clients and verify). Also, you can check their online presence and reviews left in their comment sections. No reviews or a lot of negative reviews will definitely question their competence.

4. Check their Qualification Level

As there are several levels of qualification, you should know what you are looking out for. Generally, every commercial electrician should hold at least an NVQ level three in electrical installation. Request to see proof of this when carrying out your survey.

5. Experience

In addition to having the right certification, years of experience is very essential in commercial electrical services. It is vital for the electricians to be well versed in hands-on experiences. Check the number of related projects they have successfully carried out. A good company should have a collection of all their past services.

6. Get multiple recommendations

Making your choice based on a neighbour or colleague’s recommendation might not be smart. Just because they completed a similar project for your colleague, does not mean they can do it again, especially if your project is bigger or more complicated than that of your colleague. Get multiple recommendations first.

7. Insurance enquiries

It is not enough to have an insurance policy, so do not stop at just finding out whether or not they are insured. Look for a company that holds liability insurance at an appropriate value (anywhere from €1 million to infinity).

8. Check whether they can meet your specific needs

It is great to find an electrician with broad experience in all commercial electrical services. However, if you require a specific service which you feel might require in-depth knowledge in that particular field, then you might need a specified electrician. You can find out if this is the electrician for your job by asking for;

• Proof of completion of similar jobs in the past
• References to past projects

9. Find out if they are members of any professional electrical body

Although this is not compulsory, and not necessarily a yardstick for competence, a company extremely dedicated to adhering to standards would want to be a part of a professional body. The NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installing Contracting) is a recognised body that ensures that its members adhere to the BS7671 safety standard.

10. Ask for the Safe Contractor Seal of Approval

This is a certificate that shows a company operates with the health and safety of their clients in mind. It also shows that they follow laid out regulations related to health and safety standards.

11. Enquire about their procedures

You want to know exactly how your needs will be met, so ask for a procedural guide. Enquire about their operating hours, response time, equipment in use and methods.

12. Find out about guarantees

Nothing is certain, and even with the best of the bests, accidents still happen. Find out if this company has a plan for accountability. Do they have workmanship guarantees put in place to offer some financial relief should something go wrong?

Knowing how to interview your potential electrician is very important. At Electric Works London, our commercial electricians in London would efficiently carry out your commercial services. Call us today on 020 71834006 for an obligation free quote.