|
Review content:
I am a licensed architect (and design/build contractor for over 30 years) in Iowa. When I became an architect I took an oath to protect the public’s health, safety and welfare (HSW). This is the profession’s prime directive – everything else comes second.
If a band of armed thugs broke into my 84 year old mother’s house (little old lady) and demanded money they would not have left with as much unearned money as Anthony’s Plumbing in my opinion. After my mother found out what happened she felt about as violated as a home invasion. Anthony’s charged $1840.00 to change out a sump system on a Sunday. The architects and plumbers I work with estimated $600 as high – this was a very straight forward job. I could have put in a new, good quality pump every two tears for that kind of money. They are trying to sell people peace of mind – it is an illusion. My mother knows nothing of plumbing or what repairs or costs are reasonable; she was out of town at the time and had to do this remotely – she was at a distinct disadvantage and vulnerable. She has used Anthony’s plumbing for at least 50 years, but they have changed hands recently (five years or so ago). Never again. I don’t want them around anyone that can’t defend themselves – certainly not my 84 year old mother. They are capitalizing on the generally perceived honor of licensed professionals for some of their customers it would seem - chosen for their vulnerability I believe and/or observe – see reviews.
They have a priority subscription service with a monthly fee. Brilliant. Not only does it guarantee a steady cash flow at one level but it also logically identifies customers that value convenience over price and that are fearful and vulnerable. From the comments I have read on Yelp there seems to be a very clear line between satisfied customers and customers that feel they were taken advantage of, and a very interesting and conspicuous percentage of each – about two thirds very satisfied and one third completely dissatisfied; not much middle ground. As an architect and builder I would not gamble with a performance history like that. There seems to be a very conscious understanding that there is a golden goose that must be kept alive with good reviews but also boat payments to be made by a select few – customers that are desperate and inexperienced with the cost of services and therefore vulnerable. Anthony’s seems to be predatory and opportunistic in its billing practices but knows not to get too greedy.
“It is imperative that every Anthony PHC plumber take their time, and not rush any sump pump installation. Our loyal customers count on that. In our weekly training we discuss the plumbers oath, To protect the health and sanitation of the nation” and we are committed to that. We never rush, even on a Sunday when our phone is ringing off the hook due to heavy rainfall. This is also a benefit of giving our pricing up front. We never feel rushed to give our customers a quality job no matter what challenges are presented. Service contractors who charge time and material often feel pressured to rush in order to keep the price down.” (Really? Not in my experience). This is from an owner’s email to me. They really wanted to do this over the phone – I like a “paper trail”. It sounds great but seems to consistently and conspicuously benefit Anthony’s more than the customer. A reasonable sump pump that costs under $200 takes about a half hour to install – a $560 sump pump and a premium back up system (higher profit margin on both) takes many hours to install – to what purpose? – higher profits.
“This pump system is “top of the line”. This pump system may be overkill for some homes and we discussed this when we selected our truck stock.” More from what the owner wrote me in an email. They would not provide or leave the owner’s manual for any of the equipment installed – odd. Why not?
Given the historical frequency of wet years in KC, the 4 year warrantee does not give me peace of mind. I use pumps that cost less than a third of this unit and they work reliably for decades, any plumber knows this and that just because it costs a lot does not mean it will perform flawlessly and reliably – in fact usually the more complicated and expensive the equipment is the more temperamental it is in my experience – and if it fails there will still be cleanup costs and a service fee is my guess. I would do some research on the equipment, but I don’t have the manufacturer and model numbers I requested.
Every decision seems to benefit Anthony’s in the name of serving the customer. Subcontractors such as these are not on my jobsites for long and I warn others about them as I am doing now as a part of my oath.
If you suspect unprofessional or unethical behavior – please contact the HVAC or plumbing licensure boards; if the cost reaches potentially criminal behavior contact the Attorney General – if a combination, send the concerns to both. This is the only way stop this kind of behavior. In disaster situations like a hurricane there are specific laws that severely penalize opportunistic and predatory practices - it rarely gets to that point in KC.
I live in central Iowa – KC is pretty much a mountainous dessert compared to here which was swamp before it was drained. I’ve not paid over $180 for a sump and have never used a backup system. The sump takes about ¾ of an hour to put in and that includes sealing the lid for radon. The original sump in our house (Zoeller) lasted over thirty years and the only reason I replaced it was the switch cover would not seal. I buy mine from the electrical repair shop – they sell Zoeller for its reliability. I could spend more but it would not buy me any more peace of mind. Sometimes ours doesn’t run for two years, other times it runs sporadically for years – much more demanding than KC. I imagine Anthony’s could spin something that makes them look angelic in this respect.
You might get good service from them, you might get taken advantage of. I would rather get consistent, mediocre service than gamble on great or horrible service and a reasonable or outrageous cost. My mother has canceled her service contract and tried to cancel her AC tune-up but apparently had already been charged for it before the work was done. Doesn’t sound quite right or legal but it is what I would expect from them. Incidentally, the intake for the furnace they installed was condensating badly last winter– water streaming down the wall so I could not insulate. If I had insulated when this was not occurring moisture would have been trapped causing mold and mildew and structural damage to the sill plate. “Not part of their installation” was the response. So, my mother was supposed to know to do this – insulate the intake with closed cell foam? There was no GC on the job just them to count on to have it done right and completely. Maybe their HVAC crew does not have the same oath as the plumbers. Theirs must be, “Not my job man.”; because their installation, unfinished in my mind, would ultimately lead to an unhealthy and potentially dangerous structural condition. I use professionals that foresee potential problems, because of their experience, and prevent them from happening because of their commitment to the highest quality of service. These are my “go to” people. I can’t get far enough away from Anthony’s fast enough.
Anthony’s said it would do anything (“spare no expense”) to make us happy – I said, “Leave the equipment and refund all the money.” “Anything” must have a different definition in Kansas. Talk is cheap – and Anthony’s is ….well anything but cheap in some ways but just full of talk in others. They said they would remove the equipment and refund the fee – an offer made to an already stressed out homeowner. They also very early on and quickly said that they would work with us on the cost. How about giving us the best price to begin with and some regular, serviceable equipment? You can do better; I would give my business to someone else. Who needs more grief when things are going bad anyway – I hire people to make things better not just a different kind of bad.
RESPONSE FROM Anthony Plumbing, Heating & Cooling:
We appreciate and welcome all feedback we receive. We have contacted our customer’s son (author of this feedback) and explained the charges were approved before we did the work. This is our practice and required on every job. We responded within 4 hours of the call on a Sunday. Our plumber offered 3 options, including our standard sump pump only. It was decided by the customer to install the full 2 pump system with the battery back-up. Our prices are not determined by what others charge or by what others think we should charge. They are determined by the costs to run a profitable, “above board”, company and deliver outstanding service and quality with fully licensed and insured technicians and vehicles. We have been in contact with our customer’s son several times to explain the charges and have offered a full refund each time. We also offered to remedy any issues with the customers HVAC system at no charge.
|