I schedule an appointment for checking up on our water heater. The technician came on time, which is great. However, he knew nothing about our water heater. He took some time to review the manual and told me he did not bring the right screwdriver, he can't open the panel. Then he called another technician, it appears that the technician over the phone knows much better than him. He guided our technician to measure the volt on our water heater and it turns out it is the electric problem. The technician on the phone also guided him to the outside to find the fuse and breaker, but he could not find it. He charged us $ 99, which includes $59 for the trip and $40 for 30 mins work. The thing is he used 30 mins to tell me it is the electrical problem and he can't help. I understand he is not an electrician, however, does he need 30 mins to determine it is the electric problem? There is no display on the screen, the machine is completely off, not running, there is no machine running noise at all and there is no power switch. Isn't it the first thing to check?
I hired this company since they installed the furnace for us. The installation was smooth and everybody was very polite at that time. I was so impressed that I recommended this company to several of my friends. But this time, I got really frustrated. Our community used Lakeside for annual furnace checkup, my neighbor replaced their water heater last fall, I expected them to know more about our community or at least, know where is the breaker for water heater, but apparently, this technician knows nothing. After he left, I called our community center and they told me the breaker is outside the house in the wooden box, where he stood for a few minutes. He would find it if he opens that box, but he did not. We found a blown fuse and replaced that.
Well, the bottom line is if you are looking for somebody to install a furnace, I think their company is good, but if you are looking for somebody to fix your water heater or install a new water heater, it is safe not to go for this company since my neighbor told me they have to call them in a month after they installed their new water heater, since they did not do a good job at the first place.
The technician is polite, came on time, so I gave two-star.
[UPDATE] The general manager John replied to my review. He mentioned their policy, "When a technician cannot perform a repair because of his skill level our policy is to get another technician out to assist him, and when we cannot complete a repair within our company's resources, our policy is to give a referral and then not charge for the service visit". I like this policy, it is very considerable for customers. I re-rated to five stars for their responsive and reliable. With this policy, I would consider continuing to use Lakeside and will continue to recommend Lakeside. read more