Master Electrical Services

we purchased a whole house generator from this business from the beginning the generator had a few issues, which they assured us were not a problem they had to swap out parts on a brand new generator, but said they were all still under warrantyEverything seemed fine, especially since they collected their 10K checkthey made no mention of any service needed or any follow upIn the winter season about a year and a half later, I noticed a problem with generator we requested a service call The part required to fix this basically new generator would not be available for 3-days with a winter storm on the way, and we did lose power! I called the manager over in the snow storm, and all he kept saying was I called him away from church This company had no sympathy for their customer that spent top dollar to avoid these exact situationsthey eventually got the part and repaired the generator, but the bill did not reflect any customer courtesy or compassion The most recent ou

Ms [redacted] purchased a generator from Master Electrical Services, LLC in the summer of The generator was installed in the highest professional manner and in accordance with all codes and was inspected by City of Richmond building inspections departmentAfter demonstrating to Ms [redacted] the proper function of the generator and her accepting the completed project, the project was invoiced and paid Ms [redacted] states that she was not told about any required maintenance to be performed on the generatorPlease refer to the attached copy of the original quote that was signed, declining the recommended maintenance contract, and solely purchasing her unitGenerators, like any other equipment with an engine, require periodic maintenance [redacted] recommends six (6) month maintenance intervals as spelled out in the owner’s manual On January 13, Master Electrical Services, LLC was called to troubleshoot the generator not runningThis was the first call for any maintenance since installationThe service call was made on January 15, Following the manufacturer’s guidelines for troubleshooting, the manufacturer instructed us to replace the brush set on the generatorThe brush set was “express shipped” and was quickly dispatched for installationUnfortunately, the brush set was not the problem(Like many trouble shooting guidelines, repairs are made in a sequential manner)The manufacturer then recommended the replacement of the stator, which is a major component of the electrical producing equipmentThe stator was ordered, but would not be in for several daysDuring that time, a snowstorm hit on Sunday and Ms [redacted] called the emergency number to say she was without powerMike L***, the manager of the generator division was at church when the call came in and had to take his family home before he could get to her houseIn good faith, he came to our shop in the snow, uncrated a new generator, removed the stator and drove to Ms [redacted] home to install the componentUnfortunately we found that when the old stator failed, it had also damaged part of the wiring harness that was not evident until the new stator was installedIt is not possible to remove the wiring harness from a new generator, the harness would have to be ordered from the factoryMs [redacted] generator was repaired under warranty once parts arrived from the factory We believe that Master Electrical Services, LLC went above and beyond and made every effort to get Ms [redacted] generator operationalUnfortunately, we were at the mercy of the manufacturer to supply the warranty parts On November 4, Ms [redacted] called and said that her generator was not workingA service call was set for November 8, The technician read the fault code on the generator which was "overcrank"This fault occurs when the generator attempts to start (up to times) and failsIt turns out that the City of Richmond had the gas off in the neighborhood during the time the generator normally performs its weekly exerciseThe technician cleared the fault and returned the unit to serviceWe sent an invoice for $which is our minimum charge for a generator technician service callUnfortunately, Ms [redacted] is unhappy with the $chargeMaster Electrical paid a technician to go to her home and repair the generator and expect our customer to in turn pay us for a service that was providedPossibly, she should try to recover the money from the City of Richmond who created the problem by turning off her gas In summary, it was unfortunate that Ms [redacted] generator experienced manufacturer related problems (which were all covered under warranty) but I believe that Master Electrical Services, LLC made every effort to meet Mrs [redacted] needs in a prompt and professional manner

we purchased a whole house generator from this business from the beginning the generator had a few issues, which they assured us were not a problem they had to swap out parts on a brand new generator, but said they were all still under warrantyEverything seemed fine, especially since they collected their 10K checkthey made no mention of any service needed or any follow upIn the winter season about a year and a half later, I noticed a problem with generator we requested a service call The part required to fix this basically new generator would not be available for 3-days with a winter storm on the way, and we did lose power! I called the manager over in the snow storm, and all he kept saying was I called him away from church This company had no sympathy for their customer that spent top dollar to avoid these exact situationsthey eventually got the part and repaired the generator, but the bill did not reflect any customer courtesy or compassion
The most recent ou

Ms. [redacted] purchased a generator from Master Electrical Services, LLC in the summer of 2014. The generator was installed in the highest professional manner and in accordance with all codes and was inspected by City of Richmond building inspections department. After demonstrating to Ms. [redacted]...

the proper function of the generator and her accepting the completed project, the project was invoiced and paid.
Ms. [redacted] states that she was not told about any required maintenance to be performed on the generator. Please refer to the attached copy of the original quote that was signed, declining the recommended maintenance contract, and solely purchasing her unit. Generators, like any other equipment with an engine, require periodic maintenance. [redacted] recommends six (6) month maintenance intervals as spelled out in the owner’s manual.
On January 13, 2016 Master Electrical Services, LLC was called to troubleshoot the generator not running. This was the first call for any maintenance since installation. The service call was made on January 15, 2016. Following the manufacturer’s guidelines for troubleshooting, the manufacturer instructed us to replace the brush set on the generator. The brush set was “express shipped” and was quickly dispatched for installation. Unfortunately, the brush set was not the problem. (Like many trouble shooting guidelines, repairs are made in a normal sequential manner). The manufacturer then recommended the replacement of the stator, which is a major component of the electrical producing equipment. The stator was ordered, but would not be in for several days. During that time, a snowstorm hit on Sunday and Ms. [redacted] called the emergency number to say she was without power. Mike L[redacted], the manager of the generator division was at church when the call came in and had to take his family home before he could get to her house. In good faith, he came to our shop in the snow, uncrated a new generator, removed the stator and drove to Ms. [redacted] home to install the component. Unfortunately we found that when the old stator failed, it had also damaged part of the wiring harness that was not evident until the new stator was installed. It is not possible to remove the wiring harness from a new generator, the harness would have to be ordered from the factory. Ms. [redacted] generator was repaired under warranty once parts arrived from the factory.
We believe that Master Electrical Services, LLC went above and beyond and made every effort to get Ms. [redacted] generator operational. Unfortunately, we were at the mercy of the manufacturer to supply the warranty parts.
On November 4, 2016 Ms. [redacted] called and said that her generator was not working. A service call was set for November 8, 2016. The technician read the fault code on the generator which was "overcrank". This fault occurs when the generator attempts to start (up to 7 times) and fails. It turns out that the City of Richmond had the gas off in the neighborhood during the time the generator normally performs its weekly exercise. The technician cleared the fault and returned the unit to service. We sent an invoice for $100.00 which is our minimum charge for a generator technician service call. Unfortunately, Ms. [redacted] is unhappy with the $100.00 charge. Master Electrical paid a technician to go to her home and repair the generator and expect our customer to in turn pay us for a service that was provided. Possibly, she should try to recover the money from the City of Richmond who created the problem by turning off her gas.
In summary, it was unfortunate that Ms. [redacted] generator experienced manufacturer related problems (which were all covered under warranty) but I believe that Master Electrical Services, LLC made every effort to meet Mrs. [redacted] needs in a prompt and professional manner.

Dear [redacted]
I am writing to respond to the referenced claim of poor' billing practices made by [redacted] 
First; let me say that Master Electrical Services, LLC takes our reputation in the business community very seriously. We believe that...

with over 2,,000 generators installed and-more than 500 customers, on annual maintenance contracts, our A+ rating with the Revdex.com speaks for how much we value good customer service. In the 10 years we have been installing and servicing generators', this is one of two complaints received. The first complaint, was reviewed and was deemed unfounded. We do not believe this complaint has merit.
One of the services that we offer is 24 hours 7 day per week coverage for generator emergency service. We contract a professional answering service to insure calls are properly handled and we respond, to these calls with factory trained technicians.
With regard to this complaint, [redacted] does' not dispute that we responded promptly and resolved the problem to his satisfaction. He seems upset that the repair was simple. We provided a qualified technician who was able to promptly identify and repair the problem. When our technician knocked on the
door, the person who opened the door said they had just bought the house. They thanked us for coming out and asked that we explain how the generator worked; what to expect when it ran, limitation of what could be powered, etc. Typical questions that a homeowner would ask. It certainly was not our technician's place to not answer 'what he thought was the home owner's questions. Further, our policy is that there is a two hour minimum for emergency service calls so there was no additional charge for the time spent answering the presumed homeowner's questions.
We take exception to [redacted]'s claim that he was not aware of the 2 hour minimum charge our answering service[redacted]
Inc. of Richmond, VA, handles our after-hour calls. It is Master Electrical Services, LLC's policy that [redacted] Communications inform the customer that they
acknowledge the 2 hour minimum charge for an afterhours service call before they will dispatch a technician. Otherwise, the call Is logged as a normal
service request which is forwarded to our office· by fax. The faxed requests are then answered the first business' day following the request. We have requested
a audio copy of the conversation between the[redacted] representative and [redacted]. Unfortunately, this will take several days for [redacted] to retrieve from their archives. We will be happy to provide a copy of this to the Revdex.com when we receive it from [redacted].
Further we have a service ticket signed by [redacted] ([redacted]) acknowledging the 2 hours at $150.00 per hour for a total of $300.00 We do not know the relationship between [redacted] and [redacted] but believe that [redacted] presented himself as a responsible party who had authority to sign the service ticket.
As noted on the service ticket, .[redacted] asked about a service contract and requested that, as a new homeowner, he be sent an annual maintenance contract proposal.
The following week, [redacted], manager of the generator division for Master Electrical Services, LLC, reviewed the service tickets from the previous
weekend and because the service call was simple and the fact that they had requested a service contract, reduced the emergency service call charge from
$300 to $225.00 as a good will gesture to a potential new customer. The invoice for the $225.00 'service call was sent to [redacted] along with a maintenance
contract proposal for one year of normal maintenance  for the price of $300,00. It the contract was accepted, Master Electrical Services, LLC was expecting a signed contract and payment of $525.00.
[redacted] received a called from [redacted] who disputed the $225.00 (already reduced from $300) charge for the afterhours service call. [redacted], again as a good
will gesture, agreed to reduce the charges from $225,00 to $150.00.
Master Electrical Services, LLC received [redacted] signed annual maintenance contract and a check for $300.00. The remittance for the service call was not received.
Unfortunately, [redacted] did not communicate to our office manager the fact that he had agreed to reduce the service call charge from $225.00 to $150.00 before
the reminded notice (second invoice) went out the following month.
** [redacted] called [redacted] regarding the $225.00 invoice. [redacted] agreed that he had reduced the invoice from $225.00 to $150.00 ([redacted])
and asked that [redacted] pay the $150.00. [redacted] did not think he should have to pay anything more. [redacted] suggests that Master Electrical Services, LLC
would be willing to use one of the two service calls on the signed maintenance contract to pay for the afterhours service call.
[redacted] apparently does not believe that he should have to pay for the afterhours service call. Master Electrical Services, LLC believes that we properly informed [redacted] that there would be a charge for an afterhours service cal, that we performed the necessary work during the service call, and that he owes$150.00.
The above being noted, [redacted] has stated in his complaint that he would accept our returning $150.00 and cancelling the remained of the annul service contract. As
he stated that this will meet his requirements, we are sending him a check for $150.00 today,
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Ms. [redacted] purchased a generator from Master Electrical Services, LLC in the summer of 2014. The generator was installed in the highest professional manner and in accordance with all codes and was inspected by City of Richmond building inspections department. After demonstrating to Ms. [redacted]...

the proper function of the generator and her accepting the completed project, the project was invoiced and paid.

Ms. [redacted] states that she was not told about any required maintenance to be performed on the generator. Please refer to the attached copy of the original quote that was signed, declining the recommended maintenance contract, and solely purchasing her unit. Generators, like any other equipment with an engine, require periodic maintenance. [redacted] recommends six (6) month maintenance intervals as spelled out in the owner’s manual.

On January 13, 2016 Master Electrical Services, LLC was called to troubleshoot the generator not running. This was the first call for any maintenance since installation. The service call was made on January 15, 2016. Following the manufacturer’s guidelines for troubleshooting, the manufacturer instructed us to replace the brush set on the generator. The brush set was “express shipped” and was quickly dispatched for installation. Unfortunately, the brush set was not the problem. (Like many trouble shooting guidelines, repairs are made in a normal sequential manner). The manufacturer then recommended the replacement of the stator, which is a major component of the electrical producing equipment. The stator was ordered, but would not be in for several days. During that time, a snowstorm hit on Sunday and Ms. [redacted] called the emergency number to say she was without power. Mike L[redacted], the manager of the generator division was at church when the call came in and had to take his family home before he could get to her house. In good faith, he came to our shop in the snow, uncrated a new generator, removed the stator and drove to Ms. [redacted] home to install the component. Unfortunately we found that when the old stator failed, it had also damaged part of the wiring harness that was not evident until the new stator was installed. It is not possible to remove the wiring harness from a new generator, the harness would have to be ordered from the factory. Ms. [redacted] generator was repaired under warranty once parts arrived from the factory.
We believe that Master Electrical Services, LLC went above and beyond and made every effort to get Ms. [redacted] generator operational. Unfortunately, we were at the mercy of the manufacturer to supply the warranty parts.

On November 4, 2016 Ms. [redacted] called and said that her generator was not working. A service call was set for November 8, 2016. The technician read the fault code on the generator which was "overcrank". This fault occurs when the generator attempts to start (up to 7 times) and fails. It turns out that the City of Richmond had the gas off in the neighborhood during the time the generator normally performs its weekly exercise. The technician cleared the fault and returned the unit to service. We sent an invoice for $100.00 which is our minimum charge for a generator technician service call. Unfortunately, Ms. [redacted] is unhappy with the $100.00 charge. Master Electrical paid a technician to go to her home and repair the generator and expect our customer to in turn pay us for a service that was provided. Possibly, she should try to recover the money from the City of Richmond who created the problem by turning off her gas.

In summary, it was unfortunate that Ms. [redacted] generator experienced manufacturer related problems (which were all covered under warranty) but I believe that Master Electrical Services, LLC made every effort to meet Mrs. [redacted] needs in a prompt and professional manner.

Review: Called Master Electrical Services in early January for servicing of my generator. Services were performed, and bill sent to me for approx. $225

Was not informed before services that I would be charged for "emergency services" pricing because it was on a Saturday. Employee spent less than 10 minutes on site diagnosing and fixing problem. One nut was loose on a pipe sticking out of ground. One turn of a wrench and problem solved. That was it.

Unbeknownst to me, the gentleman spent another hour speaking with someone else on the property (not the home owner) about the system, without explaining that the conversation was costing me big bucks. I disputed charge with gentleman on phone when I received bill in mail. Gentleman was apologetic that I was not informed of higher rate/hr for the services requested. He then offered to drop my bill to $150. I then offered to begin a annual service contract for $300 (they had also sent me this annual contract agreement request during this time) if the current bill would be wiped away completely. Gentleman agreed to terms. Before hanging up, I once again explained terms to make sure we were on same page. There was no confusion. At that time, I signed annual contract agreement with Master Electrical Services and paid the total of $300 up front solely for those services. Months later I receive the $225 bill again saying it was still unsatisfied. Of course I called out of curiosity, and gentleman pulled records up and apologized because based on his records and our conversation, he was supposed to drop bill to $150 but had never done so. Well, my obvious rebuttal was that his solution was not correct based on previous conversation and agreement. I was told if I signed $300 contract which included 2 service visits during 2014, they would eliminate the original bill that was in question altogether. He denied this because it was not entered into his notes. He then said they would just have to cut my contract agreement in half, giving me 6 months servicing (1 visit instead of the 2 that I contractually paid for). After hanging up the phone, I called back and asked for same person, was told he was not available. Called back a couple days later, and was told same thing, so I left voicemail requesting a phone call back. That was over a month ago. I have for this reason decided that I refuse to do business with a company that cannot explain special pricing to customers prior to servicing, cannot keep correct records of phone conversations, refuses to honor a contractual agreement, and then will not reply to billing questions, phone calls, and voice mail.Desired Settlement: Master Electrical Services has not done any annual service contract work on my unit of which I paid $300 for. I want either all $300 back, or at the very least $150 back. The $300 option would be the "right thing to do" since they made many communication errors regarding the original $225 bill. Improper pre-service billing communication should not cost the unknowing customer, it should cost the company that fails to communicate.

The $150 option is bare minimum what should happen. This basically nullifies my annual contract with them as I do not desire to have any work performed by them anyhow at this point. The remaining $150 they would be keeping in that option would pay for the $150 they say I owe from the original bill. I sent payment by check. They have my address, and can easily send a check back to me. Simple problem, simple solution.....unfortunately it hasn't been so simple as they refuse to call me back.

Business

Response:

Dear [redacted]

I am writing to respond to the referenced claim of poor' billing practices made by [redacted]

First; let me say that Master Electrical Services, LLC takes our reputation in the business community very seriously. We believe that with over 2,,000 generators installed and-more than 500 customers, on annual maintenance contracts, our A+ rating with the Revdex.com speaks for how much we value good customer service. In the 10 years we have been installing and servicing generators', this is one of two complaints received. The first complaint, was reviewed and was deemed unfounded. We do not believe this complaint has merit.

One of the services that we offer is 24 hours 7 day per week coverage for generator emergency service. We contract a professional answering service to insure calls are properly handled and we respond, to these calls with factory trained technicians.

With regard to this complaint, [redacted] does' not dispute that we responded promptly and resolved the problem to his satisfaction. He seems upset that the repair was simple. We provided a qualified technician who was able to promptly identify and repair the problem. When our technician knocked on the

door, the person who opened the door said they had just bought the house. They thanked us for coming out and asked that we explain how the generator worked; what to expect when it ran, limitation of what could be powered, etc. Typical questions that a homeowner would ask. It certainly was not our technician's place to not answer 'what he thought was the home owner's questions. Further, our policy is that there is a two hour minimum for emergency service calls so there was no additional charge for the time spent answering the presumed homeowner's questions.

We take exception to [redacted]'s claim that he was not aware of the 2 hour minimum charge our answering service[redacted]

Inc. of Richmond, VA, handles our after-hour calls. It is Master Electrical Services, LLC's policy that [redacted] Communications inform the customer that they

acknowledge the 2 hour minimum charge for an afterhours service call before they will dispatch a technician. Otherwise, the call Is logged as a normal

service request which is forwarded to our office· by fax. The faxed requests are then answered the first business' day following the request. We have requested

a audio copy of the conversation between the[redacted] representative and [redacted]. Unfortunately, this will take several days for [redacted] to retrieve from their archives. We will be happy to provide a copy of this to the Revdex.com when we receive it from [redacted].

Further we have a service ticket signed by [redacted]) acknowledging the 2 hours at $150.00 per hour for a total of $300.00 We do not know the relationship between [redacted] and [redacted] but believe that [redacted] presented himself as a responsible party who had authority to sign the service ticket.

As noted on the service ticket, .[redacted] asked about a service contract and requested that, as a new homeowner, he be sent an annual maintenance contract proposal.

The following week, [redacted], manager of the generator division for Master Electrical Services, LLC, reviewed the service tickets from the previous

weekend and because the service call was simple and the fact that they had requested a service contract, reduced the emergency service call charge from

$300 to $225.00 as a good will gesture to a potential new customer. The invoice for the $225.00 'service call was sent to [redacted] along with a maintenance

contract proposal for one year of normal maintenance for the price of $300,00. It the contract was accepted, Master Electrical Services, LLC was expecting a signed contract and payment of $525.00.

[redacted] received a called from [redacted] who disputed the $225.00 (already reduced from $300) charge for the afterhours service call. [redacted], again as a good

will gesture, agreed to reduce the charges from $225,00 to $150.00.

Master Electrical Services, LLC received [redacted] signed annual maintenance contract and a check for $300.00. The remittance for the service call was not received.

Unfortunately, [redacted] did not communicate to our office manager the fact that he had agreed to reduce the service call charge from $225.00 to $150.00 before

the reminded notice (second invoice) went out the following month.

[redacted] called [redacted] regarding the $225.00 invoice. [redacted] agreed that he had reduced the invoice from $225.00 to $150.00 ([redacted])

and asked that [redacted] pay the $150.00. [redacted] did not think he should have to pay anything more. [redacted] suggests that Master Electrical Services, LLC

would be willing to use one of the two service calls on the signed maintenance contract to pay for the afterhours service call.

[redacted] apparently does not believe that he should have to pay for the afterhours service call. Master Electrical Services, LLC believes that we properly informed [redacted] that there would be a charge for an afterhours service cal, that we performed the necessary work during the service call, and that he owes$150.00.

The above being noted, [redacted] has stated in his complaint that he would accept our returning $150.00 and cancelling the remained of the annul service contract. As

he stated that this will meet his requirements, we are sending him a check for $150.00 today,

Sincerely,