Heights Electric

I wish there was an option to give no stars because totally disgusted is more my sentiments.

We know a commercial electrician and went with Heights Electric because we trusted our commercial electrician's recommendation. We should have headed the poor review here when we read it but we thought we'd give Charlie and his team the benefit of the doubt especially because they are a local business. Here's my advice to others: DO NOT HIRE HEIGHTS ELECTRIC.

His workmen were definitely polite and capable. They did a great job at not tearing up our home. However, the billing was underhanded and shifty.

1. They arrived later than discussed. No phone call, just arrived late.
2. 2 workers, 1 who does all of the work and the other that runs to the truck and back.
3. Charlie charged for his own showing up and standing around.
4. We were charged an hour for the Free quote when it was their doing that they came in and took the old fixture down to see what they might be dealing with.
5. We were quoted a price range and ended up having to negotiate above the highest end of the range. Charlie claims it was because the job turned out to be harder than expected and they were working late hours and we were actually getting a discount. (may I remind you, they showed up late and the timing was understood when we were quoted)
6. If the job was harder/was going to cost more, that should have been stated when they realized this. Several times we asked if everything was alright and the response was yes.
7. Our bill didn't even have my name right. Not even just a misspelling- totally different names. Really.
8. We heard a loud crack and there's a very good possibility that our nice fixture was broken at that time but we were not in the same room so there's no telling.
9. Seeing as the fixture was damaged, the job is still not done. They offered to come back and install for an additional $100. No thank you.

Our father is a contractor and a former EE- it's too bad he doesn't live even remotely close. When you give a quote, you work in the possibility of a job being harder than it should be or you let the customer know at that time, not at the end when you charge.

We've had great luck with other area businesses but will not be using Heights Electric again.  Completely unprofessional, underhanded, and nothing the Heights should be proud of.

As a resident of the Heights, it's important for me to support local businesses.  However, occasionally this backfires and you feel like you were stolen from.  This is the case I had with Heights Electric.  

I had two light fixtures that were out and either needed to be fixed or replaced.  Whatever was cheapest.  They decided they needed to be replaced, which was fine, and told me they would have something jn stock or could get something similar at the store and install it.  Okay, sounds fair.  Yet somehow installing two simple lights equated to 6 billable hours?!?!!  How is that possible??  I'll tell you how its possible.  Show up in a truck with two people and have one person stand around and watch the other person do all the work and then bill double for it.  

Also while you're at it, charge $95 an hour to determine whether a $30 light fixture can be fixed or just replaced.  If you can't figure it out in 10 minutes, lets just buy a new one people!

I'll give one hour for a real electrician to take down the light and determine if it can be fixed easily, possibly one more hour to buy 2 new lights just up the street, and perhaps one hour to install both of them.  3 hours MAX.  

Never mind the fact they never showed up when they said they would (sometimes late with no phone call, sometimes early saying they're waiting out front).

No thanks.  Completely unprofessional.  I will not be using them ever again.

This poor old guy really should just stop and enjoy his retirement.  I would be surprised if his license is current.  REALLY SURPRISED!  and VERY DISAPPOINTED in the licensing procedure & requirements.

Our experience was EXACTLY as everyone has said!   We used this company because our Realtor recommended him!  (Someone didn't do her due diligence!!!)

THERE WAS NOTHING PROFESSIONAL ABOUT ANY OF MY ENCOUNTERS WITH CHARLIE.

I had sent 3 emails explaining that we wanted a quote on some items picked up during the home inspection on a property we are in the option period to buy.  I asked in bold letters whether the quote was free or whether the fee would be applied towards the work.  He never replied to any of my emails.  He had trouble finding the first one, which is why I sent & re-sent the same information.  He asked me to email him so he'd have all the details in writing.  I attached the inspection report each time.

When I reached him by phone Thursday afternoon, he thought he could come out the next day.  He never called.  When I called him Saturday, he thought he might be able to make it, but didn't.   He was very hard to pin down on time, so I sent him an email saying that we'd go ahead with his suggestion of meeting on Sunday afternoon at 2pm, and I wrote in bold letters that he should contact us if his plans changed.  He left me a message at noon saying that he'd need to push the job back a bit.  I called back at 1pm and left a message.  He never called back.  When I reached him at 2:15, he was out to dinner with his family.  We releashed the Realtor's assistant, waiting at the house since 2pm.

Our option period ends tonight at midnight.  Charlie and his right hand man finally showed up -- late -- this afternoon and bumbled around for hours.   There is a very entertaining video of them taking forever to replace a GFCI outlet with the power on!  It's as though neither of them had never seen -- or worked with -- live current before!  (Charlie claims he is a master electrician!)

Despite my list of items, which included checking a light over the stairs, Charlie showed up without any ladders or extension grippers and was wearing casual attire, not work clothes.  

When the bumbling finally ended, Charlie claimed he had conducted an inspection.  He had not, and he had not been asked to.  His bill was $450, and all he had done -- literally, all he had done -- was 1) call out the color of the recessed light canister in the ceiling (our Realtor's assistant knew silver canisters were OK against insulation, but Charlie didn't), 2) entertain us by replacing that GFCI outlet and 3) change that light bulb over the stairs by use of some creative acrobatics.   I wrote him a check for $250, and he left disgusted.  I think he got off easy!  I should have called the cops on him for representing himself to be an electrician!

This place is a complete disgrace.  They charged us, then took the marginally working piece of equipment and never returned it (although they made several appointments to come back and do so, they just never showed up.)   So for 140$ they made the problem much worse.

Awful and I always call a local business first because it is important to me. This company showed up immediately due to an emergency but this is the best thing I can say about them. I think the company has tanked and it is probably for the best. Way over charged and just down right depressing.

Husband actually called this place by accident - I asked him to call the electrician on Heights Boulevard not Heights Electric. What a debacle. Two clueless individuals showed up and bumbled around. Had to get owner involved to find a solution to problem. Repair quit working the next day. More bumbling around and work unsatisfactory. Will get a real electrician tomorrow to fix the problem and whatever these bozos did.