Alste Electric Inc

They arrived on time, worked fast and were completed in record time.

GREAT JOB NO NONSENSE COMPLETED ON TIME ON BUDGET GREAT ATTITUDE WOULD USE AGAIN

Once I opened a ticket with the home warranty company, Alste contacted me the next day (opened on Saturday - called Sunday) and was able to come out the next business day. On the first visit, they tightened the neutral on the panel and took a general look around. The issue was intermittent and not happening while they were there so not much more to do on that call. As the issue persisted they gladly came back out (no additional change which may or may not have been the same had I not had the home warranty- I don't know) to investigate. Each time, they were able to visit the next business day from my call. In the end, they didn't do much actual "work" but they proved a tremendous asset in ultimately driving to a solution. If I have electrical needs in the future, I will confidently call Alste and know I'm in good hands. When it comes to electric and the safety of my family, I take both seriously. Having someone you can trust is important. i trust Alste after this experience.

It was a first rate experience from start to finish. And the electrician did not charge for the extra time needed to go the the lighting store and bring back its lighting specialist.

We purchased an Angie's List Big Deal (two hours of electrical work for $99) to cover a number of minor electrical repairs throughout our Chicago condo including a broken dining room chandelier dimmer switch that needed to be repaired, a pantry ceiling light fixture that needed to be installed, and 10 electric sockets plates that needed to be replaced. When we called to redeem the deal, an appointment was made at our convenience within the week. On the day of the service call, the electrician Al arrived promptly and worked his way steadily through our fix-it list. After he had finished our repairs, Al advised us to consider replacing the old fashioned ceiling lights in our closets (which are a fire hazard) with motion sensitive lights. He also answered our questions about the difficulty of installing lights beneath our kitchen cabinets. We were very satisfied with the work done by Alste Electric and feel that we have found our go-to electrician. Aside from the $99 Angie's List Big Deal Cost, we were charged $32 for the cost of the socket plates and other materials used for our repairs. This seemed very reasonable. We have recommended Alste Electric to our neighbors and intend to use them again ourselves in the future to install lights beneath our kitchen cabinets.

He was all around great. We were able to work together. He gave some great ideas for the lighting and switches.

They were pretty prompt. They asked about what needs to be done, and they came up and made some suggestions. They did a good job.

Very rough, one of the worst. The electrician left a hole in the wall about 3x2 inches because he missed the wall when "fishing" for the switch. That place is actually pretty easy to measure accurately, so this was because of inexperience and stupidity. When he finished he didn't even bother to re-cover the ceiling where he worked with the insulation. When I called about the hole in the wall they said they are not responsible... I guess that's one way to run a business to make sure a customer would never come back. I fixed the hole myself. Also, the work was not consistent with village code, and they wanted to charge 3 more hours to make it according to code. I gave up on that one.I did not give them an "F" because after all they did do the job and were not dishonest.

I a m very saddened to have to write this negative review, particularly since this electrician just purchased a home in my neighborhood. I am doing so out of a feeling of responsibility for others in my community. The electrician, whose first name I cannot remember, is a perfectly nice guy. He was pleasant and chatty, which would have been fine had he not tried to charge me for the time we spent chatting. Had this been the least of my troubles, I likely would not have written a review. My negative experience was as follows: 1. He broke a CFL bulb in the master bath and took no care with its cleanup other than to sweep the floor. He did not advise me of the broken bulb until a few hours later. I was caring for my 2 year old daughter at the time and so was unable to research appropriate cleanup for several hours. Apparently, because the toxic mercury in the bulb becomes gaseous when it comes into contact with air, the advice is to turn off central HVAC, open any windows in the room and close all doors for several hours following the breakage. 2. I had been told by his receptionst that he would arrive with the 2 timers in hand and that there was no need for me to purchase such on my own. When he arrived, I showed him the job and then he left for about 45 minutes to purchase the timers. And where did he go? Not to our neighborhood ACE or Home Depot but to an overpriced lighting store where he bought their most expensive timers. When he returned, he did not tell me what they had cost before installing them and I, stupidly, assumed he had been frugal with my money. 3. The installation of the outlet required that wires be pulled through part of a different room. He did not ask me if it would be ok for him to run piping outside the studs in the wall. When he showed me what he had done, I told him the work was not acceptable and he would need to redo it to maintain the boundary of the room (a shocking objection, I know). He then attempted to charge me for the redo. 4. This was an Angie's List deal for 2 hours of work. When he initially arrived and reviewed the job, he estimated he job would take far less than 2 hours. At the end, he attempted to charge me for 2 extra hours of labor even though he had done less work than he had initially reviewed and the extra time was spend chatting with me and, primarily, redoing the wiring for the outlet as described above. While I did pay him for 1 hour above the deal as opposed to the 2 he tried to charge, I don't believe he was right to have charged me for any extra time. I am also livid that he created a health hazard for my daughter in her own home.

The Alste electrician showed up late. To his defense, he told me that he was given the wrong time on the work order and would have been on time or early. I believed this to be true, because when I called to schedule the appointment. The lady who answered seem to be a bit confused and unorganized. The electrician did a nice and quick job.

Overall, it was a good experience. They did what I asked them do and the quality of work was good. I would use them again in the future.

Alste Electric provided great service and was very professional. One person visited our home to assess the situation and tell me what I needed to do next to prepare for their service. I was not charged for this visit. When the service was performed, it was very efficient and the electrician made sure everything was working to my satisfaction. They did a great job of cleaning up. I was very pleased and would definately use them again in the future.

This is work done under an Angie's List "Big Deal". Al was friendly, courteous and had great knowledge. He worked quickly and wanted to do as much work as could be done in the time he was present.

I hired this company through an Angie's List Big Deal offer. lMy house was built in 1932. Construction was not done to code (including electrical) by today's standards. Both son and father had challenges with replacing the fixtures in my bathroom and outside the front door. They did their best. They were very friendly and professional. I believe that the old homes in my neighborhood need professionals to work on the electrical system who have expert knowledge in how to deal with old house electrical needs. This company did their best and did focus on safety first, but I also was concerned with aesthetics . Unfortunately, they did not meet my needs.

I paid for 2 hours but it was done in 45 minutes. I would probably use him again.

It was a Big Deal that we purchased. It was for 2 hours of work. We were very satisfied. He was very friendly and helpful. I wasn't there and he explained everything to my wife in terms that she could understand. He took extra time to do that. Everything works great now. The price was great. It was a lot better than if we had just called and scheduled the work. The work was done very well. As soon as we called, we were able to get an appointment. It was very quick. They weren't only a minute or so late. We would use them again.

I called for an appointment and Jerry, the owner, showed up exactly on time for an estimate. Ast turned out, I didn't need any significant work. Jerry just screwed in a couple of lighting fixtures and tightened them up and showed me how to fix the one that was actually broken myself, although he dismantled it for me (I needed to buy a $10 part which Jerry didn't have with him). Although Jerry was here a good 30 minuttes and actually did some work he charged me nothing for his time and advice and services. He was very personable and obviously very knowledgeable. I went out and bought the part at Ace and installed it myself, which, after Jerry's advice, proved to be quite easy. Later that evening, Jerry called me to ask if everything had gone all right and if I needed any further advice. I told him things had gone fine. Needless to say, I will definitely hire him in the future should the need arise. All in all, a very pleasant experience.

My phone call to make the appointment was returned in a fairly quick manner. We made my appointment for the following week. The day and time that he was supposed to come came and went, so I phoned about 9:30 for and 8:30-9 am appointment. I was told to hold on and she checked and realized she had read the appointment wrong and I was now the second stop, not the first. I had a 12:00pm work appointment and it was decided that he was going to finish up the job he was at and come to me so I could make my appointment. He called when he was leaving that job and came and did the job with 15 minutes to spare for me. One thing I realized after he left is that the room with the electrical circuit breakers in the basement where he looked at them, he opened a ceiling tile to look for an electrical pipe and the ceiling tile was left open and the lights left on. I can't reach that easily without getting on something to move it back.

Used the "Big Deal" $99 for 2 hours of electical work. After those 2 hours, it would be $99/hr. Jerry arrived a bit early (which was great!). After briefly explaining what we needed done, he got to work immediately. Started with the basement, fixing the polarity issue, which took about 10 minutes, then went to the garage to examine the circuit breaker panel, which had 3 lines coming into one circuit. He educated us on what would be best to do at this point, considering safety and cost. Had parts with him in his truck, which was helpful. Parts were $80+ extra. He was very honest about what work could be done and what could not during the 2 hours allotted. We had bought some light fixtures to be installed, but we knew he probably would not have enough time. He went above and beyond in teaching my husband how he could switch out light fixtures by himself. He also made some recommendations about alternative electric service providers and home maintenance warranty. All in all, we were happy with the service provided. Would definitely recommend to others and call back for any of our electrical needs.

The job took longer than the time that was purchased. They billed me as though it was the first hour of work so it was the higher rate instead of like it was into the 4th hour of work.

Angie's list ran a Big Deal special for 2 hours of electrical work for $99. Since I wanted a new outlet for a fish tank, I accepted the deal and hoped a new outlet could be created in 2 hours. It was. There was time left over to move the doorbell transformer (and its tangled wires) out of the basement and tuck it away neatly in the crawlspace. I paid $99 for 2 hours labor and then $78 for parts (GFCI outlet, wiring, and new hard metal pipes). The piping was all new and custom fit in the crawlspace for the new outlet wiring. My new outlet was put in a wall that had no outlet before--but it does now! I am very pleased.

I called Alste Electric on July 29, 2011 and left a message saying I would like them to come the following week at some point to replace several light fixtures in my new home. I received a call back later that same day and we arranged a service date of Thursday, August 4th. Jerry came out the morning of August 4th to do the work. He was on time and cheerful. While he was there he replaced seven different fixtures and answered all my questions whether they were regarding the work he was doing or another electrical question. I would happily use them again in the future.

I purchased the 99.00 Angie's List Big Deal after I had a very old fluorescent light fixture burn out in our utility room. Since there was an intense burning smell the day it went out, I thought there was the possibility of some more significant electrical issue. I decided to just get a replacement fixture and have it installed with this deal instead of trying to repair the decades old fixture I'd had problems with for years. And I wanted a fixed cost for this work because I've had several bad experiences with contractors before where they have to get "their" money's worth from their visit. Al arrived early morning as planned. The light fixture was the primary work we needed done and Al completed it within 30 to 45 minutes. Since the deal was for 2 hours of electrical work, Al asked about other projects we needed done. We couldn't really identify any areas where more outlets were needed. I spotted a flood light on our garage that had never worked since we moved in, so Al went to work on that. With some modifications he created a working light that was really all I needed....didn't want to invest in a replacement light with the motion sensor the old one had. So he got rid of the broken motion sensor a second bulb which had the wires exposed. Finally my wife remembered we had a light fixture over our stairs that we've never replaced the bulbs for after they went out because we didn't have the right kind of latter for the job. I didn't have any replacement CFL bulbs (wanted to put longer lasting ones in there) so Al offered to go out and buy them for us since he didn't have any with him. My wife ended up running out quickly herself to Home Depot but it was great of him to offer. So now we have light again for our stairs. All the of the projects were completed well within our 2 hour window. We were happy, especially because there were no unexpected costs beyond what we already paid for. Overall experience was great and would definitely look to Al in the future for electrical work.

I called on a Monday after having purchased the big deal to schedule an appointment. We confirmed an appointment for the Wednesday, 2 days later. Al called me back later Monday afternoon to review what I needed done. Al arrived on time, and had called when he was on his way to let me know he would be there shortly. We first looked at the circuit on my enclosed back porch that hasn't worked in quite some time. After about 20 minutes, it was clear we were going to have to cut into some walls to see what was going on. Since I have plans to renovate the kitchen in the next year, we decided to move on. We began changing out the kitchen outlets from standard outlets to GFCI outlets. When I had spoke to the woman on the phone to schedule, she was clear that parts were not included, and I had gone to the store and bought the outlets prior to Al's arrival. As is typical in just about every simple project in my house (its over 100 years old), we ran into a few minor complications. The holes in the backsplash had to be enlarged to accomodate the larger GFCI outlets, and we needed some longer screws in one instance. Al had a glass cutter with him to score the tile, so I used that to enlarge the holes while he installed the new outlets, and he managed to find 2 screws in his van that would do the job. We then moved on to the ceiling fan in the guest bedroom. Once again, nothing goes as planned. The attachment bracket wouldn't fit and Al was able to quickly make some modifications to the mounting plate, and get the job done. Keep in mind that I really like to be involved in work being done on my condo, and since we had two hours, and quite a bit of work to get done i was happy to be more involved so that we got more work done. While he was working on the mounting bracket for the fan, I assembled the blades. While he was on the ladder, I handed him parts and tools. I am sure I could have sat in the living room the entire time, but again, I like this stuff, I like to see what is being done and how it is being done, I like to be involved, and as a bonus, we got more work done. Al stayed a few minutes over to look at a few future projects for me, gave me a few rough estimates, along with a few referals to other contractors for work I need done. After my last electrician experience, where the electrician was in my house for 14 mintues, and my bill was over $300 (no parts included), I think I have finally found an electrician I can trust, and isn't bothered by my asking questions, and watching/learning about what he is doing.

I initially contacted Alste Electric on or about 6/20. There was an initial call back to us and details of what we were in need of, was given to the secretary/scheduler/office manager...I'm not certain her role in the company. Approximately 10 days elapsed which initiated an email from me to Alste, to try and get a service call scheduled. I outlined in my email all that I needed done and that it was going to consume more than the promotional 2 hours offered. More calls back-and-forth to my office.....my office manager again reiterating all that we needed to have done and that it was going to take more than 2 hours....still no firm commitment as to when they would have someone come out. In a very terse phone call from me to Alste, I stated that I had been more than patient and that I was requesting a firm date before the end of business that day. I again stated that I needed more than the 2 hours for the work that needed to be done. The secretary did call before the end of business to confirm the arrival of the electrician on Thursday the 7th. He arrived without a tall ladder and had no intentions of using the extension ladder that I had provided. He stayed exactly 2 hours and said that he would "send his son back to finish what was left next week" [which meant this week]. No sign of his son...which is just as well. I am stunned that in an economy such as we have, that this company would not take advantage of billing for additional hours of work; when it was clearly stated at least 3 times that additional hours over and above the promotion were being requested. My conclusion from my experience with Alste Electric is that they are not at all interested in cultivating a new customer/client relationship. I would NEVER recommend this company to any other member or non-member. Cynthia Powers 847-609-8299