Where do I begin? In 2014 when we had the "snow of the year" my family had to make due with 2 space heaters in a 1300 sq.ft. home with vaulted ceilings. Let's just say it was horrible. Fearful that my heat-pump had "kicked the bucket" we tried to get numerous people out to fix the problem. Michael and Sons was the only company who could get out to our home in a reasonable time frame. Andre came out and was awesome. He not only fixed our problem, but found out that our unit had aluminum wire going to it and that the emergency heat was never hooked up. I guess that's a good reason why the emergency heat wouldn't work when we tried it. After fixing the issues, the heat was up and running again and Andre offered us the yearly service plan. We jumped on the band wagon after hearing the benefits of the service plan. During 2013 we have had several other issues with our heat pump, but Andre again came out and everything (except Freon) was covered under the service plan. However, Andre did tell us that we should keep the plan and think about replacement soon because of the age of the unit and the condition. Anytime Andre came to our home he sent us a postcard a few days later. Now that's spectacular customer service!!!! We were so happy with the service from Andre, who has been the only tech we have had, that we decided to use Michael and Sons to run new heat/ac vents to our newly converted garage. This time a new guy came out. He left and we never got a postcard from him, like we always did with Andre. sad, but still happy with Andre and the Michael and Sons guarantee. So fast forward to the 2015 "snow storms". Two days after the last round of snow we received that it when it happened. Our 10 Seer 2.5 ton unit finally had it. The compressor was done and honestly I was tired of being cold. We called Michael and Sons because we still had our service warranty. Unfortunately Andre had nursed the heat-pump as much as he could and it was not long functioning. The initial diagnosis was that the compressor was bad, but there could also be other issues that could not be identified because the compressor is not functioning. Andre called Gary and this is when Michael and Sons offered us several options to replace the entire unit. They even offered to just replace the compressor, but cautioned us that just replacing the compressor. Gary explained that although replacing the compressor was less expensive, is risky because if there is anything else wrong, the whole unit may have to be replaced. Gary did not push us to purchase a whole new unit and gave us four quotes to review. In the interest of trying to find the best deal, we called several other companies to see if we could get something better. Each time a representative came out they checked the system and duct work. This is when we found a problem, the duct work done by the one guy from Micheal and Sons was done wrong. I was crushed. Even though I know it wasn't Andre, I knew how professional he was and what his workmanship was so I was aggravated. We spent almost $1,300.00 running the duct work to the garage. This new finding made me skeptical of having a whole new system replaced by Michael and Sons because I knew it wouldn't be Andre doing the work. After a lengthy conversation with Gary about the issues and he came back to our home, sat down with us and ensured us that the job would be done right, the duct work would be fixed to their standards and apologized. Gary was upfront and honest with us and really listened to our concerns, even taking calls after hours for questions. After discussing the situation more we decided to go with Michael and Sons since they were offering us a 10 year parts and labor on the system and because Andre trusted Gary. Gary was great, but Andre's trust in him just sealed the deal for us. So, three days after signing the contract Michael and Sons showed up to change our our system. We signed our contract on a Thursday night and they showed up on Monday morning, March 30th. The time frame window given to us was 8-12. The guys showed up just before 9:00 a.m. Our installers were Tom and Nagee (I hope I am spelling that correctly). Three words: They were amazing!!! Tom was very polite out the gate introducing himself and his helper Nagee. They were comfortable with my three dogs running around and I was very appreciative of that simply because having to keep them locked up, when they are never locked up would have been difficult. They wasted no time putting down drop cloths everywhere. My pups even helped. (LOL) Not soon after beginning it began to rain, but it didn't slow them down. I left for work at 11:00 a.m. when my husband got home. Shortly after arriving home at 4:30 p.m. the guys were finishing up and didn't mind me going up in the attic to look at the work or explaining anything about our new unit versus our older unit or what work they had done. All of these guys rocked!!!! read more

My experience with this company has been Exceptional! One of my HVAC systems failed nearly two weeks ago. My wife and I suffered with above 85 degree temps upstairs as a result. We noticed ice outside on the condenser and cooling lines; so, I called my regular heating & A/C company (Smith & Keene), they just came out and recharged the system with refrigerant ($300.00) i also paid for a leak test (dye) (another $300.00) which they checked a week later. S&K eventually told me, I had a refrigerant leak, and needed a new evaporator coil, preferably a new system (coil & condenser). What is crazy about all this is that we found out Smith & Keene had improperly installed both HVAC systems during new construction of my home. They connected my 3.5 ton outdoor A/C condenser to a 2.5 ton evaporator coil (which failed), then connecting my 2.5 ton condenser to the 3.5 ton coil. As the original owners my wife and I are extremely upset about that, and can't help but to believe that Smith & Keane was aware of this problem before my HVAC failed. They then informed me that they would have to charge me for every visit and for any parts, labor, or refrigerant I required as a result. We felt their customer service was horrible (except Christina who really tried to help)! My systems are out of warranty but well within life expectancy at just 9 years; still, we decided to go ahead with a new install. That's where Michael & Son came in. After four different contractors told us that our HVAC misconfiguration more than likely led to the leak and early failure (3.5 condenser to 2.5 coil), we decided to purchase a complete new upstairs heating and A/C system. We talked to three companies (not Smith & Keene though) and decided to go with Michael & Son because their sales rep, Rusty, was awesome! We called him on Friday and set an appointment for Saturday afternoon, Rusty was very knowledgeable, he walked around our home with us explaining what he saw and how they would fix it. He suggested several systems, in a variety of price ranges, and overall he was just Great!! We felt very comfortable with him and knew we wanted to hire the company he represented. He spent over 2 hours with us Saturday morning, then took our phone call Saturday night (after we talked to the other reps); then came back to our home on Sunday afternoon for more questions and to finalize our order. We compared each sales person to Rusty; and, they did not do half as much, or seem half as personable. He really earned our business!! We then chose to go with the top of the line system they had to offer - the Carrier Infinity SEER 17 complete heating and a/c system. He even manged, on Sunday, to set up our installation for the next day - MONDAY!! Which is exactly what we were hoping for! He told us, not only would it be done on Monday, but it would be done right!! On Monday morning three installers showed up - ready to go! They each introduced themselves, explained what they were going to be doing, asked if I had any questions or concerns about the upcoming work, then just got to it! My installers were DeWitt, Brian, and Drew, and they were great! My old system was completely removed before I knew it... And my new system went in very smoothly too. They took extra effort to make sure everything that needed covering was covered, laid out tarp to protect my carpeting, they even put on those little blue boot covers every time they entered the house. I told them not to worry about it, but they put them on anyway. They went out of the way to ensure no damaged occurred from all the tools and equipment they moved in and out of the house. When they finished, DeWitt explained the new system to my wife and I; and, Brian checked all the supplys to make sure cold air was coming out where it's supposed to... They did a Great job! DeWitt even came back the next morning around 9 a.m. to make sure everything was working properly, check pressures in the new outdoor unit, took another look at the new coil and heater, and showed me a couple things about my new Infinity Touch thermostat. DeWitt, Brian, and Drew were top-notch! Since they just completed our install yesterday, I'll update this post in a couple weeks. However, Overall, we're extremely happy with out new system, and glad that we went with Michael and Son for this job. They have earned this job and any other future business we may have. Update: Just had William come out to complete my service. He did a wonderful job on my vent cleaning. A really nice guy, who also represented M&S well. read more

UPDATE: Shortly after posting my original review, I was finally contacted by an Operations Manager at Michael & Son. Unfortunately, the experience that followed only reinforced my frustration. Over the course of a four-day email exchange, we debated something as basic as the size of the HVAC unit that was installed. My invoice clearly states that I was sold and installed a 2-ton unit, yet the equipment/serial number/warranty at my home appears to be a 1.5-ton unit. Rather than providing a clear explanation backed by documentation, I was told the discrepancy was being "assumed" to be the result of a model number change. As a customer, I am still left wondering whether I paid for a 2-ton unit and received a 1.5-ton unit instead. Even more disappointing is that Michael & Son has shown no willingness to acknowledge any mistakes, apologize for the confusion, or take ownership of the situation. What makes this especially frustrating is that this entire issue could have been avoided if someone had simply listened to my concerns from the beginning and taken the time to do some basic research. Instead, I spent days trying to get answers to questions that should have been addressed during my very first call. At the end of this process, I still feel underserved, ignored, and disappointed. While I appreciate finally being contacted after leaving my review, the response did not resolve my concerns or restore my confidence in the company. Based on my experience, I honestly would not even give this company one star. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I am extremely disappointed with my experience with Michael & Son in Newport News, Va. From the beginning, I believe they installed an HVAC unit that was undersized for my home. Since installation, the system has struggled to keep up and has frequently run continuously. When I first called to report that the unit was constantly running, the technician dismissed my concerns instead of investigating whether there was an underlying problem. Looking back, I feel that issue should have been taken seriously and may have prevented more costly problems later. Most recently, another technician came out but was unable to properly diagnose the issue because he did not have the appropriate equipment. He recommended that a second technician come out for another opinion, yet I was still expected to pay for a service call without receiving a diagnosis or solution. Communication has been just as disappointing as the service. I left three messages with customer service requesting a return call, and no one ever responded. It's frustrating to be ignored when you're dealing with an ongoing issue that requires timely attention. To make matters worse, the part that now needs to be replaced is covered under the manufacturer's warranty, but the company refuses to cover the labor because I am not enrolled in their maintenance plan. While I understand companies have policies, it's frustrating to be charged significant labor costs for what I believe is a problem that may have been caused or worsened by the installation of an undersized unit. Overall, I feel my concerns were dismissed, my issue was not properly diagnosed when I first reported it, and I am now facing an expensive repair that may have been avoided if the correct-sized unit had been installed from the start. The lack of communication and customer service only added to an already frustrating experience. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend this company. read more

I don't understand why Yelp posts all of the bad reviews first? there are plenty of positive good reviews on M&S listed at the very end of the list! Not cool or fair Yelp! Anyway, we've had A/C issues on and off for a couple years. We finally called a larger company because we were tired of dealing with inconsistent smaller ones. It seemed like I was having to call a new company each season to assess what a different company did the season before. So I was ready for some stability. And to be honest, I probably would have even paid a little more to have it. Not everything is about price. Our unit was old- 13 years. We bought the house from a "do-it-yourselfer" who made modifications that were on there last leg. Our story with the service man is similar to those listed in the "bad reviews"...we needed parts and freon (which i believed because the unit wasn't cooling or pushing air and it was running all the time). The parts were going to be expensive- $2000 or so. The tech said that after all of the money on these repairs, another part could fail. there are not guarantees on just fixing parts "here and there" on such an old unit. But this is common sense. And yes, the service man recommended a new unit. After some internet research, we decided to go with the new unit. AC units are only expected to last 10-15 years. That's a consistent reported fact. Now, if our unit was newer, or the unit wasn't having so many issues, and our house history wasn't shady...maybe I would have questioned this man's recommendation. But all of my facts and research pointed to the same conclusion. I guess what I'm saying is, no matter who one calls for service, it is important to take some time to educate yourself on the matter to make the right decision. Some of these negative reviews make it sound like every situation is the same and there can never ever possibly be a reason to spend more than $100 on an AC. From what I can tell we paid a fair price for what we received. Also 10 year warranty. If I searched high and low, in every crack and crevice of the deepest, darkest corners of va beach, maybe I could have found a price a few dollars cheaper--but that's not what I'm about. I want quality, consistency, and a company that's going to be in business next year. I don't want my family to be scared of the service people in our house because they look and act like criminals. BTW, our new AC unit is awesome and it is VERY APPARENT that we did need the new unit. I can't remember that last time our house was this comfy and the AC runs much less than the last one so maybe our power bill will go down a little. Thank you to Gary Witcher, Trey, & Terrel who assessed my old set up and installed the new one. Also, thank you to William and his co-pilot who cleaned the ducts after installation! I am so glad I made the decision i did because no tellin' how much time and money I would have spent calling a million companies to save $1 and replacing a hundred different smaller parts through 15 different companies! So in closing- don't always pick "the cheapest route" just cause it's cheap and always do your research to be an informed consumer, but don't hesitate to call M & S! read more