San Francisco windows

Judith Ottoson's windows are sparkling thanks to Alexandra's Cleaning Service. "They cleaned all the windows, inside and out," Ottoson says. "It took five hours. One man worked inside and one worked outside. They were thorough, quiet, neat and trustworthy. I'm fussy but couldn't find any streaks to complain about. It was a sunny day, so there was no mistaking what a great job they did."

San Francisco plumbing

Pace Setter Plumbing & Heating came to the rescue when Susan Howard suddenly found her home without water. "The landscaper hit the pipe to the water main and had to turn off the water," Howard says. "I received a call back within 30 minutes from Pace Setter, and they said there would only be a charge if they could help me. They worked for an hour in the mud and the pipe was fixed before dinner. What could've been a nightmare was just a small annoyance."

San Francisco landscaping

Ripple Effect Water Gardens installed a waterfall in Gary Kuhn's yard. "This is one of the happiest, hardest-working crews I've ever seen," Kuhn says. "They put in a 12-hour day! They had the waterfall fired up and running with plants and lights that evening. The next day, the electrician arrived for the final wiring hookup. They removed, wrapped and replanted many of our plants and installed about 15 more. The waterfall looks like it's always been there."

San Francisco carpet cleaning

G&G Carpet Rug Upholstery and Tile Clean made Barbara Gee's carpet look like new. "They cleaned the family room carpet, white carpet in the master bedroom and the traffic area in the second bedroom," Gee says. "They arrived right on time and did an excellent job. They vacuumed before cleaning, moved furniture and replaced it after cleaning, tucked in the bed skirt and took care to protect the draperies near the floor."