1. Is the company properly licensed in your state to do business?
2. Is the company properly insured with both liability and workers compensation insurance?
3. Only hire a certified firm. Are the technicians professionally trained and certified?
4. Does the company use the highest quality parts available, backed by a long term replacement policy? Do they have a guarantee – in writing? Is it clear how they will remedy the situation if you are not completely satisfied? (Many companies have a “Concrete Warranty”. Once they leave your concrete driveway, the warranty expires.)
5. Price shopping is part of business. If you are looking for a “cheap” door, you can find it. The problem is that you will pay more for it in different ways. The old saying, “you get what you pay for” is never more true than in the garage door business.
6. There are 2 prices you pay for any product or service. The 1st is the price you paid at the time of purchase. The 2nd is the amount that you spent to use the product or service. This can include the cost of repair or replacement of a product or service that was inferior, or was not installed correctly. These 2 prices added together are really your “total cost”. You must also consider the value of your time in this equation. Abel Garage Door may be a little more expensive at the time of purchase, But our customers find that their total cost is actually less than our competitors. That makes us the best overall value.
7. Are the technicians prepared to complete the work? Our trucks are fully stocked so you don’t have to wait on parts. Our professional courteous, and technicians will fix your door right-the first time.

When considering your home’s overall value and potential improvements – don’t forget your garage door. Industry research shows that a garage door replacement or upgrade is a smart investment. An automatic garage door, a custom garage door, and today’s “green” garage doors are excellent ways to boost curb appeal while also increasing home safety and energy efficiency.

Garage Door Upgrades Impact Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is a critical factor of every home. Often, an attached garage takes up nearly fifty percent of a home’s façade, and as such, greatly affects the overall visual impact of the home. Whether you’re considering a move, a refinance, or simply want the nicest looking house on the block, exterior upgrades such as a custom garage door and/or a new automatic garage door have been shown to increase curb appeal and a home’s overall market value. Whether your home is traditional, modern or transitional, there is a garage door available to suit your style and budget. And, by adding custom windows and other garage door accessories, you can personalize your garage door to suit not only your home, but your own personal style.

Increasing Home Safety with an Automatic Garage Door

“Tech-up the garage” is one of REALTOR.com’s top ten “Low Cost High Impact” home improvements for 2009, indicating that upgrading your garage door is a sure hit in the cost vs. value equation. Not only does upgrading to an automatic door with an automatic garage door opener or wireless keypad system assure you a return on your investment, it increases the safety profile of your home for you and your family. Unlike traditional, non-automatic garage doors, all residential automatic garage doors sold in the United States since 1993 are required by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to be outfitted with an external entrapment protection system. This system can be an electric eye, a door edge sensor or any other device that provides protection from any individual or object being trapped beneath a closing garage door, as the door automatically reverses. Along with these numerous safety design features, the wireless keypad systems now available on most doors help to keep your family safe by allowing access to the home even when a family member loses or forgets their keys.

“Green” Garage Door Installation for Increased Energy Efficiency

As the largest moving part on a home, your garage door plays an important role in maintaining its energy efficiency – a critical factor in “green building” and sustainable architectural design. Seasonally, your garage door either helps you keep the heat in or keep the cool in, which means having the right garage door can determine your heating and cooling budget. By upgrading to an energy-efficient, insulated garage door with a life expectancy of nearly twenty years, you are lowering your household’s carbon footprint substantially. If your garage is attached to your home, you will also find that upgrading to an insulated garage door will have such a significant impact that the Internal Revenue Service has declared certain models eligible for an energy savings tax credit under the Energy Tax Incentives Act.

So, as a homeowner, if you are considering making any improvements this year, remember that for increased curb appeal, safety, and adding some “green” to your home and your pocketbook, don’t forget your garage door!

Cathy Wempe of AE Door, a Cincinnati-based residential and commercial garage door retailer. For 30 years, AE Door has been an industry leader in entry and storm doors, commercial garage doors openers and windows.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Why-Upgrade-Your-Home’s-Garage-Door?/1391338

Providing affordable garage door and garage door open repairs and service for over 28 years.

This shmuck copied our name changing the spelling to ride upon our reputation. Got to give him credit. But…

You have to draw the line somewhere! Because of the company’s poor service, it has been tarnished our Sterling Reputation. We have been providing garage door service and repair in Sacramento for well over 28 years. We do have happy customers.

Just to let you know, this is a quote from YELP from one very unhappy customer:

Wendy, I wish i could say the same.

I used them a little less than a month ago when my garage door wanted to commit garage door suicide and jumped the tracks which loosened the wires.  They did their duty ($105 for putting things back on track, etc) and charged us an additional $10 for using a credit card.  Weird.

Fast forward to today.  I couldn’t close my garage.  Same thing minus the wires.  Called and someone on the other end (answering service? sounded half dead/half stoned) asked my info and what the problem was and said that someone would call me back.  Two hours later someone called me back to ask me redundant questions over and over again (like it was going to solve itself with all his questions): what was the problem? (roller not on the track) were you doing anything weird with it? (are you serious) can you close the garage door? (no, it’s off the track) Does it close at an angle (NO, it’s off the track) Is someone home now? (yes, because I CAN’T CLOSE THE GARAGE) [insert huge sigh].  The man told me that someone would be there sometime today.  I forgot to tell him that I have a job!

Two hours after that some dude showed up told me that the roller was worn and that  he “might have over looked it the last time he was over”.  Really you douche?  You were working on the SAME ONE the last time. I was thinking of fighting him if he was going to charge me, but I was so done with him I gave him $5 for the roller and he was out in less than 5 minutes.

Over all time in waiting: 4 hours 15 mins
Work time: 2 minutes
Parts: $5
Vacation time used: 5
Blood pressure rating: off the charts.

This is what happens with mistaken identity

Our response: Marcella, If you had called us this would not have happened! This is a case of mistaken identity. I have another competitor named ABLE Garage Door, located in Roseville.

This would never have happened with our company ABEL GARAGE DOOR. I personally answer all my phones. If I am unavailable, my number one technician takes over in my absence.

Another IMPORTANT point. When we work on any garage door or opener, we perform a comprehensive 18 point check of the entire system. We would have been alerted to your worn rollers and would have replaced it on our First Visit. Sorry for your ordeal.

Moral of the Story

Please don’t confuse us with that shmuck ABLE DOOR COMPANY located in Roseville, CA.

If you want the BEST QUALITY SERVICE AND AN AFFORDABLE PRICE call us!

And if you are one of our many happy customers, please write a review with your experience.

Thank you!

1. Lower your Labor Costs – Fire your high priced technicians and replace them with less experienced and lower skilled employees. Or just, reduce the number of people you have working for you.
2. Reduce your materials cost – Look for cheaper sources of materials. And if you’re really desperate, find sources of used parts and use them in your repairs.
3. Reduce your margins – It’s one thing to make a little less, knowing that your customers are less willing to spend money. It is a totally different story, when you reduce your price to break even! Companies that do this are on the brink of going out of business.

There are no SECRETS! And the old adage remains the same: “If it sounds too good to be true, it is.”

Frankly, I’m a little pissed off at what some of my competitors are doing out there. I find it totally unacceptable when companies make promises they don’t back up. For example, many offer a coupon advertising a service call for $29.95  This is ridiculous! On average, in any given market, it takes a minimum of 30 minutes travel time to get to a customer. Round trip that’s an hour. Combine that with fuel cost and wear and tear on the vehicle cost. The break even amount of a service call is on average $20  THAT DOES NOT include the time it takes once you are on the job.

Bottom line: Consumers Beware - You are GUARANTEED you will be pressured once the technician arrives with additional fees and services.

Another trick used quite frequently by less than desirable companies: Being too greedy or incompetent by telling customers that the only way to fix their door is to replace it with a new one.

In servicing thousands of garage doors over our 28 years, most doors can be repaired for less money than it takes for a replacement. We have the ability to replace the hinges, springs, and cables on a door for less than a couple of hundred dollars. And if through our inspection of the door, we find that the costs will exceed $200, then we have a choice to make.

Important rule of thumb: If the repair on the garage door costs more than $200, you are $200 away from a new door(A new door installed is about $400)

Now I realize this is a blanket statement, but for most doors, repairs are typically limited to replacing a couple of hinges, the cable and maybe even a bearing or two. And if you really had to, replacing a panel on the door. The costs here are still less than a couple of hundred dollars.

I also understand, replacing an old door with a new one is always better, but let’s get real! Repairs almost always cost half of what a new door costs. When we’re all trying to save money, we get the most out of our money with a repair and a can of paint.

Here’s the last tip: Most garage door openers can be repaired to function like new. All too often, other companies are looking for the quick buck. If the opener is broken…sell them a new one! I personally, don’t like to buy a new one if I can fix it!  If I had money to burn, sure I’d buy a new one but times are tough. We are here to help!

These are just a couple of the ways to save money on garage door and opener repair. We believe in educating our customers to make informed decisions to get the most for their hard earned money.

Abel Garage Door has been servicing the Sacramento Metropolitan market for over 28 years. We know what it is like to struggle in tough economic times. We’ve done it before and we are doing it now. We strive to provide the most cost effective and value for every service we provide. We know survival is guaranteed to those that provide top quality service at an affordable price.

We place our customers first.

We are fully licensed, bonded and insured. We are open 7 days a week from 7am to 7pm with emergency service available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.