JDV Electric — Local services in Upper Darby

There is a lot to say about Gerry, his apprentice Ryan, and JDV Electric. Negativity has no home within these words because the service that my family and I received was of the highest quality. We had potential Grounding issues in our new home as well as other safety concerns, and we needed answers.

To start off, I must say that in a world where authentic customer service is a commodity, JDV is a goldmine. What I intend to write in this review will apply not only to JDV as an overall business; these words will also apply to Gerry and Ryan on a personal level. I'd like to focus upon three categories that this business excels in:

1.) Time 2.) Customer Service 3.) Work Quality

1.) Time: JDV does an excellent job in responding to customers via automated text or phone. Information and intellectual is given to the layman in a very welcoming and noncondescending manner, which is much appreciated. Christa, which I believe is one of the agents who oversees phone inquiries supplied all of the necessary points of specifics regarding payment and servicing. I also recall speaking with a gentleman named John who was also very informative of the proper steps taken before the day of service. He was very thorough and clear. On the days of Safety Inspection and Service, which were exactly six days apart, Gerry and Ryan arrived early, were very polite and courteous, and prepared to work diligently. Such performance from a company and agents such as this are the epitome of optimal business.

2.) Customer Service: As an individual who actually works in Customer Service for a living, I am fully authorized to say that JDV goes above and beyond for their customers. Quality customer service is not only judged based off of the work done, albeit that is a major category. It is also judged by how the business under discussion treats others outside of the context of skill. Indeed, interpersonal relationships are everything in this world. JDV has done an excellent job in establishing a healthy relationship with my family and I since those who are the representatives of the company have genuinely good hearts. A skilled worker can be likened to a body without a soul if said worker lacks empathy and care for his fellow man. Yes, JDV is the antithesis of such an example, and they have a customer service qulity that is of a high quality.

3.) Work Quality: We first started out with two electrical panels. One for controls and the other housed all of the wiring. Gerry and Ryan reduced this down to only ONE panel that houses both controls and wiring. The work that these gentlemen have done is simply artistic. Through intimate knowledge, experience and concentration, these men took a chaotic setup and transformed it into an environment of intelligent orchestration. As Gerry and Ryan worked, food and water did not matter to them. Their nourishment came only from their task(s) that was set before them. Food and water became necessities only after their service was completed. The results of their hard yet passionate work was a sight for sore eyes, and it also to my own meticulous nature 😁.

To conclude, JDV's own Gerry and Ryan did an excellent job resolving our issue(s) as well as helping us identify other important issues, which have since been resolved. Let it be known to the reader that I trust these fine people. They will educate you if you have any questions that pertain to your issue. Even if you don't have the vocabulary to fully express your concerns, they will be able to parse and identify what you're trying to communicate.

Go with JDV. Your home and family will indeed thank you, and you will be assured peace of mind.

I have...

Buckle up - long review incoming.

Had JDV out to do an estimate - Mike arrived promptly, was professional and courteous and provided information throughout his time here. However, that is where the positive part ends.

After performing the estimate. Mike sat down with me and presented two packages - one for 16000 dollars and another for 3200. The lesser estimate was to replace outlets and replace expired hardwired smoke/CO detectors. These detectors go from anywhere between 40-55 dollars (retail, not wholesale) depending on brand, with labor being roughly 1 hour to replace all necessary components (there were 8). JDV wanted 3200 Dollars to replace those and roughly 25 outlets (only 1 of those being GFI) inside of the home. This is total about 4 hours worth of work (generously and assuming brittle wiring (which i likely have).

That was bad enough.

The higher (and considerably more insane) estimate - 16k - included a panel replacement - a 50 foot junction box run to replace an old fuse sub-panel, (5 breakers total) - run a grounding wire, and do the aforementioned work contained in the smaller estimate. He also noted "corrosion" (nothing reaching the buss bar or any corrosion besides humidity (a flex seal fix) - and explained that I would need a new panel and new fireguard breakers.

Please keep in mind - an 80 slot 200 amp panel is 130 dollars at home depot (with standard GE breakers - which are fine of course). Additional breakers as needed are cheap and effective. Additionally, it is noted on the estimate that if any fireguard panels actually trip - it is roughly 400 dollars (per breaker!) for them to fix that issue. Using that math - JDV wanted roughly 8 THOUSAND dollars (conservative) in labor to perform the panel/breaker change)

He also pushed a whole house surge protector (I run UPS on all of my electronics already) - and their service plan which includes yearly inspections.

When i asked him to provide a breakdown for parts and labor - Mike explained that JDV does not provide that, and that the estimates include "cost of doing business, and of course their 3 year warranty" (keep in mind most products serviced come with their own manufacturers warranty. Please keep in mind that they only warranty their service (Ie. Actual work) for one year.

I believe my internal thought process was that I could BECOME an electrician AND perform the work for about the cost of the estimate. I believe what I actually asked is "do people actually pay you those prices"?

I have owned multiple houses and have has almost all of the work done described in the estimate on one property or another. I have never encountered an estimate even in the realm of what JDV quoted me. His reticence to break down the estimate further cemented my skepticism.

I am sure the work is top notch based on reviews and how thorough the inspection was. I was floored by his pricing. I called another electrician with similarly strong reviews - and provided him with the breakdown of what JDV quoted me. For the SAME work minus the service plan or whole house surge protector - i was quoted a respectable 2300 dollars. Same warranty, same service window.

The moral of the story - ask for a breakdown of services, and please make sure you do your homework before agreeing to pay that type of pricing. There are much more reasonable...

I learned that the original "master electrician" has not been part of the JDV family for years now. In any event, the quality and service and explanations are truly wonderful. A great service provider that I heartily recommend.

I have used JDV a few more times since my original scathing review 2 years ago. Their electricians are truly good-competent and patient and give great explanations regarding what needs to be done; then what they did. Great service. Update to my review last week : JDV responded in under 24 hours. JDV apologized and assured me this was not consistent with its business model for 100% customer satisfaction. Then asked me follow-up questions. Provided a full refund immediately. I was impressed by their honesty, concern and professionalism in wanting to make me whole, and so I will try them again in the future. Extremely dissatisfied. Found JDV to be careless and uncaring. Hired JDV to repair Lutron dual light/fan control wall switch (it had stopped responding to commends; light array in continuous loop.) For $271 (incl $25 first-time customer discount) and approximate one-half hour service call on 9-4-20, this is what I got from a JDV master electrician: He looked at wall switch and said it had failed; further advised that I could search for a new fan switch myself, but I should replace ceiling fan because I probably would not find a compatible switch. I called Lutron while he was there and confirmed Lutron has discontinued that model. He placed my Lutron switch with a simple on-off switch to operate only the light. He then went to basement to check electric panel as part of an “11-point safety check.” A few hours after he left, we noticed the house getting warmer and the A/C not responding. It was because JDV had turned off the A/C breaker on the electric panel.

A few days later, another contractor -not an electrician - noticed me on-line with the switch looking for a replacement. He asked if JDV had performed a “continuity test” (No- JDV only touched the switch on-off buttons) or whether JDV had pulled the reset button before removing it (No – I did not know there was a reset until my contractor showed it to me; apparently the JDV master electrician did not know of a reset either). He had a tester and tested it (it was fine) and reinstalled/pulled reset. The switch and fan work perfectly. He did this in less than 15 minutes and refused to let me pay him extra. Based on my experience, I would never hire or recommend...