Choosing an elevator service provider is hard to do from brochures, because every brochure says the same things. Conversations separate companies quickly, if you ask questions that have real answers. Here are the ones worth asking, and what good answers sound like. Ask us the same ones; a provider who resents these questions is answering them anyway.
On the agreement
- What exactly happens on a maintenance visit to my equipment? Good answers name tasks and components for your equipment type. Weak answers recite "full preventive maintenance" without saying what that means.
- Which parts and repairs are excluded? Every agreement excludes something. A provider who answers this plainly is telling you the truth early instead of at invoice time.
- What are the term, the renewal mechanics, and the notice window? The honest version takes thirty seconds to explain. Vagueness here is how buildings end up locked in for years they did not intend.
- What does the annual price escalator look like? Escalators are normal. An unstated one is a problem.
On the work
- Who actually shows up, and how many buildings does that person cover? Route load drives everything about service quality. Providers proud of their answer will give it.
- When something fails repeatedly, what changes? You're listening for a diagnosis process, not a promise it will never happen.
- How do you handle parts for equipment my age? The answer should mention lead times and honesty about obsolete components, not just "we can get anything."
- What happens during my code test, and who is present? A provider comfortable with inspections describes the choreography without hesitation.
On communication
- What do I receive in writing after a visit? Ask to see a sample. If there is no sample, there is no habit.
- How do I find out about a problem you discovered? Before the invoice, or on it? The difference is the relationship.
- Who do I call when I disagree with a recommendation? There should be a name, not a department.
- Will you tell me when a repair isn't worth making? The only defensible answer is yes, with an example.
What to do with the answers
Write them down. The questions above map directly to the terms in your next agreement, and a provider's spoken answers make excellent margin notes when you review the written ones. The agreement review worksheet pairs with this list on purpose.
Fairness requires saying it plainly. We win business when buyers ask these questions, so publishing them isn't neutral generosity. The questions are still the right ones, and they work on us too.