The October 2026 Picks Index is live. See who Grok, Meta Muse, Instinct, Kat and Fo named across 182 cities and 22 trades.
picked by agents

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

“I need a new AC unit installed in Richmond, VA. Who should I get quotes from, and roughly what will it cost?”

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

United States · Meta Muse via a research connector · asked 2026-10-02 00:48 UTC

WG Speeks Heating & Air Conditioning's page as the assistant saw it
Picked

WG Speeks Heating & Air Conditioning

smartupworld.com
“80+ years serving Richmond, 4.8 Google rating, 24/7 emergency service, financing, and full installations listed at $4,500–$10,000.”
James River Air Conditioning's page as the assistant saw it
Shortlisted · 2nd choice

James River Air Conditioning

smartupworld.com
“50+ years in Richmond, a 4.7 Google rating, installs at $4,000–$9,500, and bundled maintenance savings.”
Shortlisted · 3rd choice

AirIQ Heating & Cooling

airiqhvac.co
“4.9 rating, praised for honest pricing and plain-English explanations, with financing up to 18 months at 0%.”
Davis & Green's page as the assistant saw it
Passed

Davis & Green

dgelectrical.com
“Full-service company but electrical-first, with only 22 reviews and a thinner installation track record than the picks.”
Passed

Guirkin Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning

guirkinplumbing.com
“Established in 1976 but rated 4.1 across 14 reviews, below the picks.”
Passed

Automatic Climate HVAC & Air Conditioning

industryoversight.com
“Reviews describe it as timely, honest, and competitively priced, but its review base was smaller than the top 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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