**1/5 -- Extremely Disappointing and Unprofessional Experience** We recently purchased our home, and John Ray & Sons' propane tanks were already on the property. We were actually considering keeping them as our propane provider, so shortly after moving in we called to get everything transferred and set up. We left a message and **didn't receive a response for over a week**. Then a technician showed up at our house saying he was there to perform a service/safety check. We thought, great, they're finally getting everything taken care of and getting us set up as customers. He completed whatever he needed to do outside, waved to us when he was finished and essentially indicated everything was "all set." That evening we went to use our gas stove and discovered **we had no propane at all**. We then realized the tanks had been locked out. We were left without propane for **cooking, hot water, and heat**, with no clear explanation from the technician before he left that he had shut down our propane supply. That's where this experience became completely unacceptable to us. We contacted the company repeatedly and explained how urgent the situation was. We specifically told them that **we have a toddler in the home and were without hot water, cooking gas, and propane heat**. Despite explaining that, there seemed to be very little concern or urgency about getting our household back up and running. We ultimately went **over a week without propane** while trying to get the situation resolved. For a company providing an essential household utility, I expected much better communication and a much greater sense of urgency--especially after explaining that a young child was living in the home. Thankfully, **another local propane company absolutely saved the day for us.** They listened to what had happened, understood the urgency of the situation, and actually came through for our family when we needed them. Not only was their customer service and responsiveness significantly better, but we also ended up with **better pricing and a far better overall experience**. The difference between dealing with the two companies was honestly night and day. The other company made us feel like they actually wanted our business and cared about getting our family taken care of. They were able to get us back up and running after we'd spent more than a week dealing with this situation. Needless to say, **they earned our business going forward.** At that point, we'd had enough and canceled John Ray & Sons altogether. Unfortunately, even getting their tanks removed has turned into another hassle. We have contractors working on our property, their tanks are sitting in a walking/work area, and despite asking if they could please be picked up promptly, we're being told it may be sometime the following week, with no exact date available because the service department controls the schedule. To be fair, the individual representative I've been communicating with recently has been polite and has tried to provide information. He also confirmed that our account shows a **$0 balance**, which I appreciate. My frustration is with the overall experience and how poorly this situation was handled from beginning to end. I completely understand that propane companies have safety procedures and that a safety inspection may be required when a home changes ownership. **Safety is not the issue here. Communication, responsiveness, urgency, and professionalism are.** If you're going to lock out the propane supply to someone's home, clearly explain to the homeowner what you're doing and what needs to happen next. Don't finish a "service check," wave goodbye leaving the homeowner believing everything is all set, and then have them discover that evening that they can't use their stove or get hot water. And when that family calls and explains that **they have a toddler and have been left without essential utilities**, I would expect considerably more urgency in helping them find a solution. The most frustrating part is that we started this whole process as **new homeowners who were considering becoming long-term John Ray & Sons customers**. Their tanks were already here and **we contacted them first because we were prepared to give them our business**. Instead, their handling of the situation pushed us directly to a competitor who provided **better service, better communication, better pricing, and an overall experience that wasn't even comparable**. What should have been a simple transition of propane service after purchasing a home turned into more than a week of unnecessary stress for our family. Based on our experience, **I cannot recommend John Ray & Sons.** In the end, I'm glad we found another company that saved the day and showed us how much easier this process should have been from the beginning. read more

We have a fuel oil boiler system that failed on Thursday afternoon (11-20-20), and have a supply (propane and fuel oil) and service contract with John Ray & Sons - we realized it was late fall, an upcoming holiday weekend, and the likelihood of other customers with similar emergency issues to be pronounced. After the initial service request, we received a 7:19am Saturday morning call from Mr. Zbigniew Szymanski who committed to a site visit later that afternoon to discuss options on boiler size, pricing and access. Later that morning, and unanticipated, was a call from the John Ray & Sons General Manager (Mr. Eric Pope) who not only explained the process and the long history of John Ray, but committed to having a service team from the lower Hudson Valley to replace the boiler early Monday morning. On Monday morning (11.23.20) Bob (from Connecticut) and Jake (Mr. Popes's son) arrived @ 8:00am after a three (3) hour drive - eight (8) hours later we had heat, the area was left exceptionally clean and the old boiler removed. More remarkable was the visit from Mr. Pope, who spent time from his conflicted and complicated day to visit and have a conversation with me and my wife. It is an understatement to compliment the team at John Ray & Sons for the quality of professionalism, the courtesies extended, the technical skills exhibited, the fairness in pricing, the ethos of the organization and character in this endeavor which was beyond exceptional --- especially in today's corporate environment, often steeped in arrogance driven and focused on profits and not the customer. On behalf of my wife and four dogs - thank you Mr. Pope, and the John Ray & Sons family, with best wishes for a safe and enjoyable holiday. Dr. and Mrs. C.H. Brearey read more

If you're looking for a company to do business with I highly recommend using John Ray! They've worked with me through an extremely difficult time and went above and beyond to make sure my family will be taken care of this winter. I can't say enough about this company's dedication to customer satisfaction. If you're unsure I highly suggest you read through! After experiencing ongoing issues with our old furnace in a home I purchased just two years ago, it was discovered not only was the system inefficient it was also creating a hazardous situation. The techs were knowledgeable and able to make the situation safe, but unfortunately the heating unit could not be used. It took some time to come up with a plan, and what made the situation extremely difficult for me as the homeowner is being away. I'm currently serving in the military and the home is where my family is staying. This led to some miscommunication between myself and the rep responsible for handling the contracts. Having very little time to handle this situation I grew frustrated. Luckily for me, my situation was handled directly by some very knowledgeable folks. Sean Turner especially deserves a massive thank you for his grace and professionalism during this time. He was able to find a solution that works for my family and ensures my children will be able to stay in a safe, warm home this winter! Thank you so much to this company for taking care of me! If you are reading this I highly recommend you go with them for all of your needs! You will not find better service and care anywhere else in the capital district. read more

I had called them for a possible repair and was meet with a voice mail telling me this, "it's Nancy at John Ray. We got your email saying your aquestat is out on one boiler and the 2nd boiler just stopped working. Um, uh, do you have an account here at John Ray? If you do, please give us a call back and we will set something up 518-272-4432. If you don't have an account with John Ray, then I'm sorry, we wouldn't be able to come out, um, soon. You know what I mean? It it it would be a while we're we're backed up with our own service calls. So if you are a customer, please give us a call and we'll we'll figure out something to get right out there. If you're not, um, I'm sorry that, you know, we can't accommodate you at this time. Thanks." How unprofessional is this? Because you are not a customer, you aren't important! F.U. Pal! I will never give a company like this business ever! Good luck with practices like that. No wonder why your ratings are horrible. read more

Hi: I have to say, John Ray & Sons Staff are 1000 per cent Great !! I went with John Ray,this year because I wasnt happy with the company I had.. I always had a budget plan so it aint bout me owing them any money. I called John Rays this year . the girl in the office told my wife and I what they were going to do.with us on the budget payments.. We agreed. Before John Rays took any money. They fill my oil tank & service my boiler !! No company does that anymore. Other companies are standing there with their hand out before service or oil. To day I called worried about the heat in my house. Steve, the service man came . cked. everything out. Says nothing wrong.. I said ok. I just wanted to make sure.. Steve say he understood. . How much I owe you or do I have to sign something? He said no.. He didnt do anything so no charge,, I never had a oil company that was this Great !! Thank you Everybody at John Rays for make me So, Happy all the way around !!! read more

I can't say enough about the service technicians at John Ray and Sons. Today I had Austin Serson at my home. I explained I'd just moved here and using oil and wood for home heating was all new to me. He found the problem and had the parts with him. I can't believe how patient he was to explain what he was changing and why. In addition to that, what their function was. Trust me when I tell you I peppered him with every one of my rookie questions. I've looked over my manual. It reads like it was written in another language. He patiently answered all of them, while he was melting in the heat today. It was great having someone so knowledgeable to speak to. The repair price was very fair but I have say the experience and interaction was so good I would've been fine if it had cost more. I was really at a point of trust where if Austin said it needed then I was all in. Great guy! Great company thanks again Austin and John Ray and Sons. read more

Three years ago we selected John Ray & Sons as our new full service oil company and have been exceptionally pleased with the service provided; delivery service; and expertise of all service techs and sales staff. The contract pricing is very competitive. JR&S is the only oil firm that offers the School Savings Program for auto oil delivery customers. This school program is a huge bonus for us to accumulate points/dollars for our grandchildren's college education. All service techs are highly trained and excellent. After 8 years with another firm, JR&S service tech, Austin, was able to identify an issue with our heating system by installing a Check Valve in the circulator that made our boilers more efficient and heated our home evenly. We highly recommend John Ray & Sons for all the services they provide customers at very competitive pricing and superior sales/service to their customers. read more

I have been with John Ray and sons for almost 2 years. On a Saturday my heat stopped working and I called the service department and they sent someone out right away. AUSTIN was the service technician that they sent out, he was very detailed with everything he was doing. He explained that we would need a blower motor replaced. Unfortunately they did not have the correct size blower motor. But he put in a motor that would work in the meantime so my family would have heat. He recommended that I call John Ryan sons and make appointment for the correct size motor as well as a cleaning. Throughout the entire experience Austin was kind and helpful with explaining everything he was doing. Two weeks later he came back with the same great service. He even triple checked everything to make sure it was functioning properly! I would recommend John Ryan sons to everyone. read more

There's not a Ray or a Son left in this company. It was sold last year to an out of state corporation. Prior to that, they hired a sleaze ball of a service manager who brought in a new pricing system, with mark ups of 500% in some cases, so as to show a bigger profit to make the company more desirable to sell. My best friend's husband used to work for this company. He was lured away from another company, by the then-owner, Ken Ray. He was very opposed about this new pricing and the push to sell rather than to repair, as he is an HVAC technician, who prides himself on repairing vs. replacing. Well, on Christmas Eve 2012, they fired him, after 7 loyal years with this company. What kind of lowlifes fire anyone on Christmas Eve!!!!!! I am telling anyone and everyone I know: DO NOT DEAL WITH THESE SCUMBAGS AND THIEVES! read more

Reading a lot of negativity on these guys, but I've never had a major problem with them. I have both oil and propane accounts and while there is an occasional hiccup with whether oil delivery happened (which has been solved same day when discovered) - they've been consistent and at fair rates. The emergency stuff is something where you should have your own heating person for cost, as they definitely charge high rates for emergency fixes. Don't see how that makes them evil as its standard practice. One note though - as with any vendor, if you get too comfortable then you are blinding yourself to possible better deals in the market. As with your own job, insurance, your cable bill - if you are constantly shopping then you are not going to be taken advantage of. read more

We have used John Ray and Sons for years. We recently had some problems with our furnace. The first technician came out and replaced some parts, but was missing a part. After several months of trying to solve the problem, Austin finally came out and repaired it correctly. He also noticed some other issues that could be really big problems in the future, which no one else ever mentioned to us. We highly recommend Austin for his honesty and professionalism. We only want Austin to service our furnace from now on! We also want to recognize Mary C. In the service department. She would always get right back to me when scheduling all the service visits. We feel that these two individuals are outstanding and a definite asset to the company. read more

They have repeatedly screwed things up for me. They have incorrectly over billed me on occasions and they have lost the checks I have sent to them. When you call you often can't get ahold of anyone and have extended wait times. They have also charged me for an oil tank removal that I had to help the crew they sent out with. I would not recommend them to anyone. Currently they price gouged me for over a dollar more per gallon than the market rate of home heating oil. In looking at complaints to BBB it is clear that John Ray and Sons regularly engages in preditory business practices and price gouging. Do yourself a favor and go with someone else. read more

I just had Austin from John Ray & Sons finish his yearly tune-up on my ancient boiler. I schedule only him because he has earned my trust and I feel secure that he will keep the most important part of my home safe. It is also very important to mention that it's not just his knowledge for understanding my heating system ( which is top notch ) ,but the bar none customer communication that shows his interest to care about what I have questions about. He has proven his value to John Ray & Sons and he is the main reason I stay with them. I hope they treat him well and give him support ($$$) so he will be back here for me NEXT year!!! read more

I had no heat upon arriving home from work on Friday 2/14/2020. Valentine's Day - not hopeful. (Coldest night of the year so far!) I called John Ray and Sons and the serviceman arrived within the hour - Greg!! What a lovely young man - he was thorough and found the problem immediately. He had to replace a part that was a tad costly but I was so grateful my pipes were not going to freeze. I am going to use John Ray and Sons going forward (used to use the company at my parent's house) for my oil and service needs. Thanks so much Greg and it was a pleasure meeting you. Thanks for the gift of heat!! Patricia D. read more

12:44 Tell us about your experience Vinny Tech #93 deserves a well earned shout out for all he did to help us get through the crisis of running out of propane. After running out of propane Sunday (2nd time) Vinny arrived Tuesday night (thankfully we didn't freeze) tested our system and put us at ease. He is extremely professional, knowledgeable, and an understanding and compassionate man. He was incredibly helpful and we learned great strategies to implement in the future to avoid an 'auto' fill trifecta. A huge appreciative shout out for his expertise and customer service skills. thank you Vinny! read more

The technician Austin came to our house an hour late given that the call was to be between 9:30AM. and 12:30PM. However when he arrived he quickly assessed the problem causing the water to drain from the furnace on to our basement floor. Rather then replace three components at first which could have not been all defective he replaced one at a time accessing the situation. That is he did not leave until certain the problem was resolved. These unanticipated expenses are unwelcomed but nice to know that there was an attempt to minimize the pain. Figures crossed . read more

We are renting an older house with a correspondingly aged heating system. Yesterday the furnace conked out and the temperature in the house dropped into the 50s, so we called John Ray & Sons, who supply our heating oil, for emergency help. Their service tech, Austin, came right away and quickly solved the problem. He not only explained what needed to be fixed immediately, but also pointed out potential issues with the heating system which should be addressed in the near future. In general, we are very satisfied with the services this company provides. read more

It's refreshing to know that there are still good Samaritans in the world. Friday the 13th turned out to be my lucky day thanks to Austin, a service man from John Ray & Son's. I was at West Sand Lake Stewarts to check the air pressure in my tires. Austin came up to me and offered to assist me since it was clear this isn't something I usually do by myself. Thank goodness. When he was done, I offered to buy him an ice cream in thanks and he declined as he was just going to enjoy his lunch today. So, thank you Austin for being such a Good Samaritan. read more

We switched to John Ray and sons about 12 years ago. They have been consistently reliable and we have recommended them to our own family. We especially appreciate austin who recommended our current heating system. Austin is very knowledgeable and when he comes to service out system he is a diligent worker with a wonderful personality. He keeps us informed along the way what he is doing. Austin is a positive reflection of the John Ray and sons company. John and Gail b. Town of Brunswick n.y. read more