How to Choose a Provider

Learn how to choose a provider that will best suit your needs. There are generally two different types of an elevator service provider:

1. National Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

As the name suggests, these companies manufacture and install new elevators, as well as providing maintenance, repair and modernization services. They have a national coverage area and a full-service support team with customer call centers, customer web portals, and field teams that are trained to service all OEM’s elevators. You can choose a provider like Kone, Schindler, Otis Elevator, TK Elevator and Mitsubishi.

2. Regional ELevator Service Provider. 

These companies focus on providing local elevator maintenance, repair and modernization services. There are many regional service providers, and this web site will make it easy for you to choose a provider. Some companies have a single branch and cover a small area while others may have 4 or 5 branches to provide a regional coverage area. They generally have a support team that includes emergency phone numbers but don’t always provide a customer web portal. Their field teams may have been originally trained by an OEM.

elevator service provider summary

The elevator service provider that is right for you will depend on a number of factors which may include:

Reputation

This can often vary by service provider and by the local branch depending on the service team’s ability to provide a great customer experience. Check out the ratings and reviews in this web site and talk to other facility managers or building owners to get references.

Expertise

It is important to understand if the field teams and lift mechanics have the expertise to maintain and fix your type of elevator. You should ask for references of which type and manufacturer of elevators are currently maintained by the service provider.

Locality

If your elevator stops working and you have a trapped passenger it is important to understand how long it will take for the service provider to get to your building and where their branch is located. You can check the service provider address using this web site.

Technology

If having remote monitoring, access to a web site, and real-time text or email alerts is important then this will narrow down your choices to the National OEMs and some of the larger Regional Service Providers.

Spare Parts

Quick access to spare parts will be important, especially for older elevators. Some service providers will keep some spare parts at the local branch while others will have a spare parts center with next day shipping capabilities. Generally, if your service provider is the same company as the OEM then you will have greater and faster access to spare parts and therefore less elevator downtime if it needs repairing.

Price

There are three main components of the pricing a service provider will include. The cost of spare parts for your elevator, the service support operations, and the cost of the field teams who actually visit your elevator. Some field teams are unionized while others are not, and this will be a major factor contributing to the cost of the service contract. Generally, National OEMs will be more expensive than Regional Service Providers so it is important to understand the total value that each will provide based on the factors listed above.

Learn More

How to Choose a Contract
How to Choose a Digital Service

Comments

2 responses to “How to Choose a Provider”

  1. D. Koga Avatar
    D. Koga

    I used one of the company’s on your list, Shaw Elevator. I had a elevator door that would not open on one level. Shaw wanted to come out on a Saturday or Sunday so I scheduled them for Sunday. The tech worked on the door for 2 1/2 hours and could not get it fixed. He told me the parts were too old and then demanded payment for $1,468 for work and transportation. I still have an elevator door that does not open. I’m not happy with your 5 star rating!

    dk

    1. chrisabowler
      chrisabowler

      Hi – thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, Sunday is normally counted as overtime hours which is why you were charged a large amount. It’s always good to get an estimate of costs prior to asking an elevator company to perform work on your elevator, especially if you don’t have a maintenance contract with them. It may be good to ask the OEM of the elevator to help because they may be able to find the spare parts for the door system. I don’t see a 5-star rating for Shaw Elevator in our Elevator Directory. The star ratings are provided by other customers, and I highly recommend adding your feedback to the Shaw Elevator listing which you can do by searching for them in the Elevator Directory. If you’d like our consulting service help, please contact me at chris@myelevatorservice.com and we can set up a call to discuss. thanks, Chris

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