I never write reviews, and it looks like they've protected their Google reviews rather well, but the truth is over here on Yelp reviews.
We're on our 4th week without our water heater, with 3 babies at home because of this company's ineptitude. Here is the timeline - all of these calls are recorded and I will update here with a link for anyone interested once I've uploaded the audio files:
11/20 - Uncovered costs from AV Plumbing accepted through their customer portal at 11:08am, email confirmation received
11/29 - called dispatcher Angela for an update, discovered nothing has been done, and she said I had to have approval from the warranty company, American Home Shield (AHS)
12/6 - called dispatcher Maddy at 3:06pm for an update, once again discovered that nothing has been done, no part ordered. Asked Maddy to have Chris Foster (a supervisor I had spoken with before agreeing to the uncovered costs) call me. Called the warranty company and was told that AV Plumbing had just submitted authorization at 3:51pm, that there was no communication between 11/29-12/6, and that they were waiting for a call from AV Plumbing. Confirmed with the warranty company that AV Plumbing was the one to drop the ball.
12/6 - called dispatcher Anna, asked to have Chris Foster call me
12/7 - called dispatcher Linda, asked to have Chris Foster call me
12/9 - called dispatcher Maddy, she said Chris Foster left a message to the office that "he just has to call the warranty company," but requested once again a callback from Chris Foster, 1:37pm
12/9 - called dispatcher Brianna, asked to have Chris Foster call me, 7:13pm
12/10 - still no callback from Chris Foster so I called again at and got dispatcher Maddy and asked to have Chris Foster call me, 11:07am, the call escalated and Maddy hung up on me
12/10 - called back into the office at 11:20am and got dispatcher Angela, who helped to try and get a hold of Chris
12/10 - at 11:43am, Chris calls me - we establish the timeline on their end, compared notes, ultimately ending in Chris will get a handle on the situation and call me back
12/10 - 12:41pm, Chris calls me explaining more of the timeline on their end and will call me back with a solution
12/10 - 1:39pm, Chris has a solution to pull from another future job and can get the water heater installed today
Update: technician Jesse was great, water is installed
TLDR: I'm sure a good amount of the people working here are great people, but because of a select few, this experience with this company is in the Top 10 worst interactions of any service company I have ever had.
Chris, who I had tried to reach repeatedly but avoided calling me back ultimately saved the day. Problem could have been addressed much much earlier had he just called me back. He would have been apprised of what was happening and would have stepped in. After a month without a water heater (which is normally a one week process) you would think the company would come through with a discount or something to make up for it or to build back goodwill, but no, Chris said their "hands are tied."
Their is a massive problem in their dispatch department and their systems. Dispatcher Maddy has one of the worst demeanors and attitudes and has no business answering phones.
My advice is: there are so many options as far as plumbing companies go, save yourself the grief and choose them.
If your warrant company chooses the company for you and you see AV Plumbing pop up, refuse it and get them to switch the contractor, you'll thank yourself later. read more