References & Showroom
Does the contractor have a large number of references you can check out? How about a showroom you can go see?
Some contractors expect you to use the "Blind Faith" method. Never do business with any contractor that does not offer information on at least 100 references, and make sure some are in your city. If a contractor has satisfied customers, why wouldn't they want you to know that? If they don't offer information about references, without your having to ask, you would be justified in being suspicious right off the bat. If they only give you a few, make sure they are not his uncle, cousin and pet Collie.
It's also critically important that the references come complete with phone numbers and addresses, so you can call or drive by if you wish. You should call some of them to ask about their experience with the company, and drive by to see what their windows look like from the street. Make sure these references include customers from 1 to 5 years ago, as well as customers from the previous month. Also look for references from suppliers and other business references. You might be thinking "I hope they'd give me references that were happy with them. They'd be pretty dumb to give me unhappy references to call." And if you're thinking that, you're right; that's why you should ask for 100; they may not please everyone, but if they can supply at least 100, the odds are in your favor. The more references they give you the better.
It would also be wise to choose a contractor who has a showroom that you can visit. Companies can appear in their advertising to be substantial when in fact they are operating out of the trunk of a car or back of a pick up truck. Schedule an appointment to meet them at their showroom and see what other products they offer and what the showroom looks like; it's worth the extra time and effort. This may be an eye-opening experience.
