FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS  

Q: Why is online scheduling the preferred method?

A: Most importantly, it DOCUMENTS everything.  You have a copy of the appointment day, time, cost.  If we need to order parts and return, we send you the repair estimate via email so again it is documented.  No more trying to remember what was said on the phone or erased on a voicemail.  This scheduling method allows instant access & changes to the schedule live 24/7.  What you see is what is available at that very moment.  As soon as you make an appointment, notification details get sent to the technicians on the road via smart phones.  Once you set up an appointment in the system, you are emailed a confirmation that we received your appointment.  If you scheduled for several days or weeks later, you will receive a reminder email prior to the appointment so you do not forget.  

Q: Can I call the phone number?

A: Certainly.  Just be aware that we are a very busy small company and may helping other customers, researching, ordering, inventory of parts, etc.  If we don't answer, leave us a message and we WILL get back to you shortly.  Please leave your name, location and issue you are having a long with a number we should call.  Again, we greatly prefer email so the conversation is documented- [email protected].

Q: My town isn't listed on your service area page. Do you make service calls in the town of ___?

A: Generally speaking, if you're somewhere between the towns listed, you're in our service area.

Q: When can I expect someone to come out to repair my appliance? 

A: You can normally expect us to come to your home the same day that you schedule. We do our very best to accommodate everyone.  Customers choose a 2-hour time frame for the day of the scheduled repair.

Q: What appliance brands do you work on?

A: We work on all major appliances. Whirlpool, Maytag, Kenmore, Jenn Air, Kitchen Aid, GE, Caloric, LG, Frigidaire, and all the common brands of course. But our services go beyond the average residential line of appliances including names like; Fisher Paykel, Bosch, Viking, Asko, Marvel, Scotsman, U-Line, Thermador, Miele, Sub-Zero, the list goes on and on. 

Q: Why is there a 2 Hour Window?  Can't you be here at __ ?

A: We must give you a “window” because we don’t know how long the appointment before yours will take. We also can't control the traffic, weather, accidents, etc.

Q: What if your company does not have the parts to repair my appliance? 

A: During the scheduling process, we ask for make / model and the problem you are having.  If you supply this, we can try to use that information in order to bring the parts we think may necessary for the repairs.  It’s impossible to stock every item on the vehicle and if we need to order a part, you do NOT get charged the service call again when we return to install the part(s).

Q. If you do have to order a part, how long will it take?

A: In most cases it takes just a few days. Common brands such as Whirlpool or Maytag can often have parts shipped to us in a day or 2 unless it is special order or something unusual.  Some of the higher end brands or odd parts can take 3-5 business days or longer in some cases.  We make every attempt to get the part and get back out to you as quickly as possible.  We will let you know the ETA of the part when we email you the Repair Quote for your approval prior to ordering.

Q: Does it pay to fix the old machine or should we just purchase a new one?

A: This is a very good question, and is asked quite often. You may be surprised to learn that many older appliances are indeed well worth fixing. If your appliance is several years old, chances are it was made better than most of the new ones available.  Not only are the older units generally much more solid (more metal parts, less plastic) but they also were simple without the computer boards and sensors that fail all the time in recent appliances.  Older units tend to last much longer, even after a repair, than newer units.  A old dryer or washer for example might have a simple belt or lid switch fail and run for many years after replacing the part.  In the appliance business, they really don't make them like they used to.  If in our opinion, the age or condition of the appliance does not permit a reasonable expectation of continued reliable service, we will suggest you not repair the machine.  In this case you will only owe for the service call charge.

Q: How much will it cost to…?

A: Unfortunately, we can only give a quote for a repair after we have inspected and diagnosed the product in person. We are happy to answer any questions we can before coming out, but the only thing we can be sure of before seeing the unit is the cost of the trip. However, if you know what you want replaced without a diagnosis, we can tell you what the part will cost and preorder it to make sure that the technician has it with him when he comes out. However, we cannot warranty a repair based on someone else's diagnosis, and these parts can not be returned. 

Q: What is your warranty policy?

A: Our warranty has 2 different sections- Parts + Labor.  They are broken down as such-

#1- Parts.  All of our parts are warrantied for 1 year from date of install.

#2- Labor.  We go out of our way to take the time and skill to do good work.  If someone has a problem with something related to work we did not do properly, just let us know and we will do our best to resolve the problem.  Example- if we repair an oven that does not heat, and a few days later the customer notices there is a rattle from a panel rubbing due to alignment during installation of the repair, we will return and adjust the panel to stop the noise at no further cost to the customer.  If a part fails within the 1 year warranty period- it will be replaced for no further labor charge.

Naturally the limit of our labor warranty has to be reasonable in scope, time, and directly related to any repair we have done.  If we fix a dryer that wont heat and several months later the customer calls and says it just started making a squeaking noise then the problem is most likely unrelated and would be a new issue starting from scratch.

Q: What do you think about “high-end” appliances?

A: Many homeowners equate what are called high-end appliances with high-quality appliances, but that is not necessarily the case anymore.  Lots of lights and buttons typically means many more things to go wrong and higher costs when there is a problem.  The simple basic mechanical units (think knobs you turn) are quite often the best thing to buy (or fix and keep).

Q: What if you repair the apparent problem and then find additional problems that were not known originally?

A: In very rare instances there is a secondary problem that cannot be detected until the primary problem is fixed. An example would be if a freezer is not cooling at all and after repair it cools perfectly but the icemaker doesn’t work. In these cases the cost to repair the next issue will be given to you in an estimate (either verbally if we can fix on the spot, or in an email if we have to order parts) and you can approve the additional repair or not.

Q: Can you bill me?

A: No.  Payment is due at time of service.  We accept check, credit card, cash (techs may not have change available) We are also able to accept credit card payments over the telephone.

Q: Do you sell appliances?

A: No we do not. Our only job is repair and that is what we focus on.  Other companies that both repair and sell appliances have been known to 'condemn' a perfectly good appliance in order to sell you a new one.

Q: Is your Service Call charge deducted from the repair cost if I get a repair done?

A: We do not apply the service charge toward the cost of the repair.  The other companies that claim to 'waive the service call' are trying to make you believe you are getting a cheaper price.  It is a advertising gimmick to get people who are looking for the best price to use their service.

Those appliance repair companies that bait their customers with this advertising method, for the most part, are simply charging a higher repair cost to recover the service charge that they are “not charging” you.  They are covering their expenses in one way or another.

This business isn't like a roofer or contractor who do large jobs costing thousands of dollars and can afford to give free 'estimates' to a couple people in order to land a big job.

Unfortunately, there are more and more appliance repair companies that are operating this way because they are being forced to.  A lot of home owners who don't know the truth will only look for companies with 'free service call' and call them..  causing the honest companies to loose business...so every day, more and more companies switch to this method to survive.

Our pricing is competitive with all the other repair companies (and often cheaper)  More importantly, - We tell potential customers simply to compare our reviews to the other companies.  A quick Google search will show you that many of the other local companies either have no reviews, or worse- bad reviews.  Our customers experience with us says it all.


Q: Is Pitstop Appliance Repair an Authorized Servicer of ___ Brand?

A: We get asked all the time, are you an Authorized Whirlpool repair company? Authorized Sub Zero? Authorized Maytag?

Most homeowners equate being an 'Authorized Servicer' for a company with having knowledge or experience in repairing that product. In reality, all it means to be authorized by a company is that you are contracted to do warranty repair work for them. Most appliances only have a 1 year full warranty, so the vast percentage of all repairs (and experience) are done out of warranty anyway.

In fact, in some cases calling an authorized servicer could end up causing you problems. Why?  Most warranty contract work has an increased hassle of paperwork and delays, while paying low rates and the turn around time of getting paid for each 'claim' can be several weeks, tying up hundreds if not thousands of dollars waiting to get reimbursed.  

What that means is some of the more qualified experienced companies will choose not to do warranty work since they have enough happy customers and reputation to ensure steady workflow. That unfortunately ends up leaving some lower end companies who may not have a good reputation or quality employees to get customers from referrals or online review sites- but they survive off of doing warranty work.

We do not do warranty work. We simply do old fashioned quality work and take care of our customers.

Q: Why should I use Pitstop Appliance Repair?

A: We tell potential customers simply to compare our reviews to the other companies.  A quick Google search will show you that many of the other local companies either have no reviews, or worse- bad reviews.  Our customers experience with us says it all.

If you would like to ask something to have added to this section, please email us.

Email-  [email protected]