Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Asking For a Price Over The Phone Is Not Fair To You As a Home Owner



Asking For a Price Over The Phone Is Not Fair To You As a Home Owner


As an owner of a Cleary Plumbing, Inc. I deal with people price shopping every day. People call and try to describe their plumbing issue and then ask for a ball park price or estimate over the phone.  For the person giving the price over the phone, this becomes a very difficult situation every time. In my opinion, a price over the phone is not fair to the homeowner. First off, you are calling because you have a plumbing issue that you can not solve, so describing the problem over the phone may be difficult. Secondly, there are few plumbing problems that are exactly the same from one home to another. Lastly, you as the consumer would not be getting the service and attention you deserved if the issue were not observed first hand by a professional.

 I am one of those people who always gave prices over the phone. I may still give a range occasionally, but I learned that I was not being fair to my customers by giving them a price I could not fully stand behind without seeing the issue at hand. I later decided that I would rather lose a sale over the phone than let my reputation as a Good Service Provider be tarnished. I understand people need to budget and see if they can afford the service they need, so a range can be a compromise. The biggest problem with getting a price over the phone is when the problem described does not match what exactly is going on. What ends up happening is the work ends up being totally different or the work becomes more extensive than the price that was given over the phone. This puts both the owner and the service provider in a bad spot. The owners wants the service provider to honor the verbal price over the phone and the service provider claims there is no way they can do the service for that price.  Now, you as the homeowner are not getting the exceptional service you expect and deserve.

           
       I am not naive and I know price is one of the most of important factors in deciding on what we choose, but how do we choose a Plumbing Company without a price over the phone? Making a list of other things that are important to you is essential. There are many things you can learn over the phone that can help you choose. Some of them are: Trip Charges or Service Fees, Warranties, Guarantees, Maintenance Plans, Method of Charging the Customer, Licenses, Accreditation, Financing Options, Availability, Technicians Level of Expertise, and a Level of Comfort with whom you are talking to. In asking the right questions you can ultimately compare apples to apples when choosing your next Plumbing Company. By making a list that is not only based on price, you are able to see the true valve of the service. Not until you see perceived value will you ever agree on a price being charged. Understand what matters most to you in a service company and then choose the one that best fits yours needs.


                                                    West Palm Beach Plumber
                                                        Wellington Plumber
                                                   North Palm Beach Plumber
                                                Palm Beach Gardens Plumber
                                                     Loxahatchee Plumber
                                               Royal Palm Beach Plumber
                                                        Jupiter Plumber
                                                  Palm Beach County Plumber
                                                        Stuart Plumber
                                                      Lake Worth Plumber
                                                     Boynton Beach Plumber
















Saturday, June 13, 2015



Plumbing 101: Plumbing Tips When Leaving Your Home For Long Periods of Time
               

                Palm Beach County is a beautiful place to live. So much so that many people have second and third homes here. A Common question I always get asked is “What do I do with my water when I leave for weeks or months at a time?” This is a great question and one that should not be taken lightly. The average cost per water damage claim is well over $15000. The amount of claims seem to be rising each year as well. There are many factors as to why that is but for many owners these potential nightmares can be avoided. The biggest tip I can give an owner to avoid unexpected water damage is to know the basics to your plumbing system. Knowing how the water runs throughout your house can be vital in preparing to leave your home for long periods of time.

                Find out where the main water feed is coming into the house and locate the main shut off valve. The main shut off valve is what controls the flow of water to your entire house. In Palm Beach County they are usually located on the exterior of the house or near the water heater. Not only should you locate the main shut off valve but you should test it to make sure it’s closing all the way off, allowing no water to pass. This is very important because when you leave for extensive periods of time you should always turn off the water to your home. In doing this, your plumbing system only has what can fill the lines and that’s it. You can take it one step further by bleeding all the lines once the water is off. Bleeding the lines is when you relieve the pressure in the lines through fixtures throughout the house. A ½”water line produces an average of 14 Gallons Per Minute or 840 Gallons Per Hour under 20-100Psi. That is a lot of water in a quick amount of time. You can see why water damage cost are staggering because of the amount of water that can fill your home is such a small amount of time.
Lastly, I like to suggest to turn off the power or gas to your water heater. For electric heaters the reason I say this is because a water heater needs to be filled for it work properly. If the tank is empty or partially filled, that creates an electrical issue. The power to the heater can cause a breaker to trip or even worse, an electrical fire. A gas line to a heater, much like a water line, can have a leak so it is always good to turn the gas off as well.
When turning the water back on to your home, always open the valve very slowly. Palm Beach County has anywhere between 65-80psi, which is a lot of pressure. Introducing water back into empty lines should be done with caution. Make sure, once the water is back on, to check all your water fed appliances and plumbing fixtures. Make sure there are no leaks and that nothing is running. Once you have done that then it is time to enjoy your beautiful home once again.

West Palm Beach Plumber
Wellington Plumber
North Palm Beach Plumber
    Palm Beach Gardens Plumber
    Loxahatchee Plumber
    Royal Palm Beach Plumber
   Jupiter Plumber
   Palm Beach County Plumber
   Stuart Plumber
   Lake Worth Plumber
   Boynton Beach Plumber