N.C. Jefferson Plumbing & Heating, Inc.

Mr. [redacted] was a very difficult customer to deal with.  He wanted work done on a Saturday but didn't want to pay the over-time rate and we don't offer regular service hours on weekends. In order to accommodate Mr. [redacted]'s needs and since it was impossible to schedule him during our normal working...

hours (because he was not available), I offered to let one of our plumbers work for him directly on their own time.  Mr. [redacted] agreed, and yes, that plumber caused the leak that Mr. [redacted] referred to but it was addressed as soon as he contacted us (and we stood by our plumber even though this work was technically not performed by Jefferson Plumbing).  Mr. [redacted] wanted his painter to repair and paint the ceiling. so we arranged to have his painter, [redacted], do the job and paid him $350 upon completion (check #[redacted], dated 11/28/14).  Mr. [redacted] then informed us that he wasn't satisfied with the job his painter provided.  Therefore, in our continued effort to make things right we hired our painter to go complete the job. Our painter told Mr. [redacted] he would paint the section in question and if Mr. [redacted] wasn't happy with how it turned out, we would then paint the whole ceiling if necessary.  Before our painter was given a chance to complete the job Mr. [redacted] expressed his discontent and was rude to our painter.  Our painter explained that he wasn't finished yet but Mr. [redacted] asked him to leave.  My painter attempted to take a photo so he could show us what he completed but at that point,  Mr. [redacted] grabbed the phone out of my painter's hands and refused to allow a photo taken.  We paid our painter $100 for the work he was allowed to complete. Any damage was so minor that it was hard to see, thus the problem with Mr. [redacted].  A permit for the plumbing was not needed because it was merely a replacement of existing fixtures.  Mr. [redacted] called us back after the incident to complete the installation of his faucet.  We installed the pot filler faucet on 1/20/2015 and billed Mr. [redacted] $112.30 for .75 hrs of labor and a 1-1/2" brass nipple - Mr. [redacted] has never paid that invoice.  We never demanded any cash payments from Mr. [redacted] and referring him to one of our plumbers for side work was a courtesy since we were not able to accommodate his scheduling needs.  He refused to pay our weekend rate so I don't understand why he would have expected an invoice from Jefferson's.  Jefferson Plumbing NEVER received any cash payments from Mr. [redacted].  We received one [redacted] payment for $881.85 on 10/3/14 which paid for work completed on 8/8/14 and 9/10/14.  If the Revdex.com thinks we should reimburse Mr. [redacted] for his expenses, please let us know why and we will. However, we feel that we did more than what was necessary to make right this situation.  Mr. [redacted] insisted on using his painter yet was not satisfied with the job his painter provided - then he kicked our painter out of his house.  We tried, but after more than 68 years in business I know there are some people who will never be happy.  Please feel free to reach out to us with any further questions. I've attached the paid invoice and outstanding invoice for the work we completed.  And we're willing to forget about the outstanding invoice if he promises never to call us again for future work.  Wish there were a Revdex.com that rated consumers because we would certainly file a complaint about Mr. [redacted] - other contractors should be warned of people like this!  Thank you for your time.

Review: Quote from the NC Jefferson website: “Reliable plumbing, heating & AC service in Princeton area. Jefferson's does right by you.” Really?

It's indisputable that this company’s negligence and unprofessional and shoddy work resulted in damage to my home and the need to make significant repairs. On Sunday, November 30, 2014, the Jefferson plumber dispatched to my home turned the upstairs water supply on before connecting the pipes on my vanity sink, resulting in water pouring into my newly constructed ceiling downstairs and visible water damage. The physical damage done by Jefferson’s Plumbing, Heating & AC has cost me time and money. It has also caused me stress and inconvenience, and negatively impacted the use and personal enjoyment of my remodeled kitchen.

I demand reimbursement of $469.71, which equals my out-of-pocket expense for labor and material to repair the ceiling. I have provided proof of my payments for labor and material to Jefferson Plumbing and have received no response.

Jefferson's failure includes not showing for scheduled appointments, misinforming me about work that was permit required, insisting that I make cash payments directly to the plumber, initially promising and agreeing to pay for the cost of repairs, negligence and incompetent performance, and the worst, most arrogant customer service I have ever received.

Office staffer Jill stated to me by phone on December 29, that I have nothing in writing from you, and “don’t have a written contract”. Following my initial payment to this company by credit card, Jill instructed me to make cash payments for two service calls to the plumber she dispatched for each trip – rather than receiving Jefferson invoices. Mr. J came to my house to access the ceiling damage (one day after the damage was done), and stated his agreement to have the ceiling repainted to my specifications, only to later backtrack through intermediaries. They lack personal and professional integrity.Desired Settlement: Reimburse me for costs I incurred to repair damage caused by Jefferson Plumbing

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted] was a very difficult customer to deal with. He wanted work done on a Saturday but didn't want to pay the over-time rate and we don't offer regular service hours on weekends. In order to accommodate Mr. [redacted]'s needs and since it was impossible to schedule him during our normal working hours (because he was not available), I offered to let one of our plumbers work for him directly on their own time. Mr. [redacted] agreed, and yes, that plumber caused the leak that Mr. [redacted] referred to but it was addressed as soon as he contacted us (and we stood by our plumber even though this work was technically not performed by Jefferson Plumbing). Mr. [redacted] wanted his painter to repair and paint the ceiling. so we arranged to have his painter, [redacted], do the job and paid him $350 upon completion (check #[redacted], dated 11/28/14). Mr. [redacted] then informed us that he wasn't satisfied with the job his painter provided. Therefore, in our continued effort to make things right we hired our painter to go complete the job. Our painter told Mr. [redacted] he would paint the section in question and if Mr. [redacted] wasn't happy with how it turned out, we would then paint the whole ceiling if necessary. Before our painter was given a chance to complete the job Mr. [redacted] expressed his discontent and was rude to our painter. Our painter explained that he wasn't finished yet but Mr. [redacted] asked him to leave. My painter attempted to take a photo so he could show us what he completed but at that point, Mr. [redacted] grabbed the phone out of my painter's hands and refused to allow a photo taken. We paid our painter $100 for the work he was allowed to complete. Any damage was so minor that it was hard to see, thus the problem with Mr. [redacted]. A permit for the plumbing was not needed because it was merely a replacement of existing fixtures. Mr. [redacted] called us back after the incident to complete the installation of his faucet. We installed the pot filler faucet on 1/20/2015 and billed Mr. [redacted] $112.30 for .75 hrs of labor and a 1-1/2" brass nipple - Mr. [redacted] has never paid that invoice. We never demanded any cash payments from Mr. [redacted] and referring him to one of our plumbers for side work was a courtesy since we were not able to accommodate his scheduling needs. He refused to pay our weekend rate so I don't understand why he would have expected an invoice from Jefferson's. Jefferson Plumbing NEVER received any cash payments from Mr. [redacted]. We received one [redacted] payment for $881.85 on 10/3/14 which paid for work completed on 8/8/14 and 9/10/14. If the Revdex.com thinks we should reimburse Mr. [redacted] for his expenses, please let us know why and we will. However, we feel that we did more than what was necessary to make right this situation. Mr. [redacted] insisted on using his painter yet was not satisfied with the job his painter provided - then he kicked our painter out of his house. We tried, but after more than 68 years in business I know there are some people who will never be happy. Please feel free to reach out to us with any further questions. I've attached the paid invoice and outstanding invoice for the work we completed. And we're willing to forget about the outstanding invoice if he promises never to call us again for future work. Wish there were a Revdex.com that rated consumers because we would certainly file a complaint about Mr. [redacted] - other contractors should be warned of people like this! Thank you for your time.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

I repeat my demand that Jefferson Plumbing reimburse me $469.00

which equals my out of pocket expense for labor and material to repair and

repaint the ceiling this company damaged.

Jefferson’s response to my complaint is filled with lies, inaccuracies

and irrelevance, and is indicative of a business which operates unethically, makes

false claims and is now attempting to protect their professional behinds. However, Jefferson does not dispute my claim that

their shoddy work caused the damage for which I’m seeking reimbursement. Nor does Jefferson dispute the validity of the

monetary amount sought – which I have provided proof of to Jefferson.

Until I filed my complaint with the Revdex.com, Jefferson remained silent

to my past correspondence directed to the company which sought to resolve this

dispute. Now, Jefferson’s response through

the Revdex.com indicates their total willingness to reimburse me for my expenses, if

the Revdex.com thinks they should. Their

company website advertises, “Jefferson’s does right by you.” Apparently it should read “Jefferson’s does

right by you only if the Revdex.com agrees.”

In response to my claim that this business operates

unethically and makes false advertisements, Jefferson chose to label me a “difficult

customer” by falsely asserting that I wanted work done only when I’m available

on Saturday, and didn’t want to pay an overtime rate. This is a slanderous absurdity and an outrageous

lie. Jefferson admits they performed work at my house on several WEEKDAYS including

8/8/14 and 9/10/14, as well as on 12/12/14 and 1/20/15. I agreed to weekend plumbing work on 11/23/14

to accommodate the company and their plumber.

These are the facts: The

plumber Jefferson dispatched to my house on 11/23/14 failed to connect pipes to

an upstairs vanity sink before turning on the water supply, resulting in water

pouring out and damaging my newly constructed downstairs ceiling, causing visible

water damage in several areas. The next

day (a WEEKDAY), Bruce J, owner of NC Jefferson Plumbing, came to my

home, observed the damage, and simply shook his head without ever offering even

a slight apology. However, while standing

in my kitchen, Mr. J stated his agreement that his company was

responsible and he agreed to reimburse me for the purchase and labor/installation

of new drywall and the cost of paint and contractor labor to repaint the ceiling. At this time, we both agreed that only portions of the downstairs ceiling

needed new drywall, and that if repainting only the repaired areas resulted in noticeable

spots or an uneven appearance, then the entire ceiling would have to be

repainted at Jefferson’s expense. Through

intermediaries, Mr. J later reneged on his agreement.

I arranged for contractor [redacted] to come to my house on

11/26/14 to repair the drywall and repaint those areas. Jefferson states they paid him $350. The paint job was unacceptable to me because the

ceiling did not look like new. There

were noticeable stripes or spots bordering the newly painted areas and the areas

painted during the remodel. I expressed

my dissatisfaction to Jefferson, who in subsequent phone calls, appeared to be dragging

their feet -- in no rush to schedule a painter.

I took a full day off from work on 12/12/14, the WEEKDAY Jefferson

finally scheduled for repainting the entire ceiling. I expected Jefferson to send [redacted] ,

the painter falsely advertised on Jefferson’s’ website as their “industry

partner”, to repaint the entire ceiling.

Instead, Jefferson sent a handyman, who stated to me he was dispatched

only to “reassess” the damage. It is

inexplicable why he would have to reassess damage already observed first hand

by the business owner, Mr. J. Jefferson’s

handyman did have ONE small can of paint and he offered to touch up spots on

the ceiling. Painting the entire ceiling

would require approximately two gallons.

Because he did not show up equipped to do the job that was required and

agreed to, he was asked to leave immediately – before starting any work. The handyman’s attempt to photograph the area

was totally inappropriate, especially given my directive to refrain from doing

so. Jefferson’s claim that I grabbed the

handyman’s phone out of his hands is a slanderous lie. Jefferson’s claim that his handyman attempted

to photograph work performed is entirely false because I ordered him off my

property before any work commenced. Jefferson

states they paid him $100; hardly a professional painters wage.

In addition to Jefferson’s negligence and poor performance

causing physical damage to my home and monetary loss, I charge Jefferson with misinforming

me about work that was permit required. Jefferson’s

response to my Revdex.com complaint confirms what they told me prior to 9/10/14, the

date they ran NEW water lines for a pot filler, “a permit for the plumbing was

not needed…” You would think a licensed plumber would know

better. New water lines require a township

permit. Is this the manner in which

businesses accredited by the Revdex.com are expected to operate?

Completing the installation of the pot filler required

Jefferson to make two additional trips to my home, because on the first trip, they

did not have the proper brass nipple to complete the job. This company had the audacity to bill me

$112.30 to come out to my house the second time – even though obviously, their

lack of preparedness caused the second trip. I will never pay this bill. It must be noted that I was not invoiced for

the second trip until Jefferson received my first demand letter requesting

reimbursement. Now Jefferson crassly responds

to Revdex.com that they are willing to forget about the outstanding invoice if I

promise never to call them again for future work. Is this the manner in which businesses

accredited by the Revdex.com are expected to operate?

Jefferson’s response to Revdex.com that they never received direct cash

payments from me confuses the issue. My

claim is Jefferson directed me to pay their plumber directly in cash. I don’t understand their motivation, unless

it relates to misreporting.

If Jefferson stands by its preposterous claim to Revdex.com that it

technically was not their company who caused the damage to my ceiling, but

rather it was a plumber working on his own time, then why did they dispatch

their company’s owner to my house the next day to survey the damage? Why did they agree to pay for repairs? Why did they pay a drywall contractor and a

handyman?

I want the Revdex.com to know that never in my experience have I

been treated as poorly and rudely by a service provider as I have by NC

Jefferson Plumbing. The staff there would best be served by

enrolling in customer service courses offered by [redacted].

If necessary, I will avail myself to the [redacted] County Superior

Court, [redacted] Township, and the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs to seek

remedy and further inform the community at large of my experience with Jefferson

Plumbing. Thank you very much for your

consideration.

Regards,

Business

Response:

We still feel that we handled this situation in an appropriate manner. We are sincerely sorry that our technician made an unfortunate mistake that caused this leak and resulting damage. We regret agreeing to let Mr. [redacted] hire [redacted] to make the repair and feel that if our professional had completed the work from the beginning we wouldn't be having this dispute. Mr. [redacted] arranged for Mr. [redacted], a professional he worked with in the past, to make the repair (at our expense, as agreed), but he was not happy with Mr. [redacted]'s work. We made every effort to have the work completed to his satisfaction with a professional we hired but Mr. [redacted] stood in the way. We agreed to have [redacted] do the work because it's Mr. [redacted]'s home and we thought it was reasonable for him to have a say in who works there but because he wasn't happy with who he selected, we should not be responsible for paying multiple contractors to complete the same job. If our professional had completed unsatisfactory work on the repair the situation would be different but our contractor wasn't given a chance. Although complaints about our staff are extremely rare (this was the first complaint ever about our administrative office staff) we will look into customer service training as Mr. [redacted] suggested. Education and training are beneficial and we always strive for improvement.If we agreed to pay the $469 to Mr. [redacted] we would be doing it just to make this "go away" and that is not an honest approach to the situation. We would like to request arbitration to settle this dispute. We look forward to hearing from you.