A. K. & R. Whipple Plumbing, Heating, & A/C Inc.

Thank you for alerting us to our clients concernWe had been in close contact with our client *** *** on Tuesday July 26, and had the issue resolved before we received your notificationAfter receiving your notification we called our client to review the concernWe were informed by
Ms*** that she had not filed a concern with the Revdex.com and she knew nothing about itApparently one of her roommates had submitted the complaintMs*** was still satisfied with the resolution that had been agreed upon on July On Saturday July 23, we received a call from client requesting service for their air conditioning unitUnit was not blowing out cold air and was icing upOur technician went out that afternoon and found that the blower motor had failedClient decided not to go with replacement of a new motor at that timeClient called back on Monday July 25th requesting to have the motor replacedDue to Monday being a holiday the suppliers were closed and technician could not pick up the part until the next dayClient had decided to go with having a Universal motor installed instead of the OEM Manufacture replacement motor since it would be less expensiveThe universal motor was not compatible with their system so our General Manager approved installing the OEM Motor for the same Price of the Universal which was a substantial savings for our clientWe also gave her an additional $discount to compensate for their inconvenience and made arrangements for motor to be installed July 27thThe new motor was installed as promised on July 27,

Revdex.com:
I was finally contact by the business who has agreed to make a final fix and refund the amount requested. I do feel that they have done what should have been done from the start. I was satisfied that they were not aware of the lies and lack of response from their former employee. I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me
Sincerely,
Terry R***

Complaint: ***We will accept $1,as payment in full on this accountWe will consider the account satisfied and closed upon receipt of the remaining $339.In response to the sewer back up we offer our sincere apology. Had we been afforded the opportunity to address this issue immediately we would have moved swiftly to get this matter resolvedThe 1st knowledge we had of this mess was the mention of it in the initial complaint filed with the Revdex.com on 6/17/

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
The response from Whipple is just as I expected it would be after reading the other numerous complaints/responese on the Revdex.com pageBut let me set the story straight
• Nothing was presented to the customer nor was anything signed indicating the Straight Forward Pricing prior to any of the work being doneWe did not see anything from the technician until he was walking out the door after the job was done
• $charged for less than two hours of less than competent work is outrageous regardless of pricing guides which may be used
• I recommend for anyone needing plumbing services, to get someone Gephardt approved
Whipple is a big organization and willing to out “weight” the customer on many frontsThey will go back and forth answering their position with numerous iterations of “he said she said” until the customer gets discouraged and just gives in to the loss of their money and lack of good professional servicesThe “Straight Forward” fact is that Whipple employs resources and invest as much time and effort in avoiding any repayment or negotiated settlement to the mutual satisfaction of their customers claims than it would take to dealing honestly with customers and just be “Straight Forward” and work out a settlement in order to keep valued customers, build a better reputation of customer service and get good reviews and referralsIt may be necessary to explore other venues including social media sites to continue to get the word out of the business practices of Whipple and reaching out to other dissatisfied customers to see if Whipple is willing to modify their current business practices
Sincerely,
*** ***

On 6/19/we were contacted by our client because she was experiencing a leak under shower that was leaking through kitchen ceilingOur technician went out and diagnosed the problemHe then proposed a repair plan with our client and her granddaughter detailing work to be done and the cost
for the jobThe original price quoted was $with an additional $added to remove and install new sub flooringOur client and her granddaughter signed the Straight Forward Pricing Invoice before work was done authorizing our technician to proceed with work at the Straight Forward PriceThe Total Price quoted and paid for by our client was $4,not $6,as our client indicatedSee Attached Invoice We want to apologize to our client for the lack of response in getting her concerns addressed and resolved in a timely mannerOur manager Devin who was responsible for communicating with and resolving these service issues with our client dropped the ball and did not follow throughHis employment with our company has since been terminated for this very reasonWe want to work with our client to come to an acceptable and satisfactory resolution. We have contacted Terry to schedule our Service Manager to come out and meet with her to evaluate the work done and validate her concernsThe appointment will be scheduled at her earliest convenience

Thank you for alerting us to our clients concern Our Service Manager went out to MrC***'s home. They were able reach a resolution that our client was satisfied withThis resolution included:Refunding $off of the invoice priceMaking adjustments to Frost Free Faucet
that was installed Repairing damaged concrete outside of wall and in the crawl space

We have reviewed this matter carefully and have determined that our technicians took all of the right steps and were very diligent in diagnosing the drain issueThe technicians advised our client of their finding and gave our client recommendations to insure that there were no further issues
During our technicians visit on 12/1/he called the homeowner and let him know that he had augured out the floor drain as requested but may have had a soft clog in his main sewer line and that we should check it outHe recommended a camera special on main sewer line which would allow us to see what caused the issue and be able to fix itWhen our client called the following day to report that his washing machine was backing up again we sent a technician out under WarrantyThis technician ran a mainline auger feet to clear line, he pulled back nothing on the cableHe called out a cleanup crew and camera inspector to investigate the issue furtherThe camera inspection identified a bad root ball and broken pipeA liner and spot repair were recommended. We feel that our technicians showed due diligence in finding a permanent solution to our clients drain issueHe was given several options and estimates for resolutions. Attached please find: 1.Copies of our Invoices detailing work performed and recommendations. Estimates Susan D***Client Satisifaction SpecialistWhipple Service Championssd***@whippleplumbing.com | O |Ext 405 | D | 801.456.8345 |W Folsom Ave. |SLC, UT

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me
Sincerely,
*** ***

Our company was called out on 12/1/for a $drain cleaningOur client wasn't at home at the time of the serviceHis daughter was there and she informed our technician that they were having issues with a floor drain that was gurgling and had backed upAfter auguring out the floor drain and testing the drain he called our client with his findingsA detailed invoice was also emailed to the email address provided by our clientThe invoice was sent before the technician left the homeWe have computer documentation showing that the invoice was marked as OpenedAttached please find a copy of said invoiceOur client stated he was not made aware of any further issues or recommendations regarding the drain and was told that every thing was "good to go"Our invoice shows that our technician did alert our client to a possible issue warranting further attentionIn the last sentence of the 1st paragraph of the invoice summary technician stated, they may have had a soft clog in his main sewer line and we should check it out. Our invoices are recorded electronically and notes can not be altered or changed in any way after technicians enter themEven though we don't feel our technician performed irresponsibly and made every effort to provide the client with the needed information we are willing to offer a $refund

Thank you for making us aware of our clients concernsWe have been in contact with our client many times over the past several weeks to provide her with the information she has requestedA certified letter was sent on 8/11/containing all of the information necessary to file for the rebates in
questionWe sent this letter by certified mail to insure that our client would receive itA copy of the invoice showing that the job has been paid in full and containing the breakdown of our Straight Forward Pricing for the equipment that was installed was sent to our client on 8/18/We spoke with Ms*** yesterday 8/23/to verify the receipt of the rebate information and the invoiceShe reported that she had received the invoice and that it was just what she wantedShe reported that she had not received the certified letter or any notification of it from the postal serviceWe sent out the rebate information again by regular mail today 8/24/We requested she give our office a call and let us know when she receives that letterWhen asked if there was anything else she needed form us or that we could do for herShe stated there was nothing else she needed and that she appreciated everything that had been done to satisfy her needs Attached please find copies of the Installation Invoice and Certified Mail receipt

Our clients called with a plumbing issue on the afternoon of 8/19/They reported that there was a copper fitting or some type of copper line leaking somewhere in the basementOur technician went out that evening and diagnosed the source of the leakHe found a section of pipe in the
mechanical room leakingThe technician explained and notated the work to be done and quoted pricing from our straight forward pricing guide. Each item that would be included in the repair was circled on the invoiceThe price of the repair was quoted as $which was reduced from the price indicated from our pricing invoiceOur client signed the invoice giving authorization for our technician to proceed with the work at the Straight Forward Price of $Our technician replaced 3/and 1/inch section of hot water piping in the mechanical room with duct removal and resetAll or our work is guaranteed. When it was brought to our attention that there were issues with the way that duct work had been reinstalled our HVAC installer was dispatched to reset and repair the duct At the request of our client the Diamond Club membership they had purchased prior to their services has been canceled

On 10/20/15 our technician went and preformed a club furnace tune up on clients 19 year old furnace. A furnace tune up is a complete 21-point inspection, adjusting, cleaning and maintenance of furnace, flu and gas piping making sure your equipment is running efficiently and safely. A copy of inspection results are attached. Our technician found multiple concerns. The Motor was excessively dirty and failing and Multiple Breaches found in the Heat Exchanger. Technician verified visible breeches with client, had client sign Safety Waiver and left furnace in the OFF position. He recommended that clients replace the furnace for safety, efficiency & peace of mind.Our client called in upset saying that he had been unable to start furnace since his furnace had been tuned up and that the igniter had no access to electricity. He requested that we schedule a technician to come out and check the furnace.  On 10/24/15  a second technician went out for a Warranty call his notes say, "Furnace not operational, they had signed Safety Waiver when last tech was out.  Client had taken Furnace apart to try to get it working." Nothing done today. Left Furnace Non Operational.Clients Diamond Club Membership has been terminated and any dues paid refunded.

Complaint:...

[redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:Whipple is still refusing to admit that they engaged in fraudulent business activities. I have a two year old with an upper respiratory infection and they knowingly disabled the furnace in a way that made it seem like it needed to be replaced. They claim they did it for safety reasons. But when the second tech couldn't get the furnace working again he called the tech who disabled the furnace. I was standing in the room at the time of the phone call. The original tech said that he only stopped the supply of gas and electricity. He did not mention that he also did something to the furnace damper which would stop electricity from reaching the ignition control box. The techs at Whipple are paid commission, and he was fraudulently trying to gain more commission. And I did send a text to the initial sales rep who stood downstairs and watched this whole thing go down. And it was not a nice or clean one. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: At no time did the technician make me aware of any quote he had prepared to do any other work than what was discussed over the phone the day of 12/1. When he completed the job and charged me he made NO reference to any further work needed, NO reference to possible problems in the future, NO mention of any such bid for 'camera work' or any other. He simply stated "your good to go" and charged my card for the job being COMPLETED. In no way do I feel the job was complete or we would not have had the same exact drain back up with the same issue the very FIRST time I used it. I PAID whipple to fix a drain, it failed when used. Let me give you an alternate example of the liability I feel falls on this company for the damages to my house....If I had an electrical problem with a light fixture, and hired an electrician to fix it. Paid him after he told me "your good to go", then after the first time I used the light my wall is damaged by fire caused by an electrical short...Who would you say is Liable? If I had a leaky roof, Hired a roofer, and again after him saying "your good to go", and paying him. Then after the next rainstorm I have water damage after the roof leaks...who would you feel was liable again. Now,I hired a plumbing company to fix a plumbing issue, after they told me "your good to go" and took my payment for a completed job, the exact drain they had been hired to fix flooded doing damage to my house. I strongly feel that the company I hired had not done the job they had been paid to do and I believe a Judge would feel very much the same if I take this matter up with the court.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Thank you for alerting us to the concern submitted by our clients in regards to the HVAC Equipment installed in their home recently.  Our CEO  has been corresponding with our client in an effort to come to an acceptable resolution to their dispute.. Attached please find a copy of...

their correspondence. 
From: David S[redacted]
Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2015 4:26 PM
To: '[redacted]@yahoo.com' <[redacted]@yahoo.com>
Subject: AC install
 
Mr. Z[redacted],
 
I understand you weren’t able to reach a resolution with our
GM concerning the AC you purchased.  I have attached your full contract
and the applicable warranties for your review.  I understand that you have
a much lower bid from another company.  We fully agree that other
companies will often install identical equipment for less.  Sometimes much
less than we will.   From my experience companies that price that low
just to get business, do not stay in business long enough to honor their
warranties.   For this reason we ask that price comparison’s be true
“apples to apples” comparisons.   This means that the competing bid
needs to be identical in terms of equipment and add-ons, warranties, financing  and
level of service provided.  The bid you sent us from [redacted] does not match
any of these criteria.  I have outlined these below.






























Us

Them

Parts warranty

10 years

10 years

Labor warranty

10 Years

1 Year

Filter

Electrostatic

Merv 16

Financing

Yes

?

Service Level

Background Checked /Drug tested
/ Same day service during peak season

?

 
The only category they match us in is the parts warranty and
that is offered by the manufacturer.  You have a warranty from Whipple for
10 years.  That means if anything goes wrong you are our priority call and
you don’t have to deal with a manufacturer. You only have to deal with
us.  Usually the labor to replace a faulty part is at least as much as the
part itself.   That’s what a 10 year labor warranty means for you.
 
If you want to find a bid from a company that can match
these items ( I suggest [redacted] ) even though you are outside the 14 day
window we normally allow for these, we may consider it.    In
the end I want you to be a satisfied customer, not just with the operation of
the equipment but with your entire experience with our company.  
Please review these documents and let me know when a good time to talk would
be.
 
 
Thank you,
 
David S[redacted]
 
 CEO
From: David S[redacted]
Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2015 3:44 PM
To: 'B. Z[redacted]' <[redacted]@yahoo.com>
Cc: Markus A[redacted] <[redacted]@whippleplumbing.com>
Subject: RE: AC install
 
Mr. & Mrs. Z[redacted],
 
I will do my best to address your concerns.  We have been
in business since 1947.  We are a longstanding company with a reputation
for taking care of our clients.   We aren’t planning on going out of
business anytime soon.    If Markus told you we would honor a
quote outside of 14 days then that is what we will do however the sooner you
get that to us the better.  Let’s say by  Wednesday August 5th.  
I apologize for your experience with Devin.  He was let go specifically
because of this type of issue ( not getting back to customers).
 
As far as [redacted] warranty being only one year, that is
explicitly stated on the actual bid you provided to us.  Under proposal
agreement, Item 2 states: “All equipment, material, and labor furnished by us
will bear our one year warranty from the date of installation against defects
in workmanship and material.”  We can only except formal bids from another
company.  If he will update his bid on his company letter head to include
the 10 years of Labor  warranty I can accept it but not a forwarded email.
 
In our experience most brands of HVAC equipment are very
similar.  Everyone will have bad things to say about  one brand while
touting their brand of choice.  We have found that the installation of
equipment is more important to the long term life of it that the actual
equipment itself.  The most important day in life of your HVAC equipment
is the day it’s installed.  That being said, there was a time in the late
2000’s where Goodman had some issues with some of their products.   I
believe those issues to be fully rectified and am excited about the future of
Goodman.  Especially since they were acquired by Daikin ( the world’s
largest HVAC manufacturer) in 2012.  If I didn’t believe that
Goodman/Amana wasn’t a solid product we would not sell it.  Especially with
the labor warranty we offer matching the equipment warranty it wouldn’t make
financial sense to install something I think is going to break.
 
             
Here is a website detailing information on the filter we installed for
you.  http://www.micropowerguard.com/ 
This is a premium electrostatic air cleaner. I use one in my home.  I’m
sorry that Markus forgot to mention that your bid needed to include
financing.  This is necessary because in the world of unsecured lending
(i.e. there is no collateral on the loan, your furnace can’t be repossessed
like a car would) credit is expensive and we pay those costs.  The fees we
incur to provide you financing options range from 2.5% to 20% of the total
ticket depending on what rates and terms we offer.  That’s why the invoice
you saw had an “adjustment” to it.  The finance company took their fee
before they funded us.  Your loan package from Synchrony cost us 6% of
your invoiced amount.   That is a significant part of the profit
margin of a job and is factored in to pricing.  That is why we ask for it
on a competing quote.
 
The service level you received included the time and effort of 4
drug tested, background checked HVAC professionals.  They got you up and
running again that night.  You weren’t booked out two weeks for an install
that took 2 days to finish.  Our techs, comfort advisors and installers
are highly compensated. We have to pay the best to keep the best. Part of our
equipment cost was an afterhours fee from our distributor.  Furthermore
this happened for you in the middle of peak demand season. 
  All of these things demand a premium and effect the prices that we
charge.  The seasonality of this business is why we generally don’t look
competing bids after 14 days.  We offer better discounts during slow
times.  Most companies do the same. 
 
Besides what I sent you in your last email I cannot provide you
a more detailed invoice. We do not break out parts versus labor in this
company.  We provide an upfront inclusive price before work begins.
 Taking out the system for a full refund is not an option at this
time.  Our 100% satisfaction guarantee states that you will be satisfied
with the  operation of your equipment.  Specifically. As long as your
equipment is operating to spec and cooling your home which you have stated it
has, then this guarantee has no bearing on this situation.  Furthermore,
 the signed contract states that “ Owner further acknowledges that he/she has
been informed that there may be  other service providers willing to
perform this work at a lower price than Whipple Service Champion’s price,
therefore Whipple Service Champions price may be more expensive and Owner
understands that he/she has the option of seeking other bids before authorizing
this work.  I’m not trying to play hard ball here, I just want you to be
aware of the agreement that you signed and what your remedies are.  That
being said, I’m prepared to offer you 10% off of what you already paid.  
I will refund $[redacted] to synchrony bank as a gesture of good will to put this to
bed.  If you find this acceptable   please let me know by the
end of the week.  Otherwise please have an apples to apples comparison
available by August 5th.
 
Thank you,
 
David S[redacted]
 
 
From: B. Z[redacted] [mailto:[redacted]@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2015 6:24 PM
To: David S[redacted] <[redacted]@whippleplumbing.com>
Subject: Re: AC install
 
David,
 
          You stated
that often companies do not stay in business long enough to honor warranties.
How do we know that you will still be in business in 10 years to offer that
kind of warranty as well, what kind of insurance do you offer that you will not
go out of business? What guarantee can you provide us along with your response?
Also Markus your GM stated that even though it has been past the 14 days that
if I could get a quote that met the criteria that you guys would still honor
it, now your saying you’ll consider it how does taking back what your GM
promised make you guys a reputable company. How does your statement
guarantee Whipple’s 100% satisfaction?
 
I already had this problem with Devin your client care supervisor
that ended up being fired and never getting back to me and passing on my
concerns. I’m not sure where you got the information that [redacted] was only
offering a 1 year labor warranty an email was forwarded to Markus from the
technician that gave me the quote stating that it was a 10 year labor as well.
I am also inquiring about the service level as well as the filtration system,
so once I have that information I will pass it along.
 
The documents you attached to the previous email, why weren’t they
provided to us during our initial purchase and interaction with your
technicians? Also after researching the unit you installed in our home we have
increased concerns about its functionality.  Goodman has not made a good
name for over the years for their units and has received poor consumer
reviews.  If we had of known the unit a Goodman you were installing in our
home we would have never went with Whipple. There was not much detail provided
to us overall in the products being installed in our home.  On top of that
the service that we supposedly paid for was vaguely explained and the cost for
the service was never mentioned during the payment process. How is this 100%
satisfaction guarantee when there are so many flaws in your system? Yes we may
have been satisfied during the initial process, but didn’t realize how much
information was not being shared with us.  I am afraid if we would have
not called with questions, we would have never found out how much information
was not released to us. Please help us understand without telling us the same
thing over and over again that does not answer the questions we are asking.
 
In regards to the filter how do I know that the one provided to me
is electrostatic and what does that mean? I don’t have any paper work stating
the type of filter nor is it stated on the box of filters provided to us. Where
are you getting your information? This is the first I am hearing that they need
to offer financing as well that was not listed as criteria from Markus and I’m
not sure why that should affect my pricing.
I have also inquired to a few more companies for quotes so I am
waiting on that to pass along as well. In addition from the first call I made
to Whipple I requested a detailed line by line item break down of the charges
we incurred for the Whipple service and Air Conditioner installed.  After
speaking to Markus today my husband informed me that Markus would be providing
the invoice to us.  Why are we having such difficulty with a simple
request of a detailed invoice? Why is it when we get a quote that you ask us to
do and you come back with discrepancies that were not initially mentioned when
you asked us to request quotes. All of this back and forth could have been
avoided if we were just provided a detailed invoice. Then a copy could have
been provided to other companies for quotes that would be comparable in price
to Whipple’s.   We are in the process of getting a more apples to
apples quotes to compare to your cost that we paid, but in the meantime we
would greatly appreciate it if you could provide us a line by line item price
invoice. If you cannot provide that to us we will need to take steps towards
removing the unit from out home entirely and a refund issued.
 
Thank you,
Jeff and Brittany Z[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
 
 
Jeff at the [redacted] Number is available to talk anytime, and Brittany
at the 801 number is available anytime between 12:30-1:30 or after 4.
 
 
Whipple Service Champions
[redacted]@whippleplumbing.com
| O | 801.355.4433
Ext 102 |   963 W Folsom Ave.  |  SLC, UT 84104

Thank you for bringing this concern to our attention. We appreciate having the opportunity to resolve the drain issue our client is still experiencing and apologize that it was not resolved in the timely manner when the issue 1st occurred. We have attempted to reach our client by phone to...

schedule a time for our Drain Dept. Field Manager to go out and meet with him and clear the problem drain. This service will be complimentary. Up to this point we have been unsuccessful in reaching our client.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: ok for starters the ONLY thing appreciated was the receipt of payment, the breakdown did not separate how much was for parts, and how much was labor, second the certified image doesn't even have an address on it saying shipped to. So them saying they sent a certified letter for the rebates isnt  right, it requires a signature. So if they sent it a couple times like they said you would think they would make contact when they got it back. It's been 2 months since they installed it and we are getting nothing but the runaround with everything, after being charged an extremely overinflated price for this. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

We regret having not given our clients the type of service that we are committed to and that they deserve.  Please accept our apology for the inconvenience and stress caused during the jetting procedure.  We feel that it is only fair to refund our clients the $546.00...

they paid for a drain service that did not resolve the issue they were experiencing. The paperwork for the refund has been submitted to our Accounting Dept. and will be mailed out to our client. They should receive the check in the next 3-5 business days. The  Diamond Club Membership will be canceled per our clients request, they will receive no further charges in regards to the membership.  Effective 12/28/15.

Thank you for bringing this concern to our attention. When our client called on 2/25/2016 to schedule an appointment for his furnace that wasn't working, he was advised that there would be a $69.50 diagnostic fee. On arrival at the home our technician preformed a...

Complete Furnace Diagnostic. His findings indicated that 1. High temperature limit had failed 2. Blower motor had leak in bearing seal. Our technician outlined several options for restoring heat to the home. He provided Two Repair Options. Option  A: Replace high temp limit & blower motor. Option B: Replace high temp limit.  As a Permanent Solution the technician gave the option of Replacing the Furnace with a more efficient model.  In our experience we have found that the Average typical life of a furnace's peak performance to  be 10-12 years.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]