The Bizzzy Bee

Unfortunately, there are always going to be moments when a disagreement between two parties takes place. It's how we choose to handle the disagreement that reveals our character. When I received a phone call from this customer towards the end of the job; they were upset with the time that it was taking to make the repairs. Then started questioning all aspects of how we charge and what they could expect. They accused my technician of charging for time that he was not working and threatened me with a bad review by them on *** and the Revdex.com if I did not give them the price they wanted to pay.

I let them know that I am an honest Christian man and they did not need to threaten me in order to discuss their situation. I also told them that we have all of our technicians on a GPS tracking system for accuracy of billing. I calmly let them know that we would audit the logs and we did. When we sent them the logs with snippets proving that the technician was where he was supposed to be and that our times were accurate, I received no response from them. Instead, in spite of our efforts to answer their questions with an honest audit and with integrity, we were demonized in their exaggerated review. How Sad.

As for the repairs to the door, the original picture they sent me showed only the lower right jamb of the door needed replacement (one small spot of repair) and I quoted accordingly. The angle that they took the picture from and the trash cans they didn't move before taking the picture hid additional damage. Upon arrival, we discovered that what actually needed to be replaced was the lower right jamb, the lower right brick molding, the lower left jamb, the lower left brick molding, AND they needed a new threshold installed as well (none of which were in their pictures). Hmmm... I honestly do not understand how they could expect that the job would not take longer, along with a higher material cost.

Additionally, they have made a fuss over our billing practices expecting that we should not bill for our time to assess repairs, make a list of materials needed, make a store run, pull our tools out, or put our tools back. Hmmm... I do not know of any service provider that does not charge for their total time to complete the repairs (starting from the time they arrive). Plus all aspects of the work required from start to finish to complete those repairs. I seriously doubt that these folks go to there place of employment and offer any of their personal time for free to their employers. I am sure that they expect to get paid for all aspects of the work that they perform. Yet this customer expects us to only charge for those aspects of the job that they want to pay for rather than the entire process of what it actually takes to complete the job. For the record, we round up and down to the NEAREST quarter hour - not just up as these folks have exaggerated.

I am sure that these folks are normally very nice people, but when it comes to paying for the repairs on their home, their expectations were unrealistic and unreasonable. I have done my best to show them that we were honest with them and that's all I can do. In spite of the evidence presented and the facts revealed, they have persisted in their claims of foul play. At this point it is clear that we are dealing with dishonest people with a self-serving and vindictive nature. I have all of the pictures and GPS logs on file for this customer's job and they have frankly attacked us without justification because they refuse to accept the truth.

As for their claim that we did not disclose our rates up front, that is also a lie. I gave them our rates verbally and we sent them our rates in writing via Email up front. Additionally, our rates are listed on our work orders which they signed prior to performing the work. In spite of their nasty vindictive nature, I wish them well and hope that they can move on in peace. Perhaps the love of God will win them over some day. In the meantime, the rest of us will need to be patient and cautious when dealing with such as these.

To the Discerning Reader, Please Consider these facts before deciding what is true.

This Customer Claimed that they did not get a detailed accounting of their invoice.
The Truth is that they were given a complete breakdown of the cost, including:

Materials + Labor + NC Tax on Service Labor + the Total; and their work order enumerated what was completed.
I also re-explained our billing process even though they had been given that information verbally and in writing up-front.

What they wanted was an hourly breakdown of each individual service task, which is not possible when we are completing a list of various repairs.
For example, when we install a piece of siding we have to caulk it, then go on to other items while it dries; then it gets primed and there is more dry time while we go on to something else; then painting.

That is just one example. Drywall repairs similarly have required dry times between processes as do other trade skills that we offer.
For these reasons tracking each individual repair is not possible or practical; plus it is unnecessary since we track each man's hours daily for each day worked.

What this Customer really wanted to do was negotiate the invoice based on their perception of what they thought it should be per task rather than based on what it actually took.
No company can run their business like that as each person's opinion varies widely based on their personal knowledge and preconceived notions.

I feel sorry for this customer because they apparently think that it's perfectly OK to order a meal, eat the meal, and then negotiate the terms of payment in front of an empty plate. (Sad)
If there is a genuine issue, I will go out of my way to assist anyone and make sure that there is an agreeable solution.

However, I will not negotiate with people based on their personal opinion of what it should be, when they do not know how to make the repairs or understand what it takes to complete the repairs.
Am I a bully for expecting payment due based on an agreement previously made when our end of the agreement has been completed? I think Not.

We can verify a 97% Positive Rating with our customers (some of which have been with us for over 20 years).
I am an Honest Business Man and look forward to helping anyone that we can with their home maintenance needs.

Best Wishes to All Who Read My Response, Vince C. at The Bizzzy Bee

This customer's complaint is not accurate or valid.

This customer was told before we started the job that the pipe would more than likely break but would have to be replaced regardless with the shower remodeling that they were having completed. So this customer was well aware of the situation and agreed to have us continue.

Additionally, when a demolition is required that involves old pipes, fittings, wiring or framing, we cannot and will not be held responsible for any worn parts that fail during the demolition process.

Prior to lodging their complaint, this customer and I spoke directly concerning these facts and they admitted that they were informed up front and they understood our position.

Additionally, when they told me how much they were quoted for the pipe replacement (a 3ft section), I let them know that the repair was not as difficult as they were being told and that they needed to get additional bids. The scope of work for the pipe repair was only a half of a day with minimal materials (a couple of bags of cement and a small section of pipe). They told me that they had made their choice and just wanted it done.

Instead of being realistic with the process of remodeling and taking responsibility for their choices, this customer is now wanting us to absorb the additional expense required to complete their bathroom remodeling. What makes this so sad is that we have worked for this customer several times in the past with no issues and regardless of the facts, they are now trying to squeeze us to absorb a cost that they should be responsible for.

This customer is not an uninformed victim nor were the additional expenses unexpected. This customer was properly informed but impatiently chose to pay a higher fee rather than shop for a better price for the required repair.

Their attempt to squeeze us to pay the difference is both dishonest and unreasonable. We will not give a discount or waive the invoice under these circumstances, *** at The Bizzzy Bee.

I am only going to respond one time to this customer's complaint and request. I have already spoken with this customer and also exchanged Emails with this customer concerning their issues. They are simply refusing to accept the facts concerning the product that they have agreed to have us install. Their utilization of the Revdex.com to place a public complaint is nothing more than an act of dishonesty and a bully tactic to get a discount off of the cost of their repairs, which is what they originally requested.

Their repairs were completed on 07-06-2017. The customer was home during the repairs and upon completion reviewed the repairs with our technician before they wrote a check for the completed work. After the technician left, the next day, this customer called me to challenge the bill and complain about the cost. When they realized that they would not get a discount or a partial refund on the cost of their repairs, they called me again on the 22nd claiming that there were now quality issues.

I asked them to send me pictures of what they were talking about and the pictures revealed that they were referring to the thickness and profile differences between the wood versus the pvc trim. I reminded them that the old wood trim and the new pvc trim were very similar but cannot and will not perfectly align unless all of the trim around each window is replaced with the same material which he did not want to pay for.

Additionally, this customer did not even allow us to perform the repairs to full completion. They had us replace only the bad pieces and do the initial caulking but nothing more. They were going to do the final caulking and painting themselves. Normally, we would blend in the two profiles using caulk and then prime plus paint the repairs. When we are finished, the transition is less obvious and most people would never even notice.

What makes this customer's complaint so irritating is that they were given the options up front and told that there would be a difference between the two products. Plus they only allowed us to go so far and then said that they would finish the repairs from that point on. So they were not un-informed and their specific claim that they discovered a problem the next day with a 2nd story window is false. We never replaced brick molding on any of the rear 2nd story windows.

Additionally, I never got a complaint about quality issues until the 22nd, but we were finished with what they wanted us to do on the 6th. So why didn't this customer mention the quality issue that they supposedly discovered the next day while they were on the phone with me on the afternoon of the 7th, complaining about the cost of the bill.

In fact, the pictures that they sent me for the rear window shows old yellowed and dirty caulk that was clearly not fresh work from the day before. When I spoke with our technician and reviewed the paperwork, that window was not listed as a repair or replacement of brick molding. If the brick molding was new and the caulk was fresh, it would not be dirty and sun-bleached with age, as the pictures show. I know that this customer has had other people work on their home before we came and it's possible that they are confusing their work with ours, but its seems rather strange to me that they cannot remember what they just paid for, especially when they were home the entire time shadowing my technician.

The problem is not the quality of the job because the brick molding has been installed correctly. The problem is that this customer refuses to accept that we cannot "perfectly" align two different materials that are a different thickness and a different profile. I did my best to explain that to this customer verbally and in writing. Additionally, before we even installed new brick molding on the front and right side of the home, our technician explained to them that they would have to replace the full set of trim around each window repaired in order to have the trim match and align with each other.

There will be No refund or partial refund offered and we will Not re-do the work when there is nothing wrong with the work. They can either finish replacing the other pieces of trim around the windows so that all of the pieces match or they can use caulk and paint to blend in the different profiles of trim. If this customer chooses to continue their dishonest attempt for a discount or refund, I will no longer waste my time bantering over an imaginary issue.

I have the pictures that this customer has sent and they are actually a good source of proof that what I am saying is true.

Please notice in the newly annotated pictures (attached) that the profile and thickness vary between the different materials, which is exactly what we told this customer even though they are acting like they do not understand. And so that we are on the same page, Pictures 1 & 2 are the same window we did do work on by the rear deck. Pictures 3,4,5,& 6 are all pictures of the same rear second story window but different perspectives, that we only caulked.

Additionally, on the rear upper window, we only put in a dab of caulk at the bottom right and left corners of that window trim, we did not replace the brick molding on that window as they claim. His paperwork also reflects the fact that we did not replace brick molding on the upper rear windows, and it's not on their final invoice. I have attached a clear readable copy.

Additionally, his pictures of that window authenticate what I have stated. The caulk is old and yellowed from being sun-bleached and the trim is dirty, Not New.
So what we have here is a customer who did not get the discount that they wanted and asked for and have now resorted to dishonesty through a falsified complaint with the Revdex.com.

This Case is Closed as far as I am concerned, and I hope that this case helps you folks to better understand what we contractors go through from time to time when we have to deal with dishonest people.

With our long standing record and minimal complaints, our reputation speaks for itself. If we were the kind of company that this customer is making us out to be, by now, we would have many complaints verifying their claims which is not the case.

We stand ready to help anyone who wants and needs a quality minded company who genuinely cares about their customers.

NOTE:
Arrows and comments have been added to this customers pictures to help clarify the information.

Vince C. at The Bizzzy Bee

I have several problems with this customer's partially true comments and their request for a larger refund.

When this customer first called me about their issues, I did not hesitate but responded immediately and was more than willing to investigate/resolve their complaints. But to my surprise, when we spoke on the phone, they wanted me to meet with a friend rather with them directly.

I explained that whenever there are issues, I cannot resolve them through a friend but only with the customer directly. That proved to be an irritation for this customer because they were only available on the 4th of July Holiday.

Even so, in order to accommodate this customer, my wife and I interrupted our opportunity of rest and we made a special trip out to their home on the Holiday to investigate the issues. Before our phone conversation was over, I also let them know that I would send them an Email with information that would help to explain the possible cause that they were describing concerning their new bathroom faucet.

I was quickly told that they did not have time to waste reading the information, that they just want the issues resolved. That proved to be another point of irritation for this customer, but I sent the information anyway.

We called when we were on our way to their home and when we arrived; it was obvious by this customer's posture and tone of voice that they were not going to be pleasant to deal with. They were sarcastic and accusatory concerning their issues and did not want to listen to or accept what I had to say, in-spite of the fact that I have 32 years of experience in maintenance.

As for the kitchen sink faucet replacement, when my technician tried to shut off the valve, it was discovered to be bad, as it would not function and cut off the flow of water. He was going to shut off the main to the unit but this customer lives in a multi-family town home community with no clear markings on the water shut-off valves.

After speaking further with the customer, he realized that the customer did not know where their particular cut off was located. Rather than going any further, it was decided that it would be best to wait until the maintenance crew for that complex could identify the proper location rather than guess at it.

Not knowing where a customer's main shut off is located is not a matter of being unqualified or unprofessional as this customer has accused. This customer lives in a multiplex townhome community and without the valves being properly marked; no one walking in would know which shut off controls which unit.

As for the Statement that our technician was a roofer switching careers at their expense, it is nothing more than a personal attack against the technician which is untrue. The technician we sent is a remodeler with skills in multiple areas including drywall, painting, tile work, flooring, roofing, plumbing and more.

This customer's accusatory tone and claims while we were on site and in their complaint to Revdex.com are unreasonable and demonstrates the attitude that we were forced to tolerate. Moving on to the bathroom faucet, We were told that the faucet was obvious installed wrong as it lost its water pressure and took up to 7 or 8 minutes to get hot since it was installed.

Upon inspection of the faucet, we found that the water pressure was not bad but normal and that the water gets hot within 2 to 3 minutes, Not 7 to 8 minutes. As I spoke with the customer, I asked them if they read the information that I sent them. The answer was No.

So I tried to explain the possible reason for issues with a new faucet and one of them was that I believed that they had purchased a water saver faucet. I had removed the aerator and when I checked, it had an inverted cone at the mouth of the faucet which led me to believe that I was correct.

No matter what I said, this customer was convinced that their bathroom faucet issues were directly related to the installation rather than their selection of faucet. So I let them know that I would double check myself when I got a moment while at the office, which I did.

I wrote them a very clear and easy to understand explanation as to why there would be a slight decrease in pressure and a slight delay in the time required for getting hot water. Very simply put, if you restrict the flow of water, as a water saver faucet does, it impedes the amount of water that is allowed to flow through the faucet causing a slight decrease in pressure and delay in getting hot water.

Even though there is less water coming through, the water pressure is more than adequate. Unfortunately, the trade off on saving an expense on a higher water bills is a slightly longer wait time for the hot water. In other words, the faucet is operating as intended and there is no problem other than the accusatory comments and attitude of this customer.

Instead of checking out the information that I sent them, they have chosen to remain willfully ignorant while falsely claiming foul-play on our part in an effort to get a refund on services provided.

Moving on to their final complaint, the bathroom floor repair; when our technician recognized that the flooring went under the shoe molding and the base molding along the back wall, he gave this customer a choice. They could allow us to attempt a glue-down of that piece, which we could not guarantee, or have us pull the molding and replace the piece which would have made it a bigger job affecting the drywall.

They chose to have us try the glue down approach. But now they are claiming that they were not given a choice and did not understand why we did not just replace the piece while the toilet was up. After reviewing everything that happened at this customer's home, this was the only repair that did not go as we had hoped. All of the other repairs that were completed were fine.

Before we left their home, I explained that we do not change valves and since they needed a plumbing company to change the valve, they should allow them to change the kitchen faucet as well. This was yet another point of irritation for this customer.

Everything that we said was either ignored or seen as an excuse to this customer and after speaking with our technician while reviewing our notes on their job, I realized that nothing that I could or would say or do would satisfy them. As a result of our experience with this customer in their home, I chose to give this customer a (1) hour refund towards the floor work.

To be very clear, I have offered this customer a partial refund because it was the only repair that did not go as we had hoped and I frankly did not want to deal with the negative and nasty attitude of this customer any more. I know that we did nothing wrong in our efforts to serve this customer and we genuinely tried to give them a good service. Unfortunately, there are some people that we cannot help.

On a final note, I happen to be a senior chaplain and do volunteer ministry when and where I can, and I did not give a lengthy personal attack on this customer. I was direct and to the point as one Christian to another. When I meet someone who I believe to be a Christian acting in such a foul manner as this customer has done with my wife and I, I try to remind them of their position as a Christian in a world desperately in need of Christ.

On the contrary of what they accused me of, I did not question their faith, but reminded them of their responsibility as a Christian. That was apparently, the greatest irritation of all. After all, if we are taught to love our enemies as Christ has demonstrated on the cross, how much more should we love our brothers and sisters in Christ?

So yes, I made it clear after I took time out of my very busy schedule to explain their situation both in their home and in a follow-up Email, that their nasty attitude was uncalled for and beneath them as a Christian. I suggested that they take it to the foot of the cross and leave their nastiness there. I did not attack them personally, but I did address their foul attitude.

Instead of recognizing their wrong and hurtful attitude, they have attacked even further by claiming that I am being sanctimonious and bringing into business what does not belong. What a shocking and sad thing for a Christian to say. So they would suggest that I leave Jesus at home and not take Him with me into the streets and into the homes that I serve! Really!?!

Well to that I say, why bother being a Christian at all, and what a hypocritical fraud that would be.
So according to this Christian, I am only allowed to keep my faith to myself when all alone or in some special place of assembly.

According to them, I am not allowed to bring The Lord of Glory, Love and Grace with me where He is needed most, out into the world full of hurting and dying souls. What a sad testimony for anyone claiming to be a Christian.

As I have already informed this Customer, I will give them a (1) hour labor refund and a refund of $7.58 towards materials that were purchased. Even though we used some of those materials, I have chosen to refund the full amount rather than haggle over a few pennies.

Any further requests beyond this I have refused as this customer has not been totally honest about the facts and they are now seeking unreasonable and unjustified compensation when in fact, no compensation is due.

There are only two real issues at hand that need to be resolved; the master bathroom faucet and the floor by the toilet in the hall bath room.
The rest of this customer's complaining is simply the result of their unwillingness to accept the truth and I will no longer engage in their unproductive use of my time.

#1 The Master Bathroom Faucet
We did not install the faucet incorrectly and it did operate As Intended - as a water-saver faucet. The proof is in the facts given within this customer's Revdex.com response.
The Plumber simply altered the factory setting of the water-saving/water-restricting aerator so that it allowed more water flow through the mouth of the faucet.

He did so to allow a greater volume of water to flow through the faucet which increases the water pressure and the speed that the hot water comes through.
Both results were achieved by altering the manufactures intended use of their product.

We do not alter the factory settings on faucets, period.
That decision is not born out of a lack of knowledge, it is a conscientious choice to not make ourselves responsible for a potential issue with a customer's new product.

As I stated before, I sent this customer information about possible causes before we made a visit to their home. They refused to engage and educate themselves before they started making wrong conclusions and false accusation.
After our visit, I researched the latest information on water-saver faucets to make sure that I was correct in my assessment of their particular faucet issues and responded in an Email letting them know what they were dealing with.

Instead of accepting the facts, I am being told that we are un-professional, un-skilled and that they should receive a refund for poor quality workmanship. But there was no problem with that faucet and we did nothing wrong. Therefore, no refund is due.

By the way, why did the plumber turn up the heat on a water heater that we did not touch when the customer claims that there was nothing wrong with their heat until after we installed their new faucet? Because the water-restricting faucet slows down the speed at which the hot water can get through and the adjustment of the aerator did not fully resolve the delay of hot water issue.

Please note, we do not install or adjust water heaters and the requirement of that adjustment also proves that I was correct in my presentation of the facts. The plumber simply upped the heat so that the water in the supply line would stay hot longer and therefore come through faster because less cold water has to pass before the hot water arrives.

The facts on this issue are as follows:
This customer purchased a product without taking the time to understand its purpose or use, so they were ignorant about the product they chose (not a remark of slander but the correct use of a term which means, un-educated).
They willfully chose to remain ignorant when information was offered which has led them to wrongful and hurtful actions and words on their part towards our technician and our company.

#2 The Hallway Bathroom Floor
We did not make a mistake on this customer's floor. Nor did I switch my story as this customer claims.
When we came to their home I could not remember all of the details of their job from more than two weeks earlier.

We handle multiple jobs each day and I even told this customer that I was not sure why the technician did not replace the piece rather than glue down the piece. I had given them some possible reasons but ultimately let them know that I would check back with them after I spoke with the technician.

When I spoke with our technician, he reminded me that the piece of flooring ran up under the shoe and base molding along the wall which would have made the job a bigger job. This customer was given the option of gluing down the piece of flooring or doing a full on replacement which would have involved trim with drywall repairs and ultimately cost them more money.

My understanding is that they chose to go with the glue down option, hoping that it would hold and save them the additional expense. Even though we do not warrantee that option if it fails, rather than banter with this customer over an hour of labor, I have offered a refund for that hour of labor.

The facts on this issue are as follows:
This customer either does not remember the details of their choice, or, they are willfully denying the facts with the hopes that they can pressure me into a greater refund by creating a bigger issue than what took place.

Final Comments:
As far as I am concerned, they have zero refund due to begin with and definitely none due beyond what I have offered.
Furthermore, I have included in the refund the material cost of parts purchased. Therefore, both issues have been resolved.

We will no longer engage with this customer.
A check has already been issued and we are done dealing with this customer's ridiculous attitude and un-reasonable demands.

I am an easy going man and very reasonable.
But I refuse to be a door-mat for people who refuse to accept their responsibility for their own choices as the home owner;
Especially when they choose to blame others for self-inflicted issues caused by willful ignorance and a poor selective memory concerning the facts.