I'm surprised I have to leave a low score, given the otherwise good service I've received from Novak in the past.
A/C went on the fritz during the last heatwave. A technician came out fairly quickly (next day), which is good. Like last year, they hosed the a/c out and replaced the capacitor. I thought that a bit odd, since that was the same service they did last year. It seemed to work last year, so maybe it'll be the same this year?
No. Still got hot air from the A/C. I had to call John Novak, who said he'd get right back to me. It was disappointing that he didn't after an hour, and I had to call him a second time. A technician was dispatched for the next day.
They replaced the capacitor AGAIN, to no real change. The air was a *bit* cold, but certainly not what an AC should be. I phoned Novak again, but they seemed to be stumped. Even though they are the knowledgeable professionals, they couldn't diagnose what was going on over the phone, or even offer to come back to do another diagnosis.
I would have had absolutely no problem paying for a second repair, if there was a secondary issue. But they didn't even offer that, or seem to imply that they knew there was a secondary problem.
In the end, I spent money and didn't get a proper repair. I had to go with a second company to fix what the problem actually was: low freon. (Which, BTW, I was able to diagnose and confirm with some simple Internet research-- how the heck could I have figured out the issue but not them)?
- Approximate cost of services:
- $200.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- If you're going to take a long time to call a customer back, just give them a quick ring to say "Haven't forgotten about you, will be in touch". Just let me know you haven't forgotten about your paying customer while I sit in the heat because of improper repair. If a first repair doesn't take hold, you're great at coming back to support it, but be willing to admit there is a second problem. If there's two issues, it's perfectly reasonable to pay for two repairs. (If the first repair was wrong, then worry about giving a discount on second). All I cared about was getting the actual problem fixed so my family didn't have to deal with the heat.
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Buy a thermometer. Check the actual air level coming out of your AC vents after the repair, but before the technician leaves. If the air is still too hot (more than 20c!), then insist that the job isn't done yet.
- Company Response
"We are sorry to hear this customer feels we did not meet their needs on this occasion. We would like to clarify a couple of points in this review. A year ago the client had an A/C problem; the system had a failed capacitor and the condensing unit coil was plugged with dirt. We repaired and cleaned the unit and informed the client that due to the location of the unit that to prevent further cooling problems the condensing unit coil needs to be hosed out at least once a year. On June 19, 2012 during a very hot spell the client called and we were happy we could provide him with immediate service the next day. The condensing unit was plugged with dirt which caused the system to overload and the capacitor to fail. All services performed are done with equipment designed for that purpose and the system is completely checked over from top to bottom during a service call. Our test equipment showed the refrigerant levels were fine at that time and the unit was running properly. That evening the client called and said the unit wasn’t cooling. I returned the call as soon as I was able, due to the high volume of calls I was getting that day it is not always possible to return call so promptly, especially after hours, but I apologize for the delay. I dispatched my technician the next day at no charge to verify the problem, he only changed the capacitor again as an extra precaution not that it had failed or that the one I used the previous day didn’t run the unit. Test running the unit again showed that it was working properly and the client agreed that the house was cold. How the system was low on refrigerant after my technician left is a puzzle. If the client had called me I would have responded again to rectify the problem. I feel that my company provides an exceptional service; we are on call 7 days a week and work long daily hours to complete the work that we have to do. Every job is important to us and we bend over backwards for customer satisfaction and we guarantee all our work. "