ALERT DOOR SERVICE INC

Review from Pradeep Ananth

I recently hired Alert Door to fix a bent and derailed aluminum garage door. I want to be fair and start with the positives: I would give them 5 stars for responsiveness and the actual quality of the physical work. The technician arrived on time and fixed the door. However, I cannot recommend them due to their billing practices and the unjustified logic used to defend them. The Situation: Based on photographs I sent, they quoted me $750, with the explicit understanding that the final bill would be based on the actual work done. The Reality: The repair took less than one hour. They replaced a single part costing $50. The Math: Based on standard hourly rates and service call fees for this area, a fair price for 45-60 minutes of labor plus a $50 part should have been $200–$300. The Charge: They charged the full $750. When I questioned why I was paying ~$700 for less than an hour of labor, the company provided four justifications. Here is why those justifications are invalid: 1. "It’s what we quoted." A quote based on photographs is an estimate or a "worst-case scenario" cap. It is not a flat fee contract regardless of effort. If the job had turned out to be massive, you surely would have raised the price. When the job turns out to be minor (under an hour), the price should reflect that reality. 2. "The technician is experienced and finished quickly." I appreciate efficiency, but efficiency does not justify an effective labor rate of $700/hour. Experience means you get the job done right, for which you charge a premium hourly rate—perhaps $150 or $200/hour. It does not entitle a business to price gouge simply because the work was done fast. 3. "He was smart and saved you money by not changing panels." This is the most troubling justification. Performing the correct repair (straightening rather than replacing) is the job description. A technician shouldn't be paid a "bonus" for not selling me unnecessary parts. You cannot charge me for the savings you "gave" me; you charge me for the labor performed. 4. "He had to travel 20 miles." In the service industry, a 20-mile radius is standard territory. While a reasonable trip charge is expected, travel time does not justify a $450 premium over market rate. In summary, while the repair was well-executed, the $750 charge for such minimal time and materials feels predatory, especially given their initial assurance that billing would reflect the actual work. This isn't just about one overpriced job; it's about transparency, fairness, and building long-term customer relationships. I paid the bill to avoid further hassle, but I shouldn't have had to. Alert Door, if you're reading this, please reconsider your approach—itemized quotes, honest adjustments based on actual effort, and clear communication would go a long way. Potential customers: Shop around, get multiple quotes, and insist on detailed breakdowns before agreeing. Great work doesn't excuse bad billing.

Review from Frank Thayer

Alert Door is a very trustworthy outfit that took care of our needs at a reasonable price. We called another door service who wanted to replace parts not needed for triple the price. Lynn at Alert door asked me to send her some pics of our spring and door operations. In 1 hour, they diagnosed problem & replaced the bearings along with adjusting and lubricating door. Lynn & Alert Doors contact information is locked in on my phone!

Review from Wausiman Borges

“Great service! Amazing and good energy location . Definitely great people ! The technician Joe and his wife really help me with my shop garage door chain. He explained everything clearly. Pricing was extremely fair and the whole process was smooth. My garage door works perfectly now. Highly recommend

Review from Stanton

Awesome company. Francisco came and figured out the issue immediately. He fixed the door in ten minutes, and even the service call was a fixed cost, he stayed and lubricated the moving parts and looked for any other potential issues. Really friendly technician.

Review from Andrew Klein

I love Alert Door - they are responsive, knowledgeable, practical and reasonable. In my first house 20 years ago, they kept our 60 year old door working until they helped me realize we could regain a lot of space e if we went with carriage doors. So they helped us design the new doors and install them - they worked flawlessly and were beautiful, all for a reasonable price. When the springs finally went, they were there within 24 hours getting us up and running. Figured out we were using our garage door as our front door so we replaced the springs with more powerful ones and never had to replace them again. In our most recent house we had an old opener and they helped me get a reasonable new one that works well with Amazon deliveries. Had an alignment issue after and they were back at the house in 4 hours. They do great work and they stand behind it. I wish everyone who services our house were as nice, as responsive and as helpful as Alert Door. They have my highest recommendation.

Review from E W

Wonderful, efficient, quality, and friendly service from a family-run business which has been on the peninsula for many years. Dan helped repair a sectional door track which had become misaligned and loose. He also provided care tips for me and is the most pleasant service-man you will ever meet.

Review from alex ho

amazing job. i called in the morning and after telling him the issue, he gave me an estimate of the work and time and was even able to come in 10 mins. danny came and put the two cables back and readjusted the spring tension. he even nailed back the side panel without me asking and also oiled up the wheels. he also swapped out the garage door seal since i mentioned that there was a small gap on one side and made sure there is no more gap by adjusting the door. overall, he did an amazing job and i would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a garage door repair.

Review from Jean Flanagan

Alert Door Services is one of the best companies I have ever worked with. They recently installed new custom made garage doors on a duplex I own. Very professional, nice people to do business with and product is outstanding and a very good value. I highly recommend this company.

Review from E. Wayne G.

Very prompt and excellent service and reasonably priced. Also very considerate and responsive to homeowner's urgent circumstances.

Review from Eileen L.

I backed into the garage door which then would not close. I called Alert and the repair man was there within 20 minutes. Great and thorough repair job as will as tightening the hinges and oiling everything. The door is better than it was before I hit it, and I even got to the gym. Very fair price as well.

Review from Joanne S.

Alert Garage Door helped us solve all our garage door problems. Easy to work with!!! Friendly, courteous, arrived on time & cleaned up. A great experience yesterday. The new opener is quiet - we had no idea how bad our old opener was - the motor was failing intermittently & we knew the final end was near. WHAT A GREAT GROUP OF PEOPLE TO WORK WITH!!

Review from Eric E.

Absolutely great to work with Alert Door from start to finish - scheduling, communication and the work done at my home, all at a solid price. Alert diagnosed the issue, then explained and promptly fixed my Chamberlain Garage Door. Even advised me on some annual maintenance items I can easily do on my own in the future! Just fantastic. Highly recommend Alert Door Service based on this wonderful experience. Many thanks to the team at Alert Door Service.

Review from Rebecca E.

We've used Alert for twenty years--they do the best work, and come out the quickest. Their prices are fair and less than other companies; you can trust Alert. This is a true nice family business, and we hope to work with them again. They rate more than five stars, give them ten!

Review from Marky M.

Our old garage door opener finally needed replacement and Alert Door Service was recommended to me by a friend in construction. Lyn, Darlene, and Christina, in the office could not have been more helpful. The technician, Joe, was on-time, efficient, neat, and did a great job on the installation. He also provided helpful tips on maintenance...also, he's a 49er fan! BTW, the door works very well. Thank you, Alert, for the great job!

Review from Mike B.

I've used Alert Door Service several times over the last ten years, most recently to entirely replace my garage door opener. I would say the business is responsive....I have always been able to get service within 24 hours, but maybe some of that is luck. The home office was able to look up prior service calls and tell me how old my springs were (impressive). Their technicians always impress me as well trained. My most recent Tech, Joe, has been with them for three years. Joe went through several diagnostic steps before concluding that my 18 year old opener perhaps should be fully replaced. I agreed and asked if he minded if I watch him work and he said no problem. I enjoyed watching him meticulously do the steps I am sure he had done many times before. Several small steps were thoughtful and would lead to a professional outcome. I offered to help when it came to lifting the unit for bolting in, but he had a special device allowing him to do it single-handed (a stand that holds the motor until he can bolt one end.) He replaced our keypad and helped program the car remotes as well as configure the new door in the MyQ app. I had MyQ as an add-on device to my old opener (it basically connects your garage door to the internet and a phone app) but was pleased to learn that it is now incorporated in the new Liftmaster. The result was a very professional install and the price I paid was fair. I've heard the business is family owned and I appreciate that they provide such good service to the community and train-up and provide jobs to guys like Joe. Five stars I say!!

Review from Kathryn K.

We had a good experience with Alert Door in the past, but when the spring failed on a Saturday they had no one available until Monday and no recommendation for another company to provide service. Very disappointing. Found another company on Yelp that did the work for us, and at a significantly lower price (no additional charge for Saturday work). Would not recommend unless you can arrange for your door springs to break 9-5 M-F.

Review from Dave H.

We had an issue with our garage door opener, so called Alert based on all the positive Yelp and Nextdoor reviews, and we're very happy we did. Joe came out within a couple of hours and was very thorough, patient, knowledgeable, and friendly. He quickly diagnosed the source of the problem, explained it in easy-to-understand terms, and efficiently made the repairs. We'll definitely call on Alert for any future garage door-related issues!

Review from Chuck H.

I highly recommend Alert Door. A hinge/bracket on my creaky old garage door broke from old age, and Joe from Alert Door came out and fixed it in about an hour. He said that someday I may have to replace the door, but for now he was able to get it working with just a few parts. I really appreciate the fast, friendly service without trying to sell me a whole new door. I'll definitely give these folks a call if/when the door needs to be replaced.

Review from Larry J.

Review from Michael R.

Perfectly; they provided me with the information I needed to resolve my garage door update at zero cost. Services Rendered: I was looking to replace dated windows in my old garage roll-up door. The door is so old that they no longer make replacement window inserts for the roll-up garage door. Alert Door Service person showed me how I could just replace the old inserts with plain glass at zero cost. Terrific service; no charge for their knowledge and zero cost to me to update my garage door. I will definitely call them when I have need for garage door services in the future. What terrific customer service

Review from steven S.

Review from KEVIN T.

Excellent job. Responsive & professional. Services Rendered: Had 3 old noisy chain motors replaced with quiet new track motors, controls, & interrupt beams.

Review from TIM L.

IT WAS GREAT SERVICE, THE SERVICE MAN ARRIVED ON TIME AND EXPLAINED VERY CLEARLY ABOUT THE WORK NEEDED TO BE DONE, IN ONE HOUR TIME LATER, THE DOOR IS FIXED, I WAS VERY SATISFIED. Services Rendered: I NEED TO FIX MY GARAGE DOOR, ONE OF THE STEEL CABLES GOT BROKEN, THE DOOR CAN'T OPEN OR CLOSE.