Pine Island Home Care wins Best Appliance Repair

Each year, readers of the Pine Island Eagle are asked to vote their choice of the best of the best that the island has to offer.
This year, the sixth of the Best of Pine Island, a new category was entered in the running. The first recipient of the Best Appliance Repair was won by Pine Island Home Care of St. James City.
In today’s economic climate more and more people are looking for ways to save money and one way is to have old appliances maintained or repaired rather than replacing them. In many cases proper maintenance can ensure a longer life span for many of today’s expensive appliances and Pine Island Home Care has built a reputation for honest and professional service.
“Since we have built a reputation on being a company who wants to help, it is nice to be recognized for our hard work,” Paul Forrest Jr., Pine Island Home Care owner and operator, said. “Although we never set out to seek recognition, it is very nice to know you are appreciated by the people who voted for you.”
Forrest is a licensed appliance and air conditioning repair technician and began Pine Island Home Care in St. James City in 1990. When choosing the name of the business, Forrest found that it had been received in several different context.
“At first there was some confusion as to what we do. Some people even thought that we were home healthcare providers or a cleaning service. But, after a while, most realized that we have built a reputation as a full service home appliance an a/c repair business and the name is quite recognizable now,” Forrest said. “The name actually got people talking and there is no better advertising than word of mouth so it worked for us.”
While Pine Island Home Care has maintained a steady flow of business over the years, Forrest said the way people are dealing with appliances has changed and along with it the nature of his calls.
“With the rising cost of appliances such as the frontload washers, many people are opting to have their machines repaired rather than replace them,” Forrest said. “We are not in the business of selling appliances and do our best to repair whenever we can, but when we find a situation that warrants it, we do suggest replacement and can even help there as well.”
Forrest said he and his crew of service technicians are very knowledgeable about today’s appliances and the proper installation. They are often called on for referrals and will even pick up and install new appliances for customers. Another service provided by Pine Island Home Care comes with a personal touch.
“Our customers are not just an invoice with a number. When we write out a bill each customer is identified by their name,” Forrest said. “We also keep a running record of service calls to our customers in a file, so we can have access to exactly what was done during previous calls. We treat our customers the way we would like to be treated and we stand behind what we do.”
In addition to his own extensive training, Forrest said he also has been very particular about who he hires to represent himself and his business.
“As the business grew, we found the need to hire more help. During the hiring process, I and my wife, Melody, make sure whoever we hire, regardless of what they can do, must be trustworthy and knowledgeable. We are very fortunate to have brought together a few people who I feel do the best job and are a good reflection of me and my ethics.”
Working for Pine Island Home Care are licensed technicians Sal Cosenza and Nevel Pascoe, as well as Mary Jacobs, who Forrest describes as hard working, knowledgeable and a good mix.
This time of year, Forrest said most of his calls are for air conditioning service and here too, he prides himself and his crew with honesty and integrity.
“We try to warn people about the so-called bargains you see advertised. In many cases, they are not a complete tune up but merely and inspection,” Forrest said. “When we go on a call for an a/c annual maintenance call, we don’t just look at things, but clean and inspect each part of the unit and make needed recommendations for the best possible operation of the unit to the customer. Typically this is much more than is done during the ordinary bargain inspection.”
For more information about Pine Island Home Care, call 283-8588.