MrHandyman of The Fredericksburg Region

Revdex.com Case ID: [redacted] -MrHandyman of the Fredericksburg Region Dear [redacted] , This is in response to the above referenced caseThe customer is correct and factual in only a portion of her complaint as I shall explain below: On December 11th my customer service representative received a call from the customer specifically stating that she wanted three tasks performed, (1) repair of a piece of loose siding, (2) replace the weather stripping on the front door, and (3) repair a "floor creak" in a bedroomThese items were noted on the lead data collection sheet my CSR recorded during the call (enclosed)We told the customer this work would likely require to hours of labor, and we explained our business model and billing practices, stating that the total estimate could run approximately $ plus any materials and van stock used We dispatched one of our technicians on December 13th As directed, he picked up the pieces of weather stripping on his way to the jobUpon arrival, the customer explained to him that the front door was sticking and was very hard to open and closeThis was the first time we learned of the sticking issue with the doorMy technician explained to the customer that he could adjust the threshold to improve the functioning of the door but that the threshold was crowned up in the middle and he could not remove all of the sticking problem without a major, time-consuming repairHe also replaced the weather stripping on the sides and top of the door since (1) that was what he was dispatched to do, and (2) because the old weather stripping was in fact worn outUpon completion, he indicated that that was "the best he could do" considering the age of the door and the crowning condition of the threshold, to which she replied "that is much better." He then went on to repair the bedroom floor squeak He was not able to repair the siding at that time but he did take measurements ( [redacted] ) as to what he needed to fabricate at our shop to affect a repairHis intention was to return to install the aluminum trim piece at another timeThat return visit never happened as apparently there was a death in the customer's family and the holidays were upon us My technician wrote up an invoice ( [redacted] ) indicating the weather stripping, the threshold adjustment, and the floor repairThe customer paid with a credit card The customer called us again on January 24th complaining that the weather stripping on the front door was "coming off." We dispatched the same technician to the customer's home, indicating it was a no charge (N/C) call-back for him ( [redacted] intake form), which clearly indicates our initial willingness to correct anything we might have done incorrectly or insufficientlyThe technician thought that somehow the new weather strips he installed had come looseUpon arrival the customer indicated that the "weather strip he installed" at the bottom of the door was tearing off, i.e, some of the four rubber fins were tearingThe old door sweep was in fact tearing, but it was due to the age of the door sweep and the previous and continual rubbing against the crowned threshold, not due to anything my technician had done The customer disagreed, saying that it was the new piece he installed earlier and that "she already paid for." lVIy technician tried to explain to her that he did not replace that piece earlier and that it was the original or old piece based on the clear evidence of old door paint being on the side of the original pieceShe insisted that he replaced it and he tried to explain that he did notShe indicated that she "wasn't going to argue with him about it" and that she would call someone else to fix it properlyHe further explained to her that he might be able to find a new door sweep for her, but that sweeps are very door manufacturer-specific, and he would have to charge her for his shopping time for the part, for the part itself assuming he could obtain one, and for the repair timeFurthermore, he explained to the customer that the door would have to be removed from its hinges (which he clearly did not do on the first visit) to access the sweep, but she complained that it was too cold that day to remove the door At that point my technician telephoned me from his van and explained to me what is described aboveIn the months of employment with my company, I have NEVER found this technician to be anything but truthful with meThis technician is very passive and is not an argumentative person in the least, so I had no reason to doubt his version of eventsI instructed him to apologize to the customer (which he had already done) and to have her call the office if she wished to discuss this matter further The customer called my office and again spoke with my CSRThere was nothing she could do for the customer except to hear her describe events as she remembered them, which is contrary to my technician's version and contrary to what is documented in writing on the intake sheets, the dispatch form, and the job invoice Upon my return to my office, I called the customer to listen to what she had to sayShe claimed that from the very start of events, she called to describe and complain about her door sticking, which is contrary to what was recorded on the lead intake formShe claims that my CSR "must have determined that weather stripping was what was needed and wrote that on the form." I can assure you, my CSR does NOT diagnose problems over the phone and she would NEVER dispatch a technician with what she thinks are the required materialsShe simplylists conditions, descriptions, and what the customer is telling her In this case, she heard "replace weather stripping" and that's what she wrote on the form and on the technicians dispatch ticket ( [redacted] ) For over minutes, the customer repeatedly explained to me that my version of events was incorrect, that she assumed we were professionals who would know what she meant by "weather stripping," that my customer service rep must have incorrectly diagnosed her door problem, and that we should know what was needed to repair a sticking door when she called I explained to her that we never heard about the door sticking until my technician was on site, and that he did what he could reasonably and affordably do to remedy that problem, considering the conditions of the door and thresholdI explained to her that I could not warranty or guarantee that an year old door could be made like new and that if she wanted us to try to locate and install a new door sweep, I would have to charge her for my technician's time and the materialsShe continued to debate (argue) with me that my technician had in fact installed a new sweep and that I should warranty itThe original sweep with old door paint on it was still installed when my tech went out for his no charge call-backFurthermore, she told me my technician argued with her and inferred that he was rudeI can assure you this technician is not capable of being rude to my customers! At this point, I was running out of patience with the customer and I had nothing else to offer herI was not going to replace the sweep for free and I could not warranty a part that we didn't install and a door that is over years oldI was extremely frustrated and I was losing my composure, so I politely and respectfully ended the callUpon doing so, I did act in an unprofessional mannerFor this I am very sorryBut I was understandably frustrated with the tone and content of her accusations, with the manner in which she was presenting her facts, and for her calling my technician argumentative and inferring him to be lying I have composed a formal written apology and have included a copy of such to this responseI will not refund any money to her since she paid only for the work that we completed and the materials we installed, all of which continue to perform as intended and installedThe weather stripping was needed and he did all he could do to remedy the sticking door situation Respectfully submitted, [redacted] *