Find top-rated Pros in your area
Enter a zip code and get matched to businesses near you.
A B Chelini - United Service Specialists
Appliance (Major Electric Appliance) - Install or Replace, Fridge, Freezer or Ice Maker Repair or Service, Electrical Baseboard or Wall Heater - Repair,
About us
United Service Specialists has been servicing the Washington Metropolitan area for almost 40 years as A.B. Chelini. We have recently changed our name in a rebranding effort and will be adding more services to our commercial and residential departments over the next year! With United Service Specialists, you can always be assured of quality workmanship and attention to detail. With over 150 years of combined experience, we proudly combine state of the art service with cutting edge products and old-fashioned customer care. Many of our technicians have been part of the USS / Chelini family for over 20 years and help train our new technicians, facilitating continuous quality. We are constantly continuing our education through classes, certifications and licensing. We can service all brands of air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, boilers, geothermals, water heaters and other equipment providing reassurance that you will get the best options to meet your needs. What sets us apart is our attention to customer service. From setting up your appointments and the work performed to the warranty we stand behind we are committed to surpassing your expectations. We are pleased to offer a call ahead appointment time so you are not waiting for us to show up as well as maintenance agreements so WE can take care of your systems so you don't have to! With 24-hour emergency service, you are never without help.
Business highlights
Emergency services offered
47 years of experience
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.762 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 84% | ||
| 11% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 2% | ||
| 3% |
Showing 1-25 of 62 reviews
Nathaniel R.
Jan 2019
Horrible and grift like service. I used A.B. Chelini for many years and even after they changed to United Service Specialist. I had so so results but, I like to be loyal to local businesses. So I called them to replace the faucet on my kitchen sink. The same sink they had fixed less than a year ago. Anyway, I purchased a sink at HD and simply needed it installed. When I received the bill I was shocked that they had charged my cc $390. I called and they sent me a copy of the invoice. Sure enough, they charged me for the sink I had already purchased. My first call ended with the owner saying he would refund me the charge and redo the bill. THAT NEVER HAPPENED. I called back to find out what the hold up was. The owner goes into every excuse not to refund me my money including that the customer has to pay for the gas and the cost of him leasing the office space where they were located. Completely bizarre world. Professional trade associations such as the Mid-Atlantic Pipe Trades Association, consider this price excessive. I never, to this day, have received a proper invoice. Find someone else, there are to many decent, honest plumbers out there to fool around with this sketchy crew.
Response from A B Chelini - United Service Specialists
"Hi [Member Name Removed], Thank you for our original 5-star review that you sent to us for the work provided. Unfortunately, your one-star review is because you feel since you purchased your own kitchen faucet/sink you should pay only $115 for 2 hours worth of actual technician time. Your initial complaint was that although your invoice was correct monetarily your invoice said installed owner provided kitchen faucet in the description but only said faucet with an item number below it. We had changed your item number under task to match what the description says and emailed it to you. You are correct though, our company, although doing good work and offering quick service to you since 2007 can't provide service for $115. You were NEVER charged for a sink or faucet provided by us, nor did the invoice say that. As explained, our new system allows for you to not wait for a technician to arrive but meet him at your home upon a text message with a picture and short bio of the technician coming, it also sends estimates and invoices via email immediately but we were still working out some minor kinks. We also collected a CHECK from you at the time of service, we did NOT run a credit card without you knowing the charge as you said above and we NEVER run a credit card unless authorized by the owner of that card. What you said above is not only inaccurate but ridiculous and NOT the way we have ever done business. You signed the invoice saying that you were happy with the work, you gave a 5 star review hours after our technician had left you, and you paid by a check at the time of service. It is unfortunate that almost a year later, you feel trying to smear, over the internet, a company that has provided exceptional service to the Washington Metropolitan area for over 40 years with inaccurate claims is reasonable. We are sorry to lose you as a customer, but understand and wish you continued satisfaction by a different company that might charge you less. Best regards"
Anne W.
Sep 2017
Awesome technician. Replaced part, cleaned coils, educated me on preventative maintenance and stayed to perform additional preventative maintenance so I could maximize my day off from work. I was able to get an appointment in one day.
Karl S.
Jul 2017
It went very smoothly and quickly. Alex was efficient, professional and courteous. It took two visits as the sink facet had to be ordered. They scheduled the appointments on the days and times we wanted (asap).
Christoph B.
Apr 2017
They're very good at anticipating problems and providing solution options.
Bailey H.
Feb 2016
unknown
Randall M.
Feb 2016
unknown
Jennifer F.
Jan 2016
After having had miserable experiences with several other HVAC contractors who it ultimately turned out knew little to nothing about working on zoned radiant floor systems, I finally met Jose from A.B. Chelini. He has been amazingly responsive and did a great job. The work wasn't cheap, but it was definitely reasonable. And every since then they have been my go to guys. Jose always responds quickly, even when I text him late at night. And his brother Nelson has done all the work and done a great job. So if you have a radiant floor heating system, I highly recommend these guys. They were willing to work with me on my odd system to find the best solution as opposed to just trying to insult past contractors. A breath of fresh air and I can't recommend them highly enough.
Horace P.
Oct 2015
Excellent.
Elizabeth A.
Oct 2015
Since moving into a new house, we have had a variety of little plumbing and HVAC issues arise - needed to move our condenser unit for some backyard work, replace a leaky faucet, hook up a broken outdoor hose line - Chelini is very responsive and cost effective, and will be honest in telling you what is going on and what makes the most sense to do. Definitely our go-to plumbing and HVAC contractor - initially recommended by our very experienced home inspector.
Tolu B.
Sep 2015
unknown
James P.
Aug 2015
unknown
NEIL L.
Jul 2015
Prompt and efficient service. But I was grossly overcharged for the thermostat itself. I would happily use this company again for labor but would be leery of purchasing products from them.
Duayne B.
Jul 2015
unknown
Jennifer F.
Jun 2015
Jose is great and I'm so glad I found him. It is hard to find HVAC contractors that are experienced in zoned radiant floor heating systems and of those that are, most have no knowledge beyond the very straight forward, basic system. Jose was not only willing to troubleshoot, but when he came out to look at my problem, he spent three hours going over the entire system and educating me about it - and he didn't charge me. While he was a little slow to give me the quote to do the repair, some of that was due to the difficulty in tracking down parts for my existing system. And frankly, he took less time than any of the HVAC contractors who came to look at the problem, and only required one reminder (some I had to call multiple times). He also does not seem to have any ego. I asked him to research some different options, which we did and he spent time discussing his opinions with me. Once I was able to finally decide to go with him (I was waiting to get additional quotes from other contractors that took forever), we were able to schedule it quickly and his brother Nelson did a great job. When they came out, they also took care of some other small problems for me (like snaking out an exterior drain that had frozen in the severe cold we had this past winter) and didn't tack on any additional charges. There was one small problem with the system that came up a few weeks later and they came out quickly to make the repair.
I have no hesitation in recommending working with Jose. He is one of the only contractors I work with who I can text or call at any time and he'll get back to me quickly. While their quote wasn't the cheapest, he was by far the person I was the most comfortable with (no ego, no talking down to me, and responsive) and I will keep using him for all my future servicing and if any new problems arise.
Response from A B Chelini - United Service Specialists
"Thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experiences regarding A.B. Chelini and Jose with the Angie's List Community! I am happy you found Jose so helpful and professional. It is our goal to provide quality service as quickly as possible for our customers. A.B. Chelini takes pride in supporting our specialists so they can offer options to customers that best meet their needs as well as competitive prices. We emphasize training among all our service technicians and specialists and that translates into taking the time to educate our customers on their systems as well. As we grow our commitment to our customer is our first priority so no matter which comfort specialist, technician or office personnel you speak with you will have the same positive experience. Surpassing expectations during the entire process, from the initial phone call to the final walk-through is the commitment from the entire Chelini team. We look forward to helping you with all your HVAC and plumbing needs in the future! And as always we thank you for doing business with us!"
Derek B.
Jun 2015
The job was done in a very satisfactory way.
Response from A B Chelini - United Service Specialists
"Thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experience regarding A.B. Chelini with the Angie's List Community! It is our goal to provide quality service as quickly as possible for our customers. As we grow our commitment to our customer is our first priority so no matter which comfort specialist, technician or office personnel you speak with you will have the same positive experience. Surpassing expectations during the entire process, from the initial phone call to the final walk-through is the commitment from the entire Chelini team. We look forward to helping you with all your HVAC and plumbing needs in the future! And as always we thank you for doing business with us!"
Milton W.
Apr 2015
They did a great service. There was no problem with them. They all did the best job and were professional. I haven't used it yet.
Response from A B Chelini - United Service Specialists
"Thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experience regarding A.B. Chelini with the Angie's List Community! We were happy to help you with the sub meter and your hose bibs and are happy you have had no additional problems with them. We look forward to helping you in the future with any additional plumbing, generator or HVAC work. And as always we thank you for doing business with us!"
Martha S.
Jan 2015
unknown
Response from A B Chelini - United Service Specialists
"Thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experience regarding A.B. Chelini with the Angie's List Community! It is our goal to provide quality service as quickly as possible for our customers whether during regular business hours or in emergency situations. As we grow, our commitment to our customer is our first priority so no matter which comfort specialist, technician or office personnel you speak with you will have the same positive experience. Our goal is always to stop the emergency so that our customers can have peace of mind and determine whether they want to get service immediately or wait until the next business day but we are available and happy to do whatever is desired. Surpassing expectations during the entire process, from the initial phone call to the final walk-through is the commitment from the entire Chelini team. We look forward to helping you with all your HVAC and plumbing needs in the future! And as always we thank you for doing business with us!"
Christine L.
Dec 2014
Fantastic experience. The repair was quick and easy, and the price reasonable. Alex did the work without any fuss and I couldn't be happier with how everything went. I would absolutely use AB Chelini again -- I had never used the company before but was convinced to try them because of the great Angie's List reviews and the fact that they were recommended by our realtors (Mandy and David)... and I'm so glad I did!
Response from A B Chelini - United Service Specialists
"Thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experiences regarding A.B. Chelini with the Angie's List Community! I am happy you found Alex so helpful and professional. It is our goal to provide quality service as quickly as possible for our customers even after hours and we are pleased it all worked out so well. It is always important that we surpass expectations during the entire process, from the initial phone call to the final walk-through. We look forward to helping you with all your HVAC and plumbing needs in the future!"
Katherine W.
Dec 2014
unknown
Response from A B Chelini - United Service Specialists
"Thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experiences regarding A.B. Chelini with the Angie's List Community! I am happy you found our entire team so helpful and professional. It is our goal to provide quality service as quickly as possible for our customers and we are pleased it all worked out so well. We look forward to helping you with all your HVAC and plumbing needs in the future!"
James C.
Aug 2014
Great company! The price was great and they were very responsive and walked me through the process
along the way. When something didn?t work they didn?t waste any time researching and figuring out the best way to retrofit
something into my old condo. I am a residential architect who deals with contractors and subcontractors all of the
time and would highly recommend these guys to any of my clients!
along the way. When something didn?t work they didn?t waste any time researching and figuring out the best way to retrofit
something into my old condo. I am a residential architect who deals with contractors and subcontractors all of the
time and would highly recommend these guys to any of my clients!
Response from A B Chelini - United Service Specialists
"Hello Mr. [removed member name]! It is great to hear from you! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experiences regarding A.B. Chelini with the Angie's List Community! We are happy we were able to exceed your expectations and pleased you found our entire team so helpful and professional. It is important that we offer top service during the entire process, from the initial phone call to the final walk-through. We look forward to helping you and your clients with all your HVAC and plumbing needs in the future!"
Mark H.
Jul 2014
EXCELLENT SERVICE.. I am SO HAPPY to have found a GOOD plumber .. and local...Was here waiting for me before the scheduled time... Very nice ppl.. I will hire them again in a heart beat
Thanks guys
Thanks guys
Response from A B Chelini - United Service Specialists
"Thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experiences regarding A.B. Chelini and Alex with the Angie's List Community! We are happy we were able to provide quality service so quickly for you. We look forward to providing the same quality for all your plumbing, heating & air conditioning needs in the future!"
X G.
Jun 2014
I contacted 6 companies regarding replacement of an A/C (electric heat pump) which was nearing 25 years old and was not repairable. Of the 6 companies (most of which were recommended by others), only 4 scheduled estimates. One company wanted to be paid for an estimate which does not seem to be standard practise in the DC Metro area. I chose A.B. Chelini for many reasons but primarily customer service. Brad (their sales representative) came the same day I called to schedule an estimate (that was merely serendipity but I appreciated the aggressive sales technique. He provided me with an estimate in less than 24 hours and did follow-up by email and phone. Again, for others, this may be a negative but for me, it's a positive. I contacted the two other companies that provided estimates with questions--one never called back, the other took a week to respond. Brad answered all my questions (and there were a lot!) and worked with my home warranty company so I could file a claim for reimbursement. He also worked with me to determine what would be the best products for my home. They use Rheem products which were suggested by neighbors who changed their A/C. He didn't try to up-sell, and he even revised the estimate when one of their vendors wasn't giving him the service he expected. In all, the process took less than a month from my initial call to installation. Wendy was a true delight to work with. She's friendly, outgoing, and organized. I heard from her regularly and that was reassuring. Both Hugo & Jose who did the work were incredibly professional and polite. Replacing a condenser and heat pump when the weather outside is 90+ degrees is not fun--and they were always good-natured. They came in, did their work and left. They did not dawdle, leave without explanation, make personal use of mobile phones, or other behaviors I've observed in other workers. They were considerate and conscientious. When they finished, they talked me through the paperwork, repeatedly asked if I had any questions, and cleaned up the work space--probably better than I would have! The new equipment came with good warranties--up to 10 years and included parts and service. Not every company does that--as I found out. While they don't provide financing, they accomodated my needs and worked with me to make sure I could engage their services. In short, I would totally recommend them. Even if you don't choose to use them, give them a try for an estimate. You may be pleasantly surprised in the end and go with them!
Response from A B Chelini - United Service Specialists
"Thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experiences regarding A.B. Chelini with the Angie's List Community! I am happy you found our entire team so helpful and professional. It is important that we offer top service and surpass expectations during the entire process, from the initial phone call to the final walk-through. We look forward to helping you with all your HVAC and plumbing needs in the future!"
David Z.
Jun 2014
They were given very good directions since I was not to be there. They came an left. Said everything was fixed. They said the problem was not the hot water heater. They opened separate air handler and turned on the hot water valves that supply heat to the apartment. They valve were to be closed during summer. This had nothing to do with the problem they were called for. So they did fix the problem and created another. They said they would not charge for it but then they did. I spent an enormous about of time explaining and re-explaining to numerous people what they did. I am still not sure if they reversed the bill. They have some good techs but that's about it. If you use them you just have to take your chances.
Response from A B Chelini - United Service Specialists
"Dear Mr. [member name removed], The bill for $115 (not $175) was a service call. As we tried to explain to you when we came to your rental property on April 21st, when a customer calls in to us a self diagnosed problem and wants to provide materials and asks us to simply do as instructed, you run into problems. When we arrived at your rental property, our technician could not find the problem you diagnosed and we explained that to you. We did not change any valves and because you refused payment because we did not "do anything", according to you, we simply decided to refer you to someone else when you called to have us come back last week. A.B. Chelini is known for honest and diligent work from every person whether in the office or in the field. Every time we go to a customers home our job is to diagnose and resolve the problem the best way possible. Sometimes that is in giving options, other times we can simply fix the issue. Our technicians are licensed experts and the technician who came to your property has about 17 plus years in his field. I am sorry we had to pass on making a "service call" to you last week but we felt that again you would not be satisfied and since you refused payment for the first service call we felt it would be the best option for both you and for A.B. Chelini to do so."
RUTH W.
May 2014
They provided excellent service.
Response from A B Chelini - United Service Specialists
"Hello [Member name removed], Thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experiences regarding A.B. Chelini with the Angie's List Community! We are happy we were able to provide quality service and look forward to providing the same quality for all your plumbing, heating & air conditioning needs in the future!"
Richard M.
Apr 2014
unknown
Response from A B Chelini - United Service Specialists
"Thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experiences regarding A.B. Chelini with the Angie's List Community! We will see you soon for your preventive maintenance service!"
Licensing
State Contractor License Requirements
All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our Find Licensing Requirements page.
*Contact business to see additional licenses.
FAQ
A B Chelini - United Service Specialists is currently rated 4.7 overall out of 5.
A B Chelini - United Service Specialists accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
Yes, A B Chelini - United Service Specialists offers free project estimates.
No, A B Chelini - United Service Specialists does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, A B Chelini - United Service Specialists does not offer a senior discount.
Yes, A B Chelini - United Service Specialists offers emergency services.
No, A B Chelini - United Service Specialists does not offer warranties.