My heat pump decided to quit working on one of those days (May 3, 2018) were Maryland winter suddenly becomes summer bringing along 90-degree temperatures and humidity. I knew my day was coming, as the unit was aging and had been losing efficiency over the past couple of years. I wondered how many days it would take to get it fixed and how much of a hassle this would end up being. I did some cursory research on Angie's list and Yelp and decided to contact the Eric Smock company. And I am glad I did! This is a top-notch outfit that provides end-to-end exceptional customer care, technical expertise, professionalism, and attention to detail. I think this reflects exceptional leadership at the top. I would not assume that all HVAC catastrophic failures could be resolved within 24 hours, but that's exactly what happened in my case.
I called the number on their website around 7AM Friday May 4 assuming I would get an answering machine (note - the phone number on Yelp is not correct). Instead I spoke with Jeffrey of their answering service, who took down the details of my problem (heat pump not working, circuit breakers tripping) and what I had done (reset breakers, replace filter in air handler) and he assured me that he would get the information right over to ES when they opened at 8AM. Around 7:45 AM Ashley contacted me from ES, reviewed my information, and explained that due to the heat things had really gotten busy but that they would do the best they could; very professional, very friendly, and I got the sense that she "owned" the problem and would do what she could. She had rearranged some work, and as it turns out Kevin was available to come over and diagnose the issue around 9AM. Detail: She sent me an email with Kevin's picture on it in advance of his arrival so I would know who to look for. Kevin did a number of diagnostics on the heat pump and the air handler in the basement, and unfortunately, I had suffered what he called a "catastrophic failure" requiring complete replacement. He was very straight-forward and explained what had happened. I was reeling a bit, I suppose, and when he said that Scott (owner's son) would be over at noon to provide an estimate, I said something like "Well it will be good to get it repaired," and Kevin very politely but clearly said, "No, we are talking replacement." Kept me on track, in other words. He did not commit to any ballpark for replacement, nor when it would occur -- expertly managing my expectations and my tendency to hope people will say what I want to hear .
Scott arrived ahead of schedule around 11AM (Ashley called to confirm if this would be acceptable) and we sat down and discussed the options. He first asked a few questions to gather information which might have a bearing on the equipment installed (e.g., does anyone have allergies or asthma?) took the time to walk me through a short presentation on the company, their training and skillsets, insurance status, and then the actual estimate. He provided several options for replacement. They also offer financing, which I did not require. He was not sure if they could get to it today, and if they could if they could finish it, but they would try, and in any event I would have AC that day, and if necessary he would help on the install!
As it turns out, Scott and his initial crew arrived around 3PM with a truck load of equipment and started to work. They decided to complete the job that day, due to other work that was piling up, for which I was grateful. They finally wrapped things up at 9PM! I got a great briefing on how to operate the fancy-dancy high tech thermostat (can't wait to show that off to my kids!) and how to connect it to a device (which I did the next day -- was quite easy). I think they left the place cleaner when they left then it was when they arrived!
The entire crew -- and I apologize that I didn't recall all their names -- was polite, respectful, hardworking, well-groomed, and wearing company-issued polo shirts for a neat, professional appearance. They took care to put on those bootie things on their shoes when in the main part of the house. They appeared to work well together, each going about their tasks. It was not their first rodeo, as they say. One of them mentioned that they rarely begin a complete replacement project that late in the day, but they wanted to finish it so they could help other customers.
I don't write a lot of reviews, and certainly not this detailed, but I wanted to document just what you get when you work with the Eric Smock Company. read more