Protect Your Home, Budget and Family by Hiring Professionals
It may be tempting to hire a self-proclaimed, jack-of-all-trades handyman to fix your noisy air conditioner, leaky pipes or other home-repair problems.
But, here’s the truth — the few dollars you may save now will cost you money later if you need to call in a professional to fix the repairs your handyman did wrong.
“The best way to protect your budget and secure your family’s safety is by hiring a professional who is certified and trained to handle your home’s AC, plumbing or electrical problems,” says Dana Spears, president and owner of Cornerstone Pros in Land O’ Lakes.
How can you be certain you are hiring a certified and qualified person when someone recommends their handyman, or you come across a person or company on your neighborhood Facebook page, or see promoted on Nextdoor and other community groups?
“It begins with asking lots of questions,” said Spears. “If you’re hiring a company, ask how long they’ve been in business, because they may not still be around when your system needs warranty work, maintenance or repairs. And be sure to ask if their technicians are employees, or subcontractors, to be sure they will stand behind the work of their people. If you do end up hiring an individual tradesperson, make sure to request proof that verifies his or her credentials.”
You can also take the hassle-free route, and hire an established and respected company like Cornerstone Pros.
“Our company does the screening and training for you, ensuring that every technician is a licensed and certified HVAC, plumbing or electrical pro before adding them to our team,” said Dana. “When you turn to us, you can take comfort in knowing you’ve hired only qualified people for the job.”
If you have had a bad experience with an unqualified contractor, Spears encourages you to protect other homeowners from suffering the same consequences by reporting unqualified contractors and unlicensed tradesmen to the Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation at myfloridalicense.com.
In the long run, the best way to prevent home emergencies is to plan ahead with regular maintenance on your home’s mechanical systems.
“Your A/C should receive regular maintenance every six to 12 months to prevent an emergency situation,” said Spears. “Folks don’t realize that their A/C is a home appliance, just like their refrigerator. All appliances have a life span, and don’t last forever.”
Maintaining your A/C is much like taking your vehicle in for regular oil changes and service updates, explains Spears.
“If you don’t service your vehicle, you are looking for trouble. And, if you are not doing regular maintenance on your A/C system, when you have problems, it will likely be during the hottest times of the year, or during the holidays when you have a houseful of people,” said Spears.
Cornerstone Pros offers several maintenance programs that are affordable and will make sure that recommended service is done on all of your home’s mechanical systems.
Cornerstone Pros was founded in 2006 as an air conditioning service company. It moved to its 4-acre site on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard in 2011, and the following year added plumbing services. In 2014, it expanded again with electrical services.
In 2018, Cornerstone Pros built a 6,000-square-foot warehouse next to its headquarters on U.S. 41, to store air conditioning units of all sizes and stock high-demand service items for its air conditioning, electrical and plumbing operations. It also stocks tankless hot water systems, and portable and permanent generators, including whole-house systems by Generac.
“Every morning our vans are fully stocked with everything our technicians need, which means on most calls, we are able to solve a customer’s problem on the first visit,” said Spears. “Our warehouse has allowed us to become a more efficient service operation and provide even better customer service.”
Spears credits her company’s growth to its commitment to outstanding customer service, and also because its employees exemplify her company’s values.
“We hire people who are genuine, honest, trustworthy, clean-cut, and live their life with good ethics and morals,” said Spears. “Most employees are local people who live in our service area, and are very committed to their work and community.”
The company has developed its own training program for employees to become certified in its trade areas. Over 20 employees have successfully completed these programs, receiving numerous industry certifications, and now work as highly skilled tradesmen.
“We’re always looking for eager, hardworking men and women with a good attitude and mechanical aptitude,” Spears says. “We’re successful because we’ve built our business on reputation and trust, which begins by hiring great people.”
Cornerstone phones are answered 24/7, and technicians are available around the clock, including weekends and holidays. Call (813) 990-0561 anytime, day or night. For more information, visit their website at CornerstonePros.com.
Published 9/25/19
