You know how some people look at a mountain and say, "Psh! Yeah right. That's never going to happen"?
Bob Price is the kind of guy who looks at that mountain (or, four inches of sewer standing in my basement), takes a drag from his cigarette, and says, "Hand me my shovel."
He's the kind of guy who sees a problem he thinks he should be able to solve and doesn't give up until it is.
When we think of heroes, we usually think of firefighters, nurses, soldiers, EMTs...not plumbers.
Bob Price saved my home. And with it, the day-to-day life of my family and the quality of the future for my little girls. If he didn't get the job done in a last-ditch effort, it would have been excavation. Tens of thousands of uninsured dollars that I didn't have. A second mortgage wouldn't be feasible. I'd have to sell the house and move my family into an apartment over Christmas.
Bob's a hero in my book. When you call Roto-Rooter in Southeast Michigan, ask for Bob Price.
Aaron Capitano was the first one on the scene and he was absolutely top-notch from start to finish. He went over and above. He thoughtfully diagnosed the situation, and made a strategic decision that would even save me money!
He could have easily run his 75' cable, charged me for it, shrugged when nothing happened, and THEN charged me for the camera scope, but he was both knowledgeable and caring and opted to send the camera down first so that we could first figure out what we were even working with down there.
He was right. He was honest. And he was smart.
Now for something different.
The technicians are incredible. The dispatch system could use some work, in my opinion.
On one day alone, I got: A call at 8:44am saying the tech was on his way. I left work to wait for him at my home. A call at 9:17am saying he'd been diverted to an emergency. I went back to work.
A call at 11:30am saying he'd be at my home in an hour. I left work. A promise at 1:00pm that he was "on his way". I waited.
A surprise at 2:00pm that he was "actually at another job". I went back to work. Then the plumber himself called and told me exactly when he would be there. 4:30.
So I traveled back and forth between home and work multiple times, on icy roads, taking time away from work in the middle of what was already a financial hardship, trying to make sure I was present whenever the next promised arrival happened...only to discover that the plumber himself could've just called me directly, and everything would've gone smoothly.
This wasn't a one-time mistake. It happened before - I just didn't document it as carefully the first time.
And that leads to the second frustration:
Each technician had different equipment limits. Aaron had a 75' cable and 200' camera. Joe had a 200' camera and a 300' jet hose. Bob had a 300' camera and then told me he also has a 500' jet hose. Each visit required paying again. Over $3,500 all told, to clear a lateral sewage line. Granted, a particularly long and strangely laid-out lateral sewage line.
If Aaron had simply been equipped with the 300' camera and 500' jet from the beginning, this entire saga could've been resolved in a single day. If you remember, the sewage stood in my basement for five days! Soaking into the wood and appliances. More bacteria building throughout the rest of the house each day that a new technician had to be scheduled to come out "sometime tomorrow."
I get that specialization exists. I get that not every truck can carry every tool. But when the customer ends up paying for three or four separate diagnostic attempts only because the right equipment wasn't available the first time...that feels less like "good business" and more like unnecessary escalation.
Equip your people well, and let them do what they do best. Cause your technicians are top-notch people. They just need better support. Get them what they need and let them loose to deliver the professionalism they already do.
My family will be home for Christmas. Thank you, Bob, Aaron, Joe, and even Andy and Corey. Merry Christmas. read more
