We have been long time customers of After Hours Plumbers and will likely never use them again. The services received are very good - we have always been happy with the technicians, they are very knowledgeable and courteous - but the billing is inflated.
We were charged $315 to unclog a drain (45 minutes of work) which translates to $420/hour, about double what my lawyer charges for highly difficult negotiations (our lawyer charged us $700 to get back $10,000 from someone who had stolen from us).
After Hour's hourly rate is $125. There was also a $75 charge for the equipment used which they own. No parts were used. This was not a job which required an advanced skill level; it was unclogging a drain (two actually). There was an hour travel charge which was also charged at $125/hour. We live in Leavenworth (20-30 minutes drive from west Wenatchee), but there were other customers in Leavenworth that day, so why is After Hours charging every customer the travel charge (1 hour)? This charge does not represent a real expense for After Hours, but an excuse to stick it to their customers. Why isn't After Hours charging from the time it takes to go from one customer to another, or at least dividing the travel time? Essentially they are charging for an expense they don't have by manipulating the numbers (and then yelling at their customers).
We put off the repair over the week-end to accommodate After Hours, meaning that they came 4 days after we called. We were happy to help them out even though it meant 4 days without a tub. So they thanked me by overcharging me.
I telephoned After Hours to discuss the bill. I was prepared to pay $200 for unclogging a drain at 45 minutes: still high, but I was prepared to pay it. I was polite but was met with attitude and a sarcastic tone of voice, which I truly don't appreciate: antagonizing and attacking, as if I am not entitled to feel that $315 for 45 minutes of work is too high. There was unquestionably the attempt to invalidate my concerns as well as to talk down to me. My reaction is not unusual. Everyone is tired of making $15-30/hour and being treated unfairly and charged way out of proportion to their salary. Believe me, I expect to pay a lot at the outset, and I rarely complain. Oft times I feel that I have been given a good deal, even when something is expensive. I am not one to begrudge every penny. Note that I have used After Hours many times, five or more times. After Hours will do a good job. The technicians are awesome. (One time I had a hole in my ceiling and Greg diagnosed it correctly when someone else was unable to.)
But be prepared to pay a great deal and don't expect to be valued as a customer. I least appreciated being treated rudely, particularly when I didn't express my concerns unkindly. I can be told "yes" or "no" and thereafter take appropriate steps (such as choosing never to use them again), but UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should I be treated with rudeness. I was communicating to this company that I felt I was being overcharged for the service I received. Period. Which I was. I am certainly entitled to have an opinion on whether or not I received value for my money. And I am not the one who is charging a higher hourly rate than other professionals providing more advanced services and inflating a bill with add-ons. read more
