[Yelp took down my original review, so I am reposting for Service Champion's Brea location only, and I omitted last names per Yelp's guidelines. But I stand by the rest of my review as a fair and accurate representation of my personal, first-hand experience with this company.] Service Champions or Cheaters: A Lesson in Unethical Sales Practices I spent a few weeks thinking long and hard before writing this negative review. I know that behind every corporation is a real human being just trying to do their job and make a living. But in the end, I felt compelled to share my experience to caution others about Service Champions and their deceitful sales practices. Also, I sincerely hope my story serves as a valuable lesson for the company, prompting them to make significant improvements going forward. Leland Smith started this company in 2000. He remains well-known in the HVAC industry and, for many years, he had a great reputation for delivering the absolute best customer service with quality work product. My family can attest to this firsthand, having been a loyal customer of Service Champions for 10 years. Sadly, those days are long gone. Nowadays, this company's behavior is a textbook example of how NOT to treat customers. I called Service Champions to fix our A/C unit. The hydronic system in the attic was original to our house built in the 90s. It began leaking thru the attic and into the second floor, while we were in the middle of a heat wave. We were miserable, vulnerable, and desperate for a solution. Jeffrey A. was our assigned technician. Within minutes of arriving at our house, he told us he was not allowed to touch -- let alone fix -- our broken and "obsolete" hydronic system. He kept holding up his hands while saying he didn't want to be "liable" for messing anything up. He also kept going outside to have lengthy, cryptic phone calls with "his manager," but ultimately Jeffrey did nothing to fix our A/C. He left us feeling like we had a ticking time bomb in the attic. Mike S. (presumably Jeffrey's "manager") came to our house a few days later. Initially, I was impressed with his seemingly thorough inspection of the hydronic system in the attic and the condenser unit outside. He then walked us thru two different options to replace the condenser and install an air handler in the attic. He was detailed, thorough, and happily answered all of our questions. He was very friendly and seemed like he genuinely wanted to help us. Unbeknownst to me, that was all for show. After watching Mike input a bunch of data on his iPad, he then flipped it over and gave me the biggest sticker shock of my life. Quote #1 for their "standard" option was over $36,000. Quote #2 for "all the bells and whistles" was $47,000. My stomach dropped and I felt like I was just slapped in the face. Is this how much it costs to fix your A/C?!! We tried to get him to lower the price, but the "best" he could do was $32,700 for Option #1. Or, if we paid cash, he could give it to us for $29,000. We were stunned and speechless. We told Mike that was a lot of money and we needed to think about it (just like any other normal person would before spending 30 grand on anything). Suddenly, it was like we flipped a switch and Mike was no longer the same person. His face transformed into a permanent scowl and he disengaged with us completely. He left our house abruptly and, despite me saying thank you a few times, he never said anything in response. It became crystal clear that he was only interested in making a sale. But the moment he realized it wasn't going to happen, he had no qualms about showing his true colors. Later that day, a simple Google search revealed that a new air handler and condenser costs roughly $3,000-4,000 each. I live in a 1500 sq ft condo and was quoted $10k for the air handler and $15k for the condenser -- and that was just the "standard" option. After getting quotes from other reputable companies (big and small), my suspicions were confirmed: Service Champions was trying to scam me. The other estimates I received were comparable between the different companies, and ALL of them were less than a third of what Mike quoted me. My experience with Service Champions was a jarring display of unethical, deceitful sales tactics that no one should ever have to go thru. It appears they have abandoned any semblance of fair business practices, and I am appalled that they took advantage of my family when we were in a vulnerable state. I don't know what I'm more upset about -- the fact that they thought I was stupid and wouldn't discover the truth, or the fact that people have fallen victim to their offensive sales tactics. For anyone contemplating their services, I wholeheartedly urge you to exercise extreme vigilance and diligently explore other alternatives. It is profoundly disheartening that a company could openly engage in these misleading maneuvers. I will never, ever use Service Champions again. read more

A few weeks ago, I was comparing notes with one of our neighbors about the water that was coming out of pipes at the rear of our houses. Both our air conditioners were functioning properly, but we thought it was strange not noticing the leakage before. Apparently these are the secondary pipes for the condensation (from the air conditioning) to drain...and we were both guessing that our primary drains were backed up. Well, my neighbor had already made arrangements thru their home warranty to have someone come out and look at the issue, for around $60. My neighbor kindly asked the service person how much it would be for them to look at my home since we were experiencing the same issue...and he told them it would be around $165 without the home warranty, but we could look elsewhere and probably find someone to take a look at it for less. My wife found Service Champions Heating & Air Conditioning on Yelp and made arrangements for them to come out and take a look at our AC. Although my wife initially made the appointment, she gave SC my mobile # since I would be at home when they came to look at our AC. While I was at work, I received a phone call at 3:31pm from SC, they were just confirming the appointment between 5-7pm...and I thought to myself that this company was very professional to have someone contacting me to verify the appt time. I then received a 2nd phone call at 3:40pm notifying me that the technician might be a little behind because of the travel distance; however they should still be at my place on time....WOW! Thanks for the updates...this company is on the ball. When the technician showed up (ON TIME) he introduced himself as Patrick K. He then proceeded to put on the booties to cover his workboots. This simple courtesy of not bringing in dirty shoes into someone's home (especially an Asian household) goes a long way. On a side note: I had my parents come over so they could watch my kids while I showed the AC issues to the technician. My dad noticed the Service Champions logo, and he made the comment that this is the same company that helped them, and my parents are also on the Service Champion maintenance program... I found my dad's stamp of approval to be also very reassuring. While I showed Patrick the secondary pipe in the backyard where the water was draining...he took a quick look at the AC fan and sprayed it with water from the garden hose to rinse out the dust and debris from the fins. I found this little tip very helpful because it's better to keep the outside unit in good working order rather than have to spend a lot of money for a replacement. Patrick then went upstairs to look for the primary drainage and to inspect the unit in the attic. Luckily we had called Service Champions in time, because a significant amount of water had accumulated in the condensation pan (enough to fill the wet/dry vac) that this could be a huge issue if it overflowed. He cleared the drain stoppage very quickly, and at all times he explained what was going on and showed me the problems. From a consumer standpoint, the fact that Service Champions puts a big emphasis on quality in their work and customer service; clearly shows why they deserve a five-star rating. I was so impressed with the outstanding work from Patrick plus the VERY reasonable price of the service (a LOT less than we expected), that my wife and I both agreed to sign up for SC's maintenance program for future tune-ups. As Patrick finished and was driving away, I saw my neighbors outside getting the mail. I had explained to them how Service Champions had taken care of the drainage problem. My neighbors told me that even though they had the guy come out and apparently 'fix' the problem, they were still noticing the leakage in their secondary drainage. They told me they need to have the guy come out AGAIN to re-check...otherwise if he can't fix it, they'll probably have to call Service Champions Heating and Air Conditioning. read more

My HVAC system has been serviced for more than two decades by a local repairman, you know the whole shop small concept, keeping the little guys in business, knowing the people you let into your home. Well, he just retired leaving me having to find another vendor...I hate breaking in new people. Leland Smith has been sending me (and a few tens of thousands of others) marketing letters for nearly as long, asking me to give his company a chance to service my HVAC. Having a trusted vendor already I ignored his message but Leland kept sending me letters, year after year after year. So, eventually I kept a copy of one of his letters for the day when my guy retired. I called the Service Champions office to schedule a tune up and the office staff were great. I had to cancel that appointment for reasons that are nobody's business and the staff I spoke to didn't give me a hard time about it. Several months later I called to schedule and again I received the same friendly service. Well, I received that A/C tune up today and the technicians did a great job. George and Steven were very professional but more than that they were very courteous and respectful of my home. They explained what they were doing and why they were doing it. After showing them the unit outside, George even asked if it was ok to walk around the rest of the yard. I didn't say anything to him at the time but I thought that was a very respectful gesture, as was Steven's attention to turning off the lights when leaving a room. As a retired service manager myself responsible for teams of technicians, I can appreciate the work that the owner Leland Smith has put into building the company's core values. After George and Steven's visit today and speaking with the office staff a couple of times for scheduling, it seems that he has been successful in instilling these values throughout the organization. The technicians that responded today understood that they were working in somebody's home and not a construction site and it showed. George was very enthusiastic about sharing his company's values...he's a talker. The technicians were on time and when I opened the door my eyes were immediately drawn to the oversized floor mat with the Service Champion logo. The techs were neat and clean and wore Service Champion shirts. They had booties to keep from bringing dirt into the house and the service truck with the company logo was parked right in front so when you opened the door there was an impactful professional company image from street to door. There was no question who was there to fix your problem. Great way to do business Leland. My service background has taught me the importance of maintaining electrical and mechanical equipment before they breakdown so I signed up for their maintenance program. They did not have to sell me on their maintenance program so I cannot speak to any sales pitches they may have. The only suggestion I have is to make a heads up phone call from the tech or dispatch when he is in route to your house. When you are given a window of time for the appointment, receiving a phone call makes a personal connection saying I value your time, I am on my way. On the basis of today's visit I am giving Service Champions a chance to earn my future business and would feel comfortable recommending others give them a chance as well. This first visit was excellent and I hope this level of service continues for the next two decades...I hate breaking in new people, I'm to old for that anymore. Thanks Steven, Thanks George...see you in six read more

This is a general review for our total experience with Service Champions. It involves an initial service/inspection that lead to a full HVAC installation. This is a long one, but if you're considering a complete system install, I hope I've made it worth it. Service & Inspection: Technician (Ryan Bujer) came to our house to do an initial service on our system to help improve some incredibly poor efficiency. Like 16 hours per day run time in the summer inefficiency. He not only performed the cleaning services, but he thoroughly inspected the system (cabinet & attic). Then he took the time to walk me through everything that he found, both live and pictures on his phone that illustrated what our problems were. Despite having plenty of ammunition to go for an easy sale on more services and equipment, he simply made some recommendations for both short and long term improvement, shook my hand, and was on his way. Some of the things he pointed out were potential safety hazards thanks to the "I know a guy" HVAC company that installed our system. We bite the bullet and decide to get a new AC, ducting, and insulation. Sales Experience: We worked with Patrick Kelley to decide on the best solution for our house. He arrived and did a quick inspection of our current unit, counted vents, and surveyed the attic. We sat down and he went over good/better/best solutions for our house, and highlighted the pros & cons of each. He provided financing solutions and ran numbers on every option, which also included calculators (using VERY conservative numbers) that factored in our past year's electricity bill to help illustrate a realistic return on our investment. We settled on a price, and scheduled the install within a couple of days. I need to add that Patrick was intelligent, polite, very knowledgeable about the product and the process. We felt like we would be in great hands at every step of the process (which we ultimately were). I didn't expect for the sales part of this process to be so pleasant. Installation Day: A fleet of trucks showed up at our house. Not pickup trucks. I mean three 16' cargo trucks packed to the gills with every tool and piece of equipment that they would need to complete the job in one shot without "a quick run to Home Depot" for anything. Juan Ladino was the team lead, Sef (Condenser fan install), and David (Ductwork) did a quick walkthough, then got down to business. The whole install took about 9 hours for a 1400 sq ft house. The install was very thorough. They made changes to the original configuration to ensure that it would be up to code and pass inspection. They were hard working, efficient, gentle and respectful of our house, and polite through and through. The quality of the work is beyond what I expected. And I can't say enough about the friendly service from everyone, top to bottom. Conclusion: You will not get this level of service, quality of work, or peace of mind with anyone else. They are expensive, but you get an insured and licensed contractor that will manage the permit, properly staff the job, bring everything they need (electrical and all), coordinate the 3rd party inspection of the ductwork + certificate, schedule the inspector, and all with a smile. Not to mention, if they run into something unexpected during the job, you don't pay another dime for them to complete the job. I can't recommend this company enough. Note: Our system now runs for 3 hours per day in 95 degree heat, vs. the previous 16 hours with the old system. Very happy customers. read more

I had a tech come out and give my a/c unit a tune up upon a special they were advertising for $77.00.the unit was working fine.sounds like a pretty good deal so i called and made an appointment Tech came out and performed the tune up cleaned condenser coils flushed condensate line and a couple of other things. Tech recommended to up grade package unit (roof top) for efficiency and performance overall the tech said the unit was working fine. We shouldn't have any problems. paid my $77.00 and he left .Worked fine for a couple of weeks. Friday night before I went to bed my house was 80 degree so I turned on m a/c set it at 75 went to bed couldn't sleep house was still warm got up about 3am thermostat said it was 79 degree so I lowered temp to72 tried to get some sleep couldn't got up 730am house was a 80 degree checked the air flow from vent was blowing hot air. I called service champions they sent a tech within hour and a half .tech got here I explained problem he was surprised. that had never had that happen .so he got on the roof checked the unit and said the motor was frozen and a circuit board might be bad . he said he could repair it .. motor was $549 and circuit board $1200 almost $1800 for repairs. he had motor in his truck said he could do the repair now and it should be fine and then replace the circuit board at a later day. told him we would think about it. he said he was done and was going to put the unit back together and it would be 19.00 for service call. I can't help but think that their tune up was a contributing factor to our AC unit failing . Oh & he offered us a financing plan 18 months same as cash. I have read quite a few YELP reviews that state the same problem...their AC failing right after the tune up. I will not be recommending them at all. Very dissatisfied with the quality of work. I am planning to call their office & request a refund of my $77.00...because they advertise a money back guarantee. update...called service champion left message hopefully I get a call back from manager meanwhile we are trying to stay cool in this 84degree house could only do so much running around. 09/14/2015 - UPDATE..We received a phone call about 9:00 AM from Service Champions corporate office, informing us that they would have a service manager out to our home today between 1:00 PM & 3:00 PM to check our system & correct our problem. At 1:30 PM a gentleman named Jeff arrived at our door stating he was one of the service managers, shook my hand, & handed me an envelope. In the envelope was a check for $96.00...which is the initial $77.00 & the $19.00 from Saturday. Jeff got to work right away. He was extremely knowledgeable, professional, & very courteous. Within a few hours Jeff had our AC working. We are extremely appreciative of the way Service Champions stepped up to the plate & made things right at no cost to us. In our opinion this is great customer service....especially since they did not hesitate to make things right. We will definitely recommend Service Champions without hesitation. Thank you Jeff! read more