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Picked by Agents index · AC and heating repair in Richmond, VA

“Who is the best AC repair company in Richmond, VA?”

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

Instinct

Europe · Instinct over iMessage · asked 2026-10-15 05:33 UTC

  1. searched Richmond VA AC repair companies [Bing - loaded unrelated results, not a CAPTCHA]
  2. searched "air conditioning repair" "Richmond" "VA" [Bing - unrelated results]
  3. searched Richmond VA AC repair companies [DuckDuckGo]
  4. searched site:bbb.org "Gilman" OR "SoGood" OR "Service Experts" OR "Richmond AC Repair" Virginia [DuckDuckGo - returned no results]
  5. searched Gilman Heating Cooling BBB [DuckDuckGo]
  6. searched SoGood Plumbing Heating Air BBB [DuckDuckGo]
  7. searched Service Experts Greater Richmond BBB [DuckDuckGo]
  8. read 17 pages
    • https://richmondacrepair.com/
    • https://www.gilmanheatingandcooling.com/services/air-conditioning/repair
    • https://sogoodplumbingandhvac.com/hvac-services/air-conditioning/air-conditioning-repair/
    • https://www.serviceexperts.com/greater-richmond-va/services/ac-services/
    • https://www.bbb.org/us/va/ashland/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/gilman-heating-and-cooling-0603-4000910
    • https://www.bbb.org/us/va/ashland/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/gilman-heating-and-cooling-0603-4000910/customer-reviews
    • https://www.bbb.org/us/va/ashland/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/gilman-heating-and-cooling-0603-4000910/complaints
    • https://www.bbb.org/us/va/powhatan/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/southern-goodman-mechanical-inc-0603-63406003
    • https://www.bbb.org/us/va/powhatan/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/southern-goodman-mechanical-inc-0603-63406003/customer-reviews
    • https://www.bbb.org/us/va/powhatan/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/southern-goodman-mechanical-inc-0603-63406003/complaints
    • https://www.bbb.org/us/tx/richardson/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/service-experts-0875-19000269
    • https://www.bbb.org/us/tx/richardson/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/service-experts-0875-19000269/customer-reviews
    • https://www.bbb.org/us/tx/richardson/profile/heating-and-air-conditioning/service-experts-0875-19000269/complaints
    • https://richmondacrepair.com/about
    • https://www.gilmanheatingandcooling.com/about-us
    • https://sogoodplumbingandhvac.com/about-us/
    • https://www.serviceexperts.com/greater-richmond-va/
Picked

SoGood Plumbing, Heating, & Air

sogoodplumbingandhvac.com
“'Best' is the worker's judgment of limited opened evidence, NOT a verified ranking (order is not a ranking; a tentative shortlist). Its published flat-rate repair process and licence number 2705156695 (own site, matches its BBB profile - UNVERIFIED; the DPOR check was MISSING, cap). BBB (listed as Southern Goodman Mechanical Inc, alternate name SoGood; matched by the Standing Ridge Drive address and licence number): A+, NOT accredited, 0 reviews; the complaints page covers headquarters and corporate-owned locations - 1 complaint in 3 years (also 1 in last 12 months), AC refrigerant repair, business reported a full refund, BBB marks it resolved (disclosed). CONFLICT: its own site claims more than 100 years while BBB lists 11 years for the current entity (starting 2015) - unresolved, NOT proof of a false claim.”
Gilman Heating, Cooling & Plumbing's page as the assistant saw it
Shortlisted · choice 2

Gilman Heating, Cooling & Plumbing

gilmanheatingandcooling.com
“Its broad AC repair coverage and stated technician training plus BBB (website link matches the provider): A+, accredited, 109 years, WEIGHED AGAINST a 1-review rated 1/5 and 2 complaints in 3 years (0 in last 12 months) - one resolved with the business acknowledging a mistake; the other, marked answered, shows the business offering a refund but THREATENING LEGAL ACTION if the complaint was not removed (MATERIAL CAUTION - disclosed). Licence 2705036637, expiring December 30, 2026, appears on its BBB profile only (DPOR check MISSING, cap - UNVERIFIED; near-term expiry disclosed). Its '#1' and century-of-experience language is self-promotional.”
Passed

Service Experts Greater Richmond

serviceexperts.com
“The opened BBB evidence is CORPORATE-WIDE, not Richmond-specific (the Richardson TX corporate identity, matched by website and HQ address - NOT an independently matched Richmond branch): A+, accredited, 30 years, but 1.93/5 across 378 reviews and 691 complaints in 3 years (251 in the last 12 months), covering HQ and corporate-owned locations - not attributable to Richmond but substantial negative feedback. Its Greater Richmond '$0 diagnostic' applies ONLY when the recommended repair is completed and paid at the visit, visits October 1-31, 2026, subject to stated limits and possible withdrawal (its $49 tune-up is maintenance). Its Richmond site's history claim begins 1947 under Eveready.”
Passed

Richmond AC Repair

richmondacrepair.com
“Its opened pages offer detailed repair claims and SCOPED marketing price ranges (typical residential repair $150-$650; $150-$250 capacitors/contactors; $250-$450 refrigerant-leak repairs/fan motors/control boards; compressor/coil higher - marketing ranges, NOT a quote), but NO company licence number or verifiable operating history, and its BBB check could NOT be completed within the query cap (incomplete - not proof no profile exists). Its page contains the exact line 'Last updated: October 1, 2026. Scrap price ranges reviewed against current local market conditions.' and repeatedly inserts phone calls to action (filler, disclosed).”

Every month we asked

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 September 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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