Stokley's Services Inc

"Thank you so much for the wonderful praise. It was a pleasure working with you. I know that we have some great guys but not one of them mentioned to me about the adverse conditions under the house after the heavy rain. I would not have known about it until you told me. They just dealt with it like it was just another day. I'm glad that you are happy with the job but don't forget to call me when the gas company moves the meter. Please tell your friends and family about us. We love referral work. We also have a reward program set up for anyone that sends a friend and they purchase a new system. Thanks again and I hope you have a very Merry Christmas !"

"Thank you for taking the time and sharing your experience with Stokley's Services back in July. I knew that I had found a great technician and person when Jerry first interviewed for the job. I offered him a job on the spot - pending a favorable background check of course. He fits the mold so well of what I want from a service tech. He's friendly, polite, courteous, and honest. He's also very knowledgeable with many years of experience. I've never seen him upset; actually, I can say that he seems to always be smiling. He had worked for several companies in the area before we met. He has told me that he loves working for Stokley's because he likes the way we treat our customers. He genuinely seems to care about the company, his job, and most importantly (to me) our customers. I think we all like to take pride in our work and it makes it easier when you know that you are being fair and honest in all of your transactions. There have been times where Jerry has volunteered to go out to a customer's at no charge to the company because he knows that the customer needed assistance. In cases like that, we decided that Jerry should be paid but the company would not charge the customer because it was so important to him. We try to be charitable but being in an office we don't always get to see the particular circumstances of some of our customers. Just yesterday, we were at a young Navy couples home. They had 9 kids: not all of them were theirs. They had taken in the children of some of the relatives. They had no heat and made comment that the timing of their problem was horrible due to the holidays but they had to have heat. Jerry told me the problem that he found with the system. The system was old and really needs to be replaced but they simply did not have the money to even consider replacement. It was a relatively small problem that was easily fixed but he needed to know what to charge them. He then told me about all of the kids. He didn't ask me to help but I could hear it in his voice. I simply asked him if they were nice people. He said they were incredibly nice and that the kids were great too. I asked if thought that they were deserving of a break and he simply responded, "Yes sir!" I told him to tell the customers that this one was on Stokley's Services and wish them a Happy Thanksgiving for me. He told me this morning that the father actually hugged him and thanked him. I am sharing this story not to pat myself on the back for an act of charity; rather, I am sharing this story to show how the charitable actions of Jerry has rubbed off on me and others in the company. In closing, I'm glad that you liked Jerry: we're pretty fond of him too! From our family to yours, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and a very Merry Christmas!!!"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. We've always strived to be the best, but I love hearing a customer tell us that we are the best. I know that we've got a great team here and I really try to make sure that they are happy here too. A happy person does their job better than an unhappy person: it's that simple. I want everyone to have a positive reaction when they think of Stokley's Services. If our guys are happy, they do better work, then the customer is happy and they tell their friends, family, and coworkers. Then we can keep the guys busy making a living so that they can then be happy with their family after hours. It's a formula that my Grandfather taught my Dad, who then passed it onto me. So far it's a formula that has worked since 1938!"

"Thank you for taking a moment to share your experience with our company. One of the biggest differences between us and our competitors is our service techs and installers. It takes a while to find the right people. We want quality people that not only knowhow to do the job but also represent the company and it's values. I have heard too many horror stories of rip-off type of companies and that is not what we are about. We want to go the extra mile to do the job right the first time and look for ways to improve the operation of your system. We also do the little extra things that set us apart from our competition. We do not send "maintenance technicians" out to do a maintenance. Typically, they are little more than a helper that ac company doesn't yet trust enough to do service work. If a "maintenance technician" runs into a problem, he has to call his company and they will send out an actual service tech: usually on another day. We send out a full-fledged service tech who can take care of the system while he is there."

"I'm glad that you enjoyed the work we did on your heating system and with our service technician.. We really do try to do a superior job but if or some reason you are not happy with anything that we do please give me (Rob Shortt) call. I want people to be happy with our work but if I don't know I can't do anything. Thank you again."

"Thanks for the review. I wish we had better news for you, but your a/c is old and doing the best it can. Hopefully what we did helped get you past the heat of the summer. I am not sure how long the repair will last. I would recommend that you prepare to replace the system soon. It is struggling right now which means that it is costing you more to operate than it should. If your system were operating properly, a new system will save you about 30% on your electric bill for that zone. You would see even more savings because your system isn't operating properly. To save money on replacing the system, do it the fall or spring when a/c companies aren't as busy and will reduce prices to keep the workers busy. You can also save money in the winter - if the winter is mild."

"Certainly you know that you system is old. You have 3 systems and this is the only one that has not been changed. One was replaced last year and the other in 2005. According to the serial number on the unit in question, your system was manufactured in either 1973 or 1994 and he informed you of this. Even if it was manufactured in 1994, it is 20 years old and past it's normal life expectancy of 18 years. He didn't try to sell you a system: there was no price offered. He suggested that you replace the system for (and I quote) "better reliability and efficiency." We would not be doing our job if he didn't let you know this. He didn't say that the system had to be replaced because it wasn't going to make it through the summer. Most people would rather know that their system needs to be replaced rather than wait for a 95 degree day in the middle of a muggy summer. Wouldn't you rather change the system at your convenience rather than out of necessity? You are correct when you said that a piece of conduit broke off and hit your fan motor. Don't you think that it is possible that it broke off because it was old and starting to fall apart. While servicing the unit the tech may have jarred the old (brittle) conduit and weakened it. You did not state that we came back out immediately and fixed it at no charge. Wemay not be perfect but we do stand behind our work. We always put stickers on units that we service: I am unaware of any HVAC company that doesn't. The stickers in question are smaller than a standard postcard. If a customer asks us not to do so, which is rare, we do not put them on. If they ask us to remove them we do."

"Thank you for the review. I love seeing all "A's". Other companies may be happy with a "B" or a "C" but not us. I once heard a saying that I love and wish I could take credit for it but I can't. I will share it however. It goes, "Perfection is expected, excellence will be tolerated." Please keep in mind that your system is not very old but we did find some small problems. A little TLC by having the system serviced on a more regular basis should help prolong the life-expectancy and operating more efficiently. If you have any questions or if there is anything I can do to help please give me a call."

"Again, thank you for the review. If there is ever a problem with anything that we do please call us so that we can take care of it. While no one is perfect we do want to make sure that our customers are happy and satisfied with our services. If I don't know about a problem I can't fix it. I suppose that people's past experiences with other service companies can make them think that the company doesn't care about getting the job done right - even if it means having to go back out. We are not that way. If you have a problem, please call us and give us the opportunity to correct it. I may not always agree with a complaint but I still want to hear about it and offer another perspective. If I do agree with a complaint, I WANT to fix it. I want you to tell your friends, family, and co-workers about how good of a company we are. Thanks again."

"Hello and thank you for reviewing our service. I reviewed your service ticket and there was no mention of of your system being low on refrigerant. I talked to my tech and he checked his notes. He said that the pressure was a little low but that was probably due to a relatively low (for a/c purposes) outdoor temperature. He checked the supply and return air temperatures (which also gives us an indication of the refrigerant charge) and that was normal. According to our records, we were there the first week of August. This review comes a little over 2 months later. If you had any questions, or complaints you should have called as soon as he left. I can't correct something if I don't know anything about it. I will be more than happy to send another tech out at no charge to check it again. As we are now in a cooler season the results may be the same. Unless you want us there sooner, why don't we do this in the spring when it gets hot again. I will even clean your system again at no charge. Please keep in mind that having too much refrigerant can cause more problems than not having enough. If your system was low, you should have had some difficulties keeping your home comfortable. I will contact you to see when you would like us to come out. Actually, please allow us to service your furnace at no charge as well. Our reputation means everything and I want to make sure that you're happy with us."

"Thank you for letting us know that you were happy with our services. Please keep in mind that you some of your equipment is 15 years old and nearing the end of their life expectancy. The average life expectancy is about 18 years. I would recommend that you start budgeting to replace them now so that you will be prepared when the time comes. Please call me if you have any questions."

"Thank you for letting us service your HVAC system and I am glad that you were happy with our work. I grew up in the neighborhood next to your home and I always love doing work in the neighborhoods that I used to hang out in. I guess it brings back many good memories. Please call me if there is anything that we can do for you."

"Thank you for the nice report card and I am glad that you were happy with our services. Please tell your friends and family about us. We are Tidewater's Oldest Heating and Cooling Contractor. We have been here since 1938 when my maternal grandfather founded the company. Thank you for your patronage!!"

"Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with our company. Nowadays too many companies are just out to make a quick buck. We, however, are in it for the long haul. We are Tidewater's Oldest Heating and Cooling Contractor for a reason. As the grandson of the founder and son of the current owners, I've been taught that our reputation is the key to success. Do what you say, when you say, do it right the first time, and stand behind it were axioms that were drilled into me. These are the same principles that I preach to our guys. You have to be honest if want repeat business and referrals. Lastly, if you make a mistake you need to own up to it and fix it."

"Thank you for the nice review. I'm glad that you liked our services and that you shared it. Please make sure to tell you family and friends about us too!!!"

"Words have escaped me - and that doesn't usually happen. I'm not sure how to respond to such wonderful praise. I know I have great people that work here and I know the kind of work we do. I hate to use the expression that they "work for me". I truly believe that it takes a team effort to do what we do. I am so happy that you were so pleased with the work we did and thank you for the praise. It was a pleasure working with you. Most of my past employees still call and / or come in to visit. One of them called for some help for his Mom's house about the time we were installing one of the systems at your home. He told me that the owner of a company that he worked for as a young man had a slogan that I absolutely love. It goes, "Perfection is expected, excellence will be tolerated." That is what I want from my guys and part of why they like working here. I think most people want to feel good about their job and if they know they are doing quality work and are being treated not just fairly, but nicely as well, it will show in the work they do. If you don't treat them right and encourage short cuts, that will show too. As I told you at your home, if you have any problems please call me. I can't fix it if I don't know it's broke. Thank you again. You definitely made my day!! :)"

"Thank you for letting us know about your experience and I'm glad that you feel that we "went above and beyond". I simply want to treat our customers the way that I want to be treated or how I would want my parents to be treated. I also try to learn from my experiences with other service type companies. There are some things that we can do that may make OUR job easier but I won't do them because I feel that we would be doing a disservice to our customers. Thank you again!! :)"

"Thank you for the nice report card. I love seeing more and more positive reviews: it really makes my day. I like to keep saying that we are expanding our services out in the western areas of Tidewater and reviews like this help. :) Please keep in mind that your equipment is 15 years old and nearing the end of its' life expectancy. I'm not saying that you should run out and replace it now but be prepared in the not too distant future to do so."

"We always try to keep our customers informed on the condition of the equipment and what can be done to increase the life expectancy and efficiency of the system. Our first time at a new customer's home is especially crucial to inform them of everything we see. We don't want them to think everything is okay if it isn't. If everything is fine we will point that out as well. We are trying to eliminate any surprises. I'm glad that you had a pleasant experience with our company. Thank you for sharing."

"Thank you so much for the review. I'm glad that you were happy with the work we did. I'm even happier that you have already referred us to a coworker. Referrals are a great way for us to know that our customers are truly happy with the work we did. Thank you again."

"I'm so glad to hear that you were happy with our work and our technician Some people don't seem to understand that part of our job is letting the customer know how old the system is and that they should plan on replacing it. I suppose that they think we are just trying to sell them a new system. The flip side to that is if we don't tell the customer they'll be upset when it does die because we didn't inform them. I'm glad that you understood the difference. Also, my technician spoke very highly of you too. He said that you were very nice and appreciative of his work and knowledge. THANK YOU!"

"I have to disagree with your assessment. You seem to be shooting the messenger because you didn't like the message. Angie's List did not intervene to get us to go out. You never responded to our message to call us to set up an appointment. How can we go out if you never bothered to call us to set up an appointment? Now you claim that Angie's List had to intervene after 2.5 months, really? My technician certainly did clean your system. He found that your system was 24 years old which is well past its life expectancy of 15-18 years. The fan motor was weak and the compressor is drawing high amps. This means that both the fan motor and the compressor are failing. This means that the24 year old system is slowly dying. The coils, which he cleaned, were very dirty and there was mold growing in the air handler: both of these indicate that the system had not been serviced in some time or it had not been done properly. He recommended that you "replace the system soon for better reliability and efficiency." He also gave you 3 different prices to replace the system - which you requested. He stayed long enough to answer your questions. You must not have been too upset with his services because you even asked for a price on a mini-split system which he also provided. He cleaned the system, advised you of its condition, and gave you a price to take care of it. He did everything that he is supposed to do. Again, don't be mad at the messenger because you didn't like the message."

"Thank you for the straight "A" report card. It is exactly the type of service that we have been trying to provide for the past 76 years. I hope you will call us in the future if you need us for anything. Also, don't forget to tell your friends about us. :)"

"Thank you for sharing your experience. While we were only there yesterday afternoon, we have your work scheduled for this morning. You must have posted this before we talked this morning. So other members know, we got the request yesterday, we did the service yesterday, and we will bring the system up to code this morning. I wonder how many other companies are this efficient. Again, thank you for the nice review."

"Thanks for taking the time to send in a review of our services. I'm glad that you were happy with what we have done. Please tell you friends and family about us. We are expanding our operations that way to better serve the western parts of Tidewater (Smithfield, Carrollton, and Suffolk) as well as on the Peninsula (Hampton and Newport News). Keep in mind that your equipment is very old and will need to be replaced soon. It took a little bit of detective work but I was able to determine that the systems were manufactured in 1983. They passed their anticipated lifespan by over 10 years. A new system, which would be more efficient than what you have, will save you about 40% on your cooling bill. Please let me know if I can answer any questions for you."