Service Specialties Inc.

HVAC Service Technician, John M. from Services Specialists, Inc provided excellent service during his visit to inspect our HVAC system. He was very professional, thorough, and detail-oriented while checking everything to ensure it was operating properly. He took the time to explain how the system operates and confirmed that the system is working well and meets construction codes, which gave us great peace of mind. His communication was outstanding, and he was very informative throughout the entire process. He also offered maintenance services, which we truly appreciated. The only reason we declined was because we are in the process of selling our home; otherwise, we would have gladly moved forward with the service. Overall, a great experience. We highly recommend John for his professionalism, expertise, and excellent customer service! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ben installed a new toilet in my mother’s home on March 4th and did a great job! At my mother’s annual inspection earlier this year, he pointed out the age of our previous toilet and said a new toilet would be more efficient. My mother had planned to replace that toilet, and he had all the information regarding purchase and installation through SSI. My mom thought the price was great, and appreciates the information Ben provided. This was an excellent way to accomplish this replacement with purchasing through SSI. My mom has a top floor condo, and she didn’t have to worry about getting a toilet up the stairs nor taking the old one out of her home. She will definitely call them again!

Tod came Monday for regular maintenance. He’s awesome. He is professional, friendly and conscientious. He’s been helping me since I first moved into my house and realized I needed to replace the original heating system and both AC units. He was with Cardinal then, subsequently acquired by Service Specialties. Booking appointments and communication with Service Specialties has been great. Prices seem fair and I trust them (and Tod!) to provide me with great service.

Update 12/19/19--Unit failed after under 10 years. New installer found finger-tight GAS fittings in the furnace. Was it the idiots at Trane? Who knows. The SSI installer should have found it. Lucky we're not dead. Stay far, far away from SSI. They're not only incompetent but, it turns out, they're dangerous. Look elsewhere. They installed a new HVAC system for me several years ago which they have never been able to get working right--either too hot or too cold, year round. Right now I'm sweltering--yet again--because after a $800+ repair job, the AC is blowing lukewarm air. Ignore their "service" contracts and go to a local HVAC company that actually provides what they charge you for.

We have a simple faucet leak in the condo my wife and I own and lease out to a tenant. We scheduled SSI's plumber to come out a fix it on November 22, for which my tenant took the day off of work to meet him. With absolutely no warning, I called that morning to check the arrival status, and was told the plumber wouldn't be there because he was out sick. We attempted to schedule again for Friday, November 29, but was told they don't work the day after Thanksgiving. I was finally able to schedule for Friday, December 6, and received confirmation, and once again had my tenant take the day off of work. Low and behold, at 11:30am on the morning of 12/6 SSI called and said they wouldn't be there because the plumber was tied up on another call. Apparently SSI, which bills itself quite well on their website, has a grand total of 2 plumbers employed, meaning they have nobody else that can step in. Their customer service rep made absolutely no attempt to resolve the problem, and said their director of operations would call me the next week. They sure don't seem to have very many people actually working on a day to day basis. In addition, I'm a client with a yearly membership for HVAC servicing. I can assure you, that membership will be cancelled immediately.

I have been an SSI customer for about 10 years and have been very pleased and satisfied with their HVAC maintenance and service on my HVAC system. Every technician was outstanding and still is, and most latest one was Clint. Outstanding job and performance and very professional and clear communication and expectations set. This review is on their Plumbing Service, which is rated 1-star. I had the same expectations as their HVAC service, but unfortunately that expectation did not match up to par with everything. It was also my FIRST and LAST in using their plumbing services. Here is why. I paid for a plumbing maintenance agreement like my HVAC maintenance agreement. What set this apart is basically being pulled in to get involved in the service, rather than be left alone to do my work like the HVAC technicians normally do. Joshua asked me to show him each room that needs plumbing inspection and had to stay because he would call me back again in my home office after inspecting a room, then asking me to lead him to another room. In summary, there were 9 areas that required inspection. When he did find something, such as a slow drain, whining noise when toilet tank is filling, faucet leaks, etc--he does a quick estimate of about $220 for each potential repair. Accordingly, I asked him to proceed in repairing a leak in the master bathtub pluming fixture located on the 2nd floor. It was a Moen product, about 13 years old, and he asked me if I have an instruction manual. Fortunately, I did have an instruction manual to replace the Moen cartridge for the faucet, since I previously replaced it in the past. Note that my home builder who installed all my plumbing fixtures do not provide the customer with instruction manuals for plumbing. Then I went into my office. Joshua called me and said that he needs me to turn off the main water valve down the basement. Had to leave my work to oblige his request. After several minutes, I went upstairs to see his progress. He said that he was having a difficult time removing the faucet cartridge and that it appears to be stuck. I gave him a tool that I purchased from Moen to remove the cartridge nut that holds the faucet cartridge in and went downstairs again to continue with my work. Again, after several minutes, I went upstairs and he said that the cartridge was completely stuck and that I would need to replace the entire bathtub plumbing fixture--and he called Moen to order the parts. After he called Moen, he asked me that I will need to contact my "tile guy" because all the tiles surrounding the bathtub will need to be torn down so he could replace and install the new plumbing fixture. That caught me by surprised because he did not say anything about demolishing my tiles in order to do this work. Also, because he kept pulling on the cartridge out and reassembled the handles, lever, and control, there were more leaks coming out from the spout than before. I told him that I did not expect to spend over $2K that started with a small leak on the spout and said that I will have to live with that leak--although worse than it was before. As he was closing out the service ticket, he said that he will charge me about $100 for labor, for spending the time trying to fix the leak--that he never fixed. I got upset and called his manager, Todd, and expressed my extreme disappointment for the entire service. At first, Todd was defending that his plumbers have the right to ask the customer for the instruction manuals due to the various new brands and products in the market and I told Todd that my plumbing fixtures are over 10 years old and that my expectations are that his plumbers should know more about the various brands and products that are older than 5 years old, if not 10 years old. Also that Joshua did not communicate that he would be charging me for the incomplete repair service, because Joshua indicated he assumed that the customer should already know that. Also, I told Todd that I had previously replaced this same cartridge twice and have not had any problems removing them, since Joshua told Todd that the cartridges have not been replaced in 12 years and therefore were stuck. Todd eventually said that he will not charge me for this service, although his expression was not in full agreement. Today, I attempted to repair the leak since it was leaking more than before. I was able to remove the cartridge easily and replaced the cartridge and stopped the leak. I believe the reason why Joshua could not remove the cartridge is because he did not remove the cartridge nut that was holding down the cartridge. That was the reason I gave him the Moen tool which was the cartridge nut remover. Therefore, even with the instruction manual, it was pretty useless because Joshua did not read it so that he would know that there was a cartridge nut holding down the cartridge in order to remove the cartridge.

Company is sell, sell, and prices are high. They came out for a repair last summer, and, to reduce costs, I bought the service plan, figuring the cleaning and inspection included plus the discount on that repair was worth it. Big mistake. When they came out for the winter inspection last week, they supposedly identified a litany of problems. Full disclosure, my system is about 17 y/o. I was out of town, and my son was home. I paid for what were presented as the most critical issues because I didn't want the heat to fail while I was gone. I called back after seeing the estimates and asked why they included an estimate for a new hot water heater ($3,200!!!) when I didn't ask for them to do anything to the hot water heater. The office person said the tech would get back to me with an explanation. Never did. That raised my suspicions even higher. When I got back, I called our usual company for a second opinion (we ended up with SSI last summer for an emergency repair when we mistakenly called them as they appeared at the top on Google when searching for our usual company using their specific name; beware of the "sponsored results" when using Google. They show up before the actual company you're looking for even if you type the specific name of the company which can be very misleading. The second opinion revealed some very questionable pricing for the work I authorized. The sensor cleaning for which I was charged the "discount" price of $185 involved removing 2 screws, sanding the wire, and reinserting it. Took 2 minutes. I'm not sure why such a simple task isn't included in the inspection and cleaning. The ignitor was supposedly melted and cost over $300 to replace. The tech from the smaller local company said the system would not work if it was truly melted of fused (can't remember what the SSI tech said exactly). In any event, he thought $300 for that small part (about the size of a car fuse) was quite high. He checked a motor that SSI wanted to replace for $1,000 and could find nothing out of the ordinary. He said he couldn't say with any certainty that the SSI tech didn't hear something nor could he have any way of knowing if the motor would fail soon or last for several more years. But, I've never heard any unusual noises that I haven't heard in the 17 years we had the system, and the second tech started and restarted the system several times and heard nothing unusual. Lesson. Large firms put great pressure on the techs to upsell, and many of the techs work on commissions on what they sell, which I never knew. I don't know if that's the case for sure at SSI, but I definitely think the included "seasonal inspection and cleaning" part of the service plan is just a a way for them to sell you very expensive systems vs fixing existing systems.

No one ever hopes to replace a HVAC system, but if you need to, you'd be well advised to hire Service Specialties Inc to do the work. Our AC system has been on its last legs the past few weeks and this latest heat wave was the final straw.Between our last service call (Joe Rowan is an incredible technician), we set up an appointment with "Bacon". He arrived on time, assessed our system and gave us an estimate.The estimate was fair and addressed our needs. Two days after he did the estimate, the entire AC unit gave up the ghost. I called their emergency line late Monday night, and their after hours technician, Joe Williams , gave me some troubleshooting tips to try, and instructed me to call Brooke the next morning, if none of the things he suggested worked. Brooke (exceptionally polite and professional), scheduled a technician to come out that same day and gave me a time frame when he'd arrive. She called me (as promised) to let me know he was on his way. Joe Rowan showed up, checked out the system and confirmed what I feared; the AC was done. I called "Bacon", did all the paperwork via email and phone and he arranged to have the system installed the same week. He scheduled the install and told me when to expect the technicians. Now anyone who lives in the DMV has probably experienced the appointment time vs real time paradox. Imagine my surprise when Brandon and Isaac showed up when they were scheduled to arrive. They were professional, courteous, and efficient. They managed to get the new system installed in less time than I expected. They explained the system and best of all, the only way I knew they had been there was the new equipment. They cleaned up after themselves and they were on their way. Bottom line, if you need HVAC service, this is the company you want to do business with.They are all extremely professional. I remember all their names (something I rarely do with most companies I deal with), because each made a profound impression in the course doing their jobs. I highly recommend SSI!

UPDATE At 1:00 the technician called me. He explained that though it said "furnace" it did include the entire unit and that even though it said "cash" financing was an option. He is also going to email me with ways to lower the cost of it. __________________________________________________________ On January 17, 2020 I woke up to no air coming out of the vents at all. I called and within a couple of hours had a serviceman come. He explained that the blower capacitor burned out and did a patch job but couldn't say how long that would last "Perhaps a few days before it goes again." He said that he could perhaps install something that would "fit that small hole in the wall." I was in a hurry to get to the office and didn't then know what he'd send as options so I said "sure." He sent me two prices for two furnaces (a bit of $6,000 and the other one was a bit over $7,000 and it said "cash"). I don't have that much disposable cash laying around so I sent a reply back that they looked reasonable but that's a bit too much for me and asked if there was a cheaper option. He never e-mailed me back. Yesterday before he left, I mentioned that the temp had fallen another degree (I have a digital thermostat). He said that it just takes time to warm up (???). I came home and it was still 56 and set for 60. This morning I woke to the trailer being 50 degrees (set for 60). I called the emergency number at around 5:30 and left a message. I also emailed them. It is now 10:35 and I've not been contacted. Surely they're not ignoring me because I wouldn't buy a furnace??? Also, I have a heat pump. Why give me a price for a furnace and not mentioned the out door unit (I thought they were a set)? I didn't say anything at the time because, again, I was in a hurry and because I didn't know what options he'd give.

Contacted SSI for a quote to replace our HVAC system on last week. A salesperson, Chris, came to our home on time to inspect our existing HVAC system, doing measurements, assisted us to select a TRANE system that meet our need and budget. The given quote was very competitive compare to others, and we decided to sign up the contract with SSI. The HVAC installation was scheduled within a few days. The head installer, Eric, came 15 minutes early on the installation day and cover our floor and stairway with several pieces of thick fabric from the entrance door all the way to the second floor where the air handler was located on the attic and prepared everything ready for the installation task while waiting for Jake (the second installer) to pick up the TRANE heat pump and air handler. Both heat pump and air handler units are brand new in the original manufacture boxes when Jake arrived. Both Eric and Jake are courteous, knowledgeable, professional, and efficient in handling their installation tasks. When the installation was completed, Eric showed us how to use the new system and offered help with any problems or questions we may have with the new system later on while Jake cleaned up everything to perfection. Throughout the entire process from scheduling to installation, Chris either called me or promptly response to every question I sent him through email. The entire SSI team from the salesperson to the installers are very polite, respectful, and excellent. I would highly recommend them to anyone.

I wish I had had a good experience like some of the other reviews but ours was not! We called SSI based on the reviews for our A/C unit. A technician came 2 days later. He arrived at 5 pm and said he was in a hurry because he had a meeting that night. He went in the attic, said he found a piece of insulation stuck on the side of the A/C unit and he 'thought' that was causing the problem. He went outside, looked at that unit and said everything was working fine, that the Freon was flowing perfectly! We wrote him a check for $119 and he was on his way. The next day still having the same problem with A/C! We talked to a neighbor that is in the A/C business (that was away on vacation before) told him the problem and he immediately stated the unit is probably freezing up, he sent someone over the next day and that was the exact problem, we needed 2 lbs of Freon in the outdoor unit which the SSI guy stated was just fine! I called SSI to let them know that A. they had sent out a person that didn't know what he was doing and B. I expected them to either refund the total that I had paid or at least half! I was told the manager was gone for the day and would call me back after he discussed with the technician. That was 2 weeks ago and have not heard 1 word. Sorry I have to give a negative review but had SSI stepped up and done the right thing, it would be different! Would not recommend!

I called SSI when my air conditioner wasn't cooling like it should. Right away I got the feeling the technician was on a mission. He took a look at the outside and inside unit. He told me that it definitely needed freon but he also had a lengthy list of things that needed to be done. I told him to add some Freon. He gave me a quote of so much up to 2 pounds and then if it needed more it was going to be a higher price.He came back in after adding 2 pounds and said it needs more so he needed me to sign off on adding more. At the end he said he added 6 pounds of Freon for a cost of over $1000. He told me that the unit must have a major leak in order to need that much Freon. He said since my unit was over 10 years old it would be a waste of my money to do all the repairs and that I should get a new unit and he gave me a quote of $17,000 and that was with the discount! When I told him I wasn't prepared to buy a unit at this time he said "so you just wanna throw $1000 at the door because you're gonna need Freon again within one to two days." He did not do a leak test. We had another company come that somebody we knew recommended a couple days later and they found no leak in the unit and no other issues. He was surprised that they had to put 6 pounds of Freon in and also shocked by the price! It's 4 months later in my air conditioner is still working great!

We were faced with replacing our 10+ year old furnace and air conditioner this year (the original unit that came with our townhouse). I had one local company give me an estimate, which turned out to be very discouraging- I basically got a slip of paper with a price on it, lots of verbal assurances that I'd get a great system, and a high pressure sale. My questions and concerns weren't addressed, either. After soliciting friends for HVAC company recommendations, I called SSI and scheduled an estimate. This was an entirely different experience; the representative was knowledgeable, took the time to answer my questions, and produced a detailed line item estimate (with color photos of the equipment!) with three efficiency options, right on the spot. I opted to go with a higher efficiency "communicating" Trane unit from SSI. Their price was almost half that of the first estimate I had obtained. I can't say good enough things about their install team. We have a townhouse, and the furnace location is really tight on space; definitely a challenge. The installers did a great job; even the county inspector noted what a clean install they had done. The system works great, and the house feels much more comfortable than it ever has. If you're in the market for a new HVAC unit, I'd recommend SSI without hesitation.

I got a great price from sales person that almost no one could match the price and because I requested a inspection from them that Loudoun county then they told me all of a sudden don't feel comfortable working with me per the sale manager the only two thing I can think of 1. they don't work up to code or B. they can't do it for the proposal price they gave me either way very shady business practice. I talked to sale manager on Friday about the increased price for the variable speed handler instead of the single speed which they jacked up the price by almost $1,500.00 to cover the lost money and since I decided to stick with the single speed handler they said they feeluncomfortable to work with me last weekend while they were setting up at the expo center but on Monday when I asked them to do the measurement and I would sign the contract now they said both party should feel comfortable so I told them I'm comfortable. These are my honest facts and I don't need to lie. If you decide to go with them be careful. I sent multiple emails and text trying to resolve any issues they had with me and they went unanswered. I think the owner should be aware how his business is being ran. If the owner wants to see my proposal just reach out to me please.

BEWARE...We replaced our HVAC system 2021 with a recommended TRANE product, however every time we get unit service for Summer/Winter we are being told that parts are failing within the unit and that they are just not made the way use to and it will cost a certain amount to replace the parts. AFTER having conversations with Service Manager and TRANE. This disconnect is in order for us, the consumer to not pay out of pocket is the PRODUCT will have to FAIL in order to use the WARRANTY that comes with the purchase. HOWEVER, the messaging from the HVAC company (SSI) has NEVER been that it is covered under warranty and we can repair it to NO COST to you at this time. THERE messaging (or UPSALE) tactic is to replace it now at a COST to you (the consumer) to US the company. This is misleading and ridiculous, if we take this approach the WARRANTY we have is worthless to us. BEWARE when these companies come to your home and recommend you spend additional money upwards of thousands of dollars for WARRANTY covered products. The inconvenience you may have is it fail and will be not operational until it can be fixed under applicable WARRANTY. KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS AND KEEP YOUR PAPERWORK ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU MAKE MAJOR PURCHASES .