Richie Bros., HVAC

We asked a house inspector who inspects houses all over Westchester and has seen all sorts of HVAC installations and is extremely picky if he could give us a recommendation for an HVAC company. The only company he felt comfortable telling us to try was Richie Brothers, a company whose work he had seen. I had several HVAC contractors come to quote a new system. Richie (the owner of Richie Brothers) came himself. Very quickly it became clear to me that he was operating at a different level than the other HVAC contractors. I asked a lot of questions and the devil was in the details. He was the only contractor who bothered to actually look at the spaces that were going to run on this system so that it could be sized properly; he was going to test our condensate lines for 2 weeks to make sure there was no leak (compared to the day or two that others proposed); he was going to seal the edges of any new ducting he put in place; he was going to replace the flue piping all the way to the wall, unlike all the other HVAC contractors. No shortcuts. And he was an experienced, walking encyclopedia of HVAC. The crew that Richie sent was very experienced and good at what they do, but Richie still stopped in every day of the installation to specify how he wanted things done and to check on quality of the work installing the Trane system. During the installation, we came across some hiccups with our existing ductwork and our chimney flue. I know that most contractors would have just plowed ahead to try to finish up and move on to the next job and leave us with a problem (or safety risk) to deal with later. Richie made sure these were corrected and left us with something that was 100% safe and high performance. Richie promised that the system we would get would be like getting a new car - everything would be made turnkey so that we wouldn’t have to worry about anything. And that’s exactly what we got. I was so impressed with Richie Brothers and would recommend them without hesitation.

They come when scheduled and do a good job maintaining my systems.

Richie was very responsive in assisting us with replacement of our furnace that blew out over a cold Thanksgiving weekend. He had us up, running and warm again with a new furnace in a few days. The price was expensive, but that was a function of the equipment itself. Richie Bros. labor was perfect. They are worth the price!

Richie Brothers is the most overpriced HVAC service provider in the area. Please, whatever you do, get a second quote before engaging these guys to do anything. I was charged $4,700 to install a small compressor and wall unit that could be purchased online (retail) for $2,000. They installed it in less than 1 day. Although I understand service providers need to make a living in that they mark up units and they need to be paid for their labor, this markup is outrageous. Afterthefact (shame on me), I got a new quote for the same compressor and installation and was quoted $2,500. Do not use Richie Brothers unless you really want to get ripped off!

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They first sent an estimator to check what we had, and discuss our needs and options, and to make a firm quote based on what we decided.  Then, when we went ahead, they scheduled the work for the next day, and showed up on time to the minute.
The crew knew their business, and cared about doing a first class job, leaving our home as clean as before they arrived, with no surprises about needing something else done for added cost.  At the end, one of the men took photos of the finished job, which seems to be company policy, and shows that the boss cares about the work that's done.
All in all a 1st class operation in every respect.

Richie Bros has been my HVAC provider for 13 years.  During that time, Richie Bros has replaced the air conditioner / air handler, the hot water boiler and most recently the steam boiler.  In every case, the Richie Bros team are the same experienced technicians who know the systems that heat and cool my house.  I don't have to explain where anything is;  they know.    Given the complexity of the job, Richie himself led the project which required three experienced technicians at any one time over a 4 day period.  







Richie Bros is at the upper end of the cost structure, but for that price he puts trained professionals on the job who understand how a complete system operates. The old system was removed and the new system installed.  Anyone can hook up a steam boiler and walk away.  Richie will do the right job end to end.  That means testing for CO, checking connections for leaks, joining new pipes to the steam boiler, and connecting electrical wiring between the controls and the steam boiler.  He also installed a new digital thermostat.  Richie is a stickler in asking his team to follow all applicable standards including safety procedures (an all clear test of the chimney flue for leaks or the presence of CO.).  They inspected and tested the system to detect any malfunctions.  He is willing to and has come back to the house several times to ensure the system functions properly.  I cannot emphasize enough that in addition to the equipment installation, there was not one mark on the wall or on the carpet in the living areas leading to the boiler room.  







You get what you pay for and, in this case, the Richie Bros team consistently delivers to a high standard.  After all, it's more than buying and installing new equipment. Anyone can do that.  It's also about knowledge, training, professionalism, establishing a long term relationship and trust.  

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Richie Bros. did a fabulous job 20 years ago and they did a fabulous job now. The (Trane) system they originally installed worked flawlessly for 20 years --Richie Bros. cleaned and serviced it each year but only once or twice did it ever need a repair. I was reluctant to replace the system since it still worked but wanted to improve efficiency, cut my electric costs and get the available rebate. I also feared the mess of taking out the old equipment and installing the new. Well, I had nothing to fear. First, Richie was most responsive and came by to walk through with me exactly what he needed to do and was happy to price out various options--he never pushed a high end approach but let me make the decision. He also told me exactly what I had to do with all my stuff in the attic to make the space accessible to his men. Once I made the decision to move ahead, Richie was able to start as soon as I could clean out my attic. Richie sent two crews (four individuals) on Monday 4/14 and they finished yesterday, 4/16. All of the workmen have worked for Richie for years--they were lovely and did an absolutely meticulous job. They covered their boots with protective slippers so as not to scuff my floors and put down drop cloths everywhere in the vicinity. They worked quietly and efficiently and expertly. I couldn't be happier with the job Richie Bros. did and would give them the highest recommendation. (They also sent an incredibly neat and professional team to clean our ducts.)

It was a terrific experience in a bad situation. This scenario is exactly why I have an Angie's List account.
My wife and I noticed when we returned from vacation that there was water in our carpeted basement by the washing machine outside the boiler room. We thought we had a leak in the washer and set out to clean up the water before it did too much damage. Long story short, it turns out it was our boiler that was leaking water and operating in a dangerous state.
I went on to Angies List to find local plumbers that could come out right away. After making a few calls I was connected with Craig at Richie Brothers. He dispacthed someone immediately to come assess the situation. The gentleman came onsite, explained what had happened and laid out our options.
He then bled the system and drained all the water so it would not continue to leak in to the basement. He was methodical and prepared. Not to mention extremely neat in doing his work.
Once he was done, I went back on Angies List to bid out the work to Richie Brothers and 2 other companys. I do this as a matter of practice though I was leaning towards Richie Brothers anyway. After hosting the other two and reviewing bids I was more than happy to go with Craig and the guys at Richie Brothers. I was not disappointed.

This is a travesty. Like in the restaurant business, you are only as good as your staff in the front room. You could be the best chef in town, but, if your receptionist is "brand new" (as was explained to me) and your office manager, Sue, hangs up the phone, saying "you know what, I don't need this, good-bye," you lose longtime clients -- existing ones and potential ones, like myself.

Until this afternoon, I had been a happy customer of Richie, dating back to January 2009, when I submitted a glowing review of the company for work that they did at our home in Bronxville. Craig and Gary, their technicians, are terrific and very experienced professionals. Unfortunately, their office staff is not up to par with them, as they lack the ability to think of their customers first. For them, whatever works for "Richie," the owner, like canceling appointments at the last minute, has to work for their customers. Fortunately for us, we have the option to chose a company that cares a little bit more than that and puts us first.

This is the story:
-- on November 8th, I called them to say that I wanted to see if they could service our new home, which has 4 HVAC units (3 more than our old place, which they had serviced); they were supposed to give us an estimate on an annual maintenance contract (about $1,500, they had guessed on the phone) plus some additional work involving rezoning, etc. (which, for the record, I had gotten an estimate of over $9,000 from a competitor that already serviced the house that we bought, so not a "small" job -- not that it should matter for an existing client like myself)
-- since I trusted Richie, I called them for a second opinion; I explicitly told them that I was happy to hear that they covered Northern Westchester, where we now lived; they said that they would come out to our house on November 17th at 10:30 AM
-- on November 17th, they called at 9:55 AM and left a message on my cell phone, saying that I needed to call them; when I called them at 11:20 AM (I work), they said that I hadn't picked up, so they needed to reschedule; I explained to the person that they had called my cell phone and that my wife was at home, waiting for them; she proceeded to put the blame on me for not having given her my home number before; if their policy is to double check to see that you are home, then they should ask you for your home number (!)
-- anyhow, I was very disappointed with the poor attitude of the receptionist, so I told her that I did not want to reschedule; that afternoon, however, I thought to myself that the incident could have been better handled and that I would let Sue, their office manager, whom I had know from before, know, so that she could rectify the situation and make amends
-- I called, and she called me back a few minutes later; I explained the situation to her, and she asked me what I expected her to do when they "had an emergency come up" (first time that I heard of it); further, she said that she called me after "Richie called [her]," adding that "if he says that he can't make it, he can't make it" (begging the question, which I asked her, of whether or not she worked for Richie, the COMPANY); I explained that you simply don't call someone 35 minutes before they are supposed to show up to your home to cancel; she got agitated and asked me coyly what should she have done differently; sensing that she didn't care to listen to the answer, I told her that others just do not operate this way (i.e., they show up when they say they will or call far in advance to say that they can't and explain why); I should have added that they certainly don't blame you for their doings
-- when I told Sue (very calmly, I might add--even if conveying my annoyance) that she surely didn't need me to tell her how to treat customers, she very rudely hung up on me, as I said before
-- in conclusion, it was a waste of my time to try to help a business that clearly needs to do better by its hardworking and highly competent technicians, not to mention, faifthful customers, like us, who try to show our appreciation for their past quality service by inviting them to our homes; judging from my conversation with Sue, "Richie,' the owner, must not be hurting for business, but I don't need their aggravation
-- sadly for them, they lose us as a potential new account as well as my mother-in-law's existing account, as she uses them as well; and, since I have to manage her contract too, I will certainly not be renewing it in 2012

Hope that someone benefits from reading this!

Working with Richie Bros. was a pleasure through the entire process. Richard, owner, came out and priced the job. He was very professional and congenial and throughly discussed what we wanted done, what we hoped to acheive with the new system and the options we had. He was creative in suggesting how to deal with replacement equipment and realistic about how much efficiency would pay off versus be overkill. He was flexible about scheduling and extremely prompt.

He and his workers arrived promptly on the appointed day and worked through the day until 9:45 p.m. managing to do all the work in that one day and avoid leaving us without air conditioning on a hot summer's night. His crew were extremely hard-working, polite and professional. They cleaned up after themselves beautifully and, unless we looked at the equipment, it was hard to know we had had the systems replaced.

Richie was very careful in his recommendations and was the only of five vendors to advocate replacing our refridgeration lines to the new condenser. THis involved cutting through concrete which he did and repaired the concrete. I was very impressed that he was so thorough even when he could have avoided a complex and tiresome job.

Worker tenaciously identified problem and worked until it was resolved. Hard working job by a professional who clearly knew what he was doing.

Office staff very accommodating in scheduling a time. Technician was running late and called me twice to update me on his expected arrival. Work went smoothly. The overall price seems too high for the service provided and the time expended.

I called the company and explained the problem. They gave me some advice over the phone for temporarily handling the problem. A technician came within two days of my call . The technician was professional in every way (prompt, courteous). His work was neatly done, and he took time to answer my questions regarding my heating system. I would use this company again.

Overall a decent job, but charged $90 for the switch that costs wholesale $30 max. That combined with a $150/hr. labor rate equalled $240+tax for 30 minutes of work. Also didn't appreciate having him driving over the edge of my lawn on his way into the driveway.

I ended up needing my HVAC service on Super Bowl Sunday. I bought the contract because they promised that I would get service when I needed it and when I had an emergency they didn't show up. It was worthless.

Very professional and responsive techs, who understood our system much better than the people who had previously had our maintenance plan. Way better service than Cottam Heating and Air Conditioning, who we had previously used for close to 2 years. Would have been smart to switch sooner.

UPDATE:
Read my latest posting on November 17th. This company doesn't know how to handle customers. That said, I stand by my previous comments regarding the quality of their work. Prior to my most recent experience, I would have given them an "A," but, unfortunately, management shows an utter lack of respect for its customers. I can't justify recommending them to others, so a "C" is as high a mark as I can give them.

It is literal a work of art. He even said it was a shame to have to put sheet rock up over the installation! They are super honest, he takes pride in his work, they use high quality products, wear booties, and you will never find a better HVAC contractor than this company.

THEY CAME WHEN THEY SAID THEY WOULD. THEY WORKED EFFICIENTLY AND WELL. I BELIEVE THEY DID A GOOD JOB BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS WORKING FINE.

THEY WERE EXCELLENT AND VERY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO. THEY GET HERE, ARE ON TIME, AND THE SERVICE GUYS ARE FRIENDLY. THEY DO TEND TO BE EXPENSIVE. THEY WERE VERY PROMPT WITH WHAT THEY DID.