Note to the ServiceMaster Orillia branch: Please don’t waste your time apologizing, your response will not change my perception of your company. Instead, you should devote that time to serving other customers who unfortunately ended up dealing with you. Zero professionalism, zero knowledge, broken promises to customers, and subcontractors who, in my experience, appeared to have questionable relationships with the company. I dealt with the ServiceMaster Orillia branch because they were recommended by my insurance company as a “preferred company.” What can I say? It was one of the worst experiences I have ever had. If you hear this name, my advice is to run away and don’t look back. The Orillia branch presented themselves as experts in complete rebuilds following a total loss, particularly for properties in the Lake Simcoe area where the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority requirements can add significant complexity. Unfortunately, my experience was completely different. The team demonstrated a lack of knowledge about what needed to be done, and the project was plagued by delays, poor coordination, and repeated mistakes. It became increasingly apparent to me that their priority was not simply to restore what we had lost and complete the project efficiently. Instead, I felt that the project was being unnecessarily prolonged, creating additional costs and opportunities to bill the insurance company. During the project, I became concerned about relationships between the branch and certain subcontractors and whether those relationships were influencing subcontractor selection. I cannot independently verify the financial arrangements between them, but the circumstances and documentation that was accidentally shared with me raised serious concerns for me about conflicts of interest. I also had significant concerns about the accounting practices. For example, I questioned the way HST was being charged on the initial deposit rather than properly accounting for the deposit as funds were applied against completed work and payments to subcontractors. This was another area where I felt the accounting lacked transparency. The proverb “A fish rots from the head” unfortunately came to mind. The problems always start with branch leadership and eventually spread throughout the organization. The Director of Operations demonstrated, in my opinion, extremely poor judgment and values, and the consequences were felt throughout the project. Ultimately, firing ServiceMaster Orillia was the best thing that happened to my project—and to my state of mind. Once they were removed, I finally felt that we could move forward. Based on my personal experience, I would strongly recommend doing extensive due diligence before allowing ServiceMaster Orillia to handle a major restoration or rebuild project.
Our home/ cottage had burst pipes in Feb. Our insurance sent Service Master. There was extensive water damage. The carpet has been torn out and damaged furniture has been pitched. We are into our third month now and waiting for attention. This isn’t satisfactory- we need flooring, drywall, baseboards and our furniture to be put back! HELP! PLEASE!
Review for ServiceMaster Rating: ⭐☆☆☆☆ I strongly recommend staying away from ServiceMaster and taking your business to Servpro instead. My experience with ServiceMaster was unprofessional and a complete waste of time and money. I paid the $150 fee just to have someone come out and provide a quote. After the visit, I was told early next week I would receive the quote. I emailed them twice looking for the quote. I received no response for over a week. When I finally called to follow up, I was told they were "very busy" and they would "see about getting to it." Another week passed with nothing. This lack of effort sent me searching for another company. It wasn't until I sent an email formally requesting a refund of my $150 that they finally bothered to send the quote. They refused to refund my money, despite the unacceptable delay and lack of communication. To make matters worse, their quote was nearly double the price of the one I received from Servpro. Servpro, by comparison, was professional, helpful, and stayed on top of everything from the start. Save yourself the headache and the $150—go with Servpro.
For the second winter in a row, we had ice damming on our roof which caused water leaking and damage to 4 areas of our house. This year with ServiceMaster the clean up and rebuild was completed in record time. Every single employee that we spoke to and came to our home were above and beyond in trying to assist us with having our life return to normal. Having already been through this process once, we were aware that it could take a long time. This year the suggestions and support made all the difference and we are now back to normal in just over a month. Well Done! We cannot thank you enough for supporting us and taking care of everything!
Nine Months of Unacceptable Delays and Total Lack of Communication I am giving ServiceMaster one star only because there is no option for zero. While I don’t believe they are a "cheating" company, their service is undoubtedly the worst I have ever encountered. I am listing the facts of my case from April 2025 to January 2026 below so others can judge for themselves: Initial Contact: After my basement flooded due to a prolonged power outage at the end of March 2025, Square One Insurance directed me to ServiceMaster. They accepted the case on April 1st. The "Disappearing" Project Manager: A manager inspected the site on April 3rd. After I signed the paperwork, he effectively disappeared for over four months. Despite numerous emails and voice messages, I did not receive a single callback until August 6th. The 90-Day Quote: It took ServiceMaster over 3 months (from May 1st to August 6th) just to generate a repair quote for my insurance company. This is an unheard-of delay for a standard basement repair. Payment vs. Performance: I paid my deductible on August 20th immediately at their request. I was told work would start in 4–6 weeks and be finished shortly after. Instead, the process was dragged out until January 22, 2026. Fragmented Work: Actual labor was extremely sporadic. For example: Drywall: 4-week wait to start (Sept 17). Carpet: Another 4-week wait (Oct 30). Cabinets/Bathroom: Finished in mid-November. Doors: Not completed until January 22, 2026. Total Timeline: It took over 9 months (April 1 to Jan 22) to repair a basement. The stress of living with a damaged home for nearly a year, combined with the project manager’s refusal to communicate, was overwhelming. The only positive was the receptionist, who was always professional and answered calls promptly. However, a polite receptionist cannot make up for a complete failure in project management and execution. I strongly advise looking elsewhere if you need timely or professional restoration services.