No question is off limits. Buying a new HVAC system is a big purchase so you want to get it right, but how do you choose the perfect company for you? Jon Jordan is the owner of Comfort Monster and sells hundreds of new HVAC systems a year. Learn what things he thinks customers should ask to ensure they get good quality and a good deal:

Choosing the right company is far more important than the brand of equipment. It’s often easier to start with the equipment and features, but those things are largely a commodity. There are 20 people in town that can get you any brand and configuration of equipment. So what if you’re buying something you don’t need? What if it’s too large or too small or you aren’t aware of an important feature? For this reason, we recommend finding a company you trust and let them guide you through the decision making process and once you’re comfortable with the recommendations, then just make sure the pricing is fair in the market.

The purpose of this exercise is to get your smooth talking salesman to expose what the company is really like. Mistakes happen and problems occur — you’ll find out who you really chose to do business with in these situations, so it’s best to know up front as much as you can.  You also want to know what motivation they have — of course they want to sell you a new system, but not everyone is strictly motivated by money. Get to know your company and find out what they are really about.

These questions are good to break the ice and get a better feel for who you’re working with.

1.  How long have you worked at this company? How is it different from other places you’ve been?
2. How are you paid? Chances are there is commission involved, but is it flat or does the salesman get paid more for a bigger sale? Any incentive for satisfaction?
3. What’s included?
4. Do you contract install? How do you verify quality? 
5. What happens if there’s a problem?
6. Tell me about a couple situations when a customer wasn’t happy and what happened?
7. What makes you better than the other people I’m talking to? (In addition to the information you get, this question will help you get a better deal. Your pricing gets better if the company knows they have competition).

Analyzing the results. 

When you have a revolving door of people coming into your home, they all blend together so it’s a good idea to take a couple notes to remember who’s who and what everyone said. What you’re really looking for in all these questions is a comfort level that the company you choose really cares about their customers, and will do the right thing if you have any issues. If answers seem canned and wooden, that’s not nearly as good as someone who seems to genuinely believe in their company and the quality of their offerings. It’s a gut feeling at the end of the day, but the questions above will help you to make a great decision.