Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/26/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  08/19/21 2 employees showed up for a small leaks of the faucets in bathroom. Cameras can show they were present plus me and my family was home to witness it, for nearly 2 hours. I was charged for 3hrs x2! + standard fuel charge. I was told that the clock starts when they leave their buisness to my house and I live 7 minutes away total drive time 14 minutes back and fourth. Minimal traffic where we live. They sent an invoice and are billing us for 6 hour's because of the 2 employees. So 3 hr x2 ppl totalling $645.00 dollars. Also 1 employee of the 2 was a trainee (why would I pay for a trainee?)In addition to caulking which they did a very small amount of for $144.58! Behind the plate of the facuet handle!We were never! informed the 2nd ****** was a trainee and we would be billed separately and hourly for them(if I have been informed of such thing I would of said no thank you.When I spoke to countryside in ****** 8/26/2024, they were very hostile and threatened collections..and said they would of reduced the 2nd ****** (trainee) if I where more calm and came in more polite ?? I never had such a bad experience with countryside heating and cooling I've had my heater exchange on my furance replaced for half this price and I recall more than 1 ****** doing the job and not being charged double the labor / or trainee fee. Since when does any buisness make you pay for there trainee?! I've never experienced that anywhere in my life not at a auto shop nor do we get charged shopping at a ******* with their thousands of new trainee employees.A leaky sink faucet (that I provided) and bathtub faucet shouldn't be nearly $1000.00 ($964.80)Bad bad business practice In addition I want the 2nd ****** (trainee) removed from my bill.I want the 3hrs to 1hr 45 changed on my bill.Re examine and explain why delta tub and shower trim is $144.58$ charge. If you can't in great detail remove it.Explain why are you charging a delta cartridge for $92.15.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/28/2024

  We would like to respond with a breakdown of what was billed and why. Your initial call was made on Aug. 8 and at that time scheduled for Aug. 19th.  The information we received for the work order was Shower/tub faucet needs replaced, bring one with, customer may have something as well. Sink cold side drips. Possible leak in tub going to lower level, possible over flow.  Being there were multiple issues that we were servicing, approximately 4 hours was blocked out on the dispatch board for the 19th to be able to repair each issue. The issues at hand were ones that can not be easily figured for an exact amount of time, as we dont always know what the resolution could possibly be until we are onsite and have access to the issue described.
  Often in the plumbing industry, there is a flat-rate charge, much like with other businesses. Using the example of having to get an oil change. Lets say an oil change is $119 it doesnt matter if your car is a 30-year old beater or 1 year-old with less than 10k miles but no matter what the age or make of vehicle, the charge is the same across the board.  In most cases, for our billing we use this flat-rates that have been set up and is used by more than just our business for billing. In your case, we did not choose to go the route of flat-rate billing as you had multiple issues and often times billing by time and material in these cases would be a little less costly to the customer. Thus the breakdown of each item used for your repairs plus labor to make those repairs: Waste and overflow $29.27, Delta tub and shower trim $144.58, Delta cartridge $92.15, 3 hours labor plumber $375, 3 hours labor apprentice plumber (yes, he is a plumber with 2 years experience who is attending school while learning in the field and did work to be paid also).  We did go back, checked our GPS, and you are close to correct, the timeline for the service call is just over 2 hours with drive time included, as we can see exact arrival and leave times from the address. We will deduct 1 hour of each labor rate, for a deduction $215.00. Since our billing was based on time and materials you do need to realize that if that 2nd ******** even though a little less experienced, was not on site you would have been billed his 2 hours or the extra time the plumber would have needed at the full rate of $125; making the bill larger than what it was. The apprentice plumber who is learning in the field did some of the tasks to help alleviate time for this service call off of the plumber. In reference to not paying for trainees at such place as ******* you actually are. All employee wages are built into the cost of the products you buy, trainees dont work for free, they are learning on the job may be getting paid a lesser wage, but they nonetheless get paid as well for learning on the job so that they can work up to the wage of an experienced and long-term employee. As a consideration, we did figure out your bill using our flat-rate and that total would have been more than what you were billed by $140.
  In your ****** review, you stated that you were overcharged, but yet state that you were not told what the charges would be you are conflicting in your comments. If, at the time of the initial call, the question would have been asked for an estimate of costs we would have given you that and we usually note it in the work order. Some customers do ask for that, but a lot of the times do not. Because that was not asked, it was not known at that time that an estimate was needed prior to work being done.
  In your visit to our office, right as we opened the doors at 8am, using obscenities.  Yes, our employee was more than willing to have a conversation with you, but you came to our office, quite heated, and per our employees who witnessed it, you were the hostile one and we were only reacting to you. The comment as you ripped up your invoice in front of them, if the bill remains unpaid, it will be brought to collections.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/28/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  

  It was a small inspection that took near 10 minutes near the bath tub, I even set up my small step ladder for your one guy who did it and asked him multiple times if he needed anything. It was normal small faucet work and a routine inspection. The younger gentleman of the two actually broke a part trying to help with the bathtub faucet, which made the job take even longer. I was patient with it.  Most plumbers can handle a job like this individually and in a timely manner, and it was actually one ****** that did most of the work on this job. To say sending out TWO people helpful to me as a repeat customer is false when you bill for each ****** hourly. It is a dishonest tactic to do to a customer. Your billing does not help save customers money, and it does not make any sense from any reasonable standpoint. The caulking that was performed is little to nothing and in no way should I be charged $144 for it. I expect to pay less then $500 dollars after taxes for this small job total,( which is on a very high end of what I was expecting,) especially considering I made a trip for the two guys during the less then 2 hours they were to present to purchase the sink faucet myself. I am sure $500 will more than cover the costs for everything, especially since we are right down the road. The job  required nothing special. Calling your repeat customers " hostile" and " obscenities," (I never said **** my **** ). False accusations is a poor business choice and reflects on you. It is very apparent having conversations with unhappy customers is a trigger. I did not raise my voice once or curse up a storm. I remained very calm. You are spreading misinformation and disinformation about me. I stated I would of told them a second ****** to get off my property had I have known I would of been paying double the amount for him. Instead of Countryside trying to level and understand that, i was immediately threatened with " collections." I am not an elderly customer that can be pushed around with threats.  Every ****** I have talked to agrees that Countryside is wrong in this situation, and all customers rip up their bills when throwing them away. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/04/2024

  We appreciate the assistance and setting up of the ladder. That still does not change that our service call utilizing 2 technicians was 2 hours and 2 minutes. Our technician left the Countryside Plumbing & Heating site at 7:27 a.m., arrived at your home at 7:35 a.m. and then left there at 9:29 a.m. per our GPS tracking system. As per our previous message, when the original service call was set up, 4 hours was blocked off as it was believed at that time it would only be 1 technician.Because we sent 2 technicians, one being of the lesser pay, he did do some of the work himself as well as assist the other technician to make the call shorter in time. The bill that was revised and sent out last week was for 2 hours plumber labor $125/hour plus 2 hours apprentice at $90/hour equaling $430 for labor, if it would have been the one plumber for $125/hour your total would have been $500 for 4 hours of labor. Because we sent a lower paid apprentice to learn as well as to work, your savings was $70 in labor costs.
  The $144 charge for the caulking was actually the charge for the Delta trim that was installed in the shower/tub. The trim was removed to change the cartridge and you had informed the plumber at that time to replace the tub and shower trim which included internal parts as well as the chrome faceplates, that were caulked upon installation. The charge was not just for caulking, but for the parts installed as well.
  As for the fact that you ran and got the lav faucet, the service techs do have one on their trucks, but it was your choice at that time to go and purchase one for installation versus using what the service techs had available. Which is totally acceptable,that was just part of the labor time that was billed as you supplied the product.
  As far as obscenities, yes, you did use them in both your online review and in our office to our scheduler. One instance online  Why the **** would I pay  as well as should NOT cost $1000.00! Holy ****! Within that same review it was also stated  I'm coming to your business Monday to complain about this See you soon which you did, in a non-calm demeanor. There were 2-3 employees that can verify that as you were upset and heated in our showroom last Monday morning and proceeded to tear up your invoice in front of them. And no where in any of our replies did we say anything about you making a comment to **** ****) not quite sure where that is coming from but it is not in any of our responses to you online or via BBB.
  A revised invoice was mailed to you on Friday, August 30th with the previous stated deduction of $215 for labor costs, bringing your balance to $737.97. At this time, we will compromise to help settle this by offering to only charge you for 1 hour of the apprentice plumber time, so will deduct $90 plus tax for a final balance of $643.02. We hope you can find this compromise acceptable and we can move on from this disagreement.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/04/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  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. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************