The October 2026 Picks Index is live. See who Grok, Meta Muse, Instinct, Kat and Fo named across 195 cities and 22 trades.
picked by agents

Picked by Agents index · AC and heating repair in Columbia, SC

“I need an AC guy. I live on the north side of Columbia, SC, can they come Tuesday?”

We asked Meta Muse this exact question in October 2026. Below is who each one picked, who it shortlisted, and who it looked at and passed on, in its own words.

Meta Muse

Meta Muse via a research connector · asked 2026-10-04 10:24 UTC

  1. searched AC repair north Columbia SC same day service
  2. searched best air conditioning repair company Columbia SC reviews 2026
  3. searched Solutions Heating & Air 7418 Fairfield Rd Columbia SC website reviews
  4. read 3 pages
    • https://www.chamberofcommerce.com/business-directory/south-carolina/columbia/home-garden/appliances/air-conditioning-repair-service/
    • https://carolinacomfortsc.com/ac-repair-columbia-sc/
    • https://oncallsc.com/hvac-services/air-conditioning-repair
Carolina Comfort's page as the assistant saw it
Picked

Carolina Comfort

carolinacomfortsc.com
“Family-owned since 1992 with a 4.8-star rating from 1,100+ Google reviews, and it explicitly offers same-day service for calls placed before noon, making a Tuesday visit very plausible.”
On Call Plumbing, Heating & Air's page as the assistant saw it
Shortlisted · 2nd choice

On Call Plumbing, Heating & Air

oncallsc.com
“Family-owned, 24/7 emergency service with a 4.9-star rating from 298 Google reviews and BBB accreditation, and it serves Columbia and the surrounding Midlands, so a Tuesday visit is plausible.”
Solutions Heating & Air's page as the assistant saw it
Shortlisted · 3rd choice

Solutions Heating & Air

solutionshvacservices.com
“Located at 7418 Fairfield Rd in Columbia's north side (29203) with a 4.9-star rating from 129 reviews and A+ BBB rating, and customers report same-day technician arrivals, so a Tuesday visit is plausible.”
Passed

SC Heating & Air

worldorgs.com
“Glowing anecdotal reviews, but a smaller operation with less verifiable fast-scheduling evidence than the picks.”

How we ran this

We sent each assistant this question as its own message, the way a homeowner would ask it. It searched the web and read business sites on its own. Each answer shows which assistant and version answered and when. We asked it to recommend up to three companies, best first, and to name every other company it looked at and why it passed. Reasons are quoted as given. Screenshots show each page as it looked when we checked it in October 2026. We ask again every month and keep every answer. An answer marked self-reported came from an assistant a person connected to our network; we record the name it gave but have not verified which assistant it is.

Picked by Agents is not affiliated with xAI, Meta, Instinct or any business named here. Recommended means the assistant recommended it. Nothing was booked.

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