ComplaintsforStanley Steemer of South Florida, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  05/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Stanley Steemer was hired to perform air duct cleaning. When they arrived the technician recommended cleaning the ** handler for additional upcharges. The technicians were sloppy and instead of cleaning the ducts with vacuum, the debris was scattered throughout the home causing harm to the occupants and damage to the furniture. They caused damage to the walls and the ** was left INOPERABLE resulting in calling an ** technician.

  

  Business response

  05/23/2024

  The Tomback's also sent an email to our corporate office that we responded to. See statement from our Air Duct Manager:

  Following up on this one, the customer didnt have any pictures or proof that any of this actually happened.She wanted all of the money back or at least half based only on her statement.She went on to say that it took her a week to notice the dust in the home. We offered a redo which she immediately declined. We offered her a $100 refund for customer satisfaction and explained that since she denied the redo and has nothing to go off of other than her statement that the $100 would be the best we would be able to do. She declined and said thats not enough and hung up the phone. 

  In the original email to SSI, nothing was mentioned about damaged to walls or the ** unit.  We feel this allegation is unfounded and appears baseless. Our offer above remains...

  Customer response

  05/23/2024

   
  Complaint: 21747057
  
  I am rejecting this response because: This Franchise has a history of predatory practices with elderly and should be shut down and receive and F rating. We would never have this company enter our home again.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  06/04/2024

  Hello,

   

  Where can I change the email address that receives notice of complaints/actionable items? I cant seem to find the correct place on the website to adjust this setting...

   

  Thanks,

   

  ***********************

  Director of Operations

• Initial Complaint

  02/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On February 2nd, I made an appointment confirmed via email, with Stanley Steemer, for air duct cleaning, at my home, on February 6. About 9:45am on February 6, three men showed up at my door claiming to be Stanley Steemer technicians. I later found out (via a recorded message from Stanley Steemer) that a man, who was from a company named GREEN DUCT CLEANING & RESTORATION LLC, called Stanley Steemer, without my knowledge or authorization, impersonated me and changed the appointment date to Feb. 13. The caller, who was supposed to be me, provided the incorrect phone number, and address several times, during the call. Prior to this incident Stanley had 4 customers where unauthorized people showed up at their home. I would have thought that Stanley would have put some procedures in place to alert management or the customer of questionable interactions regarding scheduled appointments. The men did a substandard job, did not complete the work, and overcharged me $800, on top of the originally quoted $1,140. I was told by the appt. scheduler, from Stanley Steemer, to pay the tech upon arrival. I paid $1,940, when they prepared to leave, with the understanding that they would be back the following week to complete unfinished work. Stanley has offered to complete the original work at no charge. They balked at covering the additional $800 that the tech said was owed and I paid.I am in possession of call records, phone logs and video clips that have been shared with Stanley.

  Customer response

  02/20/2024

  The attached audio clip is a man from Green **** impersonating me and changing my appointment. This occurred after 4 Stanley Steemer customers had imposters coming to their home presenting as Stanley Steemer employees. My question was why weren't policies and procedures immediately implemented with Stanley's staff to put them on a higher level of vigilance and alert when a confusing or questionable conversation occurs, concerning a customer's appointment.

  Additional documents include the SunBiz record for Green **** Cleaning & Restoration and the confirmed appointment with Stanley Steemer, for Feb. 6th.

  Customer response

  02/20/2024

  The attached audio clip is a man from Green **** impersonating me and changing my appointment. This occurred after 4 Stanley Steemer customers had imposters coming to their home presenting as Stanley Steemer employees. My question was why weren't policies and procedures immediately implemented with Stanley's staff to put them on a higher level of vigilance and alert when a confusing or questionable conversation occurs, concerning a customer's appointment.

  Additional documents include the SunBiz record for Green **** Cleaning & Restoration and the confirmed appointment with Stanley Steemer, for Feb. 6th.

  

  Business response

  03/25/2024

  Hello,

   

  I am forwarding correspondence from ************************** Affairs, my response to their inquiry initiated by **************, and emails detailing final resolution agreed to by both parties (work completed by Stanley Steemer at not charge). Please see attached items...

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  12/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had my sandstone floors sealed for 2,500$.The product left my floors so tacky that my rugs stuck to them, showed scratches when I moved my chairs, ********** stuck to them.Service man came out for three days removing the sealer. My floors still have residual on the floors.I never even got an apology for the disaster they created.Im left with no satisfaction and no apology. Im now out $$$ with absolutely nothing but stress and anxiety about the situation.

  

  Business response

  01/02/2024

  To whom it may concern:

   

  Customer was serviced out of the ***** ********************** location. She logged a complaint with the wrong Steemer BBB account. We're in ************...

• Initial Complaint

  11/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had a service today 11/03/2023 to have 7 ducts and the air handler cleaned with STANLEY STEEMER. The technicians arrived and began their walkthrough. They offered the disinfecting chemical and also noticed there was some growth on the exhaust above the unit. They offer another service which I accepted. They turned off the unit through the thermostat and started working on it. 3 hours later when they were done, the ** unit would not turn on. The technician said he was not an HV** tech and could not do anything. They left but said they would note the issue in the comments. Well, they failed to note that they BROKE the **. I called their ************* and they basically told me they needed an authorization to get a technician out to my house. After 2 hours of calling back and forth and be given the runaround, I had to call my technician. I made it very clear to Stanley Steemer that they were responsible for the damages and that I had a fully functioning ** unit when they arrived. They said their manager was not answering. They are very quick to take your money but very slow to resolve the situation. I called their ***** number and the lady told me that if they broke it they fix it. I guess not the Delray franchise. Poor ****** tried getting me help but couldnt help without her supervisors approval. Very dissatisfied and disappointed.

  

  Business response

  11/06/2023

  Our Air Duct Manager reached out this morning and spoke with *****************  We apologized for the issue on Saturday and provided a refund. 

• Initial Complaint

  10/19/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Dear BBB, I seek your help with the following: Stanley Steemer came to my house to clean my ducts. They damaged my air handler in the process. The ******* admitted they could not get the ** to work, and I asked to speak to a manager. The manager I talked to hired a third party to repair it. I had to wait some hours, and then the repairman spent multiple hours in my home and left the house a filthy mess. I spent six hours without **. Because the ** repairman had trouble repairing the unit, I tried calling the Stanley Steemer rep for help. He didn't answer my calls or texts. The repairman didn't leave until 11 PM.Stanley Steemer refused to offer any discount off the bill for not delivering on their clean ************ and wouldn't provide any documentation on the repair done to my air handler. Their representative became rude and aggressive when I was unwilling to accept a gift certificate for my requested compensation. He wrote multiple non-truths in emails to me, including that it wasn't their fault that the air handler stopped working. The ** worked perfectly well when they arrived. His colleague told me he had done something to the unit that he couldn't remedy. This manager immediately threatened to send me to collections when I questioned the integrity of his approach. He was verbally aggressive and repeatedly stated non-truths. He was a bully and very unprofessional. In addition to speaking and writing to the manager, I called their office asking for customer service support and have not received a reply. I want the bill to be reduced in some meaningful way other than a $150 gift certificate that I will never use, and then I would happily pay them. I need paperwork on the repair done to my air hanlder. Both were denied to me. I asked for them to discount the sale for $150 and the manager was unwilling to discuss it with me.

  

  Business response

  10/25/2023

  See attached

  

  Business response

  10/26/2023

  Same response in word form for legibility...

  Customer response

  10/27/2023

   
  Complaint: 20756562
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  There are mutiple untruths in the statement they have provided, the most important one being that they are asserting I don't want to pay the bill. I clearly stated that I would pay the bill but that I wanted compensation for the inconvenience. How do I accept their response when they have not even answered this request?

  It is an untruth that I am trying to not pay the bill. I requested a $150 discount to compensate for my six hours of lost time and the fility mess created in my house.  They were willing to give me a $150 gift certificate but not a discount on the bill which really is not reasonable. Their gift certificate only benefits them, not me. They have completely lost my trust. They did not answer this part of my complaint at all. They should either accept it or reject the discount request. I would be delighted to pay them their bill minus $150 immediately.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business response

  10/30/2023

  We will accept payment less the $150 as requested. We've called twice today to complete this today...Please call us back. 

  Customer response

  10/31/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  09/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  ** duct cleaning is the one service that cannot be inspected for completeness when the job is done. An owner cannot look inside the ducts to inspect the work. I hired Stanley Steemer because of their reputation. Because I couldn't look inside the ducts, I needed a company that I could trust to do the job right. Sadly, I found that Stanley Steemer is not that company.Their technician started by cutting an 8" hole in the ** plenum above the ** unit and stuck a vacuum hose into it without sealing it. Also, without closing the bottom of the **, or closing any of the 12 vents, they proceeded to stick a 10' air hose in each vent, wiggle it around a little and move on to the next vent. Some of the vents are ***** feet away from the **. It didn't even come close to cleaning the entire air duct. It's not hard to imagine that with all of the vents opened, and the bottom of the ** is open, there was hardly any vacuum suction at each vent. There just wasn't enough air suction to move the dirt through the vent and into the vacuum. I inspected the vacuum bag in the truck after they were done. There was a little dirt in it but I was told that three customers were done before me, without emptying the bag.I was also told that there was mold in the vent. I didn't smell any sign of cleaning agent that would remove mold. Cleaning mold requires a chemical. There was no smell of one.I hired Stanley Steemer because of their reputation to clean carpets well. They may do a great job cleaning carpets, but their vent cleaning system is a hoax, a scam. As the owner, I have no way to check the finished work so I have to rely on the reputation of the company. I had to pay $720.50 before the work was started. That should of been a red flag. I was refunded $302.50 when I complained about the work. I asked for a full refund. I am still waiting for the remaining $418.00 to be refunded for a job not well done.

  

  Business response

  09/07/2023

  See attached response (PDF)

  Customer response

  09/19/2023

  All I can say is that there was 400 sq.in. of ** opening below the vacuum hose that was taking part of the suction. Also, there were 12 vents at 60 sq.in each also taking a part of the suction. Total opening were **** sq. in. There was very little suction on each vent. On top of that, they only had a ***** foot air hose put into each vent. Some of the vents were 40 plus feet away from the *** There were only a few vents within 12 feet of the ** unit where the vacuum hose was inserted.

  I doubt there was too much suction as the vacuum bag wasn't cleaned and had been used for three customers before getting to my house.

  I may not be an expert of duct cleaning but I have some knowledge in physics. They did not do the job as was described in the video on the Stanley Steemer website.  This is a job where the customer can not look into the ducts to see if the work was done. The provider must be honest and professional. This job was done by neither a professional or in my opinion, an honest person.

  

  Business response

  09/19/2023

  Would you accept a gift certificate for a future cleaning? If you're agreeable, I will offer $200 GC and a quality control visit while cleaning crew is present on the next cleaning...

• Initial Complaint

  08/19/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I scheduled a carpet cleaning on the Stanley steamer website and was provided a 4 hour window which they would show. 30 minutes before the window expired, i received a text with a tracking link saying someone was on the way. When no one showed, I clicked on the link which was expired. I then called the office and was told that they didnt have my order scheduled despite me giving them the confirmation # and informing them of the text I received. I was then told that they would need to reschedule me and was quoted a price $100 higher than before. Wouldnt budge on the price and said I must have done something wrong. Mind you theyve done this service for me once in the past so they have something to reference. I wasted my Saturday sitting around for them and will never use again.

  

  Business response

  09/06/2023

  ****************,

  My name is ***********************, Director of Operations, Stanley Steemer of South Florida, **** (************). I've had our Office Supervisor, ***********************, reach out by telephone twice in the last 24hours. She's been unable to reach you. In reviewing your order history I've noted the last visit in January '23. Wondering if ***be the scheduling issue being reported was from the Steemer location to our south?  

  Given the specifics its sounds as though you were scheduled by the incorrect location, ***be an initial entry error by a CSA or online mistake, they realized your home wasn't in there territory but didn't inform us. Pricing is different for us compared to our counterparts to the south. Your home is very close to the territorial line @ Sample Blvd. If you received a quote difference of $100 for the same service initially requested, that *** be why, two different entities quoting...

  In any event, please call us back and we'll get it resolved with a discount or gift certificate. 

• Initial Complaint

  08/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was given a price of ****** for a carpet cleaning. When they arrived they saw that it was an area carpet and said that it would cost ****** because it was an area carpet. If it was a whole room it would be much bigger? Why does it cost more for a smaller area of carpet? I paid the bill. But this is wrong as they never informed me that it would cost more for an area carpet. This is bad business in every way shape and form.

  

  Business response

  08/17/2023

  Ms *************************,

  In reviewing the order for work completed @ ****************** on 8.1.23, I noticed it was originally booked as a regular room of carpet. Area rug pricing has been established @ a price per sq foot instead of a set price for each.  I realize it doesnt always make sense when we're cleaning in the home but most of our area rug cleaning includes transporting the rug to our facility, cleaning, and then returning.

  I would like to offer a $75 gift certificate to be used in the future for any of our services, including tile & grout, wood, upholstery cleaning or Air Duct (dryer vent) related services as well....

  Would that resolve the matter?

• Initial Complaint

  11/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Called the company for a standard steam Clean for the couch. I have called them A few times without any issues. However, this time was different, they removed our glade plug in from the wall to connect their machine, placed the plug in on our coffee table horizontally rather than vertically this damaged the coffee table and 2 expensive coffee table fashion books. We showed the guys, they documented the damage and advised their manager would reach out. A week or 2 passed by, we called continuously, no answer. They offered gift cards to their company for their services, we declined as they had not been accountable for their damage we requested to refund the table and books. Manager agreed for us to buy the table and books, email receipt, to his email. However, the table is quite expensive and I didnt want to purchase and it not be reimbursed, therefore, they declined to reimburse me for the table and books.. they offered only to repair the table we chased the supervisors ******** and ******* via telephone for weeks on end.. they never responded or had courtesy to call us back. I finally got fed up after 6/8 weeks of the damage, spoke to corporate and an insurance adjuster reached out finally. Nevertheless, the adjuster took a week or 2 to reach out, very frustrating to the point of impotence. Now, we are working with adjuster, however would not recommend the company or their services. Very unprofessional and not accountable. I always had a very formidable relationship with them until now. I am very upset of not been communicated or our damage to be a priority.

  

  Business response

  11/23/2022

  This customer had service provided by ********************************************* in ***********. That is not our location...

  Customer response

  11/28/2022

   
  Complaint: 18454917
  
  I am rejecting this response because:I thought it was the *********** location that services my property. However, perhaps it was another location nearby. I always call the *********** location, am surprised they said they didnt service me. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  

  Business response

  11/29/2022

  ****************,

  I'm confused...It was the *********** location...We are a separate franchise in ************.  You have logged a complaint against the wrong location...I did, however, send the ****** review that you placed for OUR location to the manager in *****, *******. He explained that the claim was submitted to Stanley Steemer International's risk/insurance department. It was not us that provided the cleaning...Call 1-800-STEEMER and explain you want to talk with *****'s location if you havent heard from anyone to this point. 

  P.S. It'd be nice if you removed the review that you placed for Stanley Steemer of South Florida (******).

• Initial Complaint

  08/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Our house had a pipe burst and a major flood occurred.It needed to be dried immediately. We contacted Stanley steamer and they came that day with all their equipment to dry our home.They provided an estimate for the work which was $8000-$10,000. In the middle of the work they said it would be more and we signed an agreement saying it would be more like $13k. It wasnt clear what the additional work was that was needed because from the beginning it was very clear how wet everything was and how much would be needed to dry it out, but what other choice did we have? All their equipment was there, we felt we had no option but to sign it.During the process they rarely checked in with us and frankly except for the equipment sitting there we rarely saw anybody. They asked for our insurance contacts and we provided them. After about 10 days, with very little human involvement and just the equipment going full-time (often shorting out our electrical panel which we would fix on our own - despite calls to them for help), they came and got the equipment. They did some moisture test in various places and said everything was fine.The day they left our construction guy began restoration. Very quickly he noticed in the laundry room that they had not removed some floor molding. They removed the molding and found significant amounts of mold. We asked him to look for any other areas that mightve been overlooked and indeed he found the window seat in a bedroom had also not been removed, it was a very wet piece of wood. They lifted the wood and underneath found significant amounts of mold. The contractor charged us $5k to remove the mold in both rooms, disinfect and spray.Stanley Steemer provided a bill to our insurance for $21k. This was 8k over anything we had signed for. The insurance company said they would not pay so Stanley came to us.We are happy to pay the 13k we agreed to less 5k for mold remediation. They are not accepting and are threatening a lien on our home.

  

  Business response

  09/02/2022

  This matter has been resolved through a binding agreement signed by both parties and a payment. **

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩