While I'm thrilled that Annie L (review from 5/20/2018) had a great experience, it has been the opposite for my husband and me. I am DEFINITELY not a competitor, & having read some of the other reviews, I'm not alone in feeling this way. I believe this is my 1st Yelp review, and it's a novel. If you don't have time to read it all, let me save you the trouble. FIND SOMEONE ELSE. I agree with the four negative reviews below- rude customer service, push products that you don't need, and overpriced. Not worth it- find ANYONE else.
We have been using this company since we bought our house in 2013, because they serviced the pool for the previous home owners. I'm ashamed to admit that we have wanted to use a different business since 2014 but didn't out of sheer convenience.
The 2nd season with them we started to have problems. There were a series of little but annoying things that happened. For example, when they opened the pool, they accidentally broke our automatic vacuum cleaner and never told us. Additionally, they serviced a piece of equipment, charged us, and never told us what they did. I had to call to ask, and Chris Callanan (the owner) made it seem like an inconvenience. I guess just randomly charging triple digits to a customer's credit card on file is normal for them- so BEWARE. Also, when they sent the receipt, the charges were for both time and equipment, and I don't believe they were truthful about the time- they didn't know I was in the house (night shift worker). Also, when they closed the pool, one of the cement steps broke off. Not their fault at all, it was bound to happen, but again- they didn't tell us. AND that particular closing, they didn't turn the power to the pump off, so it started running when the pool was closed- which probably caused damage (we have since replaced the pump). Another time I called to ask a question, and because the shop was closing, Chris cut me off- he literally did not help me because it was 6pm (for the record, that was annoying of me but I didn't do it on purpose, and I had never done it before and would NEVER do it on purpose). Additionally, we buy all of our chemicals through them and have never once questioned them on it (combo of trust & convenience). 2 seasons later Chris tells us we are supposed to add chemicals to the pool in the off-season, and when I innocently say we didn't know that, he insisted that he told us (he didn't), and then was annoyed when I asked for instructions on how to pull the pool cover back to do so. 4 seasons later Chris tells us we should be using a chemical I've never heard of before and doubles-down on the ridiculous notion that he told me this before. Um. Hello- we buy the chemicals you tell us to, I have never once purported to know anything about this pool, WTF would I NOT get something that I should? But he insisted he told me- which was infuriating.
Which brings me to my final point. For the last 3 years every time he speaks to me, Chris Callanan- the OWNER- talks down to me. Another review actually says he did the same thing- so I guess it's not just me. I'm not sure why- while I clearly don't know anything about pools, I don't believe I generally ask the same questions. I NEVER am anything but respectful. I started communicating by email as much as possible to alleviate the stress (I repeat, I should have just switched companies so much of this rage is regret and anger at myself).
The straw that finally broke the camel's back was just this season. My husband & I were curious about replacing the dying heater in 2017. From the 2017 original email on heaters: "They vent differently and would not use the chimney through the roof but would instead vent out through the side of the shed. We would also need to use an adapter to allow it to be vented from indoors and this would add about $200." Due to the cost, we decided to postpone. This February 2018, I sent an email to Chris to purchase a replacement pool heater that we had first discussed (by email!) the year before. In the 2018 email he says "Labor to install and the adapter kit would be added later when the work was done."
When they came and "installed" the heater, and my husband was physically present. They never gave any indication it wasn't ready, & as you can read above, there was no indication from my emails that there would be issues with installation. The day before my son's 1st bday pool party in which we had 20 people travel from NJ to use what would normally be a frigid pool- we realize it's not fully installed. And when my husband called, Chris said, "We told your wife. It just must not have sunk in." And in the end, it cost $2500 more than we originally allotted to have a plumber and electrician install it.
If you don't have time to read this all, let me save you the trouble. FIND SOMEONE ELSE. I agree with the four negative reviews below- rude customer service, push products that you don't need, and overpriced. Not worth it- find ANYONE else. read more