This year's Best Handyman is actually a team of teams that serves customers in the Springfield area. Housed in Springfield's first airport hangar, with pictures of Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart on the wall, co-owners Jay Gemberling and Matthew Lee run a business of 14 office staff, crews that work on fences and decks, and a crew for home repairs and remodels.
Word-of-mouth wins the majority of their jobs, Gemberling said. "We're in a lot of homes. When a good thing comes into your home, you like to spread the word."
Gemberling recommends reading their reviews and others when choosing a contractor. He is proud of Reliable's 150 recent 4.9 out of 5 Google reviews, complete with photos and descriptions of people's experiences. "It makes us more inviting," he said.
Gemberling says Reliable does get a lot of phone calls, but they aren't a company to come out once and never come back. The online system allows customers to accept estimates, pay any deposit required for larger jobs and get on the schedule board. Then, the schedulers can move things around, if necessary, but usually take jobs in order. "It's the fairest way," he said.
The variety of services Reliable now offers is one of the team's favorite parts of the job every day. "From a bathroom remodel to hanging a picture, every single day is new and different," Gemberling said.
