Shafer Services

I'm finding that they're a little overpriced, which I still would use them for those services, but I probably would not use them for their plumbing services. I pay a monthly rate of $18 and that gets me a spring and fall check at no cost and a so-called discount if I need other things, parts or whatever, and it gives me a free plumbing check where they come here and do the plumbing. But, like I said, I find almost any plumbing service they offer is 200 something dollars, and I find that a little on the ridiculous side. So I am thinking of calling one of the things listed right now, I think another company is off $95, although I think it's their usual, it's $95 a thing.

Everyone was an absolute pleasure to deal with. Highly recommend the company as a whole.

This is a follow-up review. The HVAC system they installed has been excellent. It was extremely expensive, 15000, but I was willing to pay it for what I believed to be trouble free installation which Schafer delivered. What I have issues with is this company's practice of continuous up selling. Everytime I have contact with them they suggest thousands of dollars worth of services. While I don't have to buy thier suggestions, which I haven't, I would like to think I am more than a dollar sign to this company. First they offered a."Free" plumbing evaluation of my house. When completed they "suggested" 1800 dollars of minor plumbing services. Knowing a little bit about plumbing I could tell this "estimate" was extremely expensive. I ended up having the work done for 700 dollars by another plumber. Next they came over for the first ac check. They casually mentioned to my wife that if we spent 1800 dollars, they like 1800 for some reason, they could install infrared red lights that would eliminate all the pet odors from the house. First off, I didn't think we had an issue with pet odors and secondly if we did why didn't they suggest that 3 months earlier when they installed the 15000 dollar system? Thinking it was just a casual suggestion from the crew I didn't tell them I wasn't interested. But a few weeks later I received a call from them asking us if we had decided to install the lights. that's when I realized this was Shafer's normal up selling process. Again, if you don't mind being continually solicited for extremely expensive upgrades you might be OK with Shafer. Also, if you don't mind paying top dollar for what you do buy Shafer will be OK because everything they have done for me has been good work. But I know you can get just as good service from other companies who will not treat you like a dollar sign and will charge much less for their work.

I have a service contract that includes an annual check of my plumbing. I also have one for my HVAC system, which Shafer installed. They always call to remind me it's time and to schedule the service, which is included in the cost of the contract. They give a 2-hour time frame, but if a technician is available earlier in the day they call and ask if I'm available earlier, which is nice. They send an email with the name and photo of who is coming. This time it was a new person, Mike, but just like everyone else at Shafer, he was friendly and competent and didn't try to sell me something I didn't need. He gave me some good advice. My dogs liked him, which is always a good sign. I highly recommend Shafer.

Very well - having an interesting problem w/ cooling, but Shafer's response has been wonderful

Great. They were in and out and got the job done

They properly assessed my faucet problem...Properly identified problem. They did not fix my problem because it turned out the problem was warranted by the manufacturer so the manufacturer actually replaced the faucet for me.

Matt showed up. very likable, knowledgable, professional... would hire him all day long. But the company on the phone said there was no hourly rate. Just a per job rate. Matt said he charges 400 something dollars an hour. This was told to me after he shows up to my house in the dominion. I'm not drawing any conclusions. I'm just simply relaying facts that were told to me. I gasped and repeated the price for clarification. I explained I would be hiring a plumber in the 100 dollar range since that is really the market price for my job. He was very polite and understood completely. Again... I would hire Matt all day every day. He was very knowledgable.

Good job for a problem that was bigger than first thought!!

Our old A/C firm went out of business, so I contacted Shafer Services to do our semi-annual maintenance. The technician was a very nice guy, but I felt he was looking for things the company could charge me for. He did not offer to change our air filters (2 are high up on the ceiling and I can't reach them), and did not hose out the outdoor unit. I'm not sure what he did in the attic with that unit, but he did mention replacing a coil on our 5-year-old system. He did offer to sell us a maintenance program, and said if we didn't do the things he recommended it would void our 10 year A/C warranty. I just felt he was not as thorough on the service part, but very attentive to ways the company could get more money from us.

Great job. On time fixed. Cheap price.

It was absolutely fantastic. It wasn't cheap but it was certainly worth it. Everyone from the office to the service men were very happy workers. They were so polite and nice. They even sent me a Christmas card and each worker sent a hand-written thank-you note to me thanking me for my business. They are really fantastic. I have a full service plumbing and heating/AC contract with them so they come out for free to fix any issues from now on.

Well. Efficient and knowledgable; very professional. I thought price was way too high

We started out thinking we would have to go the expensive route and go in to the wall to our laundry room behind the kitchen. However, Ismael came over and said that it would be much cheaper and easier for us to simply run a copper pipe through the cabinets. He then went ahead and did the work the same day very quickly and for a great price. We will definitely be using them again!

did not use - they would not quote over the phone and were going to charge $60 to come out

They did a great job. They did an excellent job, they did it right. It's a little expensive. It was perfect, no problems, and professional.

Excellent - very professional, completed the work in a timely manner

I called Shafer for my downstairs AC unit not cooling. I knew the problem was d/t low coolant from a leak. So when I called to schedule the service call I ask for pricing information on their coolant. This is because I want to avoid companies that charge a flat rate as opposed to a per pound rate. Well, the lady answering the phone says she couldn’t provide that information and that the technician would after performing diagnostics. Well, it turns out they do charge a flat rate for coolant (almost $600)! So regardless if your system only needs 1-2 lbs, you pay a flat almost $600 with them. It costs ~$80 per lb with other A rated Angie’s List companies. I’m still trying to figure out how the flat rate makes sense to people, but it does and people do pay it! Even if the lady answering the phone doesn’t have any technical knowledge, she should be able to answer that $600 question. So the tech tells me the coil is leaking and that a coil replacement will cost over $4K but he wouldn’t recommend that! He recommends replacing entire unit which costs over $8K. The previous estimate I received from another A rated Angie’s List company for a coil replacement was for a little over $2K and just under $5K for a new unit and that was not too long ago. I brought this to the techs attention and got the same old tired line that every person trying to over charge you on something uses “Well, we’re not the cheapest for a reason”. That line must have a real psychological effect on people. I have a hard time accepting that Shafer’s work is so far superior that they can charge almost double on everything! Other Angie’s List companies also with “A” ratings have quoted me far lower prices. You get what you pay for you say? I mean really, how far above and beyond can they go? Quality work should be a minimum requirement not a premium service that comes with added cost! Needless to say I did not hire Shafer d/t cost.

The inspection went well. Two people arrived on schedule, they called before they arrived and were very professional when they arrived. They introduced themselves, asked for the location of our utilities and completed the inspection. It went very quickly. They gave a verbal report and followed up with a written report. Good experience.

Excellent. Arrived promptly. Explained work being done. Thorough explanation to my questions and options regarding the work.

We had an external leak and had to shut off all water. They promised to try to get to us that night, then not, then scheduled for tomorrow PM.... Then our appointment was bumped because we were not a preferred client (read monthly retainer/subscription service). So, a 2 o'clock appointment became a 7PM maybe or maybe not until tomorrow. We found another solution..... THEIR BUSINESS MODEL IS ALL ABOUT THEM, NOT THE CLIENT.

Excellent. Larry and his assistant showed up earlier than originally promised. They quickly and accurately diagnosed the problem and installed a Rheem water heater and the necessary parts to ensure that the heater meets current code. They cleaned up after themselves and were friendly and professional.

They were amazing, knowledgeable about questions and so polite. Even sent a thank you note for using them.

Repairman came promptly and did repair that had A/C working within an hour. Problem is, A/C broke down again only one week later, and same repairman said the compressor was shot. The repairman said we would get a credit for the repair charge when we purchase a new unit. The problem is, Shafer's estimate for the new unit was thousands more than the two other estimates we received (for the same quality unit). When I described the two other estimates to the salesman, he said Shafer would not change the estimate. So we decided to go with another company for installation. A few days later, I called the office and left a message with the receptionist, telling her I would like to speak to a manager about the repair, because it cost me $850.00 and one week later I needed to pay another $8000 for a new unit. I wasn't expecting a full refund, but I was expecting someone to call me back and at least give some money back for a totally failed repair. I did not receive a phone call back, and now will NEVER use this company again. Not only was the first failed repair extremely expensive, the estimate for a new unit was way overpriced, and the manager never called me back when I had a complaint. Do your homework and get estimates - you'll find other reputable companies with much better rates. I wish I had checked their YELP reviews as well as Angie's list, because the negative reviews on YELP are more like my experience.

After explaining my needs, the person who answered the phone said there would be a $60.00 call fee for the plumber to assess my needs. I explained again that I was looking for an estimate, I knew what I needed. He said they wouldn't give out any prices until the plumber had come to my house. I would have to pay the $60.00 and then discuss prices. I asked if there were any other ways to price a job, maybe calling a plumber to ask. He said no, they don't bother plumbers when they are on the job. I don't know how this company has managed to stay in business with such rude customer service and crazy rules. Really, I have to pay a $60.00 service fee to find out how much the job costs? Not only has this company lost my business, they have earned my negative review.