We did business with Cottrell for ten years…read more
The Faucets: On 12/9/24 your technician cleared the upstairs vanity drain, and I asked him about the slow water flow at the faucets. He checked the water pressure and told me to contact Kohler for replacement faucets under their lifetime warranty, which Cottrell could then install. The actual cause was clogged aerators, which I fixed myself in minutes after AI diagnosed the issue. This was a verbal conversation during that visit, so it wouldn't appear as a quoted job, but it fits the attention-to-detail concerns below.
The HVAC Drain Issues: I take little issue with this, other than that we should both have concluded sooner that the unit needed to be replaced. The cracked pan was not noticed until your technicians had been here a couple of times, which tells me more attention to detail is needed going forward.
The Towels: Policies are nice, but they don't necessarily prevent the behavior. When you do business with someone for a long time and have generally good experiences, you don't raise a fuss over something small, like an employee using a white hand towel to soak up water and leaving it on the vanity. I'm not the kind of person who fusses over every little thing, but when little things build up, I will say something. The manager's words were, "I can't fix what I don't know about." That's true, but even after I told you, nothing was done. That statement also puts the burden of your employee's behavior on me.
The Landing Runner: Please see the attached pictures. The photos don't support your technician's account. You said "According to the technician, while the crew was carrying the heavy replacement air handler up the stairs, the unsecured landing runner shifted underfoot, creating an immediate trip hazard while hauling equipment. He pushed it aside with his foot to clear the path, which unfortunately placed it beneath the attic ladder where it was damaged." The small carpet I placed under the attic steps to protect the floor was moved out of the way, and the landing runner was placed there deliberately. The third photograph shows how much adhesive holds the runner to the floor. It was not loose. Which is more likely: that it was loose, got pushed into his path, and happened to slide under the steps and push another carpet out of the way, or that he pulled it up and used it as part of his workspace? The manager did not offer to replace the carpet if I sent her a link like you claim she did. She said they would "take a look at it" if I replaced it and sent them an invoice. That was hedged enough that I wasn't confident an invoice would be honored. Since you've now offered to purchase it through a link and have it sent to my house, I'll take you up on that.. Also, if the photos contradict your technician's account of the runner, why would you rely on their account of the towel?
Equipment Sound: Up to this point, I was just scratching my head about what is going on with Cottrell. The unit is noticeably louder. I appreciate that you sent a technician the next day at no charge, but the visit confirmed the unit was operating to spec and didn't address my complaint that it's louder. I wanted to find a solution, but the only option raised was a sound blanket. The manager didn't offer to come out herself, look at the unit, or discuss other units, and I was told "Sound is subjective." I never claimed you installed a different unit than you said. I just wanted to work through the problem. The reason we no longer want to use Cottrell is how these issues were handled: responsibility shifted back to us, responses were defensive and hedged, and problems raised after the fact weren't worked through with us.
Maintenance Refund: You say the refund for half of the service agreement is being taken care of but I have yet to see anything on my credit card showing you have stood by your word. I will update this review once it posts.
