I truly don't understand how this guy does any business. I guess with the triple digit heat, he can manage to stay busy and take advantage of people, but he won't be getting my business. I found out on Friday that the air wasn't working. Called West Coast Air and spoke with Robert who came out and diagnosed the problem as a failed compressor monitor. He then tells me on the spot (having called no one) that it's a part that isn't available anywhere in town (how does he know already?), that he will have to order it from LA (again, not sure how he knew) and that it will be $350 for the part (he's clairvoyant. I suppose he knew all along that the part cost what it did and that it would come from LA. Fine, ok, I gave him the benefit of the doubt). He calls me back later that day to confirm that I truly want the part, I tell him yes, I will pay for it, and to place the order because we need the air fixed asap. He places the order, and advises me that the part (a compressor monitor) is expected to arrive from Southern California (or Vegas - he's not sure) on Monday or Tuesday, and that he would install it as soon as it arrived. Meanwhile, not knowing what a compressor monitor was, or what it cost, I did a little due diligence over the weekend and tried to get some information on it, as any informed consumer would. I Googled "compressor monitor" and couldn't find anything. So I contacted no less than five other mechanical HVAC contractors, none of whom had ever heard of a compressor monitor. A little worried, but not overly concerned, except that I have a guest staying in the home without air conditioning and one guest had already left because of the lack of air. So, time was sort of the essence. Monday rolls around, the part hasn't arrived. Tuesday morning I contact Robert to see when the part is expected to arrive, and he advises me that he hopes it will arrive later on Tuesday at around 3-4pm, but then informs me that even if it does arrive on Tuesday, he WILL NOT be able to come out to install it because he has other customers to attend to given the extreme heatwave. Wow, really? Honestly, I was a little shocked that suddenly I'm relegated to the lowest priority, despite the fact that I was initially seen on Friday. So, the part would be sitting with Robert and he won't come by to install it? Alrighty then. Although I was a little irked that he wouldn't make time to install the part and finish the job, I nevertheless continued to wait all day Tuesday for the part to arrive. By 430pm on Friday, I still had not heard a word from Robert, so I texted him to find out the status. He called me back and told me that the part had arrived and that he has it (HELLO?!?the part arrived and no one thought to call, text or otherwise inform me that it had arrived and to advise when it would be installed?!? Seriously??)
To top things off, when i asked him for details about the part (price and invoice for my tax deduction), he refused to tell me what the part cost and proceeded to tell me how upset he was because I had "shopped around" and called other businesses, and that it was pointless to do so because he's the only business in town with that part. I told him not to take offense to my research; that I merely did a little homework as an informed consumer. I'm not entirely sure why he would be so concerned that I was just trying to inform myself. I had repeatedly assured him I would pay him for the part and his labor. I just wanted a breakdown of the parts cost, and the labor cost. Not too unreasonable to ask, right? I mean, that's how every contract I've ever been involved with works. Anyway, he begins to get noticeably agitated, so I say, "let's just move past this and get the part installed. When can you come install the part?" To which he responds, "I don't know." I was shocked. "You're telling me you've got the part in and you can't or won't give me a day and time when you're going to install it??" His reply again was that he was butt hurt that I had shopped around, and that I had asked for the invoice on the part. So, he chose to hold out on installation purely out of spite. And he knew that because it is triple digit heat, and that I had a guest who was waiting for AC, he could leverage the situation. Seriously though, you diagnose my AC unit, order the part, and then tell me I have to wait to have it installed?? Anyway, if that's how Robert wants to run his business, then so be it. I just won't be giving him my business, and I certainly will do all I can to let everyone else know about my experience and to proceed with caution. Unfortunately, the poor reviews on here are starting to outweigh the good ones. And I now see why. SMH. read more