Spotlight on Atlanta’s Casteel Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical

The Atlanta metro area has no shortage of companies providing a variety of home services—from routine HVAC service to major plumbing work, the chances are high that you’ll find someone to tackle your job. The hard part, however, is finding a reliable, experienced company that can service all of your home’s major systems with consistently superior work and outstanding customer service.

That’s a lot to ask of one organization!

For Atlanta’s Casteel Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical, however, ticking all of those boxes every day is par for the course. As an organization, Casteel bases everything they do on their Amazing Care philosophy. These guiding principles ensure that homeowners and families and their happiness, comfort, and safety are always top of mind for every Casteel team member.

To learn what Casteel is all about and how they make homeowners and families a top priority, keep reading! I talked with Gary Obert, Casteel’s Operations Manager, to learn more about the company and its values.

The Beginnings of an Atlanta Institution

Casteel Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical was established in 1987 by Bob Casteel, a home services industry veteran. Bob’s own experiences keeping families comfortable year-round in the Atlanta area inspired him to build a company that put honesty and customer service first for every homeowner.

Growing a company from a single basement to a multi-location employer of over 200 people without losing sight of important values takes time and dedication. Bob’s commitment to always putting customers first shows that it certainly can be done.

Standing Out in the Crowd of Atlanta HVAC Companies

Company values

“In a metro area as busy and populated as Atlanta, homeowners need home service providers that are proactive about their comfort,” Gary says. “Casteel’s five core values distinguish our services and help shape our team.”

Here are Casteel’s core values:

1. Compassion
2. Respect
3. Integrity
4. Teamwork
5. Excellence

As Gary reminded me, when homeowners call a plumber, HVAC technician, or electrician, the likelihood is high that they’re in an emergency situation. They’ve woken up to find the house has no hot water, for example, or the toilet in the guest bathroom has started leaking just before holiday guests are scheduled to arrive.

House-related emergencies usually follow Murphy’s Law: If something can go wrong, it often will (and usually when you have a house full of guests).

“People in these situations are under a lot of stress,” Gary notes. “At Casteel, we want to be mindful of that, so we show compassion and empathy to every person who calls our office for service.” Casteel’s staff includes an entire team of customer service specialists who are dedicated to answering the phone promptly and arranging service as quickly as possible.

Respect for both the customer and their home is essential to Casteel’s culture of excellence. “We treat each customer’s home as if it were our own,” Gary says. “Our goal is to leave every home just as clean, if not cleaner, than it was when we arrived.”  

Integrity is essential to Casteel’s philosophy of Amazing Care. All of Casteel’s employees are committed to always doing the right thing, and as part of their Amazing Care philosophy, Casteel pledges to only send technicians who are screened, trained, experienced, and knowledgeable. Casteel team members are all empowered, Gary notes, to take care of homeowners and families to the best of their ability without needing a supervisor’s approval. This ensures that each homeowner has a seamless, positive experience.

Casteel’s final two guiding values—teamwork and excellence—go hand in hand. Gary emphasizes that the Casteel team members are truly the most important key to the company’s success in Atlanta. “We find great people and then give them the opportunity to be great,” Gary says. This focus on empowering and satisfying people—both homeowners and team members—is a recipe for a successful company that excels in a crowded marketplace.

Homeowner- and family-focused care

Casteel’s slogan is “We will take amazing care of you,” and they keep that promise long after a service call is complete. The Casteel team creates genuine connections with homeowners and remembers important dates, such as birthdays or an anniversary, for each family. When those dates roll around each year, the team sends out personalized cards. “The staff loves doing this. It’s a small gesture, but it means a lot to everyone,” Gary adds.

To ensure that the company is not only putting homeowners and families first but also providing the most technologically current service, Casteel emphasizes employee development and continuing education.

“All of our departments receive customer service and technical training,” Gary says. “Everyone in our service departments takes over 100 hours of training per year, and we have a dedicated trainer on staff who makes sure that we all stay ahead of the curve in terms of new developments with products and installation techniques.”

Casteel also maintains a fully outfitted training center so that all the company’s service technicians have a chance to learn first-hand on the equipment that they’ll be installing. “We have furnaces, air conditioners, even a fully functioning toilet—basically everything our techs will use in the field. It’s a great resource,” Gary notes.

Another way that Casteel puts homeowners first is the speed with which customer service representatives can dispatch a technician to a customer’s house. “In most cases, I can get someone out to you in about an hour,” Gary says. “And we can usually fix the problem that same day.”

Same-day service is no easy feat in the Atlanta area, and it requires tremendous coordination and attention to customer service—two things that Casteel is well known for.

Home Service Advice From the Pros

Working with a home service provider can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, Casteel’s team members take a collaborative approach to all interactions with their customers.

Often, customers might feel like they’re at a disadvantage in terms of information about the problem they’re experiencing (and how to fix it). A malfunctioning heat pump, for example, is a complete mystery to the average homeowner. While you want it to be fixed, you don’t want the wool pulled over your eyes in the process.

“We try to level the playing field,” Gary says. “Our goal is to educate the homeowner so that before any work begins, they feel empowered to make the right decision.”

Casteel maintains two locations to better serve homeowners, but if you live outside their service area, here are some pro tips to help you make sure you’re getting the best service possible from your home service company:

1. Ask lots of questions.

The technician is the expert, and they should welcome the opportunity to share their knowledge. If they balk at answering your questions, call the next company on your list.

2. Find out whether the technicians’ trucks are fully stocked.

At Casteel, all service technicians drive fully stocked vehicles. This means that when they arrive at your house to diagnose a problem, they’ll most likely be able to make the necessary repair that day (provided you’re comfortable with the proposed solution, of course).

3. Ask about available service plans.

But remember that not all service plans are created equal. Casteel’s Concierge Service Plan ensures that you don’t miss regular maintenance visits and that you get extended warranties and discounts on select repairs. Most importantly, if you’re not up for the service plan, that’s not a problem—you’ll still get quick, same-day service and the high-quality work you expect from Casteel.

4. Know who you’re letting into your home.

Casteel uses an appointment reminder system that sends homeowners a photo of and some information about the team member who will visit their house. This same system also allows homeowners to track their technician’s arrival time, which makes planning other activities much easier. The service technician arrives in a company-branded vehicle and wears a uniform.

These are hallmarks of a company that cares about its customers and their safety and comfort level. If your water heater has leaked all over your basement, you’re already in a vulnerable position—regain some confidence by working with a company that puts its customers first.

The Bottom Line

When you own a home, you’ll eventually need the services of a plumber, HVAC technician, or electrician. There are, of course, a handful of small repairs you could probably handle on your own, but when time is of the essence or the problem is complex, calling in the pros is always the best solution.

If you live in the Atlanta metro area, you can’t go wrong calling Casteel Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical. You’ll receive the benefits of working with a large, established company without sacrificing the personal touch of technicians and team members who truly care about you and your home.

“At Casteel, every customer is special and taken care of,” Gary says. Customer-first businesses aren’t always easy to find, but at Casteel, the company culture is founded on outstanding customer service and high-quality work.