Safe Service Calls at Home During a Pandemic

I’ve managed to strike a balance between keeping my family safe and having as normal a life as possible during the pandemic. This is why for nearly six months, not a single soul beyond my wife and kiddo entered our home—until something broke down.

My home office started experiencing a wiring issue, and since electrical wiring isn’t my thing any more than appliance repair in Toronto is, I had to call an electrician. Not going to lie—I had trepidation about potential exposure from a technician who sees dozens of other residential customers every week. The good news is, I found a company that managed to schedule us fairly quickly, and they were respectful of my pandemic precautions.

The electrician wore a face mask, maintained his distance, and quickly identified the problem. He was in and out in less than half an hour, and my fears of wiring shorting out and starting a fire quickly abated. 

We soon decided, based on this repair, that plans to replace our ancient HVAC system should go forward if that company could also promise the same commitment to keeping us secure. Yet again, we found an excellent provider that installed our system while keeping everyone involved from creating a vulnerability to potential infection exposure. 

If you’re looking at having an in-home repair or service call, I suggest you make sure the company does the following, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control:

Before the Visit

Do as much of the pre-service consultation as possible before the service provider arrives.

• Check with your local health department to see if there is a stay-at-home order in your state or local community that restricts non-essential activities or services. If a stay-at-home order is in effect in your community, consider if the service request is essential or if it can be delayed.
• If you or someone in your home has COVID-19, has symptoms consistent with COVID-19, or has been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, wait to schedule non-emergency services that require entry into your home until it is safe to be around others.
• If you or someone in your home is at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, such as older adults or those with underlying medical conditions, consider not being inside the home during the service, or find someone else who can be in the home instead.
• Do as much of the pre-service consultation as possible before the service provider arrives, to reduce the amount of time the service provider spends inside your home. For example, discuss the details of the service request on the phone or by email, and send pictures ahead of time.
• Discuss any COVID-19 precautions the service provider is taking, including the use of masks for the duration of the service visit, any pre-screening procedures (such as temperature checks) and using the restroom during the service call.

During the Visit

• Ask the service provider to wear a mask.
• You and other household members should wear masks.
• Stay at least 6 feet from the service provider, and limit interactions between the service provider and other household members and pets.
• After the service is completed, clean and disinfect any surfaces in your home that may have been touched by the service provider.

Certainly, during a pandemic, pay attention to these details for your family’s safety and your peace of mind.