Commercial Refrigeration

Q. What are the most common jobs you do for your clients?

A. Panel changes and outlet repairs are the most common, but we can do anything from service calls to new construction.

Q. What information do you recommend customers have ready when contacting you?

A. check out any and all of these sites for info on our company:
http://www.dexknows.com/business_profiles/thurston_electric_llc-b659438
www.thurstonelectricllc.com
http://www.houzz.com/pro/thurstonelectric/__public

Q. What makes you stand out from other contractors in your area?

A. We're one of the oldest companies in the area and we've gained customers almost entirely through word of mouth and occasionally through websites like dexknows and yelp. We've maintained a stellar reputation since our founding in 1976, so we're both well-established and well-regarded. There's not many companies that have lasted as long as us, and even fewer with a reputation like ours.

Q. Describe three recent jobs where you made your clients really happy

A. 1. An old lady called us as a second opinion when her dryer quit working and after a chain-store electrical company said that the wiring from her panel to the dryer was "expired" and would cost around $5,000. We came out and discovered it was a simple bad breaker, which cost less than $200 to fix.
2. Not recent, but one of our better stories: during the 2010 snow storm a married couple were without power and couldn't get any other electricians to come out and couldn't even afford a generator since the wife wasn't working and they had a 3 month old daughter. We came out and convinced their neighbor to buy a generator and we hooked up the generator to the neighbors panel, and then ran a power line to the couples house. Instead of the cost of a new generator and emergency rates to connect it, it was just the cost of the power cable with the labor to install it and standard rates.
3. Countless times we've had people call, asking us to come out and replace a bad outlet. instead of charging them to replace the outlet we ask if it's in a bathroom or kitchen, and if so we explain how to reset the GFCI outlet. "broken" outlet fixed, free of charge.

Q. What are the most rewarding aspects of being a local contractor?

A. Helping people in need and preventing them from being taken advantage of by crooked contractors are the best part of my job. When I'm able to prevent someone from being conned out of a couple grand by some dishonest contractor it just makes my day. Local contractors are often more reliable then the big chains like A+. Don't believe me? google them... I'll wait... see what i mean? Not all chains are bad, but some of them are trained via a company manual that actually teaches them how to con unsuspecting customers.

Q. Can you give advice to homeowners on how to find the best contractor for their project?

A. I suggest checking at least 2 websites like dexknows or yelp. Keep an eye out for vague, cookie cutter, especially if they over-use exclamation points reviews like "great work!!!! Would recommend!!! signed- Happy Homeowner".
Never, under any circumstances, trust a contractor who isn't licensed and bonded in their trade.
If the contractor doesn't offer free estimates, don't have them come out unless you plan on hiring them or you will receive a bill in the mail. Check a review site to be certain, some companies offer free estimate, if you hire them afterward. Otherwise you'll get a surprise bill.
If the contractor comes out in a dirty, disorganized, or beat up vehicle, be wary. This may reflect on their workmanship and character.
Handymen are alright for some tasks, like replacing a door, or fixing a wobbly table, but don't trust them with electrical or plumbing. A simple mistake with plumbing can cause a leak, which leads to water damage and mold, and a mistake in electrical can lead to a fire.