Service Specialties Inc.

Spent time going back and forth discussing options and asking questions of the proposed solution. SSI was very helpful, provided explanations in a simple manner and provided documentation for the matched system to confirm efficiency prior to installation. I worked through three different companies that were highly rated on Angie's list, listened to their proposed solution but decided on SSI due to their customer interaction, professional interaction with quotes/supporting documentation, and excellent past service. Their pricing was in the middle of the three quotes, and felt comfortable with the pricing based upon the quality. On install day SSI showed up on time, was very clean, and performed the work in the time frame promised. After the job was completed the installer went over configuring the thermostat and provided all supporting documentation. We also walked around to each component and visually inspected the new item and asked questions. Upon looking at the coil, there was a small water drip that I noticed, and a quick turn of the screwdriver by the installer corrected the issue. Very happy with the service performed and would recommend.

The technician was courteous, and I presume he knew his business. Rather than treating this special offer as an opportunity to acquire a new long-term customer, however, the technician spent an inordinate amount of his time trying to sell me products--$1,293.00 worth, ultimately. By the time he got around to a component that very well might need replacing, I was so turned off by the pressure sales tactics that I would not have bought anything from his company. I was left with very little confidence in the validity of any of his recommendations. I feel I may need to have another HVAC company perform the same inspection. I would not recommend this company, and I highly recommend you cease selling their offer.

I called to schedule the appointment early last week. When I called I basically had my pick of days, so I chose the following Monday when I could work from home easily and the person I spoke with said that I would get an e-mail confirmation of my appointment. I never did get the email, so I called early Monday morning just to be sure my appt. was on the books and it was. Around 10:15 Monday morning, I got a phone call from the office saying the technician was on his way and he arrived within 30 minutes. It was a bit off putting when he first arrived because he was talking to someone on the cell phone and basically didn't get off the phone for the first 10-15 minutes that he was here. I found that to be very unprofessional. The technician did wear plastic booties over his shoes when he was in my home, which I appreciated. He also showed me the area of the furnace that needed to be cleaned and the dust and rust were visible, so I believed him when he said it needed to be done. The technician also gave me his recommendation regarding another part of the furnace that needed to be cleaned and his opinion was that since the furnace is old and probably on its last leg, it would probably be in my best interest to just put any additional money to the side towards buying a new furnace sometime in the near future. I thought this was an honest assessment because he could have easily talked me into any number of services, and I know the furnace is old (it's the original furnace in a house that was built in 1991). One thing that I would have appreciated is being told that my filter needed to be changed. I already knew in advance that it needed it, but I think imparting information like that should be a standard part of a Fall inspection because not everyone will know or keep tabs of things like that and will look to the professional service provider to explain that kind of information. I didn't get a price comparison for the Burner Cleaning, so I can't really tell if it was fair or not, but the price of the inspection itself was a good one. I may or may not use the same company again in the future; I think it would be unfair to list my official response as No. Overall, I thought the pros and the cons counterbalanced each other, hence my overall C rating.

It went very well overall. The technician was professional, knowledgeable and fast. He took time to explain everything to us. My only issue with SSI is the price, which I found out afterwards is high compared to other HVAC companies. The capacitor cost $200+, which I paid, because I didn't have the opportunity to go buy one myself for $70 or so at a HVAC supply store. The refrigerant was about $150+ per unit, also, I believe, which was high I later found out. Overall very good service and good check up of the systems and a thorough report, but the price seemed high. I did use SSI again in August, though, when a problem happened with the upstairs AC and the blower wouldn't start. I knew that they wouldn't be the cheapest but I didn't have time to troubleshoot it myself, so SSI came out and replace the capacitor. So, in summary, they do god work, they charge a little more than I would like, but they are "my" company now because of the good service.

Requested estimates for work from top three rated HVAC companies in our area on Angie's List. Two responded and provided estimates, one failed to respond. Both estimates were fairly close, but SSI quote included Trane; other did not. We had a long business relationship with SSI (20 years) and chose to go with them. SSI was represented by J. Rogerson and met with us on the evening of 28 July. JR worked closely with us to determine our needs and desires, and what was within our budget. JR promised delivery and installation on 3 August for both systems, and on 3 August at 7:30 am the teams began showing up. They uninstalled the old systems by around noon and had the new systems installed and running, as promised, by that evening. JR appeared multiple times during the day to ensure all was going as scheduled and that we were happy with delivery. SSI extended our service/ maintenance agreement through 2013 at no charge. Before leaving every aspect of the new systems was explained to us, as well as demonstrated. We were given some training on setting up the new thermostats, as well. That sounds silly, I'm sure, but they are pretty complicated and the training and demonstration was much appreciated. I would tell you about how thrilled we are with the new systems, but this is supposed to be about SSI, not the Trane systems we had installed. SSI performed precisely as they promised, on the exact schedule that they promised, and they delivered exactly WHAT they promised. The workers were at all times very personable and willing to explain what they were doing without getting (or at least showing) any impatience. This was a quality organization performing absolute quality work. I would recommend SSI, without exception, to anyone willing to listen to my tale. I do not believe that you can go wrong with employing them for your HVAC needs.

Purchased a 'used' home in 1990. HVAC was on its last legs, but we were able to get it to limp along until 1993 due to annual inspections and maintenance from SSI, and we hired SSI to replace it. Replaced the existing unit with a modern, far more efficient unit, raising our SEER from 6 to 12.5. Unbelievable difference! We engaged SSI to perform annual inspection and maintenance on the new unit until we sold the house in 1998, and then engaged them to perform annual inspections and maintenance on the dual units in our new, just built home. Now, 13 years later, we find these builder-grade Lennox A/C units on their last legs, and will engage SSI to replace them, assuming that they can give us a reasonable bid to perform the work. Overall, SSI has been one of the most professional, efficient, and easy to work with companies that I have ever had the good fortune to work with. We have seen a slew of technicians come to the house to work on the systems over the years, and each and every one of them has been extraordinarily proficient at what they do, not to mention personable and as pleasant as you could ask for. It just doesn't get a whole lot better than that! I would recommend SSI to anyone that wants quality service on their HVAC system, as well as plumbing and electrical work. I would also encourage folks out there, if you can possibly afford it, to engage a reputable, quality HVAC company to perform annual maintenance on your systems, as your building a professional relationship with them gets you priority perks, as well as price breaks on labor. SSI is better than good, maybe even an outstanding company.

VERY, VERY happy with work on my system, as well as my son's. Drew is in high demand so you have to schedule him well in advance, but his expertise and workmanship are worthwhile. GOOD COMPANY.

I did some research on Angie's List before making the decision. I finally narrowed my search to two companies, SSI and the other one. Both looked good. But SSI provided much detailed estimates, and they were more flexible on their schedule. Rudy was really nice and professional. He worked with me to strike the deal. The company left me very positive impression from the very beginning. The other reason I decided to use SSI was because they deal Trane products, which I think are more reliable though they are pricier than some other brands. Everything went well. The only complaint I have is that their install crew (guys who actually did the installation) forgot to turn our gas back on, but SSI offered me another year of free maintenance as compensation. The installation did go longer than expected, but the work is well done. They were also very responsive to my follow-up calls and questions. Overall, I am satisfied.

My a/c went out overnight on Thursday evening, the 9th. It was extremely hot on Friday and had been all week. I knew the HVAC companies were swamped. I called several on Angies's List, but most couldn't service the a/c until the following Monday at the earliest. Of the two companies that could service the unit on Friday, SSI gave me the shortest time window in which they could come. I chose them and though the window of time was between 1 and 3, their rep showed up at 1:20. He was professional, quick and very informative. My 19 year old a/c could be repaired, but it would be cheaper to replace. The company's sales rep came out before 5:00 that evening and went over our options. We selected one and they had us on the schedule for the replacement a/c for Monday afternoon. On Monday, the crew showed up at the exact appointed time and were all curteous and professional. Our new a/c was installed within 3 hours. We couldn't have been more pleased with the company's responsiveness and professionalism!

Due to weather and over-running appointments, SSI had to reschedule our appointment several times. The technician was very thorough and was able to identify an issue with our air conditioner several previous technicians (from other companies) could not. SSI was also able to transfer our year-long contract to the buyers for our home.

I had my A/C unit serviced three weeks ago by SSI, so was a bit perplexed when it stopped working. Called them Tuesday afternoon and they were apologetic that they couldn't arrive until Wednesday morning. Mike (who did the servicing) arrived on time and was able to determine it was a very minor problem with the time relay mechanism and instead of looking at a new unit ( mine is 19 years old!!), it only cost me $88 and should get me through at least one more summer! I am VERY pleased!

The technician was informative and thorough.

They were very thorough, courteous and did a great job. They removed the old furnace and a/c unit and disposed of it. They installed a new system. They also fixed a bleeder valve that was dripping at no charge. They went above and beyond for us and were very clean. They just came out for a follow up check to make sure everything was working properly. They will come back in the fall to check again. I would recommend them to others.

They arrived right on time and finished, including clean-up, right as planned - about 7:30am to 5pm. I was fully briefed on the system: how to use and program the thermostat, how to adjust the humidifier, how and when to change the humidifier pad and 5" media filter. The old systems were removed. Some new duct work was required and it was very well done, including a clean taping job. All of the cables, gas lines, and other tubing were nicely secured. Especially like the length of clear tubing used off of the humidifier drain so that it's easy to see the quantity of the residual water flow. One reason I chose the Trane was because I'd observed a before-and-after scenario in another home and was impressed with the quietness of the new Trane. In my own house, the change was even more dramatic. With the variable speed fan and the baffling of the gas furnace, we need to go close to the return air duct to hear it! SSI - great job. Trane - great system.

I was pleased with the work. The salesman was good and the person who actually installed the unit was very nice and professional. Left the house clean when he was done. Only improvement would have been with the followup. There was none. I would have expected a phone call to check to see if I was pleased with the work. Especially after just having spen $8,000 with the company.

The entire job went very well. SERVICE SPECIALITIES responded quickly to our initial call. They showed up on time with the tools necessary to finish the job. Their engineers were courteous, professional and quick. They possessed the required knowledge to complete the job in a timely manner. They were able to answer all of my questions about the job.

I have an annual contract with them. They come out twice a year and check the system. I don't remember how much it cost. I paid for it earlier this year since it's an annual plan. Because I am an annual plan person, I get a percentage off if there are any repairs. I thought the price was reasonable. I have had no problems with them. I call and they come and do the work. I have not had any problems with the system. They do what they need to do. They are responsive. I haven't had any problems with them. If I had, I wouldn't still be using them. I will continue to use them in the future.

We had been using SSI for HVAC inspections since we moved into our house six years ago. Up until recently, they always seemed to do a fine job. However, when our air conditioner stopped working last month, they came over, gave it a once-over, and said "Yup, it's broken," and proposed options for replacement to the tune of $5-$8K. However, in the course of shopping that around, another company was able to fix the broken AC for just over $200. While our system is old and will likely need to be replaced in the next five years or so, I wish SSI had tried a little harder here. We'll be using the other company for inspections and the eventual replacement from here on out.

From the beginning they were able to give me a proposal on the first visit. Their initial proposal was lower than two other companies and it was very detailed. For the installation they were timely in getting there, they respected the property and house, the unit was disconnected and cleaned. They explained how to use the system very thoroughly and they were very courteous. They did do a follow up call to see how everything was working and they provided me with all the information I needed for federal and state wide rebates. I am very pleased with them thus far.

It started out okay, but over time they became less responsive to calls, and jobs ended up costing more than estimates. The last time I used SSI, they simply failed to show up on the day I had taken time off work to be home for. No telephone call or anything. I finally called them, and they did show up a couple of days later, but no offer of a discount or anything to make right their failure to meet the originally scheduled appointment.

My experience with them was positive.

I came home on a hot Sunday evening in June from a 4 day trip to Boston. I noticed the air conditioner was blowing warmish air and the outside AC fan was not turning! I called SSI from the sticker on the AC unit. There was/is a maintenance contract on the AC/Furnace when we moved into the house 7 years ago.... The after-hours operator that I spoke with said that a technician will contact me ASAP....ah....nothing at all...nothing...no call back...no response...no help. I went with HVAC Unlimited and they surpassed my expectations.

They were fast, efficient and nice. I'm calling these guys again.

I've been using SSI for years but just last month moved to a new house. This was the first maintenance done on my "new" house's very dated system. The technician (who I have used before) did a great job explaining what kind of system I had, his observations of the system (and what the previous owners did _not_ do) and an expected life of specific parts of the system.

I am so impressed! The technician did an extremely thorough inspection of my existing system. Then he took apart my the furnace unit and cleaned the indoor coil and other parts of the unit. He went through a lot more trouble to really look at and service the unit than any previous company. The technician, Drew, was very polite and explained everything he was doing Now the upstairs is MUCH cooler. I previously had a service contract with another company and I am very disappointed that they never did this type of maintenance on our system. To compare, one other estimate to solve the same problem was $5000 for a new A/C unit; the other estimate was $12,000 for a new system for the upstairs only. So, SSI literally saved me thousands of dollars. I will definitely use them again and will switch my maintenance contract to SSI, also.