Jason at Duct Dudes is a highly trained professional who does a superb job of cleaning and servicing your furnace and ducts.
Jason spent over 6 hours at our 120 year old house today and enjoyed the challenge of the job. I spoke to him a few weeks ago about the job and he wasn't sure he would be able to fit his heavy-duty 220 volt vacuum into our crawlspace. He then spent about 1/2 hour on the phone with me explaining to me what to look for in a contractor to do the job properly.
I called 3 other companies and settled on Milani because they assured me they used agitation devices in the ductwork to loosen the hardened on dust to ensure the vacuum could actually remove the built-up dust and grime in the ducts.
To see what "agitation devices" are, go to Jason's (Duct Dudes) website to watch the product videos at:
http://ductdudes.ca/2011/11/services/
Anyway, when I spoke to Milani's "service clerk" on the phone I asked to speak to a technician because I had some questions and the woman I spoke to assured me she could answer any questions I had. Unfortunately, when I asked about brushes and agitation equipment, she told me Milani had all that and they were triple A rated on BBB, Homestars, etc. So, I hired them.
When they came, the technician didn't even consider removing his shoes until I looked at them and he realized I was wondering why he hadn't at least asked, Then, he proceeded to bring in the vacuum they use (110 volt - Duct Dudes uses a way more powerful 220 volt).
The Milani technician was unable to lower the machine into the crawlspace without my help, which was my second clue to the inferior quality of the service, and when he moved his truck around back and I asked to see the agitation devices and brushes, he said he didn't have them and didn't need them because the vacuum was super powerful.
I disagreed and was annoyed because his "you can ask me anything" service clerk had assured me that they used the agitation devices.
I told him that I didn't want him to proceed with the work because I understood based on watching Duct Dudes videos and talking to Jason that the job could not be completed properly without them.
I then called up the videos to show the technician when he got annoyed and didn't want to watch them quoting their "triple A" customer satisfaction rating.
I told him I was going to call MIlani's office to tell them I was unhappy with the misinformation and he told me to talk to his boss, whom he called on his cell phone.
The boss apologized for me being misled and said he would properly "train" the service clerk, and graciously agreed not to charge me anything for their time. (I guess not, they didn't do anything except make a mess of my floor and get me to help them move heavy equipment).
The technician was swearing as he left the house. VERY UNPROFESSIONAL! Funny they can be annoyed at me after not telling the truth to get the job.
What really ticks me about this whole scenario, is that the majority of people would not know to question the quality of their work because they have nothing to compare it to and it is not their field of expertise. Think of the inexperienced car owner who gets taken advantage of at the service station.
Milani was going to charge me $500 to clean the ducts and service the furnace. Any ducts over 14 would be an additional $15 a piece.
Jason at Duct Dudes, however, quoted me $350. for the complete job and when it ended up taking him over 6 hours to do the complete job, he didn't ask for a penny more but I insisted on paying him more because he had been so thorough.
Jason explained the entire system to me and showed me the before and after inside the furnace and the cold air intakes. He also explained how the system worked and showed me the agitating brushes and other equipment.
I feel very grateful I had such a conscientious person do the job for us as my son has allergies and this job is really important to us. Jason has a great deal of integrity and stands behind his work.
I feel annoyed that Milani, who started off as a plumbing company, has added duct cleaning as another source of income, when they really don't deliver what customers deserve in terms of service.
I highly recommend at least calling Jason before you hire anyone. Unfortunatly, people who don't know any better may give rave reviews to company's like Milani, without ever knowing how really clean their ducts are.
Watch the videos on Jason's site under services. If the person you are hiring to clean your ducts is not using this equipment, Be cautious.
Better yet, Call Jason. Not only will you get a superior job, you will get a courteous, well-educated, nice young man who takes pride in his work. Don't wait, Call Duct Dudes today. I am willing to stand behind all of these claims, so if you want to talk to me, contact Homestars, and they can give me your number to call you and talk.
Hope you breathe easier soon.
Call Duct Dudes.
