I was a second time customer, as they did the initial installation of my outdoor lights about 5 years ago. I didn't feel their communication or customer service was good back then, but since they presumably were familiar with the work, I called them. Unfortunately, my previous impression was confirmed.
Many of the lights they installed haven't worked for several years, and I'd been meaning to call them, but had just gotten used to it. When I called to have them come out recently, Justin's manner on the phone was not particularly friendly; I had no sense he was glad I was a returning customer. After not hearing him come at 8:30 (my dog usually barks, and he didn't hear a thing), I assumed he was running late. Around 8:45 I went out to see if he might have come. He was checking the fountains, which I'd asked him to do when I 'd called, so I figured he wasn't needing me for that. I also assumed, since they'd done the work before and he didn't ask me any questions about it, that he must have had knowledge of where the lights were. He simply looked around and then said he'd be going to the store to pick up some bulbs and a new light sensor to replace the one that was bad. When he returned I must have been in the shower and again didn't hear his knock. He did what he could and left. When I saw that 4 of the 5 outdoor lights hadn't been found or dealt with, and one I found impossible to unscrew, I called and asked him to please return.
I was surprised and dismayed to receive a bill for $352. It seemed to me that the bill was mostly for running to the store and unscrewing a fixture. He did check the light sensor and the electricity running to two fountains (neither of which required work), which must have been a quick operation. It seemed like an awful lot to charge for so little actual electrical work. When I emailed them about the bill, Justin wrote back about how I hadn't come to the door when he knocked initially or again when he returned (true). I concede that I contributed to our miscommunication in that way, but as a customer, I felt he hadn't been clear with me about what he needed from me. I wasn't clear that he even needed me there, since he hadn't asked me direct questions to gather the information he needed to do the job when he had the opportunity -- neither on my initial call nor when I went out to see him in the yard. I also wish he'd made it clear that he would charge me the full $85/hr for going to the store, since I would have offered to go myself. I will not use QA Electric again.