Tips to Identify a Cowboy Electrical Contractors

Today we’re talking about how to identify cowboy electrical contractors. Here at RML we pride ourselves on being qualified, experienced registered electricians in West Lothian. We love our work and we love carrying out work that’s been done efficiently, safely and to time. However, not all electricians come with this attitude or even with the right qualifications. 

Know your electricians and what you should be looking out for.

It’s important to know what look out for and what to ask about when you’re about to commission a team of electricians to carry out work on your home. There are things to look out for and once you know, you can prepare yourself and draw up a list of things you should ask so you can avoid being trapped by a cowboy electrician.

Firstly, watch out for cheap quotes or insistence that the job is done right away.

This doesn’t give you time to check out the electrician’s testimonials from previous customers, check their previous work, check out their qualifications and training, and find out for yourself whether they’re trustworthy. 

Quotes professionally set out in writing.

Any quote should be in writing with the work broken down, so you know what you’re paying for. There are websites where you can check the details of a business and check whether they’re registered and approved. 

Are they asking for money upfront?

There should be alarm bells ringing if they do this. They should offer one of several options, payment plans where you pay throughout the duration of the job or 50% upfront, (usually non-refundable) and the rest on satisfactory completion of the job. If they ask for cash rather than by card, then you should definitely rethink hiring them. If you hand over a large amount of cash, you may never see them again.

Ask their previous customers whether they were timely, punctual and thorough.

Did they clear up after themselves, or did they leave a mess behind them? Did they turn up when they said they would or were they all over the place, turning up at different times and whenever they felt like it? Are there more problems once they’ve finished than before they started?

Are the quotes they offer you ridiculously cheap?

If they are then this is cause for concern, anything that cheap should be questioned, especially if you’re asking for a big, complex job. No one is suggesting that a job should be terribly expensive either, but their prices should be reasonable.

RML Electrical – for the very best in trained, experienced and expert electricians, West Lothian.

Here at RML Electrical we have a strong qualified, registered and trained team of electricians who work to time, leave no mess behind and can work on short or long jobs. Whether they’re simple one-offs or more complex jobs requiring bigger commitment, you will always find that we come up with excellent work. We can provide testimonials, prove that we’re registered, and we’ll always give you a reasonable quote for the work we’re being asked to do and explain it carefully giving you an opportunity to ask any questions. Get in touch today and leave the cowboys in the dust.