One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating

My wife and I bought our first house 4 years ago, and it needed a complete HVAC replacement. We shopped around and decided to go with Willis One Hour for the project. It wasn’t because they were the cheapest option, but it was because of your exceptional customer service experience. Everyone was nice and helpful, but more than anything, I found their organization to be human. I was understandably nervous about making a major purchase like this, but the people at Willis talked with me and partnered with me in the journey. My first impression was validated on the installation day when their guys worked extra hours and finished the install in one day! They even stopped to ask me if it was ok to put the blower on top of our flower bed. I was a raving fan to say the least.
4 years later, we continue to partner with them for servicing and repair, and we find them to be incredible to work with.

We are first time home buyers and had a crisis with our AC last year. Willis showed up the same day and fixed the issue. In a way I’m glad we had that minor issue. I ended up purchasing a care plan. They come out twice a year for AC and furnace tuning/​cleaning.
Our furnace is pretty old. They consistently tell us, «it’s old and rusted, but it’s still kicking!» They have kept it running. The last time they asked if we have ever gotten a quote in preparation of it going out. They sent someone out the same day to discuss replacement options. The proposal was super reasonable and I felt they were being very honest. They weren’t pushy at all.
Long story short, we decided to act on replacing the furnace now. They were willing to work with us on the price since we have been loyal customers and paying cash.
I often recommend this business to friends. If you buy the care plan, you also get bumped to the top of the list when you call in with a «911» issue.

Home air unit was low on refrigerant. Called it in and they advised technician would be out the very next day. They called me to confirm when the technician was heading over. The tech (Stevie) was very knowledgeable and knew what he was doing. He explained thoroughly what was wrong and even fixed it. Out of all the other companies we have tried in the Cincinnati area this one really has been the best.

I’ve been pleased with One Hour and will continue to do business with them. I recently joined there service contract for yearly inspection on my furnace and AC systems. They were prompt in their arrival for inspections. They recommended on inspection that I replace my furnace. It was the original furnace that came with the house and was 17 years old so I expected it would need replacement.
They gave me a quote for 4 furnaces. The 2 budget furnaces were more expensive than the competitive quotes I received. However, the mid tier unit was competitively priced. They had a better warranty than competition which is what tipped the scales for me to purchase from them. Their installers showed up on time and were professional. They put down padding on the floors and stair to protect my hardwood floors. I believe the installation was done well, though I’m not as mechanically inclined as I should be given I’m an engineer. The city inspector reviewed the installation and had no issue with it. My sales person tells me that they have installers who do nothing else than installation so in theory they should be very experienced and skillful. The research I did on the internet suggested that the installation was often as important as the quality of the furnace to insure you get the efficiency that is claimed on the unit.
I feel they could have done a little better on the pricing for the budget furnaces, so if you are needing just the minimum furnace because money is tight, they may not be your best option.

This company has serviced my HVAC (residential) for 5 years, over the last year the system which was 19 years old had become broken down and needed parts far to often. Over the last 3 months I began shopping for new systems and after a lot of searching for not only the best system but the installer that I trusted, the easy choice was Willis. One of the other companies I invited out to look at what could be done for a new system, recommended an installation that would have have been out of «code». While this companies system looked great, it just could not be installed in my home due to the finished basement and lack of access to clean air returns. The day prior to installation, the installation Manager came out to go over what the best options where and helped me better understand the challenges. The next day, within 4.5 hours, I was back up and running. Highly recommend these guy’s.

This update is specific to their sales team.
I recently had several companies bid on a furnace replacement. I was very surprised and disappointed by the pushy tactics of the Willis salesman. I’ve been a Willis customer a few times now, and had always been pleased by their technicians. I expected to get similar treatment from their salesman.
Unfortunately the salesman was using every slick trick in the book to try to get me to purchase from them. He made it a point to disparage the other companies I had gotten bids from. He likened them to «guys working out of a truck» (These companies have been in the business for 30+ years and have great reputations). He also promised me a «great» price if I signed today. That kind of pushy deal always turns me off.
I was disillusioned to say the least, and took my business elsewhere. Sorry Willis, you’ve lost a loyal customer.

Since we moved into our old house in Newport, Apollo Heating and Cooling had been our ‘go-​to’ guys for all our HVAC needs. However, ever since our first major project with them in 2005 — the retrofit installation of a whole-​home air conditioning system and heat pump — I have been uncomfortable with their pricing. I was, and remain, convinced that we overpaid for that install by several thousand dollars. It’s a nagging feeling that has stuck with me… and somewhat confirmed by our recent research into getting a new heating boiler to replace the ancient — and expensive to run — 30-​year old one that took up too much room in our basement.
I went to six different companies for bids. I knew the project was going to be expensive, almost five-​figure expensive, so was prepared for the worst.
I discounted 4 of the 6 almost as soon as their rep had left the house, their spiel just too slick and pushy and their answers to my list of questions vague and wishy-​washy. Apollo and Willis were the two remainders. Both offered the required high-​efficiency equipment — different manufacturers but essentially the same machinery — and both offered warranties, but of differing lengths. (Willis was better)
Following up with both companies after the initial visit was quite the eye-​opener. Whereas the guy from Apollo took an age to get back to me with his answers, none of which were entirely relevant — thus coming across as if he was skirting the subjects — Joe from Willis answered all my questions succinctly, without much delay and was professionally helpful.
There was another big difference. Apollo’s bid came in at almost $ 3500 more expensive than Willis!
Can we say «no brainer»? Now can you understand why I remain dubious about Apollo’s pricing policies?
On both days of the actual demo & install the team Willis sent were a credit to their company. They covered their access route with floor-​saving mats and acted in a most respectful, efficient and friendly manner at every turn, again answering all the questions I had. The install looks very tidy indeed and I was guided through the operating procedures and had all the little tweaks I could make explained to me. Given the exemplary service we were given on this occasion I do believe our allegiance has shifted from Apollo and I can’t think of any reason not to recommend them to others looking for similar installs.
So, if you need a boiler/​furnace system call them and ask for Joe… mention my name and you might even hear him rolling his eyes back in his head as he recalls some of the awful jokes I told him during the bidding process.

We’ve used their membership service for several years, but lately the scheduling/​customer service has really slipped. For the past few scheduled preventive maintenance visits, they’ve cancelled/​rescheduled at least once (last time, twice) at the last minute. The reason given was that they had other clients with an actual service outage, which I can appreciate, but if it happens that much, hire more technicians! They’ve also made scheduling changes by leaving a message on voicemail, forcing me to call back if it didn’t work. However, the after-​hours customer service people don’t seem at all connected to the regular system, so calling them has typically been pointless
They also reduced the number of visits from 3 to 2 for almost the same price last year in the maintenance subscription so the value has really declined.
The service people that actually come out are very nice and seem to work efficiently and neatly. They definitely try to up-​sell, but aren’t pushy about it. I’m guessing if there was an actual issue, they might be good to call, but I’m a little fed up with the office side of the business for just preventive maintenance visits.