Alert Door Services Inc

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!

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.

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.