4 years ago
I have been a customer for a very long time, and h...
I have been a customer for a very long time, and have my share of good calls and poor calls. But, I have never been, literally, left in the cold on an emergency call for furnace out.
Other than the tech arrived in a relatively short time, this would rate a zero!
Service call placed about 1:30pm on Saturday. Tech responded within 10-15 minutes and arrived shortly after. I will admit the space around the furnace was filthy and floor was damp...
After about 10 minutes unscrewing a few screws he says he has 2 bad news. Not sure the order, but, he saw a "roach" or bug on the floor and that the furnace was "out of maintenance" and would cost about $400 dollars to swap out the blower motor. Wow!
The tech is packing up to leave and says he will not do the repair because of the "roach"! as well as the reason the furnace is "out of maintenance" because it hasn't been serviced in 5 years. What??? were did this come from? I am on auto-payment, so for 5 years and north of $2000 I can't service without additional parts and labor? Give me a break!!! At this point I ask if he has the part to fix the furnace, which he affirms, but he is still leaving. He keeps apologizing and says he is following policy. I have had it with this tech, there is no use talking to him. I requested that he put things back together and he does. and leaves.
At this point, I am completely upset and while I call Burton HVAC, my brother cleans up all around the furnace. Beside some dead waterbugs there aren't any live bugs we can see....
So, the call to Burton was $190 with a price tag of $800+ to replace the blower motor! The furnace sales guy comes over and it's going to cost $5500 for a new furnace... Wow !!!
Sunday morning, and 4 inches of snow, I place another emergency service call about 8:30am and explain the situation to the dispatcher. I get a call back from the Tech about 10 minutes later, and after explaining there "should" be some case notes, he is on the way.
Well, long story short, 2 hours later and one new blower motor, the furnace is running great! ONE part!!! I ask about the charge and the Tech asks if I am a customer and he charges me for the trip, $26.75... I watched the entire repair, there was nothing complicated, just some elbow grease to pull things apart.... and reassembly was quick.
The first Tech cost me time, lots of frustration and $190!
I told the second Tech he should be in the picture on the back of the van!