Barb - Downtown Toronto

Initially, I dealt with Alice who initially provided excellent customer service and information. I needed an induction cooktop repair. The technician was good as well. They then said we needed a motherboard that needed to be sent from B.C. I had to pay a deposit of over $600. They kept me abreast of all information and when the motherboard didn't work, they got another part and it finally worked. When I emailed them, to request that they send the outstanding amount ($400) back to me, they didn't respond. I just tried now (a month later) and my email bounced. Disappointing and frustrating. I had trusted them.

I had contacted Norther Craftsman Locksmith and Joey responded very quickly. Polite, honest, excellent communicator. I needed the work done the next day and he to give exact ETA (as promised), showed up when he said he would, did a complete and thorough job. Took extra time to re-tighten and line the lock as the grip set was loose. Job done before the other companies even bothered responding. Highly recommend!

So I had to deal with a squirrel who had managed to get into the attic, as well as as raccoons living under my backyard deck. I read a lot of reviews on Homestars and thought I'd give AAA Gates Wildlife Control a call. I did, and spoke to Tara (who was SUPER HELPFUL)! She patiently answered all of my questions and after thinking about it for just a few minutes, I quickly called her back to request someone coming by for a quote. Don't be put off by paying for a quote - they're unbelievably thorough (and then the cost of it is deducted from the work they will do for you).! Nick showed up on time and got a tall ladder out to go up and take a look (he did that in 3 different parts of my roof as well as the adjoining neighbours roof, to make sure that the squirrels weren't getting in via more than one entry point - they were). He also took the time to thoroughly explain everything that would be done and how it would look. The communication within this company, via every single person I dealt with, is SUPERB! He called the office and found out how quickly they could do the work and we scheduled it right there. He explained that he was already booked on a job, and asked if it would be okay if another tech (Justin) would come and do the job. No problem. About a half an hour after leaving, Nick called me back and told me that he had just spoken to Justin and explained everything to him, and that even though he couldn't be here that day, he would be supporting Justin so that they would both be working together. I really appreciated that, as so many companies I've used for the house in the past were terrible communicators and this makes a huge, time and cost saving difference. I was at work the day that Justin was scheduled to come, but had left the gate code with the company so he could get in the back. That morning, I had a voicemail from Justin, letting me know that he was stuck in traffic, so would be arriving about 10 mins later than expected. How courteous!He kept me updated when I asked him to and it was great that I didn't need to be home for it. I got home in the afternoon and he had just finished up sealing off the entire back deck (Amazingly thorough)! He then sealed up the entry points on the roof. What happens is that they install a one way door (critter can get out but not back in) and then, after we're sure they've gotten out, they will remove the door and seal up the entry points. A couple of days later, I still heard the squirrel up there, Tara was super helpful and reassuring and got someone out to the house quickly (I think it was Blake, I never got to meet him) and moved/added another exit door so that the (rather dim) squirrel could get out. Done and done! About a week later (give or take), I was just leaving the house and saw one of the guys coming back to check on everything and remove and seal off the doors. So this price included the quote, Justin working his butt off for at least 5 hours (we'd had a pretty cold blast in November when this was going on), one of the techs returning to move the entry door, then coming back to remove the entry doors. I couldn't be happier with the PHENOMENAL service I received from them! I would hire them again in a heartbeat!

So I was just admiring my beautiful kitchen cupboards this morning. Dinardo Kitchens (used to be located on Ossington Ave, have now moved to 1666 St. Clair Ave. W.) custom built them. These guys know what they're doing. I had them do my kitchen 19 years ago now and guess what? It's still beautiful! I get compliments about about all the time. They were patient when I was very specific about the colour I wanted the cupboards stained and did it a few times to make sure we were on the same page. They thought of everything (holes for outlets, cut-out for microwave, corner cupboard, pantry space etc. I'm so happy with it and will get them to do my other kitchen (in a different apartment).

This review is getting 5 stars only because my cleaner (RUTH H - ASK FOR HER - you're welcome) is PHENOMENAL!! The booking system was easy (while, like everyone else I'm not liking the rigamarole we have to go through in order to cancel the repeated bookings). With all of the mixed reviews I really debated booking with Handy, but with the special I got, for $39 hours I got 2 hours of AMAZING cleaning! Poor Ruth was sweating her head off (not a word of complaint, she was great with my cats, they use non-toxic cleaners) Everything is spotless - it's literally never been cleaner!!! The bedroom is sparkling clean (anything she found under the bed - coins, bobby pins etc) were neatly placed on the desk. The floors (under bed too, of course) are clean, carpet vacuumed, bathroom is sparkling! Heck, who needs groceries when this lady can whip your place into shape. She even went over time and is super nice and friendly to boot! I'll definitely stick with these guys as long as Ruth H will clean my place! Yippee!!

So a squirrel got into my attic, so we'd blocked off the attic from inside ourselves but wanted to make sure they couldn't get in from the outside. Pesticon called me back as soon as I contacted them, we booked an appointment for the next day. They gave me a one hour time frame for arrival. Blair showed up right at the beginning of that time frame (which is great, because no one wants to wait around for hours. He was friendly, knowledgeable and AMAZING! He took the time to explain that the squirrels couldn't eat/claw their way through the stuff we'd put up and, as a result, save us a lot of time, money and stress! I would definitely recommend them (ask for Blair!!!) to everyone! Thanks Blair!!!!

My boiler needed its annual maintenance so we joined Enercare's maintenance program and I booked an appointment. This had been a mild fall and I figured I'd better get it done before the colder weather kicked in. I thought I'd have to wait a few days or a week maybe, but they had someone who could come the same day. They gave me an option of (4 hour) windows of time when the tech would arrive. I chose 2 - 6 p.m. The tech arrived around 3:30 and cleaned it. He explained that his supervisor was coming by to help him (apparently my boiler is an uncommon one). The supervisor (Steve, I think) was super helpful, friendly and explained what they needed to do. I learned a lot from him and appreciate the tech asking for help, since this is about safety. He explained how my boiler is unusual because it vents outside and other details that I wasn't aware of.

So we had a leak in the basement and my boyfriend opened up the wall in order to access the pipe but from there we needed to call a plumber to isolate the problem and replace the pipe. I looked up plumbers on Homestars and called Mr. Rooter - it was 2:30 on a Friday afternoon and I thought "there's no way anyone will come out at this time of day". They said "I can have someone there today between 3 - 6 p.m.). "TODAY?!" "Yes!" : 0 ). Fantastic. But it doesn't stop there! The customer service was fantastic at EVERY SINGLE point of contact. I got a call from the office an hour before the tech arrived to let me know when to expect him. Camillo arrived, put a fancy red Mr. Rooter floormat on the porch, wiped off his feet and handed me his card as he introduced himself. Then, inside he slipped on booties over his shoes (amazing!) and was extremely helpful, friendly and professional. He said that it would likely be a 4 - 6 hour job and we arranged for him to come first thing the next day. The office called us again to let us know he'd be there within the hour, he showed up early and kindly phoned to let us know (we were out) so we got someone to let him in so he could bring his tools in. He was amazing EVERY SINGLE step of the way. He finished sooner than he'd expected, showed us what he did, explained what to watch out for in the future, reminded us that we have a free inspection every year and 10% off any future work with our membership (we purchased the lifetime membership decent price at $99, already saved $ on this pipe replacement). He was informative, communicative and thorough and the entire experience could no not have been better (well, unless it had been free)! I cannot recommend Camillo strongly enough and would definitely use Mr. Rooter again! Thanks so much for FANTASTIC service!

I had a home insurance inspector come and he said that my second floor deck needed reinforcing. I called Master Deck and Alec called me right back. He told me that he was doing a job nearby and would be able to come by and check out what needed to be done. He came by the next day. He explained what needed to be done and what his schedule is and when he could do the job. He was actually able to come by sooner - he brought 2 other guys with him and they worked like machines, organized and coordinated. The were done in an hour, charged me what he quoted. it's beautifully secure and looks great! I'd use them again in a heartbeat!

Fitz Wilk came right on time and yet apologized for being late. He was very considerate, thoughtful and informative. He came to check the sump and showed me the problems and then told me what he was going to do and was very clear about safety and making sure to show me the difference and what to look for. He was thorough, professional and wonderful. I feel well informed and satisfied.

I came home from work the day before to find that there was no heat (of course, it was -15 after having been mild out for a week). I tried re-starting the boiler (it was newly installed 9 years ago). Nothing. I got my handyman to look at it. Still nothing. I looked on Homestars and found Sping Home Heating and cooling. They were prompt, professional and helpful. The woman who answered the phone, took my info and gave me a 4 hour window and told me my technician's name. He showed up within that time frame, apologized for being late (he wasn't), took off his shoes, diagnosed the problem immediately. Told me the price, installed it and was out the door, heat working within 45 minutes. He was so polite, helpful and professional. He even asked my permission before he used the washroom. Very thoughtful. I'm impressed about the entire experience. I'd recommend these guys to anyone!

I found Adrian through Homestars reviews. I called him, and even though it's an extremely busy time of year (before the holidays), he said that he could stop by that evening and gave me a specific time. He called me back to say that he was closer and asked if he could com e sooner. He showed up when he said he would, removed his boots (we love that!) and took a look at the problems, told me what needed to be fixed. He had a drop cloth on the floor, he repaired the problems (in less than ten minutes) and then (since he charges by the hour) he went through the entire house checking what needs to be fixed/replaced. He recommended a high efficiency toilet etc. Lots of great suggestions. Very helpful, polite and professional!

I contacted Aubrey and he called me back within the hour. We made an appointment for him to come a few days later. That day, he phoned me an hour before to let me know he'd be a bit late. He showed up when he said he would, he had all of his equipment, a blanket to protect the floors, he fixed the dryer that hadn't been working, he vacuumed up any mess that had been there. He took a look at one older fridge, and instead of wasting my time and money he said that it would be cheaper to replace that fridge. He then figured out the problem of my other fridge (we have two units) which had been leaking for ages. He very carefully cleaned out the freezer, found the problem, solved it, and was very thorough. Problem Solved!! How nice to have someone who does a good job, is professional and thorough!

Trevor is very professional, returns calls, and shows up when he says he will. He completes the job and makes sure it's done right. He and Keith had to cut a hole in the wall in our second story bathroom to install a fan and they did an excellent job. When there were some parts missing from the ceiling fan we had previously purchased, Trevor made sure we knew the status, ensured that there were no kids who might accidentally turn the switch on while they were out locating the part. Keith installed light plates and covers, and they both also installed wired smoke detectors to ensure that they meet electrical safety standards. Buster got rid of all cracks, buckled dry wall and went over the spots thoroughly until each area was professionally completed. I would highly recommend them!!

I had initially contacted 6 different companies for quotes - for a leaky basement wall. Two of these didn't even bother to call me back. From the initial point of contact (I did have to wait a few weeks for an appointment), the service was SUPERB! I got marketing info. in the mail, which led me to think that these guys would be the most expensive. Sammy was great for any questions I had, the communication by mail by Clarke was impressive. Well, their quote was the cheapest - Sammy got me the information I needed for the City Rebate Programme as well! I got a letter that allowed me to let them know beforehand what my concerns were, what they need to know about parking, the house etc. And then when Jose and Andrew showed up, they were professional, tidy, considerate AND Sammy also showed up. I've had work on the house done by other people and it was like I was dealing with two different companies - the sales and then the service. Not so here! They made sure I got what information I needed, warranty sent - correction to invoice - all done professionally in a timely fashion. Then, last week, I had someone fixing a fan in my basement and there must have been some water that leaked. The sub-pump alarm went off and I called Clarke Basement Systems and they said "We'll send someone right out". Luckily it wasn't a flood so I cancelled the call. But this morning, I had a voicemail from Clarke wanting to follow up and make sure that everything was okay. If only all other companies were this great!!