We had an emergency with a collapsed drain. We selected the company based on customer service awards - BBB involvement. While filling up the hole outside which they dug to fix the problem, they used water to pack the soil; this in turn flooded our basement with muddy water. When Drainworks was asked to clean up the mess, we were told to find a cleaning company ourselves, and give them the receipt. We said, YOU made the mess, YOU find the company and get it cleaned up. The representative we were dealing with had to get permission from his supervisor. Reluctantly they agreed. We asked for compensation for a desk that had sustained water damage, but were told that there was no proof the flood caused the damage, so they were not responsible. At this point, they had the nerve to ask for the balance of payment for the drain work, while there was still mud in the basement, and a carpet sopping with dirty water. We told them that they would get payment once the mess was cleaned up...no sooner. Again, after a lengthy phone call with his supervisor, we were told that it's not how they normally do things, but in this case they'd make an exception. We don't consider this a favour, but rather a responsible business practice.
The company hired to clean up the mess, was pleasant enough to deal with, but understaffed to complete the job in a timely fashion. From initial drain work, to completion of clean up, one month passed.
To sum up, Drainworks did not impress with their customer service. While it's true that accidents happen, it's a company's reaction in fixing the problem that is a testament to their worth. Drainworks failed this test miserably.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $1.00
- Company Response
When this posting was brought to my attention, I was shocked. I have absolutely no problem with anyone's right to express what they did or did not like about a service experience, but this posting seems at odds to us for several reasons:
1. This is the second version of this message posted on HomeStars dated September 30, 2006. The first version, a shorter one, basically accused my company of extorting this client. After a complaint from us to HomeStars, this longer version replaced the original post. In both incidents, we expressed our dismay to HomeStars in the lack of fairness of posting such a damaging message without even contacting the supposedly offending company as a basic means of validating the story. After all, HomeStars obviously approached the poster again for a more detailed account of their side of events. 2. This complaint is from work that was started and completed 4 years ago, less two months. In the nearly 4 years since the work was completed, this client has never once registered a complaint with DrainWorks - not by phone and not by writing. Also, we are long time members of the Better Business Bureau and they never received a complaint on this matter. That seems odd given that the poster is still clearly upset by the incident 3. It's true that water seeped into this client's basement, but in large measure was a result of the process used (very standard) and an area of the client's basement floor that was not properly concreted - something neither of us expected. This really was accidental. 4. We never told the client to fix the damage themselves. We offered to allow them to use a supplier of their preference. Failing that, we would fix it, which we did using a supplier that is a preferred supplier for many of the insurance firms in the G.T.A. 5. We never took a month to complete the work. The plumbing portion was done in 3 days, but the clean up and return of the professionally cleaned rug took a bit longer, but to the best of my knowledge, not a month. 6. If there was any damage to any furniture, it would have been attended to. What would be the value in having a carpet professionally removed, cleaned and sanitized offsite, as well as reinstalled, only to have the client still upset due to the fact that their furniture was left unattended to? It's simple there was no furniture damage, nor was there any drywall or framing damage ( I raise this to counter the "basement full of water" claim). There certainly was some water and silt in the basement and it was repaired perfectly at no additional cost to the client. 7. We've been members of the BBB (Better Business Bureau) forever. We've been awarded 6 consecutive Consumer's Choice awards for Drain Service excellence, and unlike most companies in plumbing, our staff are technicians who are full time salary based employees rather than commission-driven temporary employees. I share this information to support my point that we are simply not in the habit of letting clients down or taking advantage of them. We sincerely regret any discomfort this client ever experienced.
In closing, I reiterate that we respect everyone's right to express their opinion, but that doesn't mean that a post or review shouldn't be honest and fair. I would encourage HomeStars that the best support and protection for a client is honest and fair discourse. Anything less is convenient at best and completely irresponsible at worst.
Sincerely,
Terry Cord
Founder and President,
DrainWorks Plumbing