How to Choose a Stairlift Engineer
Most people look for a stairlift engineer at the worst possible moment, which is when the stairlift has already stopped and somebody cannot get upstairs. That is not when you want to be comparing companies, so it is worth knowing what to look for before you need to.
Here is what actually separates a good one from the rest.
You are not tied to whoever fitted it
This is the most common misconception we come across. People assume a stairlift can only be worked on by the company whose name is on the side, and it is not true. Stairlifts are mechanically similar to one another: a rail, a carriage, a motor and gearbox, batteries, a charging point, safety sensors and a seat.
An engineer who understands one make can generally work on most others. The exception is a handful of proprietary parts on certain models, and a straight talking engineer will tell you at the outset if yours is one of them rather than taking a call out fee and explaining afterwards.
The questions worth asking
- Do you work on my make of stairlift, and have you seen this model before?
- Is there a call out charge, and is it separate from the cost of any repair?
- Will you give me a price before you start the work?
- What happens if the part you need is not available?
- Do you cover curved stairlifts as well as straight?
- How quickly can you get to me if it fails again?
The answers matter less than whether you get straight ones. An engineer who will not quote a call out charge over the phone is unlikely to become clearer once they are in your hallway.
What a good engineer will tell you
The best sign is someone who will talk you out of spending money. If a stairlift is twenty years old and needs a part that costs more than the unit is worth, the honest answer is that repairing it does not make sense, and a good engineer will say so and explain what a replacement or a rental would cost instead.
The same applies in reverse. Plenty of the calls we attend turn out to be a stairlift parked slightly off its charging point or a slipper left on the rail. Nobody should be selling you a new stairlift on the back of that.
Local matters more than it sounds
Stairlift breakdowns are not usually convenient. If somebody cannot reach a bedroom or a bathroom, the difference between an engineer who can be with you this afternoon and one who can fit you in next Tuesday is not a small one.
National companies often route the job to whichever contractor is nearest, which means you have no idea who is coming or how long they will take. A local company has its own engineers and its own van stock, and can usually tell you on the phone when they will be there.
Warning signs
- No price given before work starts, or a refusal to quote a call out charge.
- Pressure to replace rather than repair, without a clear reason why.
- An answering service rather than somebody who can actually help.
- No written record left behind after the visit.
- A company that only services the makes it sells.
Common questions
Can any engineer repair my stairlift?
Most competent stairlift engineers can work on most makes, because the mechanics are broadly similar. AMS Group repair and service every make of stairlift, straight or curved, regardless of who originally installed it or how old it is.
How quickly should a stairlift engineer attend?
It depends on whether anyone is left without access to a bedroom or bathroom. AMS Group operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year across Devon and Cornwall, and prioritise cases where somebody is effectively stranded in their own home.
Should I repair or replace an old stairlift?
Once a stairlift is past about fifteen years and needing regular attention, repairs stop being economic. A good engineer will tell you when you have reached that point and set out what a refurbished unit or a rental would cost instead.
Call AMS Group on 01752 781 681 for a stairlift engineer in Plymouth, Devon or Cornwall, on any make and at any hour.