Ravinia Plumbing & Heating

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/08/21) */
The customer called us because their air conditioner (AC) was not workingWe dispatched a service technician who had to spend time diagnosing the problem with the unitUnfortunately it is impossible to just walk into a house, look at
an AC system and in a matter of minutes, determine the problem(s) and solution(s) to repair the systemAfter performing diagnostic work, our technician found that the compressor motor winding was shorted to ground which means that the compressor is deadThe customer had the option of either changing out the compressor or changing the entire AC systemThe next step is for our technician to determine the best course of action for the customerBased on the age of the unit and the fact that our service history showed that we have had to add refrigerant to the system in the past indicating that the system has a refrigerant leak, we recommended that the system be replaced rather than repaired
We sent an estimator who quoted a new systemOur pricing is competitive in the marketplace as we install hundreds of units a year but there are competitors who charge more than we do and there are others that charge less than we doMuch of which has to do with the type of equipment being installed, the quality of the installation, and the professionalism of the employee (professionals are more expensive but do better work)We also offered to apply the charge for the diagnostic work toward a new AC system
To explain how we charge for our services, we have a $service charge to get our technician to the houseIf we find a simple problem (the customer accidently turned off the service switch or pushed the wrong button on the thermostat) where we are only in the house for a few minutes, then we only collect the $service chargeIf we perform diagnostic or repair work, we waive the $and only charge for that work, which is why the $was crossed offI'm assuming that the customer forgot how we charge our ratesIt is worth mentioning that our service records show that this customer has had us out to their home for service times over the last years so they have repeatedly experienced this same method of charging for our service
That being said, I am happy to discount the invoice to make this go away but to discount the invoice by $is not realisticNot only does it take time to drive a trained, drug tested, background checked professional in a truck full of diagnostic equipment and repair parts to the house, it also takes time to perform a thorough and accurate diagnosisWe are not going to simply tell a customer to just replace equipmentThat would be illegalWhile I wish that our employees would work for us for free, the government requires that our employees be paid for their timeConsequently we have to charge money for our services to pay the technician, not to mention the myriad of overhead expenses associated with running a legitimate business
Even though we did absolutely nothing wrong, I would offer to split the invoice with the customer for a credit of $

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/12/20) */
Contact Name and Title: [redacted]
Contact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX
Contact Email: [redacted]
We have already been in contact with Mrs. [redacted] and have done as she requested.