Top 10 Questions You Should Ask Your Oil Company in Hickory
Oil Company serving Hickory - Choosing the best oil company for your specific needs isn’t easy, but it helps if you know what you’re talking about when you interview them. If they’ve got the right answers to this list of questions, you’re in pretty good shape:
1. Do you offer credit terms?
A full service oil company gives customers 30 days to pay their fuel bill, either in full or in monthly installments. Many other companies require C.O.D. (cash-on-delivery), forcing customers to plan deliveries around paychecks and wait with cash in hand until the driver arrives—talk about inconvenience!
Bumgarner Oil can be a great partner for your fuel supply needs.
2. When and how often do I have to pay?
Your oil company should let you spread your heating oil payments over the course of the year instead of using C.O.D.
3. Have you changed your company name in the last five years?
Some companies shut down because of financial or other problems, but return again later under a different name to hide their previous failures.
4. Is your business concentrated in my area?
If your oil company is too far away from where you live, they may not be able to get to you fast enough in an emergency.
5. What is your technician-to-customer ratio?
For fast and efficient service, the best oil companies have more than an adequate number of technicians to serve their customers.
6. Who will be handling the installation and service of my heating equipment?
Some discount oil companies use unreliable subcontractors to do their service and installation work. The person who comes to your home should be trained and knowledgeable in all aspects of oil heating technology.
7. Do you offer 24-hour emergency service?
If your heat goes out in the middle of the night, you want an oil company that will be there to help ASAP. You won’t find around-the-clock service with a “C.O.D.” oil company.
8. Are your staff members trained, certified and background-checked?
You shouldn’t have to worry about whether you can trust the technician who is sent to your home. The best oil companies conduct extensive, ongoing training for their employees, ensuring that they know how to avoid accidents and that they always provide you with correct information.
9. What happens if your truck breaks down?
The best oil dealers inspect all their vehicles regularly, ensuring they are always ready to respond throughout the winter. The U.S. Department of Transportation has certain rules that must be adhered to, and good oil companies will go above and beyond those standards.
10. Do you have liability insurance?
If any damage to your house is caused by the oil company’s equipment or one of its employees, you want to be sure their insurance will pay for any necessary repairs.
At Bumgarner Oil, our oil company serves customers from Hickory, Lincolnton, Mooresville, Statesville, Boone, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Lenoir, and Morganton, North Carolina.