ARO Plumbing & Heating

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because:From: [redacted] **Edmonton, AB T6H 2R1Re: ID [redacted] Dear [redacted] ,Thank you for your time in investigating my complaintI have read the letter from ARO Plumbing &Heating Incand it angers me that they have sent a form letter that they use for all dissatisfied customersThere is no letter head and the fact there is no signature from whoever sent it tells me that this company does not take responsibility for their technicians who take no accountability for their billing proceduresAs stated in my original letter I tried to contact the technician several times and he refused to answer my callsI am still left not knowing what I paid for with my $The technician was in my house for less than hour to service my furnace and make sure it was safe for operation during the winter months, plus show me how to change my humidifier's filter (which he did not do)He replaced a part in the furnace but was unable to tell me about a broken part that fell out of the furnace when the backing was removed.No I am not satisfied with this response to my complaintAm I surprised about this response; noThis is a big corporation with services in Calgary, Red Deer, and Edmonton that operate under the name of NEED —A-PLUMBER and the person who sent this letter does not care if the customers are satisfiedThey were more concerned about my age as a senior in order to give me my 10% senior's discountAs a year old I think I qualify as a seniorDo I have to send them a copy of my driver's license to proof my age?I don't understand the last paragraph, are they going to send me a refund for the senior's discount or do I contact them? Will I ever know what I paid for, probably not but I would like the senior's discount.Again thank you for your time in investigating my complaint.Sincerely,If I get satisfied service I tell my friendsIf I get poor service I tell everybody! Sincerely, [redacted]

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 11, 2016/04/24) */ Good afternoon ***, After reviewing the comments that were forwarded to us, we have searched our customer database and cannot find any record of this customer in our system As always, if you have any questions please feel free to contact our office and just ask for me Thanks,

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because:I called the company three times and left messages regarding this invoice and did not receive a call back The appointment was cancelled because after still having problems with outdoor faucet (turn handle broken) and also toilet, she consulted with family Deciding that a Sunday appointment would probably cost double and had already spent over $and was not satisfied with results Sincerely, [redacted] ***

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 18, 2015/09/12) */ Good afternoon, It appears that this customer has concerns in relation to the work that was performed at their residenceWe always strive to make sure our customers are satisfied with the services that our company providesWe would like to make an arrangement with this customer to have our company visit their home to review and discuss the work and charges related to their invoice If the customer could contact our office (780- [redacted] ) to schedule an appointment, we will arrange a time that works best for the customer's scheduleIf the customer wishes, they can ask for me directly - my name is Jennifer Thanks, Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 20, 2015/09/16) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) per WEB Revdex.com dated 9/12/as received reply from A.R.O Plumbing & Heating: As a complainant(consumer), Jennifer of A.R.O would like me to call her at 780- [redacted] to make an appointment for someone from the company visit my place in order to review and discuss the work and charges related to the Work Invoice *** Made an appointment on Tue, Sep 22/between 9-AM Final Consumer Response / [redacted] (2000, 25, 2015/09/23) */ Alex, Operations Mgrof Need a Plumber (A.R.OPlumbing & Heating) had dropped-off in our place yesterday morning Inspected the plumbing work done on June 2015; we discussed and he agreed that the plumbing charge was high We negotiated and settled for a credit of $lower that what I was asking As he is not authorized to send directly the credit into my credit card, he let me signed for the $credit agreement; for the office person to send an authorization form for me to sign This morning Jennifer of A.R.Ophoned and told me that she is sending the credit authorization form for me to sign; thereafter for A.R.Oto deposit a credit into my credit card once I receive and send it back

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 11, 2016/04/18) */ [redacted] Thank you for sending us this customer's commentsWe appreciate your assistance in addressing this customer's concerns After speaking with the technician who was onsite with this customer, our technician confirmed that he walked this customer through her appointment step by step Our technician made sure to explain the recommended work and costs up front before proceeding, and all pricing and work is exactly as listed on the invoiceThe customer confirmed the information on the invoice, signing and acknowledging that she was satisfied with the work that our technician performed and that she agreed with the amount of the invoice The customer was only charged for the tasks that our technician performed, and all tasks were performed exactly as described on the customer's invoice With that being said, our customers are very important to us, and it is clear from these comments that this customer is not satisfied with her experience with our company If the customer would like, we can send one of our staff members out to review the work performed and discuss the invoice with the customerJust have her contact our office and we will gladly arrange the appointment for her Thank you again for your assistance in this matter Best, [redacted] Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 13, 2016/04/28) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) [redacted] NO COST ESTIMATE was provided by A.R.O., either for the original requested work or for the additional work, prior to proceeding with the workThe only indication of cost provided was when the invoice was presented We agree that the customer was only charged for the tasks that the technician performed, and all tasks were performed exactly as described on the customer's invoiceWe are disputing the costs to do this workThe total amount invoiced is $($for the service call and $for the work (assuming materials and labor?) for man hours of workA qualified 3rd party estimate indicates that the materials would cost $If that were the case the A.R.Olabor costs would equate to $806.42/HrWe are demanding an explanation of these costs and A.R.O.'s hourly rateWe are demanding that A.R.Oprovide their pricing policyIf A.R.Oprovides services through packaged pricing we are demanding a breakdown of the pricing structure for the various service packages they offerSurely each A.R.O technician does not make all this up for each service call? We are demanding that the difference between the 3rd party estimate and the amount billed by A.R.Obe refunded The Edmonton and Calgary head office or A.R.Orepresentative have been contacted at least times since March 15th to get an explanation of the invoice and A.R.O.'s rates or pricing policyThe A.R.Orepresentative responding to this B.B.Bclaim merely takes a message to have someone call backA.R.Ohas called back twice - one call was returned by A.R.Othat was not audible and another call left a voice message with no call back numberAll subsequent calls to that person to the number on call display (at least 5) have not been returnedWe have provided A.R.Owith messages indicating the best times of day to discuss this issue with no calls returnedIt appears A.R.Ois refusing to cooperate in resolving this issue We would be willing to meet with the vendorWe are asking the vendor to provide a price breakdown of each item of work listed on the invoice, based on an hourly rate or the pricing packages they offer, as well as their pricing policy We are requesting the meeting for Friday May 6th any time between 8:AM to 11:AM at the residence of [redacted] Final Business Response / [redacted] (4000, 22, 2016/05/25) */ [redacted] Thank you for your inquiry Yes, our company has met with this customer and have arrived at an agreement that has resolved the issue at hand Best, Final Consumer Response / [redacted] (2000, 24, 2016/06/01) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

Complaint: I am rejecting this response because: In response to the reply “We have also mentioned that if this customer, or any of our customers, have any issue with work that our company has performed, our customer would simply call our office and we can arrange for a technician to visit their home on a date and time that work best for this customer’s schedule” we called your office three times over the course of business days in hopes of getting an explanation of the labor and parts for the invoice, our calls were never returned.To summarize & clarify what we feel is complete incompetence on the part of the technician: He arrived and explained [redacted] [redacted] that he had replaced the seal ( a $seal) on the first outdoor faucet, for which he charged $He moved on to the second outdoor faucet and did nothing to repair it, in fact he broke the activation handle and left it leaking advising the home owner that he'd have to cut a hole in ceiling to replace the leaking valve, for this he charged another $ [redacted] [redacted] In the simplest of terms a trained technician should have been able to perform the same service in a one hour time frame, even with a dramatic markup on the $parts of 100% the invoice should never have exceeded $for this portion of the service call.We are disputing the $the technician charged for attempting the repair of the 2nd valve and request a complete refund of this amount Sincerely, [redacted] ***

Good afternoon ***, Thank you for sending us this customer’s comments We have reviewed both the customer’s comments and their work order invoices, as well as spoken with the technician who was at the customer’s property As with many of homes that we visit, this customer’s home had a number of plumbing issues that they required assistance withOn his initial visit, our technician arrived and was able to identify a few problems which he rectified for the customer, as outlined on the invoice (Work Order #***) On a subsequent visit, our technician was able to rectify additional, unrelated plumbing issues that this customer was experiencing, which is described on the customer’s invoice (Work Order #***) We have included a copy of the customer’s work order invoices for your review It is clear from reviewing the tasks listed on each invoice that the work performed at the customer’s first appointment was unrelated to that of the second appointmentEvery home contains a variety of different systems running through them, and as such, it is not uncommon for a home to experience multiple issues We do appreciate this customer’s comments, and we would encourage this customer to contact our office if they have any further concerns Regards,

Good afternoon ***, I appreciate you sending me this customer's comments As you are aware, our company strives to provide the best service possible to each of our customers In addition to providing service during regular work hours, our company work after hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, in an effort to accommodate our customers' schedules At any time prior to our technician arriving, a customer, if they so wish, can reschedule with our office for a time that is more convenientApproximately twenty minutes prior to our technician arriving, one of our appointment controllers will always contact the customer to let them know our technician is on his way After arriving, our technicians always let the customers know their options and pricing up frontOur technicians will only proceed with the work that the customer wants after they receive the customer's approvalAll of the work performed by our technicians is charged exactly as described on the invoice and discussed with the customerOn her invoice, the customer signed and acknowledged that all of the work that was described on the invoice was complete, and that she was satisfied with the work and its price The technician who performed the work for this customer has been with our company for many yearsOur company has received numerous compliments from customers regarding this technician's professionality and friendly demeanor As our technician explained to the customer, all parts that we both supply and install come with a one year parts and labour warranty through our companyAlthough most of our customers prefer our company to supply the materials in order to receive this warranty, any of our customers have the option to supply their own products if they so chooseHowever, our technicians always let the customer know their options up front so that they can make an informed decision Our Operations Manager has spoken with this customer, as she mentioned in her comments, however we were not made aware that she was unsatisfied with the work performedAs with all of our customers, if this customer has any issues or concerns regarding the work that was performed at her home, we can arrange to have a technician out to assess the situationSimply have her contact our office and request an appointment and we will arrange a time that will work best for her Thanks,

Good afternoon Erica, Thank you for forwarding this customer’s commentsAs we mentioned previously, our technician made sure to explain all of the options and pricing to this customer up front in order to ensure that he only proceeded with the work that she felt comfortable withWe have also mentioned that if this customer, or any of our customers, have any issue with work that our company has performed, our customer would simply call our office and we can arrange for a technician to visit their home on a date and time that work best for this customer’s scheduleHaving said that, though our company followed all policies and procedures, it appears as though the customer or her third party were not satisfied with their experience with our companyWe do appreciate the value of all of our customers, and for this reason we would offer this customer a 10% discount from her original invoice, which would be in addition to the 10% that this customer has already received (see invoice)

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 9, 2015/11/25) */ Good afternoon, Thank you for sending us this customer's comments As with all of our customers, our technician ensured to explain all of the pricing and options to the customer up front before he proceeded with any workOur technician only proceeded with the work that the customer approved, and only charged for the tasks performedThe customer acknowledged on their invoice that they were satisfied with both the work performed as well as the price of the invoice Having been in the industry for over twenty years, our company appreciates the value of all of our customersFor this reason, we are willing to offer this customer a refund of 10% off of the original invoice Please contact our office and we will be happy to process your credit Thanks, Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 11, 2015/12/07) */ [redacted] I do not accept comments tendered as stated in the ARO customer form letterAs pointed out in my original complaint, specific methodologies were conveyed to the serviceman at the onset which were ignoredWhy? No "pricing" was conveyed at anytime before the aggressive, unwanted work proceededMy signature signified that work was completed, but not what I demanded upon serviceman arrivalI have NO knowledge to this day what the firm charges for work - verbally nor documentedIs this an example of a forthright, honest company policy? A fair charge for work performed in the time consumed is as stated on the complaint form [redacted] Final Business Response / [redacted] (4000, 13, 2015/12/18) */ [redacted] Here at A.R.OPlumbing & Heating, we appreciate all of our customers and any comments they may have regarding their experience with our company In order to provide our customers with the best experience possible, our technicians always ensure to discuss the available options and prices with the customer before proceeding with any workAs with most other companies in the service plumbing industry, our company's prices are charged according to the tasks performed, which are described exactly as performed on the customer's invoice Although our technician followed all of the proper procedures and policies during this appointment, it appears as though this customer may not have had a satisfactory experience with our companyOur company has been serving Albertans for over twenty years and we truly appreciate the value of all of our customers, which is why our company is still willing to offer this customer a refund of 10% from his original invoice Please have the customer contact our office and we will begin to process his credit immediately Thanks, Final Consumer Response / [redacted] (4200, 15, 2016/01/04) */ Dec 23/ [redacted] With regards to the reply by ARO, I categorically refute comments tendered by the company and stand by my comments as previously documentedI will not accept ARO's contention that the workman followed directed procedures nor will I accept the offending offer of 10%Why would I remove a valve that would cut off water to the entire house? Why replace a perfectly good frig line? Why was there conflict in acquiring a seniors discount it it is a company policy by a well trained serviceman? As I indicated in my ORIGINAL complaint document, there is a complete distortion of the facts in the matter [redacted]

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 11, 2016/01/20) */ I have spoken with [redacted] and he believes it was the fifth or sixth -he remembers that we had performed the work, the customer called, and we returned his call, all within twenty-four hoursThe customer was very understanding and we may work together in the future [redacted] couldn't remember anything specific that was worked out, but the customer was satisfied at the end of the conversation Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 13, 2016/01/21) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I was not contacted hours after my issue, it lasted for over a week, and then I was contacted and the person on the phone quickly said he had a meeting to get to once he realized it was a complaint and no longer a quote, I had no choice but to end the conversation before anything could be worked out, he did offer me 10% off my next work done by this company but I will never require services from them any more [redacted] Final Business Response / [redacted] (4000, 15, 2016/01/30) */ Good afternoon, I appreciate you forwarding these comments to me Our company has been serving Albertans for over twenty years now and we appreciate all of our customersWe always strive to provide quality service and customer care to all those who use our servicesIt appears that this customer may have been unsatisfied with their experience with our company; if this is the case, we sincerely apologizeIf you are ever in need of our services in the future, we have noted your discount in our company files and will apply it at your request Final Consumer Response / [redacted] (2000, 17, 2016/02/08) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) My complaint has been heard and addressed, however I am still extremely unsatisfied with their service [redacted] ***

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2016/02/24) */ Good afternoon, Thank you for sending me this customer's commentsI appreciate your time and assistance with this issue Before submitting our response, our office reviewed this customer's comments, as well as their invoice, and have spoken with the technician and the office staff involved, in order to get a full picture of what occurred during this appointment After booking an appointment with our office, our appointment controllers dispatched one of our technicians to the customer's home during their scheduled time slot Our technician spoke with the customer, informing them of the recommended work and pricing up frontAfter replacing one of the faulty parts, our technician attempted to locate the other replacement OEM part that was required for the furnace As is typically recommended by manufacturers, our company prefers to use OEM parts, which we source through manufacturers or their representativesWhile our technician and office staff experienced difficulties locating this OEM part, the customer chose to try and locate another company to find this OEM part insteadThe customer subsequently decided to proceed with a company who located a universal part that could conform to this application Neither our office nor our technician charged for any of the time or resources expended in attempting to locate the OEM part; our technician only charged for the tasks that were completed for the customer, exactly as listed on the customer's work order invoice Our operations manager has spoken with this customer, as the customer mentions in their comments, and explained that while sometimes OEM parts are difficult to locate, they are preferred by the manufacturerHowever, because we appreciate the value of all of our customers, our manager has offered this customer a credit of 10% from their original invoiceIf customer wishes to accept this 10% discount, please have him contact our office and we will process their credit Thanks, Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (2000, 7, 2016/03/01) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) I am amazed that the individual answering my complaint has actually not bothered to answer any of my concerns[redacted] Final Business Response / [redacted] (4000, 15, 2016/03/20) */ [redacted] I appreciate you notifying us that after its initial closure March 2nd, this case has since re-opened Our company does appreciate all of our customers and we value their feedback and input regarding their experience with our company As with all of our customers, this technician walked this customer through the process of the appointment, letting them know the recommended work and pricing up front After receiving the customer's authorization, our technician replaced one of the faulty parts, then attempted to locate the other replacement OEM part that was required for the furnaceAs we previously mentioned, our company prefers to use OEM parts (which is typically recommended by manufacturers), which we source through manufacturers and/or their representatives While our technician and office staff experienced difficulties locating this OEM part, the customer chose to try and locate another company to find this OEM part insteadThe customer subsequently decided to proceed with a company who located a universal part that could conform to this applicationAgain, neither our office nor our technician charged for any of the time or resources expended in attempting to locate the OEM part The only charges that the customer was billed were the charges for the tasks completed Although our technician followed all procedures and policies properly, it appears that this customer was not satisfied with their experience with our companyHaving been in this industry for many years, our company appreciates the value of all of our customers, and for this reason we would offer this customer a refund of 10% from their original invoice Thanks, Final Consumer Response / [redacted] (4200, 17, 2016/03/24) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FAULTY PART is an issueI offered a new part which he refused and the part he installed was not new but reconditioned ....there should be no charge THE RECOMMENDED WORK was being changed throughout his stay, always to something more expensive and as it turns out always to something I didn't needmy furnace has worked perfectly since he left [redacted] The tech said he could not find the parts required anywhere in Canada and bringing them from the factory could take weeks [redacted] I don't think my claim of refund is unreasonable

Good afternoon [redacted] , Thank you for forwarding this customer’s comments to usWe do apologize if this customer’s experience with our company was not to their satisfactionWe always strive to work with our customers to address any concerns they may haveAs per the customer’s desired resolution, we will process the 10% senior’s discount, which will be refunded in the same method that the original invoice was paidBest,

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: The only reason ARO was here was to correct a water leak as noted in the reply of Sept Again invoice did not correct the leakYou will note that I'm not asking for a refund for all of the amount of Invoice [redacted] only that potion of the imaginary number of plumbing issuesThe service call charge, the test charge and the access hole were done & paid for .The lifting of the toilet resetting it & replace a toilet shut valve did absolutely nothing to correct the leak .I did not give the go ahead with this portion of the noted invoice because the on site plumber started this only after he called his office for repair suggestions,I was not party to the conversation as the call was made from the service truckIt did seem rather strange that the over charge portion was given by ARO office site unseenI'm not a plumber but prior to removing the toilet the water in the bowl & toilet tank were at operating levels & had to be drained, you would think seeing this that the toilet was not a pluming issue[redacted] [redacted] Again invoice [redacted] did not correct the leak & the refund should be issued for the portion of the invoice that did not correct the leak or solve other plumbing issues,because there were no other plumbing issuesThe amount of the overcharge refund is indicated in the Aug& again Aug emails to ARO Sincerely, [redacted] ***