I had a very positive experience working with Northern Eco Mechanical to do some work on my home. It is evident that the owner, Phil, is committed to doing quality work and making things right when it's not.
I was referred to them from an electrician we worked with, so as a test job, I made an appointment to have them to look at water backflowing into my basement sink when the washer was in rinse mode as well as modifying the dryer vent tubing, which was spitting out a lot of lint outside.
Phil sent one of his crew over, and it turned out that the sink needed snaking. The dryer vent didn't have any lint cover that you would normally find in a proper installation, so the plumber re-routed the vent and installed a lint cover. It was not a simple job, it turned out, but the plumber spent the time needed to do it. Unfortunately, the plumber made a small mistake during the job, but the plumber admitted the mistake immediately to my spouse and corrected the problem in the best way possible. I later contacted Phil, and I was able to request a small discount without any hassle. The job took about 2.5 hours and came in at a competitive price.
Satisfied that Phil stands behind the work he and his crew perform 110%, I hired him to do a much more complex job: to replace a very old water tank and boiler (12+ years). Phil came by personally to educate us on options, drop off a brochure on the brands they use and emailed us an estimate/contract a few business days later. The estimate was reasonable and competitive. We signed the contract and scheduled work. Phil sent two guys to do this replacement and installation job. They worked from 9am to 7:30pm. They also cleaned up the mess that was created and took it with them. The work was professional and immaculate. This installation was something worthy of being in a catalog (unfortunately my basement walls are not terribly photogenic...haha). Phil also had the plumber take pictures of the work, so he could review them from an engineering perspective. The boiler and water tank work just fine. :)
Two weeks after the initial test job, the dryer vent tubing had fallen down. I contacted Phil, who was able to send a plumber relatively quickly to fix it at no cost.
One month after the initial test job, the dryer vent tubing had fallen down again. Sad face time. I contacted Phil, who was able to send a plumber the same day to re-assess the situation. Phil did not give me any flack and rectified the situation promptly. There was no cost for this fix.
This new plumber examined the previous work by his own teammates and realized a new solution would be needed given the way our dryer was set up in the basement. In addition, he was also tasked to make a modification to the water tank, as Phil had reviewed the work and discovered it was missing a minor part that would not pass township inspection.
One might say that this vendor made one too many mistakes, but the jobs I asked them to do were not trivial, and no vendor is perfect. I was especially pleased that Phil really works 110% hard to earn my business. It's evident from my interactions with him that he really is committed to quality. When something does not meet his quality standards or a mistake is made, Phil quickly owns it and makes it right.
I have read many stories of contractors making mistakes and then walking away leaving the customer hanging, but Phil did not do this to me. The end result of the work Northern has done still was better than anything I expected. Highly recommended. read more