We’re sorry this customer had this experience with our company and didn’t call us first to have the opportunity to speak with him/her directly to resolve this issue At [redacted] our goal is for the customers to be happy with all of the services we provide and if for some reason they are not we like to investigate the situation so we can strive to be a better company for our customersI would like him/her to call me, [redacted] directly at [redacted] to discuss
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/04/14) */
We are sorry to hear the Mrs. [redacted] was not satisfied with our services. Mrs. [redacted] references multiple points of contact with our service team, and we would appreciate the opportunity provide an accurate account of services that...
were provided to her by us from 10/06/2008 through 04/03/2014.
The first issue Mrs. [redacted] writes about is the installation of a water softener. On 10/06/2008 Mrs. [redacted] enlisted our services to install a water softener in her home. We did install the softener, and unfortunately the head on that water softener ended up malfunctioning. Mrs. [redacted] called us with the issue, and on 07/25/2009 we replaced the head on the water softener at no charge to Mrs. [redacted]. We cannot speak to the duration that the water softener was malfunctioning; however as soon as we were made aware of the issue we dispatched a licensed technician to rectify any issues. We were not out twice for the water softener, but did provide additional services to Mrs. [redacted] on 01/14/2008, that included installing a 40 gallon water heater.
The second issue is related to a service call requested by Mrs. [redacted] on 01/24/2014 for her furnace, it was blowing cold air. Our licensed technician determined that the thermo coupler needed replacement. In addition to replacing the malfunctioning part our licensed technician thoroughly cleaned the pilot assembly. The furnace was fully operational when we left. We cannot and will not comment on third party interpretations and opinions shared in this letter by Mrs. [redacted].
We regret that Mrs. [redacted] has elected to not continue to utilize us, or our fully licensed technicians for her plumbing, heating & air needs, she has been a valued customer for 6 years. We are interested resolving this complaint.
At Robert Bair Plumbing, Heating & Air we stand behind our work, and if a piece of equipment we install ends up malfunctioning, is deemed defective, or if a technician makes a mistake we own it, replace it, and make sure the customer is satisfied. We have done this for 40 years. We have built our business on integrity, and consider our customers family.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/04/14) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
It is not standing by your work to demand a $140 call out fee when identical symptoms reoccur for a repair and to state up front that you are confident the issue cannot be related to your previous repair. The simple fact that the identical issue returned and a different cause was identified by a separate licensed and trained technician (a cause that required NO repair to the furnace) is in fact a strong indicator that the original repair was not in fact needed. The technician did not clean the furnace entirely, but just a connecting tube (rinsed out in my sink) and in fact when asked if I should schedule regular cleaning told me that was not needed.
Yes, they fixed their first problem with the water softener, because they installed a defective softener that didn't work until the repair. I stated six months of uselessness from it, their records show it was even longer. For this failed repair they were willing to do zero unless handed $140. That is not standing by your work. That is leaving someone in the cold and encouraging their valued customer to find out they have been cheated.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2014/04/24) */
We do not charge a $140 call out fee. We do ask for a trip charge that is based on mileage from our shop to the customer's residence to cover the cost of a fully licensed technician and stocked repair truck to come out. Our fee would not have been more than $87, and this trip charge is waived on calls that need a return trip. Our staff is trained to not make judgments about work that a licensed technician needs to evaluate. It is unlikely that someone in our office would make statements over the phone about repairs they cannot see.
Unfortunately the customer did not give us a chance to return; the customer called someone else to follow up. The customer's entire case is based on third party insinuations provided by another technician who wants the business. The thermo coupler most definitely needed replacement; we made the repair with the customer's best interests in mind. We only stated that our licensed technician thoroughly cleaned the pilot assembly, not the furnace entirely. When our licensed technician left the furnace was operational and continued to function through one of the most severe winters the area has seen in years. Sometimes there can be multiple issues effecting malfunctioning equipment, and resolution evolves through process. If in fact there was an issue with the down draft it was a contributing factor, not the sole cause of the customer's original issue. This is evident because as stated, the furnace worked, without issue for 2 months until the pilot light went out, and after relighting the pilot the furnace resumed working without needing additional repairs or adjustments made to the work done by our licensed technician. We stand by our repair; we do not feel that a refund for the thermo coupler work is warranted, however in the interest of resolution we would like to offer to reimburse the customer the $60 paid to have the pilot re-lit.
The water softener was operational and functioning properly the day we installed it. The exact day the softener head failed cannot be determined.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2014/04/24) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I was very clearly told there would be a $140 fee for someone to come to my home that evening. I was told this more than once during the phone call. I even told the person I was speaking to that I wanted them to call a manager and call me back since this was a return visit on a previous repair where the same symptoms were back identical to before the repair was being done and I could not personally believe that they would insist on a $140 fee before committing to come out to my home. The technician phoned me back and said he had spoken to his manager, and that he would have to charge me the fee. And yes, he did state that he was very certain that the previous technician had not made an error, but that the 'fee' would be absorbed by the costs of whatever repair was needed now, but that the minimum cost would have to be $140 (if the needed repair was less than $140, I would pay $140, if it was more, than the 140 would be waived and only the repair cost charged). Without coming and seeing I was assured that the part was almost definitely not broken (the work itself wouldn't be warrantied, only the part) and that the previous technician had repaired the right thing. I was assured it would almost certainly turn out to be something brand new that was wrong that just happened to have the EXACT same symptoms. THAT is why I did not give them the chance to come back to my home. They refused to consider coming to my home to evaluate the work they had done unless paid $140. Their assurance that the thermocoupler needed to be replaced is backed by nothing but their word, which is the same word that says they don't charge $140 for someone to come to my home. The thing that ticked me off didn't happen? Please. I have a new thermocoupler, yes. But I almost certainly only needed a pilot light relit and someone to point out that the roof repair I was waiting on until the weather would permit it was causing the pilot light to go out. I do not think they should be able to claim they do not charge a $140 fee when my entire argument with them on the phone, and my reason for having them call a manager and verify that, was because that cost was SO high. I am clearly willing to pay a reasonable cost for someone to come to my home. I was not willing to pay a ridiculous cost, especially for a return call on the same issue. And in particular, not after having had to have them come out multiple times on a past issue. Multiple visits as a trend is a bad thing. Having them insist on charging me a fee for them to come twice was insane. It was a cold night. My choice was pay us $140 to look over the work we did before, but we are already telling you, it probably isn't anything we did wrong, but the $140 will be applied to whatever repair we need to do now. OR, option 2, freeze all night, and we'll come out tomorrow. Never mind that you paid us to repair this furnace before, and the symptoms are identical to what happened before. Either agree to $140 for us to come out tonight or wait and be cold. It might be our fault, but if it is, that would be a bad part, and the part we will warranty, but not our labor. And so on. I spent a lot of time arguing with their person. They were insistent. They're refusal to support their work in a reasonable customer service friendly way was why I had to call someone else. And why I sat in a cold house for hours while I found someone trustworthy to have in my home looking at the issue. They are willing to pay for that technician? That's hardly the extent of my damage from their bad service. Oh, and I shouldn't trust the trained and licensed technician I hired in their place because he is lying to get my business? The $59 fee for coming out? Because I was charged nothing else, and will be charged nothing else. He even offered to come out a second time free of charge if the pilot went out again before the roof repair that should correct the back draft. Yes, that is someone who I can't trust. He was willing to stand behind his work. He was unwilling to assert something he could not PROVE since the original part was taken by the technician (so who can say if it needed replacing or not now). He gave a fair assessment of the situation, and was fair to Bair as well. He earned his 'call out fee' or whatever you want to call it. Bair can claim they don't have a call out fee, but they did for me when I called them, and refused to even consider waiving it. The furnace worked for 2 months after the thermo coupler was replaced. But that is not proof that the thermo coupler NEEDED to be replaced. It is proof the down draft didn't happen during that time, probably due to snow on the roof. They acted in bad faith when they insisted on a $140 fee to come to my home to look at the repair they had previously done. The minimum they should return to me is $140. They made me feel awful, and created a stressful evening for me that didn't need to be stressful. I should have been able to call my reliable service provider, and had them come out to check their work without multiple phone calls and arguments, and insistence that it couldn't be their problem before anyone had seen anything. Instead, I got arguments and insistence on a fee, and then time spent finding someone else. And now, them claiming that was never the case!
We’re sorry this customer had this experience with our company and didn’t call us first to have the opportunity to speak with him/her directly to resolve this issue. At [redacted] our goal is for the customers to be happy with all of the services we provide and if for some...
reason they are not we like to investigate the situation so we can strive to be a better company for our customers. I would like him/her to call me, [redacted] directly at [redacted] to discuss.
We’re sorry this customer had this experience with our company and didn’t call us first to have the opportunity to speak with him/her directly to resolve this issue At [redacted] our goal is for the customers to be happy with all of the services we provide and if for some reason they are not we like to investigate the situation so we can strive to be a better company for our customersI would like him/her to call me, [redacted] directly at [redacted] to discuss
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/04/14) */
We are sorry to hear the Mrs. [redacted] was not satisfied with our services. Mrs. [redacted] references multiple points of contact with our service team, and we would appreciate the opportunity provide an accurate account of services that...
were provided to her by us from 10/06/2008 through 04/03/2014.
The first issue Mrs. [redacted] writes about is the installation of a water softener. On 10/06/2008 Mrs. [redacted] enlisted our services to install a water softener in her home. We did install the softener, and unfortunately the head on that water softener ended up malfunctioning. Mrs. [redacted] called us with the issue, and on 07/25/2009 we replaced the head on the water softener at no charge to Mrs. [redacted]. We cannot speak to the duration that the water softener was malfunctioning; however as soon as we were made aware of the issue we dispatched a licensed technician to rectify any issues. We were not out twice for the water softener, but did provide additional services to Mrs. [redacted] on 01/14/2008, that included installing a 40 gallon water heater.
The second issue is related to a service call requested by Mrs. [redacted] on 01/24/2014 for her furnace, it was blowing cold air. Our licensed technician determined that the thermo coupler needed replacement. In addition to replacing the malfunctioning part our licensed technician thoroughly cleaned the pilot assembly. The furnace was fully operational when we left. We cannot and will not comment on third party interpretations and opinions shared in this letter by Mrs. [redacted].
We regret that Mrs. [redacted] has elected to not continue to utilize us, or our fully licensed technicians for her plumbing, heating & air needs, she has been a valued customer for 6 years. We are interested resolving this complaint.
At Robert Bair Plumbing, Heating & Air we stand behind our work, and if a piece of equipment we install ends up malfunctioning, is deemed defective, or if a technician makes a mistake we own it, replace it, and make sure the customer is satisfied. We have done this for 40 years. We have built our business on integrity, and consider our customers family.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/04/14) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
It is not standing by your work to demand a $140 call out fee when identical symptoms reoccur for a repair and to state up front that you are confident the issue cannot be related to your previous repair. The simple fact that the identical issue returned and a different cause was identified by a separate licensed and trained technician (a cause that required NO repair to the furnace) is in fact a strong indicator that the original repair was not in fact needed. The technician did not clean the furnace entirely, but just a connecting tube (rinsed out in my sink) and in fact when asked if I should schedule regular cleaning told me that was not needed.
Yes, they fixed their first problem with the water softener, because they installed a defective softener that didn't work until the repair. I stated six months of uselessness from it, their records show it was even longer. For this failed repair they were willing to do zero unless handed $140. That is not standing by your work. That is leaving someone in the cold and encouraging their valued customer to find out they have been cheated.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2014/04/24) */
We do not charge a $140 call out fee. We do ask for a trip charge that is based on mileage from our shop to the customer's residence to cover the cost of a fully licensed technician and stocked repair truck to come out. Our fee would not have been more than $87, and this trip charge is waived on calls that need a return trip. Our staff is trained to not make judgments about work that a licensed technician needs to evaluate. It is unlikely that someone in our office would make statements over the phone about repairs they cannot see.
Unfortunately the customer did not give us a chance to return; the customer called someone else to follow up. The customer's entire case is based on third party insinuations provided by another technician who wants the business. The thermo coupler most definitely needed replacement; we made the repair with the customer's best interests in mind. We only stated that our licensed technician thoroughly cleaned the pilot assembly, not the furnace entirely. When our licensed technician left the furnace was operational and continued to function through one of the most severe winters the area has seen in years. Sometimes there can be multiple issues effecting malfunctioning equipment, and resolution evolves through process. If in fact there was an issue with the down draft it was a contributing factor, not the sole cause of the customer's original issue. This is evident because as stated, the furnace worked, without issue for 2 months until the pilot light went out, and after relighting the pilot the furnace resumed working without needing additional repairs or adjustments made to the work done by our licensed technician. We stand by our repair; we do not feel that a refund for the thermo coupler work is warranted, however in the interest of resolution we would like to offer to reimburse the customer the $60 paid to have the pilot re-lit.
The water softener was operational and functioning properly the day we installed it. The exact day the softener head failed cannot be determined.
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2014/04/24) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I was very clearly told there would be a $140 fee for someone to come to my home that evening. I was told this more than once during the phone call. I even told the person I was speaking to that I wanted them to call a manager and call me back since this was a return visit on a previous repair where the same symptoms were back identical to before the repair was being done and I could not personally believe that they would insist on a $140 fee before committing to come out to my home. The technician phoned me back and said he had spoken to his manager, and that he would have to charge me the fee. And yes, he did state that he was very certain that the previous technician had not made an error, but that the 'fee' would be absorbed by the costs of whatever repair was needed now, but that the minimum cost would have to be $140 (if the needed repair was less than $140, I would pay $140, if it was more, than the 140 would be waived and only the repair cost charged). Without coming and seeing I was assured that the part was almost definitely not broken (the work itself wouldn't be warrantied, only the part) and that the previous technician had repaired the right thing. I was assured it would almost certainly turn out to be something brand new that was wrong that just happened to have the EXACT same symptoms. THAT is why I did not give them the chance to come back to my home. They refused to consider coming to my home to evaluate the work they had done unless paid $140. Their assurance that the thermocoupler needed to be replaced is backed by nothing but their word, which is the same word that says they don't charge $140 for someone to come to my home. The thing that ticked me off didn't happen? Please. I have a new thermocoupler, yes. But I almost certainly only needed a pilot light relit and someone to point out that the roof repair I was waiting on until the weather would permit it was causing the pilot light to go out. I do not think they should be able to claim they do not charge a $140 fee when my entire argument with them on the phone, and my reason for having them call a manager and verify that, was because that cost was SO high. I am clearly willing to pay a reasonable cost for someone to come to my home. I was not willing to pay a ridiculous cost, especially for a return call on the same issue. And in particular, not after having had to have them come out multiple times on a past issue. Multiple visits as a trend is a bad thing. Having them insist on charging me a fee for them to come twice was insane. It was a cold night. My choice was pay us $140 to look over the work we did before, but we are already telling you, it probably isn't anything we did wrong, but the $140 will be applied to whatever repair we need to do now. OR, option 2, freeze all night, and we'll come out tomorrow. Never mind that you paid us to repair this furnace before, and the symptoms are identical to what happened before. Either agree to $140 for us to come out tonight or wait and be cold. It might be our fault, but if it is, that would be a bad part, and the part we will warranty, but not our labor. And so on. I spent a lot of time arguing with their person. They were insistent. They're refusal to support their work in a reasonable customer service friendly way was why I had to call someone else. And why I sat in a cold house for hours while I found someone trustworthy to have in my home looking at the issue. They are willing to pay for that technician? That's hardly the extent of my damage from their bad service. Oh, and I shouldn't trust the trained and licensed technician I hired in their place because he is lying to get my business? The $59 fee for coming out? Because I was charged nothing else, and will be charged nothing else. He even offered to come out a second time free of charge if the pilot went out again before the roof repair that should correct the back draft. Yes, that is someone who I can't trust. He was willing to stand behind his work. He was unwilling to assert something he could not PROVE since the original part was taken by the technician (so who can say if it needed replacing or not now). He gave a fair assessment of the situation, and was fair to Bair as well. He earned his 'call out fee' or whatever you want to call it. Bair can claim they don't have a call out fee, but they did for me when I called them, and refused to even consider waiving it. The furnace worked for 2 months after the thermo coupler was replaced. But that is not proof that the thermo coupler NEEDED to be replaced. It is proof the down draft didn't happen during that time, probably due to snow on the roof. They acted in bad faith when they insisted on a $140 fee to come to my home to look at the repair they had previously done. The minimum they should return to me is $140. They made me feel awful, and created a stressful evening for me that didn't need to be stressful. I should have been able to call my reliable service provider, and had them come out to check their work without multiple phone calls and arguments, and insistence that it couldn't be their problem before anyone had seen anything. Instead, I got arguments and insistence on a fee, and then time spent finding someone else. And now, them claiming that was never the case!
We’re sorry this customer had this experience with our company and didn’t call us first to have the opportunity to speak with him/her directly to resolve this issue. At [redacted] our goal is for the customers to be happy with all of the services we provide and if for some...
reason they are not we like to investigate the situation so we can strive to be a better company for our customers. I would like him/her to call me, [redacted] directly at [redacted] to discuss.