Servicemaster of Anchorage

Service Master of Anchorage is simply the best at damage restoration in South Central Alaska. We have had so many friends who unfortunately (frozen pipes, sump pump problems, flooding) needed Service Master help, and these guys come through every time.

After being told by Taylored Restoration that the mold we found along a 20 foot stretch of wall was from animal urine, we went with Service Master to take care of our problem. We met Mike & Rick at the job site to explore the problem and discuss it’s removal. Multiple times during the consultation we discussed the crew removing the drywall, cleaning, and then replacing the drywall. Everyone was in agreement. So when the estimate came in, and the last line simply stated «painting» we assumed they were to paint the wall. Considering this is something easily done, we declined to have them paint. Not a single person stopped us to explain that the painting referred to was a mold killing specialty paint. Basically, the purpose of the removal and to inhibit further growth should a stray spore be left.
The crew arrives an hour late (just like the consult) and begins their job. After they are finished and are removing their ionizing equipment I am told that another crew would get in touch about fixing the walls. When I heard nothing for a week, I called to check in, and lo and behold, the estimate was not for the drywall fix at all, but only the mold remediation. A separate estimate then came in for almost $ 800 to fix less than 20 square feet of drywall. At this point, the mold had been cleared, thus an insurance claim for the amount above our deductible could not be filed.
After the crew left, we went to check on the procedure and were completely devastated to find visible mold still left in the area. This was not stained wood, but actual spores which were visible to the naked eye. A supervisor did come out the next day to fix the problem — but aren’t they supposed to do it right the first time?
After everything is said and done, and we bring in our own drywall person, I receive an overdue notice in the same envelope as the first bill I had seen. The bill was very different from the estimate — not only in price but also appearance. While the estimate was an exploded bullet list of items (3 pairs of gloves, 20 feet of sheeting, etc) which was over 5 pages long, our bill was 6 lines. When I questioned the charge for an ionozing/​ozone unit billed in 24 hour increments, I was told the unit had been in our house longer than 24 hours and we were billed as such. I left the crew at my house at 9am on the morning in question, the unit could not have been used for at least 2 hours, and when I saw them at 8 am the nest morning, they were picking it up. Less than 24 hours. The bill also indicated that more than 1 pickup load of material was hauled away from the house. Not possible.
With 2 of the 6 lines questioned, I asked for an exploded version of our bill, formatted exactly like the estimate. I received another copy of the estimate. We went back and forth trying to track down an appropriate copy of the bill for OVER 2 MONTHS.
This is very suspicious to me. If you overcharge in one area, and then refuse to show the full bill, I am left to the conclusion that you are vastly overcharging and hiding your figures. After 2 months I was finally able to get a copy of the amended, correct bill.
In short, I understand it was our responsibility to comb through the estimate. However, it is their job to explain to the customer why an important step is needed, and be sympathetic to the fact that most of their customers are not fluent in the particular vernacular of their specific field.
*** The owner comment below references our cost to remove the mold the first time around, not the estimated drywall cost which I mentioned.