Choosing a Christmas Lighting Installation Company
Over the decades I have found the following to be important considerations when hiring a company
Do they have workers compensation insurance or general liability insurance?
When I hire employees the majority of applicants ask if I am paying cash. There are many people out there searching out short term work because they are dodging wage garnishments and I would estimate 70% of my applicants are in this category. This is dangerous work and if a company pays cash to employees then there is no workers comp. It is up to the homeowner to verify a employer has workers comp. If a accident happens you may be responsible for an injury. We also carry general liability insurance. I would estimate 80-90% of the companies installing lights do not have any insurance.
Is the owner of the company onsite during the installation?
When I first started this business 30 years ago I tried sending out crews to install lights. We ended up doing many repairs on the unsupervised employees. Rather than doing twice the amount jobs we take on less installs and do the job right the first time. Houses can also be damaged by inexperienced employees. With my decades of experience I know where to put ladders and how to walk on roofs, so no damage occurs. I would follow this advice for any small installation business. I treat your home like my own and having the owner onsite will result in superior service. The saying “you get what you pay for” applies here.
Is the company more than 15 miles from your location?
Every year I get calls from customers that had lights installed by another company asking me to fix their lights. The company that originally installed the lights will not return calls or come back. Additionally, this is an easy business for unemployed people to “jump into.” You can usually spot them. They have a ladder tied on the top of the family minivan. These people typically underestimate the complexity of installing holiday lights. I also hear stories of guys getting deposits and never show up or come back to take the lights down. All my lighting jobs are taken down by January, 10th for customers that have paid in full.
For the above mentioned reasons (and many others not mentioned) I run one of the superior lighting companies in South Orange County. I could easily double my business by sending out crews, but I have seen the poor quality of work and damaged homes over the years. I prefer to establish long term business relationships that will last over the years. Thanks for taking the time to read this and hopefully I have made you a better informed consumer.