Sounds great initially until it's not... I'm not surprise by the other negative reviews as it seems consistent. I'm giving a 1-star not because of the service (it didn't even get to that) but more on being a Professional. Imagine having to call your tenant to be around and wait for a time frame but there's no show! At least, if you're not showing up, have the decency to call back or reach the contact person so they're not kept waiting for nothing. I always support family-owned businesses because I know they care more than a typical company but this flipped my understanding of it. I could've been your regular annual customer for life and I wanted to find someone who I can call annually for regular maintenance but it's OK, we'll just find someone else then. A good business-owner will always honor their commitment. You don't just ignore a scheduled appointment so you can go to someone else who may have paid you more or requested a "bigger" service. That's how a business loses its customer base. For those who are still canvassing, if you don't live near this business, most likely you'll end up with a "No-Show" as well so please keep other options open. My big mistake is that I thought I found the right business to call and started deleting the other quotes from other businesses. Anyway it's a lesson learned. read more

He knew so much about chimneys. Very professional, nice, and knowledgeable. Knew the history and evolution of chimney design over the years and was able to answer my many questions related to my specific model. He kept the living room very clean. No mess to clean up when he was done with chimney cleaning. 100% recommend read more

Acceptance into the National Chimney Sweep Guild (their motto: "Servicing Those who Service America's Chimneys") must surely require a personality test that shows you skew toward the quirky side, and a business name with some form of chimney-related pun. By those criteria, Mr. Cline of Mr. Chimney Cricket is rightly a member in good standing. The Chimney Cricket is polite, on time, reasonably priced, and all too happy to provide as much or as little detail as you would like to know about the state of your chimney. He appears to do good work, but I won't really know for sure until it's cool enough to have a fire again, which likely won't be for several months. Goofy name aside, this is an ethical business, doing their part to keep our home safe. read more

This guy is high-larious. He's seriously a grandpa-type: filled with silly "third-grade" jokes (his words, not mine), all sorts of advice about house safety (thanks for all the tips, man), and really hilariously kooky while getting the job done super efficiently. I called at 8am hoping to get an appointment for that day, and apparently there isn't an office and it goes right to his cell... which is fine except I guess he was driving while trying to talk to me and there was all sorts of static and interference. He promised to call back in an hour, which he did, and we set up an appointment at 4:00pm to clean both of the chimneys at my house. He's also honest - let us know that the previous tenants of our house replaced the spark arrestor on one of our chimneys with window screen, and let me know how to replace it so we didn't have to pay to have him do it. He never pressured me, and let me know exactly what I needed from Home Depot. He also let me work while cleaning the chimneys, only to pop in occasionally to tell me jokes ("Oh hey, I didn't find any red in the chimney." "Huh?" "So looks like Santa didn't get stuck") He said it would take around two hours but he was out after 1.25 hours, which was nice. Great guy, really funny and caring, and I will definitely use him for cleanings in the future. read more

John seemed sweet but a bit too chatty for me. He came to the house, and after saying hi and chit-chatting for a couple of minutes, went to his car to get his tools, but instead walked over to the neighbors on each side, chatted with them and gave them his business cards before coming back. I had other contractors working in the house and he handed out his business card to them too and slowed them down by chatting with them. read more

Definitely worth using this guy! Call and leave a message and he will definitely call you back, probably a couple of times before you get a chance to return his call again. He went over what we needed, what codes are nowadays vs. when our house was built 80 years ago, and threw in some other pointers such as where to keep multiple fire extinguishers and stuff related to other emergency preparedness. (Did you know you should always have 100 -$1 bills around?? I didn't) He did the inspection, did the cleaning, and charged his standard rate. ...no surprises. He did let us know we need some venty thingy and gave us prices to discuss and decide on later- no pressure. (FYI - Very nice guy all in all, but a bit chatty and the appt took 2 hours - yeesh! - just something to be aware of) He was about an hour early which was quite the surprise since I was waxing and about to jump in the shower. Ugh! Not sure why people don't just pick up their cell and give a courtesy ring when the appointment times change by that much, but oh well! Checking the chimney off of my 'to-do' list now! read more

Mr. Chimney Cricket is an honest, hard working, skilled professional. He also happens to be funny and full of helpful knowledge about fireplaces, holiday recipes, shop vacs, basically anything you could imagine. We called because we moved into a new house and the fireplace wasn't drawing well. He was here within 30 minutes, charged us exactly as quoted, and did an excellent job. We couldn't be happier. read more

Someone once told me that I should get my chimney inspected and cleaned once a year. So I felt really guilty that I was going on 2.5 years without one. He has personality. Talkative but pleasant. I'd way rather have a talkative and pleasant person than a grumpy, quiet one! Excellent advice and reminders to change the batteries in the smoke and CO2 detectors. We knew our chimney was in good condition and I was glad he didn't try to upsell us on pricey work. We have a tiny bit of missing mortar in the firebox and he told us to go and get a tube of high temp. mortar and squeeze it in there. I wish I could give a more comprehensive review but it was my husband that stayed home for this appointment. I was only there for the first 30 minutes. Hopefully, I'll remember to call him back out again next year. read more

Unfortunately this review is solely based on the professionalism of Chimney Cricket and not the service. I noticed that Chimney Cricket had great reviews so I called them earlier this week to schedule an appointment. I was informed nothing would be available until after Thanksgiving. We scheduled an appointment for Friday 11/25 at 2 pm. I changed my planned afternoon in order to get our chimney swept. At 10 am the day of the service I received a phone call from Chimney Cricket informing me they would have to cancel; because he was going to the movies. His wife had bought movie tickets, and I guess he decided that the movies were more important than doing the job as promised. Once I hung up the phone I realized he canceled to go to the movies! How can anyone take him serious or want to work with someone who would cancel an appointment and then openly admit he was heading to the movies? It baffles me. I certainly would not recommend Chimney Cricket to anyone. The fact that they had no regard to our schedule, and assumed that we would be ok with with rescheduling the service when it would better fit his life is what really infuriates me. read more

Super nice guy, but doesn't return phone messages.

I still have not received a receipt or of findings discovered during the cleaning...what a way to do business...

I would look around for another chimney-sweeper before using this guy again. I just didn't feel like I got my money's worth when he talked more than he worked. It felt like he was just trying to pass time so the charge wouldn't seem so expensive. read more

Glad I trusted the Yelp reviews on this one -- Mr Chimney Cricket (John) was great. I called at around 9am and he was at my place in San Jose by noon as promised (and he was even a bit early). He was super friendly and loves giving advice on all aspects of home ownership and/or being a renter. Pricing seemed reasonable to me -- $150 for a chimney sweep (and considering all the advice and tips he gives I'd say he's worth every penny and then some). He didn't rush the job at all and I wouldn't hesitate to call on him again. FYI he also does dryer vent sweeping (in addition to general chimney repair stuff) should other Yelpers need that service. read more

John was great, he offers a lot of good useful information as well. When I called him he was able to set an appointment right away for New Years Day at noon, he was here on time, did a great job and there was no mess when he left. I will be calling him back next year for another cleaning. read more

John Cline (Mr. Chimney Cricket) is charming, sweet and entertaining. I never would have expected that having a chimney sweep to the house would be so fun and so enlightening! Not only did he clean our chimney, he asked good questions and offered solid suggestions about other things, like the intake registers, the furnace, the spark arrestor, type of wood used, use of heat reflector, ventilation, etc. read more

John was great. I couldn't believe he was able to clean the entire chimney from inside the house, without having to go on the roof. We have Spanish tiles so it always makes me nervous when someone goes up there. Highly recommend, and I will definitely not use anyone else again. read more

We had our first fire of the Holiday season last night and smoked the house out. We clearly couldn't have any more fires until the chimney was swept. Read a bunch of reviews on Yelp and decided to try Chimney Cricket. I called him about 9:30 on a Sunday morning and to my delight, John said he was available to come out the same day! He came about 3:00 on a Sunday afternoon and was done in about an hour. The whole time was peppered with 3rd grade jokes as other reviewers have mentioned ("Why did the lollipop cross the road? It was stuck to the chicken...") and lots of good suggestions about smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, etc. He was neat and tidy and left things in great condition. Overall I was thrilled to find someone who would come out on a Sunday. Didn't do price shopping so I don't know how competitive his rates are but happy to recommend him. read more

Called around and he was able to come soon even though it was during the holidays. He covered the area he worked in with a tarp and left the cream colored carpet clean. He was chatty and told us everything we need to know about almost everything. The price was right and we would call him again. read more

5 Stars to John Cline. He's a great ol guy who does a super job. Nice, personable, keeps working. Like the others, he made good recommendations in addition to his great work. He's interested in YOU too, so expect to learn about him and for he to learn about you. read more

Thank you Mr. Chimney Cricket!! I swear this man is god sent! I found him on home advisor.com and he's the real deal! I had a terrible experience with another business (read my other review). I bought a groupon and was unable to get an appointment. I called another business but they were booked until after Christmas but at least they were responsive! I highly recommend Mr. Chimney Cricket! He was able to come out the next day I spoke to him. I have never used my fireplace since we purchased our home and he did a thorough inspection, cleaned it, and will be returning to install my cap since he didn't have the right size. His process what organized and he kept everything neat and tidy. He was very honest each step of the way even when there was a possibility of some issues. He offered to take my payment after he came back to install the cap even though he performed the majority of the work already. I insisted that I pay him now and trust that he will return and finish the job. Initially we were scheduled for an appointment between 8:30-9:00 am. At 8:45 am he called me to reassure me that he was just running late. He arrived less than half an hour later. He has been in the business for 40+ years and belongs to a few Chimney associations! He gave me some recommendations for repairs and even told me I could do it myself. In summary, he was professional, respectful, honest and full of integrity! I learned so much from him even about things that were not Chimney related! He is funny and very friendly. If he were a cartoon character - Jimmeny Cricket would be a perfect description of him. Lol! Now I get to use my fireplace!! I'm so excited! read more

Prompt service, good job in Menlo Park. Offered helpful safety precautions for elderly resident and more efficient heating.

I recently hired this service (John from Chimney Cricket) to clean our chimney. I was very pleased. He's a high-quality individual. He returned my call promptly and scheduled an appointment on Sunday. He called me a few minutes before the appointment to let me know he would be a few minutes late. He told some clean and amusing jokes to my 12-year-old twin boys. He was courteous to my wife. He was professional and friendly with me. He did exactly what he said he would do at the quoted price. He also offered me a few nuggets of "free advice" about my chimney, smoke detectors, and general fire safety. read more

Mr. John Cline, owner of Mr. Chimney Cricket, came within 30 minutes of my husband's initial call and provided us a quick estimate over the phone. We were having issues with our dryer and learned from a Sears representative whom we paid $75 to tell us that "it's not the dryer, but it's the vent that needs to be cleaned." Sears does the dryer vent cleaning for $199, Coit Svcs. charges $250, but Mr. Cline provided an outstanding professional service for $100. He is a very congenial gentleman who is an avid professional with a charm and a good sense of humor. He infers trust and has a great social skills, establishing rapport with his clients. He finished all the work within two hours and even recommended actions for future improvements on the dryer vent. I highly recommend his service and company. Excellent work, great price, and a fast service. read more

I received excellent service and guidance by calling about a product which they did not carry, but suggested other suppliers who might be able to help. This was the most unselfish and professional attitude I had experienced in a long time. I want to recommend this establishment to everyone. For sure I will remember to use them for chimney, dryer vent and other household services when needed. Ray - Los Altos read more

He bailed me out when my original sweep rescheduled three times. I called and he was able to come the next day, so I could use my fireplace for Christmas. Just as charming and helpful as could be, and gave me lots of pointers. Plus, he had the best price around. I will definitely use him again! read more

We hired John, the Chimney Cricket a while ago and I've been meaning to post this review sooner, but better late than never. John was on time, professional, and most importantly, he did a great job cleaning the chimney and the stove, as well as the chimney cap. He even gave us some tips on fire safety, such as: always have an escape plan and keep a fire extinguisher near the bed...clean the dryer duct, etc. He also told some good jokes that my kid and I still tell each other, such as: why did the lollipop cross the road? because it was stuck to the chicken! We live somewhat rurally and burn a lot of wood. Subsequently, we'll be calling Chimney Cricket again this fall. Thanks! read more

I would definitely recommend this guy to everyone. He called me to confirm our appointment and to let me know where he was so I could estimate what time he would be at my home. He did a thorough job - he cleaned out the smoke shelf area so the damper could work more efficiently as I had a large build up from a previous sweep. He also inspected the chimney and did a test fire to ensure the chimney was working properly. He had excellent advice on other emergency preparedness and home repair topics like changing the batteries on my smoke detector, fixing windows and having a fire extinguisher in the bedroom. I will definitely use his services again the next time I need a chimney sweep. read more

I had high hopes for Mr. Chimney Cricket, as he was personable on the phone while making the appointment and who doesn't love a good pun? I patiently waited 45 minutes before calling the office to leave a message, asking to confirm our appointment or to let me know if he was running late. Two hours after our appointment time, I left another message to inquire about the no show. Since I work full time, waiting at home on a weekday is not an easy task for me. I was extremely disappointed that I never heard back from Mr. Cricket and even more annoyed that I wasted time waiting for him. read more

John came to our house to clean two chimneys and our dryer vent. He seemed to do a good job on the chimneys but said he didn't have the right ladder to clean the dryer vent and he would call us that evening to schedule another appointment. He didn't call and when I called him and left a message, he never returned my call. If he didn't want to clean our dryer vent, I would have preferred that he just said so instead of making a promise he failed to keep. This is not professional. By the way, he talks way too much. read more

Called them several times and left messages, they never returned my phone calls.

Chimney Cricket was by far the worst experience I have ever had with a professional contracting company. I had three quotes for the Chimney work needed on my home, while they were not the lowest I chose to go with them as I believed I would receive a higher quality of work. Once I completed the 30% down payment the level of service I received was less than ideal. I completed the payment on October 26th, 2012 at which time I was told someone would call me early the following week to schedule the week. The week after that on November 6th 2012, I called them to schedule the work on my home. The work was then scheduled for November 14th, at which time I was told it would not be completed and they would be back on the 15th to finish. No one showed up on the 15th. Saturday the 17th I received a phone call to schedule an inspection, at this time I informed the lady on the phone the work was not yet done, which seemed to come as a surprise to her. Come to find out, the crew came back to my home without me knowing and completed the work on the 16th. My husband and I went outside to review the work done, and had many concerns. Before even getting on the roof, we noticed concrete poured in our driveway (I assume they emptied a bucket there), tire tracks in our lawn and bread crust where their stuff had been stored. While all of this alone is honestly not a big deal, it adds to the level of disrespect that was shown when the men were at my home. Upon reviewing the chimney we were further disappointed to the quality of work. There were broken bricks on the roof, and the flushing and crown did not appear to be done correctly. I immediately called the company and requested an inspection be done on Saturday November 24th, as my husband would like to review his concerns with a manager. Tuesday November 27th I called again as no one showed up for my schedule appointment Saturday, at this time I was informed the inspection occurred when we were not home on November 20th. I could not believe this company sent someone to my house a second time without my awareness, especially after all of my phone calls to them expressing my unhappiness with the entire situation. Due my husband's and I schedule we are only able to make appointments with the manager to review the work on weekends. With the bad weather at this time I was told someone would call me to set up a second review of the work. After several weeks passing by (with more enough weekends for the inspection to take place) I again called the company myself to set up a final review of the work in January 2013 (almost 3 months after the work was requested). This is the most unprofessional company I have ever worked with. Their receptionist, and work crew were beyond unprofessional and at times disrespectful. I did appreciate the professionalism I received when speaking directly with Bobby, but it was unfortunately not backed up by the company's work effort or follow up communication as promised. I only hope this review can save another family from going through the exhausting experience my husband I endured. read more

I liked the service from Chimney Cricket and the personality of Mr. Cline. Mr. Cline was very personable and explained each step he was doing while cleaning my chimney. He also gave tips on generating more heat and recommending a better cap for the chimney. However, he did not have a high pressure sales pitch on these items but just provided the information and recommendation to help me make an informed decision. I will definitely use Chimney Cricket again and recommend Mr. Cline to friends and family in the area. read more

Called the business on Presidents' Day holiday and to our surprise he called back and came by to inspect the chimney. He was very helpful, honest and upfront. Very satisfied with the quality. He will offer advice on various other topics as well which will serve to benefit you well. read more

Maybe he had an off day when we saw Mr. Cricket, because although his rates are reasonable and he was timely and (maybe) the inside of the chimney was cleaner when he was done, he in fact left numerous black sooty handprints all over the house. The mantle and bricks around the fireplace (white) were a mess, the paint on the woodburning insert was scratched down to the metal, the inside and outside of our front door was covered in black, as was the lightswitch in the bathroom and also the kitchen counter where Mr. Cricket leaned to write his invoice. Clearly chimney sweeping is dirty, I'm not expecting to give it the white glove test when it's done...but COME ON, get some gloves or at least a rag and some cleaner man! read more

Found Mr. Cricket in the phone book and it clicked for me. Mr. Cline is an experienced professional, friendly, very punctual in my case, and fair-priced. Will retain his card for chimney clearning and dryer vent cleaning. read more

Mr Chimney Cricket is an absolutely darling man! He has cleaned our chimneys several times before we have changed tenants in our west Menlo home and each time he arrives on time, fully equipped, stays quite awhile to be thorough, points out repair needs, tidies up, chats a bit and shares pearls of wisdom on any subject at hand. He is a dear man, totally trustworthy, hard working, and does a very fine job! I would have none other for the job! Thank you!!! read more

Not only was John very quick to answer our call, but he was very efficient in his service. Friendly and with interesting stories and good humor. An honest service provider. read more

had an appointment this last saturday (sweep, inspection) - no show. Quote is on par with market - $165 - not cheap/ expensive. This isn't truly a service rating but still Rated a 1 'cause 1) if a person does NOT even return reminder calls OR leave a courtesy call back to reschedule etc etc, it clearly gives an insight into the service - turning old maybe? 2) These days, there is a backlog with many chimney businesses and I JUST lost about a 2 week timeslot due to this irresponsibility read more