Furnace cleaning; initial service poor, follow up excellent
The second serviceman who arrived to rectify problems resulting from my initial visit from Reliance, named Kevin, did an outstanding job and if he had been the first person to arrive, I would have given Reliance a 10 rating. The reason that it shows as a 5 now is that I averaged the initial review rating I did for Homestars for Reliance with the 10 that I believe Kevin earned for the company. All problems noted in the following review were addressed and rectified; he went out of his way to get the job properly done. If you have any furnace servicing performed by Reliance, request Kevin; I don't believe that you will be disappointed. Having said that, read on....
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The first serviceman arrived on time and was friendly and courteous. He worked at my home for approximately half an hour to 45 minutes, and walked me through a checklist of services once he was done, while the furnace was open for inspection. Being a layman, I accepted what he told me as far as the services that were listed on the checklist as having been provided and any recommendations for protection plans available through Reliance Home Comfort.
That night, I went downstairs to see what type of filter had been used to replace my current air filter. I was surprised to find that it was the original filter that I had put there three weeks earlier; there was no filter replacement, which was part of the service for which I paid. I became curious, and checked the interior of the furnace compartment itself. While the interior had received a cursory vacuuming, there was still plenty of dust evident throughout the interior surfaces of the furnace. The blower motor's air intake was caked with dust; it had not been cleaned. The checklist showed that the furnace humidifier had been set for a summer setting, which it was not (it was still set to high humidity, as was the setting for air intake from the humidifier, allowing a/c air to flow back down into the furnace via the humidifier outtake duct). The drain hose for the furnace was not inspected.... I removed the silicone seal from around the connection to the drain pipe and removed a partial clog myself.
I contacted the company to see what could be done to resolve these issues; a different serviceman was sent to evaluate the service that was provided. I used an online WagJag coupon to have my furnace tuned up, and received what I would consider to be a discounted service.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $29.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- Fulfill their obligation to provide quality service on the first visit. I am in the service industry as well, and the best maxim of which I can think is, "Do the work as if it was in your own home."
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Visit HomeStars beforehand and check the reviews. I did not know of HomeStars prior to this service, but I will be using them in the future prior to calling home repair services.
- Company Response
Although I am very happy to hear about your experience with Kevin, I must apologize for the frustration associated with your first visit. If you could please contact me at rmassingham@reliancecomfort.com with more information, I will be sure to have this reviewed in an effort to avoid any similar instances. Thanks in advance. RM