Drucks Plumbing & Heating

We are very surprised and sorry to hear your negative comments. Due to the fact that we did not completely clear the line on Sunday, our plumbing manager contacted you Monday, 2/29/to discuss the sewer problem with you. We are unsure why you were short with the manager, when he was
trying to help you. All of our plumbers are licensed and have a minimum of years of experience. The particular master plumber who was out at your home on 2/has years of experience. He worked diligently on the sludged sewer drain for several hours. At that point, he made a decision that despite his effort, another method would be needed to remedy the sludged line. We did improve the flow, but did not completely clear the line. Apparently, we should have stuck with it for another ten minutes. In the end, our master plumber did not charge you for everything he did and suggested to have the line jetted. We have serviced the Fox Valley since 1947. We take great pride in the service we provide and treating people fairly. Since we received your written complaint, we have made several attempts to reach you. Unfortunately, we have not received any returned phone calls to date. We hope that you will return our telephone calls, and we can work out an amicable resolution

Mr. [redacted],
We provide our customers with options instead of choosing for them. That is why we advised you on what the possible failed components were according to the digital display on your water heater.  To clarify our statement from yesterday, if you consider all the facts and still believe that you do not owe the charges, we will make a one time adjustment of the charges in full to your account.  Thus meaning that we will apply an offsetting credit which result in a zero balance.  If you would like a statement mailed, let us know.
Drucks

Mr. [redacted],
It is disappointing to hear that you are unsatisfied; we take great pride in the service we have provided to our customers for the past 67 years.  We are also frustrated that so much time has passed since we spoke last on 3/31/14, because you stated you would call us back...

regarding your concerns, but never did.  According to our records, we received your request for service on 3/26/14 at 3:47PM.  You agreed to the daily service call fee at the time the call was booked.  We arrived the following afternoon, as agreed, to find the water heater at your rental property displaying an error code.  As our licensed plumber explained to you over the telephone that day, the error code narrowed the problem down to a couple of components.  Unfortunately the error code did not definitively indicate which component was the problem with certainty.  We provided pricing and availability of both components for your consideration.  You made the decision to procure one of the components and install it on your own.  Unfortunately, the component that you chose was not the problem.  The other contractor you hired, replaced the other component we advised you on previously.
The only cost we charged you was the service call fee that you agreed to when the service call was booked.  No diagnostic or troubleshooting fees were charged.  The cost you wrote in your complaint was the sum of the service call fee, sales tax, and finance charges for failure to pay.  If you consider all of the facts, and still think that you do not owe these charges, let us know and we will make a one time adjustment.  Again, we are sincerely disappointed that we were unable to satisfy you.
Drucks

10/9/14
Revdex.com Complaint/Drucks Response
Drucks,
The component I chose to install in the hot water heater is the component YOUR technician told me was the problem. I’m not the expert. If I was, I wouldn’t have called you to begin with. My decision was based off your recommendation. Apparently, there is no admission of a mistake. We all make mistakes, but we also need to accept responsibility for our actions. I will be willing to accept a credit in the amount owed on account#[redacted] reflecting a zero balance, providing a copy is mailed to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Review: On Sunday 2/28/16 I called because my sewer main was cloged. Guy came over and tried to auger the line. He didn't fix the problem but charged me $630.00, then said I needed to have it water jeted. I called another company, not only did I not need it water jetted, they came in with the exact same equipment and had the line cleared in ten minutes and charged me $168.50. So they charged me $630.00 for not fixing the problem, but not because it wasn't fixable but because their employee obviously did not have the knowledge or training to do so.Desired Settlement: Refund

Business

Response:

We are very surprised and sorry to hear your negative comments. Due to the fact that we did not completely clear the line on Sunday, our plumbing manager contacted you Monday, 2/29/16 to discuss the sewer problem with you. We are unsure why you were short with the manager, when he was trying to help you. All of our plumbers are licensed and have a minimum of 14 years of experience. The particular master plumber who was out at your home on 2/28 has 25 years of experience. He worked diligently on the sludged sewer drain for several hours. At that point, he made a decision that despite his effort, another method would be needed to remedy the sludged line. We did improve the flow, but did not completely clear the line. Apparently, we should have stuck with it for another ten minutes. In the end, our master plumber did not charge you for everything he did and suggested to have the line jetted. We have serviced the Fox Valley since 1947. We take great pride in the service we provide and treating people fairly. Since we received your written complaint, we have made several attempts to reach you. Unfortunately, we have not received any returned phone calls to date. We hope that you will return our telephone calls, and we can work out an amicable resolution.

Review: [redacted] To Whom it May Concern:

I recently received a bill from you (copy attached) that I thought was written off by your company. I contacted you by phone about this in early April. This is a bill I should not be liable for. Your company misdiagnosed the hot water heater problem, didn’t repair the unit and made a much bigger problem for me causing me to miss two days of work as I had to return from Milwaukee to address the problem. Yet you feel you should be paid? I disagree, as will any judge in Wisconsin. I hired you to fix the hot water heater. Not only did you not fix it, your technician told me it needed a pressure relief switch which was unavailable for 5 days in the local area. Relying on your technician’s misinformation I located the part in West Allis. I drove from Whitefish Bay clear across Milwaukee to West Allis to get a part I never needed to begin with. After installation of the new (wrong part) the hot water heater didn’t work. I paid $26.18 for a pressure relief switch I didn’t need. I then contacted [redacted] and within 20 minutes they diagnosed the problem as the blower motor and had the new part installed. In summary:

1. I hired you to fix the hot water heater which you didn’t.

2. You told me I needed a part that I didn’t actually need.

3. Your misdiagnosis of the problem caused me to miss two days of work.

4. I paid $26.18 for a part I didn’t need.

This is simple, your business is in the wrong and this bill needs to disappear. I need a response in writing stating that will be the case. If I don’t receive a response, I will first file a complaint with the Revdex.com, then will proceed to take you to small claims court. If I must take it to this level, it will be for the cost of the wrong part, forgiveness of your misguided bill plus 2 days lost wages on my end. This was sent certified mail in case you force my hand in this matter.

Sincerely,

[redacted]Desired Settlement: A 100% write off of bill

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted],

It is disappointing to hear that you are unsatisfied; we take great pride in the service we have provided to our customers for the past 67 years. We are also frustrated that so much time has passed since we spoke last on 3/31/14, because you stated you would call us back regarding your concerns, but never did. According to our records, we received your request for service on 3/26/14 at 3:47PM. You agreed to the daily service call fee at the time the call was booked. We arrived the following afternoon, as agreed, to find the water heater at your rental property displaying an error code. As our licensed plumber explained to you over the telephone that day, the error code narrowed the problem down to a couple of components. Unfortunately the error code did not definitively indicate which component was the problem with certainty. We provided pricing and availability of both components for your consideration. You made the decision to procure one of the components and install it on your own. Unfortunately, the component that you chose was not the problem. The other contractor you hired, replaced the other component we advised you on previously.

The only cost we charged you was the service call fee that you agreed to when the service call was booked. No diagnostic or troubleshooting fees were charged. The cost you wrote in your complaint was the sum of the service call fee, sales tax, and finance charges for failure to pay. If you consider all of the facts, and still think that you do not owe these charges, let us know and we will make a one time adjustment. Again, we are sincerely disappointed that we were unable to satisfy you.

Drucks

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted],

We provide our customers with options instead of choosing for them. That is why we advised you on what the possible failed components were according to the digital display on your water heater. To clarify our statement from yesterday, if you consider all the facts and still believe that you do not owe the charges, we will make a one time adjustment of the charges in full to your account. Thus meaning that we will apply an offsetting credit which result in a zero balance. If you would like a statement mailed, let us know.

Drucks

Consumer

Response:

10/9/14

Revdex.com Complaint/Drucks Response

Drucks,

The component I chose to install in the hot water heater is the component YOUR technician told me was the problem. I’m not the expert. If I was, I wouldn’t have called you to begin with. My decision was based off your recommendation. Apparently, there is no admission of a mistake. We all make mistakes, but we also need to accept responsibility for our actions. I will be willing to accept a credit in the amount owed on account#[redacted] reflecting a zero balance, providing a copy is mailed to me.

Sincerely,

Drucks was asked to check our 6 year old A/C system, and they certified it. 10 days later, it stopped. They returned, installed a capacitor without authorization, and then attempted to strong arm us for it, $193 for an item which we found out retails for $18-19. I don't know the exact wholesale cost which may be in the $10 range, but the $193 that Drucks charges is close to a 1000% markup (one thousand per cent). No wonder that the technician asked me if I was in shock at its cost.
We consider the strong arm attempt to be unethical, but that wasn't the full extent of the lack of ethics. This air conditioning system had just been certified 10 days earlier, by the same technician, and we paid $99.95 which included a 24 point checklist that included the capacitor which failed. We are fully aware that no guarantees are given for the efficiency and safety report, so it appears that the money paid is useless to us but extra income for Drucks, because they tried to charge another $334 just 10 days after we paid them $99.95 to certify it, on a system that had functioned perfectly for 6 years, for a failed capacitor that has an average life of 20 years. The capacitor was only 6 years old, had tight, rust free connections, and we live in a seasonally cold climate where it is only used during 2 months per year.
So ours failed 9 days after we paid Drucks $99.95 to check it, and Drucks then wanted to charge us $334 to fix it, with no consideration whatsover for the work 10 days earlier, with a Service Call Charge, a Trouble Shooting Charge, which was about 10 minutes of the one hour time, tried to strong arm us with an unauthorized installation, a one thousand per cent part markup, and then a challenge on whether I wanted him to take the capacitor out to again render the system nonfunctioning.
That wasn't everything, though... they then telephoned to say that our system is under warranty. Although it was installed on the same day as the furnace 6 years ago, by the same technician, with a 10 year parts and labor warranty for both, he had told us 10 days earlier during his first visit, that our furnace was no longer under warranty, and that's why we paid for a separate repair. The 10 year parts & labor warranty for our installation was valid for the air conditioner, though, but not for the furnace.... It is my opinion that our warranty was applied unethically: they did not apply it for the furnace, because we paid them, but they applied it for the air conditioner because we would not be strong armed into paying them, and they could realize some income through a warranty repair. We know that neither system was under warranty because we had not paid the annual $99.95 inspection fee necessary to maintain each of the warranties - a thousand dollars to maintain the furnace warranty for 10 years, and another thousand dollars to maintain the air conditioning warranty. These "warranties" should more accurately be recognized as contractor revenue streams rather than consumer protection.... and they can refuse to honor a warranty as they did for the furnace, but honor the one for the air conditioner if it happens that it is to their financial benefit.
I was underwhelmed when they offered to waive the $59 Service Call in response to my protesting the double billed charge.
By the way, the condensate drain lines they installed had 2 kinks in the tubing, and a low spot where the condensate collects, shoddy work which I repaired myself because at no point will we ever have Drucks in our home again for any reason.