I put out a Yelp request to get estimates on some work for my home. As Yelp does, it contacted…read moremultiple companies. Mr. Rooter was the first to call me, and schedule for an estimate. I mentioned that we are selling the house and we were looking to repair an issue with the water pressure for the new owners.
The plumber that came by called me and told me his recommendations. Two days later, I received an estimate for much more than what was recommended on the phone, and an invoice for the estimate itself. I responded questioning that estimate charge, because it wasn't mentioned in advance, and why there was work on the estimate that we were told we wouldn't need.
The woman that responded was nice with her explanations, but it still doesn't sit right with me to charge for an estimate, or to not say that ahead of time.
A week later, she called to follow up, and I told her because it was a Yelp thing, someone else was taking a look for us and I would be in touch if we wanted to continue with them; or I would pay the invoice for the estimate online.
The other company that came told us everything Mr. Rooter had added to their estimate was not needed. If those things were a problem, we would have no water. So it would have been a waste of money.
Two weeks later, after not reaching out to me again to follow up, she called my realtor and threatened to put a lien on our house, and interfere with the sale, if we don't pay the $200 estimate fee! That is extremely unprofessional! and $200 is very high, considering it cost your company nothing in parts, etc, and your employee was only at my home for 16 minutes.
I am far from happy with my experience.
Tyler, their plumber, was great! He seemed to know exactly what it was talking about, he was very nice on the phone and professional. But their office is a disaster and the customer service is a 1/10.
To respond.. I never spoke tot Tyler over the phone regarding the bill, nor was I ever rude to him in any manner.
I was never told in advance about any fees for estimates, so I would love to hear the recorded call you claim you have. I also responded to the email with the invoice for the estimate that I was unaware of a charge for it, and the response I received was "yes, that was our failure to communicate."
I also did not say I would be using the estimate in negotiations for my sale, so it was not a "real estate estimate." It was a homeowner trying to get work done on their home. And the work is the home needs IS being done, by someone else. You are simply unhappy that I got multiple estimates done, and chose someone else, which I have every right to do, whether I am selling the home or not.
Good luck to you and your corporate business.