Chao was fast, friendly and professional. He helped us take care of an urgent issue same day. We…read morewill definitely work with him again in the future.

I want to be as fair as I possibly can be in writing this review, giving Mr. Chaojun every benefit…read moreof the doubt. What I expect from a contractor or painter is that they act with autonomy to complete a job. Clear communication was certainly at a minimum with Mr. Chaojun and he solicited my involvement on a continuous basis. Pricing was not laid out in a manner that gave me a clear idea what the total would be at the end of the job. Working with him was like flying on Spirit Airlines. You want a coke? $5 extra. You want a smile? $5 extra. I was very happy he was ultimately able to get the paint on the walls but wish I would have done the job myself. I needed a painter to finish up a walk-in closet, two small bathrooms and a medium sized bedroom and the hallway. I initially saw Mr. Chaojun's ad on craigslist and followed it to his Yelp page. I was drawn to many pictures he posted. I was especially encouraged by the straight lines between the trim and the walls. Since I'm preparing the room for a high-end renter, I wanted things to look very good. Mr. Chaojun was very businesslike on the phone, and I described my needs. He quoted me $250/room which sounded very fair. I was to buy the paint. He made no suggestion, so I bought Kelly Moore. I also told him that two of the walls of two of the rooms were already painted and needed very little work. Day One: He arrived on time. He is clean and has a businesslike manner. He brought along an assistant, and they got right to work. There was no talk about price or upcharges, he just got down to business with what I said I needed. I checked in on them after an hour or so and his assistant was painting over parts of the light switch covers. They don't use painter's tape, although I provided it. I also pointed out a few drips that were coagulating here and there. Apparently, the helper didn't like my input and left the jobsite. Halfway through the day, he explains to me that door jams are an additional charge. (I began to feel the bait and switch.) If you don't have a total, how can you agree to it before work starts? Why didn't we talk about this before you started working? I agreed to the extra $400. As he continued, he painted over nail patches that had not yet been sanded. I don't know why he didn't ask me about them, if there was going to be a problem or additional charge for light prep, I would have been open to that. I ended up having to follow him around and sand down the patches myself. I noticed many, many areas of wall that did not have complete and even coats of paint. He has his own technique for "cutting in" corners and around the tops and bottoms of walls that seems rushed and does not deposit even coats of paint. He told me not to worry about it, that he was a "professional" and did not need advice; to trust him regarding the finished product. By the end of the day, I was not at all confident that the job would be completed. I sent him an email outlining my concerns. He told me not to worry, that I would be happy with the completed paint job. Day Two: We had a brief discussion in the morning, and I reiterated my concerns. I walked through the job with him and pointed out many of the issues demonstrated in the photos. Mr. Chaojun bantered around the word, "Professional" several times. The definition of a professional is someone who maintains a high level of skill and standards. They also participate in continuous training. Trust me, I'm no "Tool-Time" handyman. When I can do a better job than the person I hire; there is a problem. I was on the verge of firing him because I had very little confidence in his abilities. I imagined myself, paint roller in hand, filling in all the missed areas he failed to paint. (And that's exactly what happened) He let me know that he had used the paint marked "Bathroom" instead of the paint marked "Walls" for the bedroom walls. Oh well, it looked good enough, so I let it slide. Two days into the job, he told me he would have to re-assess the cost of painting the door trim because, "That's very hard work." Long story short: There was a lot of input from me on day two. I went around the house more than four times pointing out patches of uncovered wall. He complained about the quality of the paint. He told me he decided he wasn't going to paint the trim around the doors. (I frankly think that was his best idea, otherwise this review would be even longer) There were two areas of tile that had paint splotches on them. He continually told me he would fix things and then I would find the next thing that was unfinished or improperly completed. I was really frustrated playing supervisor to our "professional" painter. I paid him the $1250 we had originally agreed to and was happy to be free of him. C-

Greg and his team at Smart Home Security Control have been amazing to us for nearly ten years…read more We've installed multiple cameras in our small business in Walnut Creek and haven't had a single issue. We recently updated our camera's to HD and his team worked fast, efficiently, and they're always willing to assist with any questions or concerns. The iDMSS phone app is the best feature, with crystal clear viewing and easy to navigate controls and playback. Thank you Smart Home, we can't wait to continue doing business with you!

I fully intended to go with another company but am I so glad and grateful that I found Greg and…read moreSmart Home Security Control instead! I had a couple of TV installation needs - one simple and one which was more complex.  A friend recommended a company he used which got good Yelp reviews.  So I was pretty much sold on that one.  But communication was lacking so I submitted a Yelp quote request for other businesses. Greg then reached out to me with specific questions to understand my needs and gave me options I never even considered.  He then asked if his installer Carl could drop by my home to make sure the installation was possible even before giving me a quote. The other businesses just sent me quotes which were vague and some of which were very expensive. Customer service and communication are so important especially for services in your own home.  Greg was involved every step of the way and invested in making sure I was getting what I wanted.  He answered all my questions promptly and in such a friendly manner.  Scheduling the installation appointment was a breeze.  On the day of installation Carl communicated with me about when he would arrive.  Carl was very professional and followed all COVID precautions.  His work was fantastic and I could tell he was experienced and dedicated to doing a good job.  He also installed a heavy wall hanging which I am pretty sure is a "menial task" for this company.  But they were kind enough to go the extra mile. I am very pleased with how everything turned out.  I had confidence in them from the beginning but until the job is complete, you never REALLY know.  Now you know - they are top notch.

Alan (The Owner) is amazing. He is so knowledgeable and I can trust him to provide me with quotes…read morefor what the situation needs, not some sort of upsell that gives him a kick back. He is patient with me too, which I appreciate because I don't know very much on the subject (I use him for my security cameras) and some of my sites have odd and very old configurations. He is great, never gives you "the run around" (always coming when he says he will) and treats your situation like it is an emergency.

Our good friend Jimmy G recommended Allen to update our alarms. We are VERY PLEASED w/ his…read moreservices. He is very knowledgeable and always gives us straight answers (and i ask a lot of questions). No one really likes "change" but he made the process simple and easy for us to update everything. Thank you Allen for helping us! I definitely recommend him and his services.

I experienced a really helpful and pleasant visit from technician Willie from Bay Alarm. He was…read morevery knowledgeable and knew exactly what was needed to complete the job I need from Bay Alarm. I strongly recommend Willie as someone to request at Bay Alarm.

I needed a battery change on my alarm. I just couldn't figure out where to remove it on my…read moreHoneywell alarm. I called Bay Alarm and two men came out and educated me. Now I know what to do. I am glad they came out fast because the alarm and Bay Alarm kept reminding me the battery was low. They came out quickly and even called to see if they could come a day earlier. I told them "Please!" It was worth the money to have them come out. And now I know what to do.

We met with Si the other day and learned so much in our consultation. First, his respect of "No…read moreShoes" in our home. He was easy speaking and very good at showing and saying what he was explaining to us. We asked for an audit of our system and to help us understand our system. We truly received great information and the how to's leaving us feeling confident and able to assess issues should they arise. He got us back on track with our system and took unnecessary components that were of no use to us. He complemented the system install and products chosen. He let us know that our system was very well done and that we have at least five to 10 years of great use. We were very happy with the visit and the outcome of the visit and are now truly enjoying it all. Thank you, Si and Hidden Connections for your awesome help and informative answers to our questions.

Hidden Connections are good people. Si and his daughter were very nice and did exceptional work…read more They arrived on time and quietly installed both of the cat 6 lines in my home and now we have Ethernet instead of wifi in our house running off of fiber. So much faster although I'm not sure we need it :) I only wish I had more jobs so I could hire them again. Thanks Hidden Connections!

As a property manager, having great and reliable vendors is a must. My company has partnered with…read more Vigilant Pro Private Security Services at a few of our apartment communities located in downtown Oakland for the past 4 years. VPPS has proven themselves to be a solid and trusted resource for our security needs. The patrol guards are always polite and professional. Our main point of contact Ash is super responsive and frequently checks in to make sure our ever evolving security needs are being met. When any changes are needed VPPS is quick to make the necessary adjustments. If you are looking for a dependable, proactive, and engaging security company, VPPS is one to call.

We use VPPS at multiple locations in the Bay Area and love their service. Mustafa really goes above…read moreand beyond to make sure he has satisfied customers! We mostly have standing guards and they are always courteous and professional with our staff. Very dependable! I would highly recommend.

Came here to get a lock rekeyed. $20/lock. They did it in about 15 minutes while I waited. The guy…read moreeven suggested I go to Home Depot to save money by buying a new lock set. But I preferred to get mine rekeyed so I have fewer keys. Always nice when they encourage you to save money instead of just promoting their business. I'd come back here.

Referred by our landlord - duplicated our keys at a reasonable price and were easy to work with.read more

Zach at Fast Friendly Computer Services has helped us multiple times. He responds quickly, comes to…read moreour shop, and handles computer updates and issues efficiently and professionally. He's reliable, easy to work with, and keeps our systems running smoothly.

Hackers gained access to my computer. I contacted Zach for help. He understood what help was needed…read moreto protect my computer and data. His service was quick and thourough. My lap top is secure, my data is safe. I am a confident of Zach's tech knowledge and a greatfull client. He's my go to guy for tech service