Michael & Son Svc Inc

They were expensive and were not upfront with the information, while installing the water heater. When I scheduled an appointment, to install my water heater, the technician was supposed to come by 12, but he called and informed, he will be late. He came after 5 hours and checked everything. He then advised me that, I needed another device, which would detect the water pressure and installed it for a total of $400. I had the gas company person, come for inspection, who advised the device was not required. Later, I had to claim a refund and have the same removed. Their furnace installation was good and they were knowledgeable, except the technician, who installed the water heater. I will not use their services in the future.

I called to get a hotwater heater replaced. They couldn't give me an estimate over the phone and said they had to come on site. ( I had already gotten two other estimates from other companies. One for $830 for a 8 yr heater, and one for $874 for a 10 yr heater). In the middle of the conversation the Michael's representative started trying to sell me an electrical inspection of my whole house? I said "no thanks". Next he started selling me a Boiler "tune-up". He said for $59 their guy would come out and do about 7 or 8 different things (clean my filters, vacuum the fire box, clean the burner, etc.). This sounded like a good deal, so I agreed to have them do it. I must say, I was a bit preturbed that I called to get a Hotwater heater, and they kept trying to sell me other products (electrical, and the Boiler/furnace). When their hotwater repairman showed up he was there about 15 seconds, and said you need a new heater.....he never even checked anything on the heater. Then he handed me his quote $2,189.00 for a 6 yr heater! He said he could give me a 10% discount and do the job for $1970.10. I told him he was almost 2 and 1/2 times more than my first quote and that I had to decline his offer. Later that day the Boiler tune-up & repairman arrived. He simply vacuumed out my Boiler.....there was NO tune-up performed as I had been told. He then checked the system out as part of the repair order. He told me I needed a Reducing valve at a cost of $273, replaced it, and then when that didn't fix the problem attempted to sell me three other parts for $656. This would have brought the total cost of the job to $929. Overall, I feel like this company does a great sales job. They're VERY polite and they talk a good story. But the bottom line is they sell you stuff you don't need and over charge you for EVERYTHING! I don't know how they made it on Angie's list, but I certainly would not rate them high.

The electrical repairs/service was very good, a bit pricey, but overall a good experience. The plumbing repairman was an hour late past the window (10-2). He gave an estimate to replace a valve at $590, not including parts and ultimate could not perform the job because they do not carry the parts needed. The replacement of a bath faucet was way over priced for the job and the plumber attempted to talk me out of doing the job because he didn't want to do the work. Found out from the serviceman that they are paid by commission, not an hourly salary. That explained why, after repeated attempts, I could not get an type of discount or reduction to the cost of the work he performed. There is no incentive for them to discount or offer coupons as that comes directly from the repairmans pocket, not the company. It also explains why he would attempt not to perform certain jobs, because if a job is too small but timely, he doesn't make enough money on the call and is looking for more expensive jobs. Bottom line, this company does not value a job well done as they have created a salary incentive for the repairman to spend the least amount of time and pick the costlier repairs to improve his take home pay. I will never call them out to do work again, I felt cheated. 3-21-11 Update - Very impressed with management. They called after I left a negative report and worked with me to fix the customer service issues and to perform the work necessary to complete the project and do what it would take to rectify the situation. Management promptly dispatched a plumber, who did excellent work, to repair the shower at an extremely reasonable price. Michael & Son's tried very hard to make me happy and to win over a customer. It's not often that I find managment of a service company cares enough to call the customer to correct issues after leaving reports, but this company cared enough to set the record straight.

They were very expensive. We felt we were ripped off. We were in a desperate situation, so we accepted their price. It ended up costing us another $300 because he turned on the gas incorrectly on the exterior, he did not put the washer on and the gas was leaking and we got stuck with $300 or $350 bill. It was ridiculous. We would highly recommend that people get a second opinion, if they are in a situation where they can get a second opinion. They have electrical, plumbing, handyman services, and we think it was the plumbing service that did this work; we have used the electrical services and have had no problem. We would use them only if we were desperate.

I was very impressed by this. They are very nice and professional. I will certainly have them back again.

They have a very high price, but they do good work. I am very happy with the installation that they did. I trust them with regard to service more than I trust anybody else, so I pay a little more for that. They do a very good job. The workers are professional. They come in uniform. They are eloquent when they talk. With many contractors, the workers are difficult to understand because they don't speak English. I don't have a problem with that, but it makes communication break down. They come in on time, and I don't have to call them back to fix anything.

Went well. Came on time even on a Saturday. Worker was focused and professional. The work looked good on completion.

I called and was told the technician was on a call but would be available within 12-4pm. It was approx an hour and we were called to inform that he was enroute. He arrived, placed a mat at the front door, wiped his feet, went inside and put on surgical booties. He assessed the job, went out to his truck and brought in the necessary tools. He placed protective blankets on the floor and started working. He worked steadily, was pleasant, conversant, answered many, many questions! He cleaned the floor when he was finished and wiped the splashes on the nearby wall and toilet. He offered a 10% military discount to us. I feel as though the price was slightly high but given that it was a Sunday- after hours call, it probably was not. I have no comparison and the overall experience lessens the sting of the price!

Terrible and dishonest -- would not use them now or ever in the future.

They are headquartered in Virginia, but they are all over the place. They were great. They are very reliable. They show up on time. The guy was good. I had to change their coming out a couple of times. One time there was no power and the other time the check from my brokerage account had not come in. I had to reschedule because I didn't have any money to pay them and they were good about it. I have used them for a couple of other things too. They also gave me a discount because I am an Angie's List member. The actual price was $3100.00 and they gave 10 percent off. They really do their work well. They are honest, reliable, and reasonable. They were reasonable with the discount.

We initially hired Michael & Sons to fix our furnace (as opposed to replacing it). After paying $89.00 for the estimate, they informed us that we needed a new part for the blower, which would take a day to order and receive. They would call us when the part was in. Two days later, we received one call from customer service stating that the part was in and one call from the service technician (who performed the estimate) that the part was NOT in. I told him that we were now confused and that he should call customer service to determine the status. He promptly called back to inform us that the part was in and that he could come over the next day to install it. I informed him that this was now the third day we were waiting on them, that our house was quickly becoming an ice locker and that my family was displaced from our house due to the frigid temperature. The inside of the house, by this time, was 42 degrees. To their credit, Michael and Sons dispatched a second technician that could come over that evening to replace the part. After removing the blower, he informed me that the first technician was wrong, that the part would not fit this older model furnace and that a new furnace needed to be installed. We ordered the new furnace from Michael and Sons but it could not be replaced for three days. We were now displaced from our home for 4 days and decided to move forward with a new furnace given our desire to get the house heated and our lives returned to normal. At this point, I wrote a check for approximately $1700 as a down payment for the unit. I was told that I would be called over the weekend to schedule the installation. After never hearing from Michael & Sons over the weekend, I called the manager of heating and cooling who informed me that we would need to wait until Tuesday for the install. I informed them that Monday was our scheduled date of delivery and that we couldn't wait much longer. He replied that he was working on payroll for his employees but he would drop everything, even if his employees did not get paid, in order to meet our needs. In reading this, you would think I should be appreciative for this outstanding service but the tone and insouciance of his statement sounded like I was putting him out so that he would take care of a high maintenance customer. At this point, we had been told that a) they could repair the furnace (which was the wrong diagnosis by whom they consider their best technician); b) replace the furnace by Monday (which they would only do with prodding); and, c) stay in regular contact with us (I had to regularly call customer service for updates). After serious consideration, I decided to go with my gut and pass on any further service from Michael & Sons. I informed the manager that we would place a stop payment on the check and their services were no longer required. He informed me that he would put our deposit check in the mail. I instantly received a call from another manager asking me if he could assist and, after informing him of our decision, he too informed me that he would place the deposit check in the mail. Luckily I had placed this check hold because Michael & Sons attempted to deposit the check two days later. We quickly called a friend who referred us to another local heating and cooling company, Snell & Sons. They came out on Sunday and installed the unit on Monday. All of this happened in literally 24 hours. It took 6 hours to heat the house from the now constant 42 degrees to 72 degrees with the new furnace. Had Michael & Sons properly diagnosed the problem and informed us instantly that a new furnace was needed, we would likely have gone with them. However, it was a mixed blessing. We found a great company with incredible customer service, a professional team who were honest and fast. We will never use Michael & Sons for any home project due to our experience with them and having since identified numerous similar complaints on other ratings websites, including poor customer service and higher servicing fees and pricing. This is a buyer beware recommendation from one homeowner to another.

Very quick, efficient, well done. Helped by Adolfo.

It was a nerve wracking experernce to have to be without heat aand hot water and having to wait for a specific type of water heater .

Two electricians arrived at the scheduled time (7:00 am). They brought in their equipment, helped me clear the space, they turned off the electricity and got to work promptly. During the five hours that it took to do the work they kept me updated. They also replaced a few outlets and light switches. Once the work was done my basement was cleaned and everything was returned to its proper place. The electricians were courteous and very professional. They did a great job.

The work was done the plumber was very professional and left the area very clean. I am satisfied but we have a maintence agreement contract with them for several hundred dollars but I have not noticed any savings. I am wondering if this is within the normal range for this work.

We have them on retainer on a preprogram thing. I like them and would use them again for electrical things. They do good work and are courteous. They don't schedule very well. They say between noon and 4 and I always end up being 4 pm. We can't schedule around them.

The fix was fine but it was way too expensive and he kept on trying to up sell me on a HVAC contract that I didn't want. This was a high pressure sales pitch which was unreasonably too high for the work done. He was kind enough to let me use a coupon for $75 off otherwise it would have been $575. It took them 30 minutes and they were done.

This experience was trouble from the first call. The receptionist got the appointment day and time wrong, which I only discovered when she called to confirm. Then, after I had scheduled time off to meet the estimator, she called to change the appointment window. When the estimator was due at my home, he called with the wrong address, despite my having had the receptionist repeat the correct one to me at least twice. He arrived later than expected, so I had to fend off an encounter between estimators from competing companies. Then, to top it all off, he never provided an estimate. I will give the estimator points for being courteous and pleasant, given the fact that I made him wait for 20 minutes while the other guy looked at my system. My takeaway is that this company probably is more suited for smaller repairs, not entire system replacements. I probably will use them again for smaller repairs because I had a much better experience several months ago when I called them for some electrical wiring work. That experience makes me want to give them the benefit of the doubt.

In the midst of a remodel, we had a bit of a plumbing snafu. Of course this occurred on a Saturday night... We called Michael & Son Plumbing, as they have 24 hr emergency service, or claimed to have it. I spoke with their call center at about 5:30p. They told me there were two calls ahead of mine. Fine. At 6:30p we got a call from the technician, Daniel. Said he was 30 mins away. He called back at 7p to say he was stuck in traffic. Claimed "the beltway is at a complete stand still." Fine. At 8:30 we called Michael & Sons back to see where Daniel was and what his ETA was. The dispatcher said she couldn't locate him and he wasn't answering his cell phone. I asked if they could send someone else. She said she'd call back. We also tried to call Daniel directly, and got no answer. So then I went online to check the beltway traffic cams.... wouldn't you know it, not a problem in sight. Traffic was moving at 61 MPH, and the 'traffic history' showed that there hadn't been ANY problems on the beltway since before 4pm that afternoon. Daniel turned out to just be completely unreliable and a liar. At 9:30p, after I'd already spoken with dispatch again (they called to tell me Daniel was on his way, just as soon as he completed the job he was on... even though I was supposedly the next job at 6:30p!), Daniel finally called to "make sure we were taken care of." Gimme a break! We called another servicer who showed up in less than 60 mins. Michael & Sons was a COMPLETE waste of my time!

It was an emergency situation because it was on a Saturday afternoon and my regular plumber couldn't make it until Monday morning. My whole house shut-off valve was not operarable. Therefore, I couldn't shut the water off. The leak was over my furnace and dripping upon it. The technician quoted me a price of $1200 to fix replace the pipe and install a new shut off valve for the whole house. The price for the shut off valve by itself was $500. I went with the pipe replacement only because of the location of the leak. I later found out that I could have gotten the replacement pipe and the shut off valve for the whole house for less than $400 as an emergency repair. The technician also had to go to the store to get the pipe and fittings. He should have performed a water pressure test, but did not.

The initial contact was good, and someone was prompt in coming out to the house to review the project. It took ~3 weeks to get the estimate. The price quoted was more than twice what we were quoted by other reputable contractors. We chose not to pursue the work with this company based on the extremely high price quoted.

100% better than the Plumber from Michael & Sons. He was smart, savvy and down to earth. Told me exactly what he thought would be smart and gave me safe options that seemed to be a fair price. Only took him short time to finish up.

Terrible. The plumber showed up on the first day to check out the situation and give an estimate. The estimate seemed high at $1000, then I asked is there a deposit? He seemed surprised then stated yeah $350. I should have known then to tell him not to come back. I would have offered $50 but he got nothing after that. He shows up on the day as expected and I show him in detail what the problem is. He proceeds to ignore everything I say. THen 2 hours later he calls me in shows me exactly what I explained to him in the beginning. He asks me if it's ok that he sort of jury rig the fix. I said NO! That's why I called him, the professional to get it done right. So close to 9 hours later after several trips of him leaving the house and coming back he states it's in. I look at the job. He's totally cut up my chair rail to make the sink fit, but it didn't so he used some blocks of wood in the back to secure it. I said how is that not a jury rig. He gives me some sob story about how he used to be a prince in Africa. I'm thinking.... um obviously he wasn't good at that either. After 11 hours he says he's done and need $1500. I called the office and fortunately they took responsibility and did not make me pay. But now I need to get my chair rail and beadboard replaced. I hope he got fired.

Overall it did not go well since the toilet is still leaking. Technician arrived Sunday, 2pm, Nov. 7. Gave estimates on various jobs and I decided to have the toilet fixed which leaked at the base. Technician starts on the toilet - I watch as he performs some of the task not all. Once complete he shows me the finished product and I ask him isn't the toilet supposed to be flush against the floor - he said the floor was not level and the toilet was fine as is. Before he came the toilet was level and flush against the floor. The toilet is unused for 5 hrs after completion of work. I use the toilet, flush and water is leaking around the base. I have called Michael and Sons and they are sending a tech again to reevaluate the work done. They ask if you want the same tech or another I have requested another. Since I wrote a check for the original work done, I requested the check not be cashed until the work I paid for has been done-- still waiting on that answer. Right now I am an unsatisfied customer. Who only has one bathroom in her home. I will leave work early today Mon. Nov. 8 to meet the technician and see how it goes this time. I will update tomorrow. Michael and Sons have been responsive; however, I feel this job was incorrectly done originally and this is the result.

Roberto G. and Angel F. installed the unit and were very professional. They arrived at the specified time, left the area very clean, and gave basic instructions on how to use the unit. Very satisfied with the work.