Suburban Clock & Repair — Local services in Berea

Four trips to the shop so far, and still not repaired.

I brought my school clock in for an overhaul in April of 2024. After receiving a phone call indicating that the clock was ready for pickup, I picked it up on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 and paid the $488 charge. I brought the clock home, re-mounted it, started it and set the time. During this procedure, I noticed that the half-hour chime rang several minutes ahead of the half hour, while the top-of-the-hour chime sounded at the right time. The clock ran for a few hours and then stopped. I re-started it and it ran for about an hour.

I brought the clock back to Suburban on June 14 and explained both problems (the movement not running and the chime synchronization problem). A month later, after receiving a call that the clock was ready again, I picked it up. When I went to mount it, I noticed that the screws that hold the octagonal face to the main body of the clock had not been tightened. The clock's behavior was identical to the first time I'd pocked it up. Neither problem had been fixed. I called Suburban and left a message (they never answer the phone). After they returned my call, I took the clock back to them and included with it a printed page describing both problems.

The third time they told me the clock was ready, I picked it up and discovered that while it now runs reliably, the half-hour is still striking several minutes early. I called, left a message, and not having received a call back after 8 days, I went back to the shop to talk to someone. The person I spoke to didn't say so in so may words, but his demeanor said "I don't know what to tell you." He said that he was not aware of a way to fix the problem of a clock striking the hour at the right time and the half hour at the wrong time--that any "fix" would affect both the top and bottom of the hour. When I wasn't satisfied with that, he went in the back to speak to the technicians, and came back with the same information. I asked him to verify that he was saying that they did not know a way to make my clock behave the way it had faithfully behaved for 44 years until I brought it in for an overhaul. He finally said that there was one last technician, very senior, who might have an idea, but he didn't work on that day. He took my number and promised, to have this senior tech call me the following day. That was three days ago.

Note that every time I returned the clock, a different person took it from me and gave me a claim ticket. Each time, the person said that since it was a "come back," there would be no charge this time, and they'd get to it as quickly as possible. I'm horrified that a "come back" is apparently such a normal event that they have a term and apparently a...

Several months ago my Waterbury clock quit chiming properly. Every time it would begin to strike, then would continue chiming until the spring unwound. I had had the clock cleaned and restored by Suburban some years ago and they did a fine job. I took it in, explained what was happening and was told without anyone even opening the front or looking at it that they would have to take the clock apart to repair it and the cost would be in the neighborhood of $250-300. I didn't have the work done since it kept good time and isn't worth the cost of repairs. I posted a picture on the Clock repair facebook group. Several people told me that the activating lever had become slightly bent because it was catching on the gears. I bent it back into place and adjusted it so it wouldn't catch, a 3 minute job including removing the face. It now runs and chimes like new.

Suburban clock is a very reputable company and they do fine work but I was very put off by their attitude regarding this particular job as well as the sight unseen repair quote. In the future will get other opinions before having work...

Beware Ripoff Estimates Antigue clock suddenly stopped working. Took to Suburban Clock for estimate. On delivery of clock, noticed and pointed out loose screw in clock case to staff there. Left clock for them to review and make estimate. A week later, informed that clock needed total rebuild and new main spring at estimated cost of $400. Retrieved clock. Noticed that clock had not been checked prior to estimate (screw would have to have been reinstalled). Installed screw myself (one minute). Clock now works great again.

Beware of ripoff estimates at this business. As non clock makers, customers are quite vulnerable to up charged estimates.

Addendum, re owners response.

The comment above is not a complaint regarding repair prices. The issue is that a full and unneeded overhaul was quoted without anyone ever examining the clock. The owner's response sadly avoids the issue and tries to re...