Astro Heating & Cooling

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.Many of the points Mr. Silverstein makes are correct. I purchased the upgraded remote and the price may very well be the difference of the two remotes. I have no way of knowing. Their service call is $96 and their reasoning behind this is their prerogative. They did send a technician to make sure the logs were installed properly at their expense. I did call to ask what the blinking red light was because I did not know. However, I still have differences. When I purchased the logs, I was told that the upgraded remote was a better option and that it would perform better than the unit that came with the logs. I was never told that the batteries on the receiver would need to be changed more than once a year. In fact, the word batteries never came up in the conversation with the salesman. If it had, I would certainly asked about other options simply due to the ongoing cost of replacing batteries that often. No one I know or have talked with about this who has gas logs has told me that they have to change their batteries this often.I still believe that this particular unit is defective and I still would like to have it replaced at Dixie's cost. I did not mean, in my original complaint, that I wanted indefinite service calls. What I meant was, that if I am forced to live with a unit that needs its batteries changed more than once a year, that Dixie cover the ones that are over the traditional once a year change. I have talked with enough people to now know that these batteries will likely need to be changed once a year (I wish I had known this at the time of purchase so that I could investigate other options.). It is the several times a year battery changes that I have a problem with. I believe it indicates the unit may be faulty and it is very costly, both in service calls and the cost of the batteries.
Regards,
[redacted]

Dear Ms [redacted] and the Revdex.com,I am the owner of Dixie Building Products and feel the need to respond personally to the complaint that has been filed.  I am quite proactive in my approach to customer service issues and can assure all concerned that any corrective...

measures needed will actually happen. That being said, l would like to share what I know and resolve this matter amicably.  I have been around long enough to know that there are always two sides to the story and that sometimes not all information is conveyed properly or fully understood. I also know that sometimes personalities don't mesh well. That's usually where I try to step in and bridge the gap.Let me start off by saying that I acknowledge that Ms. [redacted] purchased her gas log system from us and has contacted us three times with questions. I thank her kindly for her purchase as well as the opportunity to serve her. Now I need to clarify a few things.1 - Most gas log sets and gas fireplaces sold today do NOT include a remote control system.  My approach has always been to give the customer far more value for their money so we include some sort of remote control system with most of our gas units. At the time of her original purchase, we were including a model called the TLM from Ambient Technologies.  It has an extremely touch sensitive remote that is not always easy for some customers to use. As a result, we make it a po¡nt to show our customers all of their remote control options and allow them to choose. Ms. [redacted]chose the RCB from Ambient Technologies and the resulting $45 upgrade fee simply was the difference in my cost between the two units. The RCB is a truly simple and easy use remote control system that consists of two major components . . . a wireless, hand held remote and a radio receiver unit (black box) that is connected by wires to the log set in order to turn the log set on and off with the remote. Batteries are required for both components.  Batteries are provided by the manufacturer but we usually encourage customers to replace them with fresh alkaline batteries at their first opportunity.2 - Two of the phone calls made to my company by Ms. [redacted] centered around a light flashing on the black box. One of the truly wonderful features of all Ambient remote systems is the red light on the receiver box. It serves to tell the user when the batteries are actually gett¡ng weak and should be replaced. This information ¡s on the very first page of the owner's manual.  I have included a copy of the first page and highlíghted this information. Ambient recommends that "the batteries should be replaced at least once every six months or when the battery indicator flashes. My staff tellscustomers to change out the batteries AT LEAST once a year or when a battery light is blinking on the receiver (black box). lf there was any confusion over what we said with respect to batteries, then all I can do is apologize.  Batteries do not last forever and honestly, I change the batteries on my own fireplace remote system probably three times each year.  I purchase batteries in pack of 48 and ¡t is not unusual to find 6 to 10 of them to either be extremely weak or completely dead! And while it is not exactly the same situation, how long do batteries last in a flashlight?3 - Our normal service call fee is $96. I know that this figure differs slightly from what was stated in the complaint but I strive for accuracy.  While some may think this fee to be high or excessive, in reality it is quite fair and is based upon a number of factors that include the cost of sending out a service technician. Most customers don't realize the high cost of insurance coverage for anything that is gas related. If you then add in the cost of the vehicle, taxes, tools, diagnostic instruments, manpower, gasoline, etc. you would be surprised by the true cost of making a single visit to a customer'shome. We have kept our service rates the same for almost 9 years and simply do not have complaints about this price.4 - The first call made to us by Ms. [redacted] resulted in a free service visit to inspect the installation work and to assure her that the unit was installed properly. Normally, there would be a charge for such a visit but my technician chose not to charge her as a gesture of good will for her new purchase.5 - The complaint makes several statements about the lack of quality in our customer service, implies that we don't care and that we are simply try¡ng to make money on service calls. Unfonunately, this is where I believe a disconnect exists and why I mentioned that somet¡mes personatities simply do not "mesh".  We actually try to SAVE our customers from paying a service fee by attempting to help them diagnose and fix the most common issues that crop up with the products we sell. If we "just want to make money on extra service calls" (as stated in the complaint) then why would wetell Ms. [redacted] that the blinking light was indicating that she simply might want to change the batteries? (And thus save on any service call fees.)  As for the desîred settlement, I will gladly send my service technician free of charge to install batteries for Ms. [redacted] and verify that the remote control system is operating properly. Replacement of the entire remote system and then a promise of free service calls indefinitely is simply not reasonable or practical. I will also say that I truly apologize for any inconvenience or misunderstandings that Ms. [redacted] may have experienced. I never want to have a customer in the field who thínks poorly of us. My father founded my company in 1959. We have been in contínuous operat¡on for over57 years. I think that in itself speaks volumes about our reputation and approach towards our customers. That being said, I take every complaint or criticism to heart and will certainly speak with each member of my staff about the complaint filed by Ms. [redacted]. We actually DO care about being helpful and respectful towards all customers and stand behind everything we sell. I firmly believe that our 40+ years of being in good standing with the Revdex.com clearly indicates such an approach.I thank you for taking the time to read my response and look forward to a prompt and mutually acceptable resolution.Best regards,Mark SilversteinCEO - Dixie Building Products, lnc