Gene's Refrigeration, Heating & Air Conditioning

I have mixed feelings... I have a service plan, but my mom and my brother don't. My brother got the denial on a coupon for his furnace check today because he used one for his AC earlier in the year. My mom has a warranty on a part for her furnace that needs replaced, but the tech was so focused on trying to sell her a new furnace and air duct cleaning. When I had them over, they were fixated on the age of my AC and how I should replace it when it still works.

This is where I got really confused:

I called to schedule for AC clean & check + a clean and check on my tankless hot water heater.

Visit 1:
Someone came out to look at my water heater only, said it was installed wrong, and it would need repaired (did not clean). I think I might've paid $89, I'm not sure. I can't remember.

Visit 2:
Office schedules someone else, they said it was fine. This person didn't clean/check the water heater nor the AC, but sat down to talk to me about duct cleaning and upgrades. I'm super confused because I thought I was getting clean & checks.

Visit 3:
A man & woman hastily come to clean & check my AC. A plumber arrives at the same time to clean/check the tankless. The man & woman find something to repair on the AC. They kinda rush through the explanation, I pay in a daze, but I want a service plan because I have the tankless, reverse osmosis, water softener, the AC, and the furnace. Plus the plumber is still working. I didn't know they drove separately. I pay for the AC job because they seem rushed. The plumber is more relaxed (Jeff Lardo - he's the man. Hire him) sits down and explains everything to me about service plans, my hot water tank, my RO system filters, what Gene's can do, toilets (I need to replace one). I get the service plan.

Epilogue:
I have to contact the office to get the AC repair figured out with the service plan I wanted to buy. They're nice about it.

Bonus - My mom's visit I experienced:
I was at my mom's house and a jolly tech from Texas was here to clean/check my mom's furnace. Nice enough guy, I liked him. I prickled when he called my injured dog "fatso," lol. But it was said in an affectionate way. My dog is a bit chubby, haha. It felt more like Gene's was pushing a sales agenda more than providing HVAC services. It's depressing because my family has been using Gene's since the 1970s. My mom did get the UV light installed because those are genuinely good products, but trying to strong arm an older lady into a new furnace when she has a lifetime warranty on one part that needs replaced felt bad. It felt like they were doing the strong arm on me as well since I was a woman. It felt bad. But the work was done well. The tech was really nice.

Bonus bonus - My brother's phone call:
My brother just called to make an appointment for his furnace. Since he used a coupon for his AC, he was told his furnace would be $120. He said no thank you. But he said the office person was nice. He is going to find another place to take care of his furnace.

Like I said - mixed feelings

+10 stars for Jeff Lardo, the plumber
+10 stars for the office staff
-7 stars for the confusion with needing 3 visits to clean my tankless
-6 stars for sales tactics
-3 dog bones for hurting my dogs' feelings

An employee in a company car honked at me in as he was pulling out of the Westlake recreation center. He stared at me as he drove passed my car, I did not know him. Very creepy.

7/29/2023 had a service call for our AC not working. $89 service call, $1200 for coolant, and $652 to install leak/dye sealant to prevent and seal existing leaks. Technician advised that the system is well past manufacturer projected life span (it is) and scheduled a six-week follow up to check coolant levels. Said he would send an estimate for replacing the system. We did receive information on a service contract, but nothing else.

The repair ($1,941) only held for five days. Said the cost could be applied to purchase of a new system. Another service call 8/8/2023: "Upon inspection found system low on refrigerant. Found leak customer would like quote on replacement system. Would also get quote on repair of condenser." We have receive none of this information. While the system is old, I expected even a temporary fix to last more than a few days, or we wouldn't have invested $1941 in the system.

8/9/2023 reached out to ask for a partial refund on failed repair. Message has not been returned.

Definitely don't plan on working with this company in the future. Poor customer communication.

***Update: 8/15/2023. Today we received the proposal for replacement options. Request for partial refund not addressed.

After a service call they needed to order parts. Arranged to have someone here on Monday only to be told that they couldn't get parts and would be back on Tuesday when I called to ask that they schedule for after 4 the dispatcher was a rude. I asked for a manger to call me. He did and was nice and said that could be arranged. Then upon getting the estimate for the upcoming work they are charging 175. 00 for a part that Home Depot sells for 8.00 and the tank that they are charging us over 400 dollars for at Home Depot is 85.00. They are totally ripping people off. I will not give them another dime have cancelled the install and will complete myself for less. Don't call these guys unless you have money to throw away.

Had Genes come out to evaluate repairing my under counter refrigerator. Cost me 130 for the visit and 89 for the hour visit. The tech on-site stated it was the compressor and it would be about 900 to replace. Flash forward 2 weeks- I called them back to have them come fix it only to be informed that they don't work on that type of undercounter refrigerator even though I told them what it was. The lead tech person I spoke with said they would refund the 89 for the hour labor as it would have been obvious to the tech on-site that they don't work on it. Still no refund. 3 weeks later.

Update - received the 89 credit after this was posted. Part was under warranty unless places just send stuff for free. I did not pay for the compressor.

This place has my business forever. Fitting us in the next day when our thermostat broke in 90 degree weather and the technician DJ came at 7pm to help us is going above and beyond. He fixed our problem in minutes for a more than a fair price. Wish we could have given him a big tip for extending his work day and putting up with our noisy dogs. Thank you

I have used Gene's for approximately 15 years. But recently service has taken a tumble. I don't see the same techs any longer. I ordered a new humidifier for my furnace. Here's what happened. I called to get a quote and set up appointment. No call back. After third day I had the customer service manager on the phone. Set up appointment. Ater about a week and a half the techs showed up and had the wrong humidifier. Had to wait about an hour until they delivered another one. Then they installed it and couldn't get the humidistat to function. They left my house. Now it has been about two weeks and I am now waiting for someone to show up and get the humidistat working. I am very disappointed.

I would not recommend this company. It was the friday before memorial day weekend And my hot water tank was spraying water... I CallEd here and the lady asked me to take a pick of my tank and serial number and she would have someone come out to replace...I said wait..my tank is only 8 yrs old how do you know that I need a new tank .She said OH honey, you need a new tank...so she sent someone out who immediately told me I need a new tank..said your looking at about 2k!! I said what!? I can get the same exact tank for 540.00 at Home Depot are you seriously charging me another 1500.00 for labor? He gave me a story saying they don't use home depot tanks they aren't as good . So being at their mercy I said ok.(I needed water)
In meantime found 50 dollar coupon on their website for new customers...so an hour or so later comes in and tells me the amount of 2100 +, that's with the 50 dollar coupon off too...I was told to sign the computer for agreement to pay with card. I was not given a receipt or breakdown of the costs..nothing!
I called the office the next business day, I asked for an itemized receipt She was very pleasant and told me she would send it to my email and she did. Only problem was it was just the amount I paid. That's it. No breakdown of the cost. So I called back and asked again for an itemized receipt. She said oh sure! Sent me another...same exact thing!
Called back again and told her I need a breakdown of the costs...she said OH we don't do that!???? She said we just charge one flat Rate... That way, if somebody has an eight hour long job, they're only charged one amount, and then if somebody has a smaller job, it's still the same amount. O k that makes no sense to me but... I wasn't happy about any of this and I felt like I was ripped off... Taken advantage of... Then a week later, I get a tin of candy and nuts thanking me for being a new customer . Then about a month later got a phone call asking if I want to take.care of my remaining 40.00 balance!!!!!! That took the cake! What balance I asked!? I paid the amount in full on my credit card and signed your technicians computer. I was told maybe he put it in wrong... But there are still a balance of forty dollars. I said no there's not! We went back n forth ...they sent me a receipt 2 more times that had the 2122. Total and pd. And 0 balance on it... But they kept saying there was a forty dollar balance. I told them they need to figure it out because i'm not paying any more. I said what am I paying forty dollars for the tin of candy and nuts.
They said they would get back to me I have not heard from them since. I have contacted the consumer affairs. This should not be able to be going on. Yes everybody was nice but....
I would definitely rethink using this company.

Recently our AC unit stopped working... we called Gene's and they were here the next day. Matthew came out and fixed it super fast and told us a bunch of details on why it was broken. Then, we realized the next day that it was just blowing air, not cool air. We called them back and Matt came back the next day and knew exactly what to fix and now our AC is working better then it ever has, and it's 30 years old, so that pretty good. Definitely recommend this company, don't let the other reviews fool you!

Was charged an $89 service call when they came to measure a broken backflow preventer to give me an estimate to replace it. I knew it was broken, I just wanted a quote. The quote was far too much, but I still got charged the $89...for no work done.