One of the worst HVAC service experiences I have ever had. I would not recommend Avery's…read more
Our restaurant had one A/C unit that was not working, and our property management referred us to Avery's. I called and scheduled service on Thursday.
Three technicians did not arrive until around 9:00 PM. At the time, I did not realize I would be charged $150 per hour for each person. Later, the owner also came to the property, and his time was added to the labor charges as well.
We have five A/C units. They spent more than two hours trying to determine which thermostat/controller was connected to which rooftop unit. They were unable to figure it out until the owner arrived. Instead of handling the situation professionally, the owner complained to me about how long it had taken. When he tried to explain the system and I did not understand, he sighed and spoke to me in a condescending manner, telling me that I did not understand air conditioning.
During the rooftop work, one of their technicians turned off the switch/disconnect to another A/C unit that had been working normally -- the unit serving our office and restroom. Approximately 30 minutes after they went onto the roof, that A/C stopped working. I immediately brought this to their attention, and they told me not to worry.
Around 11:30 PM, they finally repaired the A/C unit that was the reason for the original service call. By midnight, however, they said it was too late and they needed to leave without restoring the office/restroom A/C.
Instead, they opened the indoor unit and told me the belt was loose, the filter was extremely dirty, and there was water inside. They then told me to call another HVAC company to repair it because they could not return that week. The owner even told me that I would probably call other companies and eventually come back to him asking for help.
As a result, our office and restroom were without A/C on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
On Saturday, I paid another HVAC company to replace the belt and inspect the indoor equipment. They found no issue that explained why the system would not operate. I then went to the rooftop and discovered that the rooftop switch had been left in the OFF position after Avery's work.
When I contacted Avery's about this, they denied responsibility. I asked them to return and correct the problem. They initially refused, but after further discussion, they agreed to come Monday morning.
On Monday, three people came back again. They went onto the roof and told me that the capacitors appeared to be leaking oil and suggested that this might be why the unit was not operating. I asked them to replace the capacitors, but they refused and told me to have another company do it.
Then, somehow, they were able to get the A/C operating again before they left -- without replacing the capacitors they had just identified as the possible problem.
What made the situation even more frustrating was the billing. The owner had told me by phone that he would not charge me for the return visit, but I was later charged for it anyway.
The customer service was just as troubling as the technical experience. During our conversations, the owner called me a "dangerous customer." He also told me that because my A/C systems had supposedly not been maintained for 10 years, they would all eventually fail, that repairing everything could potentially cost around $300,000, and that I should consider selling my business quickly.
I called an HVAC company because I needed an air conditioner repaired. I did not call to be talked down to, have a working A/C unit left switched off, be told to hire another company to finish the work, be charged after being told I would not be charged, or receive unsolicited advice to sell my business.
I own and operate a restaurant, so reliable A/C service and professional communication are extremely important. Based on my experience with Avery's, I will never use this company again and cannot recommend them to other business owners.
