Mike Holt customer support comparison (review 7)

Calling Mike Holt support vs opening Ask BONBON

Mike Holt Enterprises has been training electricians since 1975. Their books, videos, and exam prep are solid. When you need help though, you are dealing with a training company, not a field tool. Phone lines run business hours Eastern, and email replies usually land the next day.

Ask BONBON is not a support desk. It is a code reference that answers in seconds, in the field, no ticket, no callback. Different products, different jobs. The question is which one solves the problem you actually have at 2:47 PM on a Tuesday in an attic.

What Mike Holt support actually covers

Their support team handles orders, account issues, exam prep questions, and clarification on their own training material. If you bought the Understanding the NEC Volume 1 book and a graphic confused you, they will help. They are good at it. Staff knows the material because they teach it.

What they will not do is interpret a code section for your specific install. That is not their job, and any reputable training outfit draws the same line. Article 250 grounding question on a 200A service with a detached garage feeder? You get pointed to the textbook chapter, not a verdict.

• Order and product questions, fast and accurate
• Exam prep clarifications tied to their curriculum
• Errata and corrections on published material
• Not: jobsite code interpretation or AHJ disputes

Response time on the truck

Field reality. You are roughing in a kitchen and the GC asks if the island receptacle needs GFCI protection under the 2023 cycle. NEC 210.8(A)(7) covers it, but you want to confirm before you cut drywall. Mike Holt support is closed, or you are 40 minutes deep in hold music, or you are emailing and waiting until tomorrow.

Ask BONBON returns an answer in under five seconds with the citation. You read 210.8(A)(7), confirm the receptacle within 6 feet of the sink edge needs GFCI, move on. No human on the other end, but no human needed for a code lookup either.

Tip: If you are about to call any support line for a code question, ask yourself first if you actually need a human or if you just need the citation. Nine times out of ten it is the citation.

Depth of answer

Where Mike Holt wins is depth on the why. Their books and videos walk you through the reasoning, the history of a code change, the safety logic. If you are studying for the journeyman or master exam, that depth matters. You need to understand the code, not just find it.

Ask BONBON gives you the article, the relevant subsection, and a plain English summary so you can act. It is built for the install, not the classroom. Ask it about NEC 314.16 box fill and it will tally your conductors, devices, and clamps for the volume requirement. Ask it why box fill exists and you get a short answer, not a 40 minute lecture. Two different tools.

1. Need to pass an exam: Mike Holt training material wins on depth
2. Need to wire a panel before lunch: code reference app wins on speed
3. Need to argue with an inspector: you need the citation, fast, with the exact text

Cost and access

Mike Holt's support comes free with whatever product you bought. The product itself runs from 50 dollars for a single book to several hundred for a full exam prep package. Worth it for what it is. You buy it once, support is included until you are done with the program.

Ask BONBON is a subscription, low monthly cost, unlimited questions. No hold time, no business hours, no shipping. Your phone is the access point. Both models make sense for what they deliver. The training course is a one time investment in knowledge. The reference app is an ongoing tool, like your meter or your fish tape.

Which one belongs in your truck

If you are prepping for a license exam, buy Mike Holt material. Nothing else is as thorough for test prep. Their support team will back up the curriculum when you get stuck on a practice problem. That is the right tool for that job.

If you are a licensed electrician already running calls, you need code answers in seconds, not a curriculum. NEC 110.26 working space, 240.4(D) small conductor rule, 408.36 panel overcurrent. These come up daily, and waiting for a callback is not an option when the apprentice is holding a roll of wire and the homeowner is watching.

Tip: Most field electricians end up using both. Mike Holt for the license and continuing education, a code reference app for the daily lookups. They are not competing for the same slot in your toolkit.

Honest take from a working electrician: Mike Holt support is excellent for what it covers, and not designed for what it does not. Ask BONBON fills a different gap, the one between the cover of the codebook and the moment you need the answer. Use the right tool for the right call.