David T.
12/07/2019 12:00:00 SA
The weather has been getting much colder recently, and just this morning our water heater broke down. After trying everything we could to get it to work, we decided that we would call Plumbing Care because they were local to us in Dublin, and because of the high ratings and reviews they have.
The experience we had with Plumbing Care was even better than we could ever expect. It was a rainy Saturday morning at around 3pm, and my hopes were not very high that we would find someone to help us. Even though this is California, it can get cold, and life without hot water in the winter is simply miserable. From the moment we first called, we were directly connected to somebody in the office. My first reaction was one of surprise that there was somebody there to take our call on a late Saturday afternoon, and we didn't reach an answering machine! The representative we spoke with was extremely polite and patient, asking questions and providing suggestions for us. When I asked him if it may be possible to send somebody to help us today, he told me that he could have somebody scheduled there in about an hour. I was thrilled.
About 25 minutes later, I received a call from an unknown number. It was the technician who was scheduled to help us. He shared with me as a courtesy that he will be there in just 15 minutes.
After diagnosing the problem, the technician (his name was Mitko) informed me that unfortunately, our water heater was pretty old and suggested that it may not make sense for us to spend the time to try and further isolate and fix the problem, because other issues with the water heater would likely come up soon anyways due to age. I really appreciated Mitko and his manager's thoughtful suggestion in terms of replacing our broken water heater with a new one. They also went ahead and were able to provide a discount to me because, which was really appreciated as new water heaters are not inexpensive.
Mitko then shared with me that he would immediately go to San Ramon to pick up the new water heater, and then get back as quickly as possible. He estimated for us that including all of the time to replace and install the new heater, he hoped to have everything completed the same day at around 9pm. I really appreciated his urgency and willingness to spend his entire Saturday evening rushing in the rain to help us with something our family really needed. The service was smooth and efficient. Mitko ended up completing everything about one hour ahead of his estimated schedule.
A quick story to share, which was slightly unexpected. On the way to picking up the new water heater, I received another call from Mitko. I was expecting the worst when I received his call...thinking that either the water heater we needed was out of stock, or possibly, the price that was quoted would need to be changed due to some new factors which were unexpected and unavoidable. It turned out my fears were completely unfounded. The only reason Mitko called me was just to tell me that there is actually a rebate for the water heater that I am purchasing. He was afraid he might forget to tell me this, and rather than risk that, he called me immediately to make sure I could take advantage of the rebate.
To be honest, I don't think many business (or service technicians) take this extra mile for their customers. Just a few hours later after my call, I now have hot water again, and the entire experience was thorough, honest, and communicative. The only surprises were good ones. Perhaps just as important as having access to hot water again, I feel that I've gained a bit of wisdom in being reminded that while you don't necessarily see them everywhere, there are actually individuals and companies out there who are honest and truly care about their customers. Thanks so much to Plumbing Care. Thank you Mitko. (Note to management at Plumbing Care: Please do recognize Mitko in some way for his truly amazing thoughtfulness and service; he is absolutely amazing.)