ComplaintsforHelms Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  07/31/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have an 8-year-old ac unit I purchased from Helms, who installed and maintained the unit. The evaporator coil in my ac has a leak and will not hold refrigerant. I have had Helms out several times in the past 3 weeks to add refrigerant. It is sometimes 36 hours before a tech will come out; they no longer have any availability for my problem. I have water damage in a ceiling from this issue 3 weeks ago, and no one has responded to me about that repair. My air conditioner is under warranty for the part, which has been on back order since May 2024. My complaint is that I cannot get anyone at the company to let me know how they plan to fix the problem, other than repeating the same "emergency call" over and over, which will damage the unit further. I have been told "someone will call" but no one ever calls. The technicians are afraid to say anything and have clearly been told by management not to tell customers anything. My unit is frozen again, and I would like better communication and some sort of acceptable resolution to the problem.

  

  Business response

  08/01/2024

  Aug 2012 new system installed. Purchased Carrier labor warranty (exp 8/2026)
  6/3 Arrived for maintenance.System was not cooling, low on refrigerant. Tech corrected.
  6/14 Leak located in condenser coil and TXV not operating properly. Added refrigerant. Parts ordered. (coil ETA 7/30).
  6/20 coil ETA now 8/6.
  6/27 Replaced TXV.
  7/10 Sat, 4:41P She called afterhours service. Tech arrived at 5:54P. System frozen. She demanded that he be there at 7:30A and he obliged to prevent further agitating her further.
  7/21 Sun, 7:28A Tech arrived. System low on refrigerant.Corrected. System cooling.
  7/25 Thurs, 1:57P She called office, system not cooling. Tech arrived at 3:52P.System frozen. He turned off and said the office would reschedule. At 6:20P, called afterhours service demanding service tonight. Dispatcher offered first availability 7/26 3-5PM. She refused and hung up. Dispatcher texted offering appt before it is taken, she refused.
  7/26 Fri, 8:19A She called techs cell phone. Office reached out, scheduled 3-5PM. Tech arrived at 1:56P. System low on refrigerant. Added refrigerant. System cooling.
  7/31 Wed, 6:04P She called afterhours service, system not cooling. Tech promptly called her back, stated the evening was booked and office would call to schedule. She hung up on him.
  8/1 - Office checked status of part. Factory emailed back that superseded part could be available earlier.
  

  We understand and sympathize. Part availability is out of our control. We have acted promptly and made her comfort a priority. Her warranty does not cover property damage OR our multiple visits & refrigerant. We show compassion but are met with rudeness, a lack of appreciation,and dissatisfaction that we are "sitting on our hands." Ms. *************;is not obligated to our company and has the freedom to contact another Carrier dealer to take over as the service provider for her warranty.

  Customer response

  08/01/2024

   
  I am rejecting this response because:

  There is damage to my ceiling because of water leak from unit. I am requesting repair and fulfillment of warranty provisions to replace coil. Frustration is caused by lack of response by company --all the people I spoke with on the phone could not give me any information about repairs.

  Some notes are inaccurate. The tech who returned at 7:30 a.m. volunteered to return and was very congenial--we had no problems. I have been frustrated by a lack of any concrete response by management--techs did all they could.

  There is some exaggeration in the phone notes from Helms. Management never responded about repairing ceiling, or how we were going to navigate no air until a backordered part arrives. Technicians and office staff all told me they did not know and could not answer my questions and someone would call. If any hostility exists--it is coming from management. 

  
  

  

  Business response

  08/06/2024

  Our phone records are accurate as we have an archive of the messages she left, the time they are left, and GPS to confirm arrival/departure times of the technicians.  According to call details, the Service Manager attempted to call ******************** on July 26th at 1:37PM.  It was noted that she picked up the line and immediately said, Ill have to call you back and hung up.
  Unfortunately, in this situation, we cannot provide the answers she wants about the availability of the part.  We have no control over it, nor can we provide a concrete timeline.  The estimated ship date has changed four times since the part was ordered in June.
  Our only way of navigating no air has been to send technicians promptly when she calls.  *********** Manager has been in constant contact with the factory/distributor to ensure the part is shipped as quickly as possible. There is nothing we can do outside of that.
  We have been more than courteous in providing these visits and the refrigerant at no charge to keep her cooling when we are under no obligation to do so.  Since her warranty only covers the actual repair, we were not obligated to provide these services.
  Our company is not liable for water damage caused by ice forming, as it was explained to her that it will continue to freeze until the repair is made.  The only way it could have been avoided completely would have been to turn the system off June 14th and leave it off until the part is replaced. 
  We do not wish to have customers who are unhappy,uncomfortable, or fail to see measures taken to ensure their satisfaction and comfort.
  Helms Heating & Air Conditioning and ******************** are not bound to each other by her Carrier warranty.  She may contact Consumer Relations at ************ and they can provide a list of registered participating dealers.

  Customer response

  08/06/2024

   
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I was a customer of ****************** H&A for more than 12 years. They are good people. I am to blame in that my expectations were that as a loyal customer, I would have HV** experts who would prevent me from winding up without air in the summer for an extended period of time. I know they cannot control part supplies that go to retailers first and warranty customers last. My complaint was that communication from decision-makers was poor. I communicated with office staff and techs, who did not know anything and could not tell me anything. My misplaced expectation was that customers would be protected from extended outages, just as I doubt any of the Helms family has ever gone or would ever go without ac for a month or more in the summer. 
  I filed this complaint out of frustration over poor communication and customer service. ****************** is on the defensive describing all our exchanges in the negative, which they were not. I understand that as a reaction to feeling attacked and wanting to defend themselves. 
  I had another company come out and assess my system. The parts that were replaced this summer by Helms were apparently bad from the factory --not Helms' fault of course, but nonetheless, for whatever reason, Helms has been getting substandard parts for me for a couple of years from their suppliers. Helms has been prompt in replacing parts they could get, and I was not charged for replacement parts. Again--not the issue here.
  I have purchased a new system from another company. I understand now that this small, family-owned company is perhaps not well situated to provide the kind of service and communication I want. My warranty is apparently worthless, and I am not willing to turn off the ** and wait for a part that *** or *** not be good and need to be replaced in a year. I believe Helms did the best they could, but I am looking for a company that will not leave me without service or communication. 

   

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company is a joke they are being in my house over 14 times to fix my heating problems and they can't find the problem they keep blaming Brothers and air company for selling them bad units in mean time I was freezing to death in my new house

  

  Business response

  03/08/2024

  It is unfortunate that ***************** is not satisfied with our services. 

  We have 12 work orders for his home (history attached):
  *Five were to try satisfy his personal preferences for air balance to his master bathroom/office or to address a noise that our technicians never could hear when they were there. 
  *One call was for a water leak near the furnace that the customer says was from plumbing pipes.  I'm assuming he contacted the plumber to repair. 
  ******************* called in with heating issues four times.  The other two calls were follow-*** scheduled by our office to replace faulty parts.
  

  Not only have we acted quickly when he has any complaint/request, we have gone above and beyond to address his issues. Four calls were run after his warranty with our company had expired on 12/08/23 - one heating issue, one follow-up, and two calls to address a noise and to balance the airflow.  At no time was ****************** asked to pay for these visits.
  

  I'm not sure about his "Brothers" statement.  The manufacturer of his equipment is ******* and the Service Manager has worked with their team continuously about issues with the pressure switches. As far as our records show, ********************************* heat has been working properly since December. The Service Manager accompanied ************** on February 13th to address airflow/noise issues.  At that time, the heat was still working great. ****************** appeared to be satisfied upon completion.

  Customer response

  03/09/2024

   
  I am rejecting this response because:
  They haven't fix he air flow and the heat still not working after more than 15 visits FIX IT RIGHT YOU WASTED MY TIME OVER 10 VACATION DAYS 

  

  Business response

  03/15/2024

  We understand ********************************* frustration. Partly because we were just as frustrated.  Customer satisfaction is our top priority.  We honestly did go to great lengths working with the manufacturer to resolve the heating issue. 

  There were many efforts made to satisfy his complaint about the office being too cold.  Temperature and CFM readings were taken to ensure every room was within 1-3 degrees.  When we arrived on our most recent attempt, the office was one degree cooler than the desired temperature he had set on his thermostat. When we left, the office was four degrees warmer than the other rooms on that level of the home. We were relieved that he seemed satisfied.  

  We would prefer every customer have a positive experience.  However, at this time, we are not confident that we would be able to provide a satisfactory resolution.

• Initial Complaint

  01/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Helms came out to our home and the sales person explained what sets helms apart from the competition is the install for our new HVAC system and that cant be further from the truth. Helms came out to our home 6 times in total to fix their botched installation. 1st install, 2nd to fix a failed inspection, 3rd to fix a gas leak on Thanksgiving, 4th to put a piece of wood in a pipe to keep it from moving and stop a leak, 5th time to clean up spray paint used to cover the leak damage stain on the ceiling causing over spray on clothes basket full of clothes, sons backpack and flooring, and 6th time to fix the install and remove the wood to fix the leak that still existed. Helms has damaged a gate that surrounds our outside AC, spray paint on clothes and childs backpack and took me out of the field from my outside sales job 4 additional days that werent needed if the job was done properly. I have been told by management the install was done poorly and is currently offering 10% discount. Based off of money lost at work and damage property 15% discount is being asked for to compensate fairly. If not resolved small claims will be filed in Union County for the 50% installation cost for more time lost. I have been refused documentation showing cost for equipment versus installation cost. I have reached out numerous times to resolve the situation but are not willing to be empathetic to their wrongdoing.

  

  Business response

  01/26/2024

  On September 21, ****, the customer was quoted a new ******************** and cooling system.  The installation was completed October 19, ****.  After several issues (damaged gate & backpack, a gas leak, installation corrections) were rectified, we feel it is fair to honor ******************** request for a 15% discount ($1,200).  We agree that this installation did not initially meet our quality standards.  And we apologize for the inconveniences ************ and his family encountered during the process.

  Customer response

  01/31/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my complaint, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Thank you. 
  

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