When the boiler conked out, of roughly ten companies contacted, most calls went un-returned or to voice mails. Replies received ranged from non responsiveness, to “We don’t service NTI boilers.”, to “I’m away for the weekend – find someone else!” Thank goodness for Amanda, our first point of contact with AccuServ. What a refreshing difference when an actual person answers the phone and is polite, friendly and empathetic to your situation. With a positive and reassuring tone, Amanda quickly and efficiently arranged for someone to come out within two hours. She explained who would be coming and something of their background, information that was again, reassuring. Amanda even went so far as to call back within 15 minutes to confirm a more precise ETA which, by AccuServ standards, means Exact Time of Arrival, not Estimated Time of Arrival.
At 6:00 PM on the nose and as promised, at the end of a long day, Aaron and Dilraj arrived, pleasantly and calmly introducing themselves as if their day had only just begun. They politely removed their shoes before entering – a courtesy greatly appreciated by clean freaks like us who had spread drop sheets from the door to the furnace just in case that didn’t happen. If they were tired, they never let on during the next 90 minutes or so they spent providing education, suggesting repairs to the existing system, generating alternatives and options.
To appreciate their expertise, it is noteworthy that a year prior, efforts were made to service the boiler but the experience was always the same: Two people for whom we’d waited three weeks, stood scratching their heads for extended periods of time, whispering, wondering and speaking in languages foreign so as to exclude our comprehension.
In sharp contrast, Aaron was transparent in his honesty and did not hold back any ‘secrets’ while he competently and readily sized up the system in minutes. It was immediately apparent that he is extremely knowledgeable, experienced, educated, focused and current on all matters Hydronics, heating, cooling and much more. He spoke passionately about every aspect and detail, large and small. One got the sense from a soft-spoken Dilraj that he well understood all that Aaron was explaining and addressed various questions during that discussion. You could see their eyes tracing the paths of every piece of pipe and wire, quietly dismantling and rebuilding the system from scratch - properly - in their heads. They had a clear picture of what needed to be done and exactly what the finished product could be. To that end, many helpful photos were shown of what the solution would look like and what a particular part looked like. Aaron tactfully and politely pointed out myriads of deficiencies with the existing set up without being critical. He spoke factually, explaining why various components were improperly located, nullifying their purposes, rendering the system inefficient. Among many things, he exposed a gas line that was, in his words, “…not unsafe but certainly not up to code”. He didn’t belabour any issue but took time to explain many things, including differences in the quality and sizing of materials AccuServ uses versus what was currently in place. He did not try to upsell anything but rather set out a few scenarios for consideration. Their expertise and professionalism clearly evident, Aaron and Dilraj established confidence and trust from the start.
Lengthy conversations with James began shortly thereafter. Like clockwork, easily understood and accurately detailed quotes were emailed. James is a very good and patient listener. He devoted a great deal of time responding to questions, addressing concerns, providing further explanation and clarification. He was not put off when asked the same question twice. James provided his direct line and always answered his phone or returned calls within minutes - literally. He was equally responsive to emailed questions, even well after hours, offering a level of customer service and responsiveness that sets his company head and shoulders above the competition and other ‘ten star’ companies that simply did not measure up to their ratings like AccuServ. Moreover, James well appreciated and acknowledged the significant and unexpected nature of the expenditure and went to lengths to patiently ensure a complex situation was kept as simple and as readily understandable as possible. That in itself is no small task when dealing with customers who know nothing of the Science of Hydronics and who have, since childhood, referred to the furnace area as Scary Place.
The AccuServ group have their business application well streamlined such that what can be fabricated offsite is done in advance, magically revealing itself tailored to the space, made-to-measure in advance of installation day. A new installation - what other contractors/companies suggested would be a daunting task - was a routine day’s work for this Fab Four team, skillfully lead by Aaron and comprised of Dilraj, Rahul, and Josh.
They arrived promptly, were neat, clean, respectful, professional, efficient, thoroughly skilled and knowledgeable in their craft. Every measure was checked, rechecked, tested, retested, tweaked and re-tweaked to perfection throughout the day. Under Aaron’s vigilant eye, including one at the back of his head, Dilraj, Rahul and Josh worked easily and seamlessly together in a small, humid space, without complaint. There was no downtime nor wasted time. Working as a cohesive team like a well-oiled machine, Aaron, Dilraj, Rahul and Josh, The Fab Four, were 100% focused, prepared, organized, proficient, detail-oriented and diligent, anticipating three steps ahead at all times.
The Fab Four went above and beyond in the exceptional service they provided. They were thoughtful not to install various components in such a way as to interfere with other pieces of equipment unrelated to the system, ensuring unrelated equipment remained accessible and undamaged. A practical service light was installed without discussion. Aaron even tried to fix the basement door handle which had loosened under heavier use during the course the day. In relocating a vacuum hose holder, they patched and painted that area as well as other small areas wherever they even mildly suspected having contributed to the presence of minor scratches or smudge marks on walls. Because the little things are the big things, it is noteworthy that our paint can was left neatly and tightly sealed. Well stocked and clearly always prepared, they used their own (new) paint roller and tray. Moreover, the team worked neatly the entire time, respecting the residence as if it were their own, never leaning dirty hands or dusty bodies against walls, cleaning up thoroughly nonetheless, taking away all garbage and leaving the work space extremely tidy.
Humidifier installation was scheduled for another day. Within less than two weeks, Rahul arrived on time, as well mannered and gracious as before, fully prepared and well stocked with filters as arranged during his first visit. It was a pleasure having him back and a relief knowing there would be nothing to worry about. He offered a creative and smart solution for some rusted springs that come with the air handler. He reviewed his work and included instructions on how to use the system, explained some of the finer details and offered helpful tips and guidelines regarding humidification. He rechecked the entire system again and made some additional adjustments in light of the upcoming change of season and addition and the humidifier. True to form, Rahul executed his work with the same efficient and well organized strategy as before, entirely familiar with the task at hand, continuing to respect the residence as his own, having removed his shoes without being asked and executing the project professionally, efficiently, neatly -- all with a most polite, calm and at ease manner.
I cannot more highly recommend this well organized, committed, reliable, trustworthy and accommodating company and crew: From the first point of positive contact with Amanda, to the quick response time, punctuality and extraordinary expertise of the installation team, to the time spent by James patiently bridging key gaps and answering critical questions, this was a precise and perfectly executed project. Everyone was pleasant, making interactions smooth and easy.
Beyond installation, everyone at AccuServ continues to be entirely professional, polite and diligent in their follow ups. AccuServ, highly competent and extremely well versed on the complexities of Hydronics, makes it clear that they stand behind the products and systems they sell and high level of workmanship they offer by way of an excellent warranty and service plan. Because follow up and service is critical and long term, it is most comforting to know that the teams who fabricate, install and service this equipment know their product inside and out. Their website is very informative with excellent visuals and well worth reviewing.
It was an absolutely positive first experience with AccuServ, a company that truly deserves the highest rating and this lengthy review. They provide excellent service; their quality of workmanship and execution is truly impressive. To highly recommend them is an understatement. To look forward to working with them for many years is a weight lifted and replaced with comfort and confidence knowing that the highest quality of expertise is on your side.
Scary Place has been transformed. Thank you AccuServ!
