Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2015/09/21) */
Below is my description of the events that transpired surrounding the [redacted] project.
[redacted] reached out to us via phone to get a quote for a full bathroom remodel in early June. Myself and Bob, from Prather Plumbing and Heating Inc,...
went out to the house to look over the project. [redacted] went over the scope of the project with us, which entailed a new vanity & faucet, new toilet, and a new tub/shower. All of these items were already purchased from Menards by [redacted], with the exception of the tub/shower. We quoted her our price and [redacted] decided we were a little too expensive to provide the tub. [redacted] let us know that she would be purchasing the tub/shower unit from Menards. The only thing we were to provide was the piping materials and labor.
She asked us to then GC the job, which meant lining up a drywaller and tile guy. All of their materials were purchased previously by the [redacted] as well. She accepted our price to oversee the project.
We then arrived to start the demo and examined the tub/shower they purchased. It was literally the least expensive model that Menards sells. The tub walls were a thin plastic, as was the tub. We pointed this out to her and she wanted to install it regardless. As we were tearing out existing tub, we discovered an old cistern well directly below the tub, in the crawl space. We notified the [redacted]' and they requested us to proceed. We installed their Menards tub and it was not a ideal setup. The tub/shower unit was very thin and did not attach well to the 100 year-old framing.
We did the best we could and then started re-piping in the crawl space. We notified them that the old and illegal piping we were attaching to was leaking and requested them to allow us to repipe the mechanical piping. The [redacted] did not want to spend the money, so we did the best we could. Apparently, after we left that afternoon, our connection began to leak. My guys went out early the next morning and replaced their water heater, free of charge after the water leak caused the water heater to malfunction. This is all a result of very old and illegal piping.
A week went by and I received a call from [redacted] about the install of their tub. She complained that the install was poor. There was nothing we could do to make the thin plastic walls attach better. I voiced my opinion on the issue and she did not like it. Her husband seemed to be very understanding. They requested another price from us for one of our tubs, which they declined.
More time went by and [redacted] called to say her dad was going to finish the project. Less than 1 hour later, her husband called to schedule us to come out and finish. At that point my frustration was very high. I informed [redacted]'s husband that I no longer wanted to hear from her, only from him. She had been extremely rude and obnoxious. He understood. Once again, later that afternoon, she called our office and requested a final invoice and said that she was over-ruling her husband.
I then sent an invoice, which she disputed, and her husband called to request a face-to-face meeting. I obliged. They came to our office, he did the majority of the talking, and we all apologized and agreed to move on. then reduced my invoice in exchange for them paying the drywaller and tile guy for their labor. And that was the end of it, or so I thought.
My frustration with [redacted] herself is hard to put into words. She seemed to be all over the place as far as decision making. Even more frustrating was that she was mad at us about the products THEY provided. Sorry for the long email, but I needed to include as many details as possible, as we have never been turned into the Revdex.com. Please call if you have any questions.
Thanks
[redacted] Plumbing & Heating Inc
707 S. Hilldale
Eureka, IL 61530
O: 309-467-4160
C: XXX-XXX-XXXX
F: XXX-XXX-XXXX
pratherplumbingandheating.com
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 12, 2015/09/28) */
To comment on a few inconsistencies with Prathers reply:
We knew that the plumbing in our 100 year old home was old and not up to code. We knew this after having a home inspection. We had stated 2 things from the beginning of the project all the way to the end. 1) We wanted the work done right, 2) We would buy all major items (vanity,flooring, tub, toilet). [redacted] was aware of both these facts at the time of the estimate as I told him both facts twice. At the time the estimate was done, we had not bought any major items EXCEPT the faucet for the sink and the faucet for the tub. [redacted] knew this at the time of the estimate and made no suggestions. (I have all reciepts if these are needed). We would have listened to suggestions had they been made before the products were installed. As far as "illegal plumbing work" we knew that but the correct way to do things was never suggested, our septic vent being an example. Prathers told us it went out the basement to the back of the house but never told us it needed to be vented up through the wall and out of the house through the roof to be correct (we only learned that from the second plumber that finished the work and did do it correctly)
I never met [redacted] until he came out with [redacted] the day they came to look at the tub. Nor had I ever spoken to him prior to that day even after attempting 3 phone calls to the business the day our water heater caught fire.
Also when [redacted] comments on "we", he never came out during the duration of the work they did. He was there for the original estimate and the day we called about the tub surround. Other than that, we only had contact with a guy named [redacted] and an intern referred to as "grasshopper" (I'm sorry I never got his full name). There were also 3 other people at our home the day they came to look at the tub surround (I can contact them to be witnesses if needed)
In conclusion, I'm most upset about the way my husband and I were treated. [redacted] knew we were upset after the water heater but especially upset after the tub surround. No apologies were ever made and the only suggestion with the tub surround was for the best interest of Prathers company, to tear it out, buy a new tub from them, and start over. Ever since starting the project, [redacted] was hard to get ahold of and rude to me, like he never cared to talk to me about any issues. Our experience was just plain terrible customer service.
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2015/09/21) */
Below is my description of the events that transpired surrounding the [redacted] project.
[redacted] reached out to us via phone to get a quote for a full bathroom remodel in early June. Myself and Bob, from Prather Plumbing and Heating Inc,...
went out to the house to look over the project. [redacted] went over the scope of the project with us, which entailed a new vanity & faucet, new toilet, and a new tub/shower. All of these items were already purchased from Menards by [redacted], with the exception of the tub/shower. We quoted her our price and [redacted] decided we were a little too expensive to provide the tub. [redacted] let us know that she would be purchasing the tub/shower unit from Menards. The only thing we were to provide was the piping materials and labor.
She asked us to then GC the job, which meant lining up a drywaller and tile guy. All of their materials were purchased previously by the [redacted] as well. She accepted our price to oversee the project.
We then arrived to start the demo and examined the tub/shower they purchased. It was literally the least expensive model that Menards sells. The tub walls were a thin plastic, as was the tub. We pointed this out to her and she wanted to install it regardless. As we were tearing out existing tub, we discovered an old cistern well directly below the tub, in the crawl space. We notified the [redacted]' and they requested us to proceed. We installed their Menards tub and it was not a ideal setup. The tub/shower unit was very thin and did not attach well to the 100 year-old framing.
We did the best we could and then started re-piping in the crawl space. We notified them that the old and illegal piping we were attaching to was leaking and requested them to allow us to repipe the mechanical piping. The [redacted] did not want to spend the money, so we did the best we could. Apparently, after we left that afternoon, our connection began to leak. My guys went out early the next morning and replaced their water heater, free of charge after the water leak caused the water heater to malfunction. This is all a result of very old and illegal piping.
A week went by and I received a call from [redacted] about the install of their tub. She complained that the install was poor. There was nothing we could do to make the thin plastic walls attach better. I voiced my opinion on the issue and she did not like it. Her husband seemed to be very understanding. They requested another price from us for one of our tubs, which they declined.
More time went by and [redacted] called to say her dad was going to finish the project. Less than 1 hour later, her husband called to schedule us to come out and finish. At that point my frustration was very high. I informed [redacted]'s husband that I no longer wanted to hear from her, only from him. She had been extremely rude and obnoxious. He understood. Once again, later that afternoon, she called our office and requested a final invoice and said that she was over-ruling her husband.
I then sent an invoice, which she disputed, and her husband called to request a face-to-face meeting. I obliged. They came to our office, he did the majority of the talking, and we all apologized and agreed to move on. then reduced my invoice in exchange for them paying the drywaller and tile guy for their labor. And that was the end of it, or so I thought.
My frustration with [redacted] herself is hard to put into words. She seemed to be all over the place as far as decision making. Even more frustrating was that she was mad at us about the products THEY provided. Sorry for the long email, but I needed to include as many details as possible, as we have never been turned into the Revdex.com. Please call if you have any questions.
Thanks
[redacted] Plumbing & Heating Inc
707 S. Hilldale
Eureka, IL 61530
O: 309-467-4160
C: XXX-XXX-XXXX
F: XXX-XXX-XXXX
pratherplumbingandheating.com
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 12, 2015/09/28) */
To comment on a few inconsistencies with Prathers reply:
We knew that the plumbing in our 100 year old home was old and not up to code. We knew this after having a home inspection. We had stated 2 things from the beginning of the project all the way to the end. 1) We wanted the work done right, 2) We would buy all major items (vanity,flooring, tub, toilet). [redacted] was aware of both these facts at the time of the estimate as I told him both facts twice. At the time the estimate was done, we had not bought any major items EXCEPT the faucet for the sink and the faucet for the tub. [redacted] knew this at the time of the estimate and made no suggestions. (I have all reciepts if these are needed). We would have listened to suggestions had they been made before the products were installed. As far as "illegal plumbing work" we knew that but the correct way to do things was never suggested, our septic vent being an example. Prathers told us it went out the basement to the back of the house but never told us it needed to be vented up through the wall and out of the house through the roof to be correct (we only learned that from the second plumber that finished the work and did do it correctly)
I never met [redacted] until he came out with [redacted] the day they came to look at the tub. Nor had I ever spoken to him prior to that day even after attempting 3 phone calls to the business the day our water heater caught fire.
Also when [redacted] comments on "we", he never came out during the duration of the work they did. He was there for the original estimate and the day we called about the tub surround. Other than that, we only had contact with a guy named [redacted] and an intern referred to as "grasshopper" (I'm sorry I never got his full name). There were also 3 other people at our home the day they came to look at the tub surround (I can contact them to be witnesses if needed)
In conclusion, I'm most upset about the way my husband and I were treated. [redacted] knew we were upset after the water heater but especially upset after the tub surround. No apologies were ever made and the only suggestion with the tub surround was for the best interest of Prathers company, to tear it out, buy a new tub from them, and start over. Ever since starting the project, [redacted] was hard to get ahold of and rude to me, like he never cared to talk to me about any issues. Our experience was just plain terrible customer service.