Key findings
- High prices for small jobs are the most common complaint, about 1 in 7 of complaints (13%).
- Contact problems, including unanswered calls and phone-line problems, account for about 1 in 9 of complaints (11%).
- Appointment problems, including no-shows, moved bookings and late arrivals, make up about 1 in 8 of complaints (12%).
The 10 most common complaints
| Rank | Complaint | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | High prices | 13% |
| 2 | No call back | 9% |
| 3 | No-shows | 7% |
| 4 | Visit fees | 6% |
| 5 | Upselling | 6% |
| 6 | Unfixed jobs | 6% |
| 7 | Rude staff | 5% |
| 8 | Faulty wiring | 5% |
| 9 | Rescheduled | 4% |
| 10 | Higher bill | 4% |
1. High prices (13% of complaints)
Disappointed with $242.00 charge for a 15 minute repair.
For homeowners
Ask for a written price for the specific job before you agree to the work.
For electricians
Show a clear price and scope for small jobs before asking customers to book. See 10 electrician offer ideas that win jobs without discounts.
2. No call back (9% of complaints)
Called several times and always told they'd call back which they wouldn't. This company wasted my time.
For homeowners
Ask when you will hear back and who you can contact if that time passes.
For electricians
Promise a specific callback window and explain who will reply. See How to get clients as an electrician without cutting your price.
3. No-shows (7% of complaints)
Unresponsive. Says he will fix, but does not show up to do work.
For homeowners
Get the appointment window confirmed in writing and ask how you will be told if the electrician cannot come.
For electricians
Confirm the visit and tell customers promptly if you cannot make it. See 10 electrician Facebook ad ideas from real customer complaints.
4. Visit fees (6% of complaints)
Technician came and checked outlet for correct power and it had the correct voltage. He was here 3 minutes and I was charged $165 which is a lot for a service call of less than 5 minutes and no repairs needed.
For homeowners
Ask whether there is a visit or diagnosis fee and whether it is payable if you decline the repair.
For electricians
Put the visit fee beside the booking button and explain what it covers. See 10 electrician website ideas that turn visitors into bookings.
5. Upselling (6% of complaints)
[name] waves us to pay over $4000 to replace weather mast, meter box, and breaker box. [company] said they are fine, just reattach weather mast and clean up breaker box for a lot less.
For homeowners
Ask why a replacement is needed and request a separate price for the smallest repair that solves the problem.
For electricians
Explain the fault first and separate necessary repairs from optional upgrades. See 10 electrician marketing ideas from real customer complaints.
6. Unfixed jobs (6% of complaints)
Would not recommend. Over charged and did not fix what he was supposed to fix.
For homeowners
Agree on the result you are paying for and ask what happens if the original fault remains.
For electricians
Say how you will check the repair has worked and what you will do if it has not. See Electrician offer examples from real complaints.
7. Rude staff (5% of complaints)
Completely rude and hung up on me.
For homeowners
Ask a question before booking and notice whether the answer is clear and respectful.
For electricians
Show how you answer questions without pressuring a customer to book. See 15 electrician Facebook post ideas that bring in bookings.
8. Faulty wiring (5% of complaints)
Ouch! Used them for a commercial job that was >$100,000 and at final inspections city informed us it was done completely wrong and required north of $40k to fix. They just went silent once the issue was brought up. Currently in legal proceeding but beware!
For homeowners
Ask what checks will be completed and what certification the work requires before you book.
For electricians
Show the checks you carry out and explain the certification customers should receive. See 10 electrician YouTube video ideas that build trust before the first call.
9. Rescheduled (4% of complaints)
Spoke with an A.I. agent, and never received confirmation of my appointment until an hour before the suggested time telling m that they are behind and need to reschedule. I wouldn't recommend.
For homeowners
Ask for a confirmed appointment window and how much notice you will get if it changes.
For electricians
Explain how you confirm appointments and handle changes before a customer books. See 15 electrician Instagram post ideas from real customer complaints.
10. Higher bill (4% of complaints)
Service was very prompt It was a big rip off Technician initially said 520$ to repair 2 breakers. When finished work he said and he said he mispoke.he changed the amount to 976$ for changing 2 breakers. Think twice before calling them
For homeowners
Keep the written quote and require your approval before any extra work starts.
For electricians
Explain that extra work needs written approval before the price changes. See 15 electrician blog post ideas that answer what customers worry about.
How we did this
How we grouped them
A customer can raise more than one problem, so one comment can appear in more than one group. We grouped complaints by what went wrong. Shares are of complaints, not of customers, and are rounded to whole numbers.
Limits
These are people who chose to complain in public. They show what goes wrong, not how often electricians get it wrong.
Use this research
You're free to quote these findings with a link to this page.
Offer Generator, "What customers complain about most when hiring an electrician", October 2026