No one likes a pushy plumber. Actually, no one likes a pushy salesperson. I told a story a while back about a guy that came to fix our refrigerator. He never removed anything, just stuck his hand in the refrigerator and told us we needed a complete rebuild. At that point, what can you say? I know nothing about refrigerators. He was a fast talker, threw out all the big words we could hear. I wasn’t impressed, but I told him to do it. He said, “It will be a couple of days to get the parts.” After that, I couldn’t sleep all night thinking about it.
I Just Couldn’t Sleep That Night
The next morning I called the company and told them to hold off on our scheduled appointment for the rebuild. Instead, I scheduled an appointment for a second opinion from a different company. A technician came out and took some things apart to examine the unit. He said, “You have a broken fan motor.” The cost of a new fan motor is $250 installed plus the service call versus $2,500 for a rebuild.
Question Your Pushy SalesPerson
In hindsight, this is what could have happened. I accepted the words of that salesperson with his incorrect diagnosis to have a complete rebuild which was unnecessary. With the rebuild, the refrigerator becomes up and running perfectly, the company receives an excellent review even though they didn’t really deserve it and it cost $2,500. All along, I could have gotten many more years out of my original refrigerator for around $250. I never questioned that pushy plumber and should have.
A Pushy Plumber Will Try And Upsell
Homeowners need to be on their guard when it comes to home repairs. Unfortunately, most plumbing companies train their plumbers to upsell their customers on the latest products and services. While there is nothing wrong with pointing out the latest products and services, there is a point where you encounter a pushy plumber. The fact is, most homeowners are not informed regarding the latest plumbing products. When something breaks, they end up at their local home center buying something off the shelf when really their options are endless. A quality plumber should be ready to educate their customers rather than push them into a purchase they might regret down the road.
Your Pushy Plumber Needs A Well-Ballance Approach
Here is an example of a well-balanced approach from your plumber. If your water heater is more than eight years old, it may need replacing. But, on the other hand, it may only need repair. In addition, your plumber might educate you on the latest water heater technology, telling you that the latest heaters are over 30 percent more energy efficient. They may even inform you about other advancements in water heater technologies that homeowners would not otherwise know. Once you get all the facts, any homeowner can make a valued decision on repair or purchase. However, there is a point where you have a pushy plumber on your hands.
We train our plumbing technicians in the latest plumbing techniques and customer relations. Our purpose is to educate our customers, so they have an excellent plumbing experience. When we step into your home, our goal is to become “Your Plumber For Life.” But with all the training in the world, we sometimes have strong personalities that may come across as pushy personalities.
Our Advice To Consumers:
- Make sure your plumber provides all the options for repair or replacement for any appliance or fixture, including water heaters.
- Never feel pushed into any plumbing decision.
- Get a written estimate before work starts.
- Ask to speak to a supervisor if you’re uncomfortable with your plumber.
- While money is a major factor in making any decision for your plumbing services, never let it be an overriding factor.
- Smaller plumbing jobs such as drain cleaning or installing a new faucet may only need one fair estimate, especially if you’re comfortable with your plumber. For those larger plumbing jobs such as a water heater repair, slab leak, clogged sewer line, or a complete home repiping, get more than one estimate.
Experience Great Service From Big B’s Plumbing
When you need a plumber, trust Big B’s Plumbing experts. We’re an accredited A+ rated plumbing company with the Better Business Bureau. You can experience all our top reviews on Facebook, Google My Business, and Yelp!. You’ll never experience a pushy plumber at Big B’s Plumbing.
