I think there are a couple of primary reasons why people are dissatisfied or don’t feel like they got what they wanted from their plumbers. What I’m going to share is based upon my experience in the industry and feedback I’ve received from some of our clients. (Their feedback pertained to both us and other providers.) I don’t want to come across dramatic while addressing this subject, either. We’re not working on the human body and this isn’t brain surgery, so I don’t want to make it sound that way. However, plumbing is really important in ways we might not always consider.
If you have someone come to work on your home’s plumbing system, you shouldn’t minimize the value of hiring a professional. Part of that involves taking the time to make sure all the details are covered. Someone who works on electrical or water in your home could cause a huge amount of damage by causing a water leak or flood. Gas lines or gas water heaters involve carbon monoxide, which can be a silent killer. A sewage backup in your home could cause you to come into contact with disease-ridden waste. The bottom line is, we have to protect the safety and health of homeowners, which should never be underestimated.
A lot of times, though, I think the reason people become disappointed is because of the lack of adequate communication. A lot of homeowners fall short by just leaving the door open for a plumber to take care of a small issue in the home. Even though it might just be a dripping fixture, that kind of thinking can really set the stage for mistakes to happen. We always want to have someone at home if possible when we make a visit. That allows us to make sure we discuss the situation as effectively as possible. We can also ask questions about what’s going on, which is really crucial to resolving the problem correctly on the first visit. After all, nobody wants to have multiple visits from a plumber if it could have been taken care of properly the first time.
I’d recommend that you communicate clear expectations and also make sure the plumber has communicated exactly what results you should expect. As a company, we should explain when we’re on our way to someone’s home, what we found after investigating the situation, and how much everything is going to cost in a straightforward way so that you have no unanswered questions. Clear communication across the board is the most proactive way to prevent disappointment.
Sometimes people in the plumbing industry don’t value training and staying at the cutting edge of innovation. Items like tankless water heaters can be very difficult to diagnose if someone has never had any training with them. Homeowners also might not like paying big dollars for plumbing, and therefore might choose someone who charges less. (The trades are not inexpensive if you hire a qualified professional.) But I highly recommend against spending a couple of hundred dollars for someone who’s likely to do the job incorrectly. Not only will this lead to dissatisfaction, but it will end up costing twice as much in the long run when you throw your money into the wind.
If you have any questions or you want to work with the team at Wisler Plumbing & Air, contact us today or give us a call at 540-483-9382.
