Master Services

Our basement started flooding Tuesday night. My husband and I were freaking out and called Master Services. Candy answered and was very helpful and calm. She got in touch with a plumber and sent them out immediately. (This happened at 8:30 at night). Jeff called and let us know that he was on his way, and was VERY helpful. He explained that our sump pump had stopped working, and he replaced it with a brand new one that he had on his truck!
Yes you heard me, he had the parts we needed on his truck! I have dealt with other HVAC companies that have been able to tell me the problem, but they NEVER had the parts on the truck. It was always something they had to order and would leave me hanging for a day or so.
Ever wonder how much this is gonna cost you, and have a person give you an «estimate» ?? Well there was no estimating here, He had a price book with all the costs printed right on there.
I am very thankful that Jeff came out and didn’t leave till about midnight. I felt bad about calling him away from his family at night, but some things can’t wait (like when your basement is flooding, and water is coming in from all the corners!!!).
We were so pleased with their work, friendliness and competence that we will only be calling them for our plumbing needs.

Our air conditioning went out on a Friday night. The chances were good that it would be running all weekend, as we expected temperatures in the 80s-​90s for the next several days. Wayne from Master Services came out on Saturday morning to take a look and address the situation. He was pleasant to work with, and described everything that needed to be done with tact and professionalism. (He also worked with our landlords to explain the problem, which added a degree of complexity to the job, but was professional nonetheless.) Although the situation really called for a complete replacement of the air conditioning unit, Wayne fixed the problem (landlord’s call, not ours) and all is well. Professional appearance, shoe protectors when in the house, and great attitude. Truly excellent service pros!

I called Master Services to repair a cracked section of copper pipe and a shutoff valve. When directory assistance only had one listing for a plumber in Lake Geneva, I called them – Master Services. Their staff is VERY friendly and prompt, and both the plumbers I met were competent with the repairs (one was from an earlier water softener installation). So why the two star rating?
They don’t charge by the hour. Instead, they go by their «Straight Forward Pricing» guide. First, you pay $ 89 for someone to come out and give you an estimate. Each minor repair gets listed on a scale from 1 to 10. It’s not clear what these numbers mean, but the higher the number, the higher the cost. The plumber that came out quoted me around $ 450 in addition to the $ 89 service call charge for the repair. He made it sound like he was giving me a deal because both of the charges were going on one one number (remember the 1 through 10 scale) instead of two separate charges. Remember, we’re only talking about replacing one section of pipe and a shutoff valve. I agreed because I really needed this repaired, and they seemed to be the only game in town. That was 10 am. The plumber said he would call back when he finished. At 11:15 am, he called back for payment. $ 540 for an an hour and fifteen minutes worth of work. I told him that I hired a reputable plumber for 10 hours and that cost me $ 1,000 at a different house. Here’s what that company, Glenbrook Plumbing in IL, did for that cost: 1) re-​plumb a kitchen sink that I moved over three feet, 2) replace a pipe to a water softener, 3) repair a leak in a tub, 4) install six new shutoffs at various locations, 5) plumb a bathroom sink, 6) install a reverse osmosis, and 7) hook up water to a dishwasher and refrigerator. After my protest, the Master Services plumber dropped the price to $ 350 – still outrageous for an hour and a half of work. For me, «Straight Forward Pricing» would mean $ 89 for the first half-​hour and $ 25 for each quarter hour like Glenbrook charges – still a respectable $ 100+ an hour.