Stern Brothers Plumbing Supply

Wow.  I learned three things from my fleeting visit:
1- what you see is what you get.  The orange toilet in the window should have been a warning of worse things to come.
2- always read the reviews before visiting an establishment for the first time. (That review about Howard, the owner being the worst human alive is true!)
3- NEVER, ever go back!
This man used foul language while referring to a fine faucet line I inquired about which he does not carry.  As in Waterworks is a piece of s*%t, within the first 30 secs of entering the store. I immediately turned around and left.  He is as filthy as a backed up toilet.
ACHTUNG!  WARNING!! CUIDADO!!!

For real help go see Emilio at Decorator's Plumbing in the Design District.
Polar Opposite.

Pros: any item you might need for your plumbing needs, even items that have been discontinued, you might find here. I found a cartridge to an old Delta faucet I could not find anywhere else. They know their stuff. Cons: This is not a Kohler showroom, and the items are not cheap.
If you know what you want, you will get what you need. I always walk away with what I need and know I can always come here and get it. The guys here are rough, no non-sense types.

Always helpful, a good selection of regular and rare parts. I found what I needed at a better price than the discount supplier online!

this place is awesome...i found my favorite plumbing store. i was at first apprehensive about going into Stern Brothers..but as soon as we walked in, and saw the stern uncle in his dolphin jersey it felt like home...this is a mom and pop shop...very cosy... the guys were funny, nice, they had the piece we needed, showed us how to fix it and the service is unbeat...thank you for the human warmth...it is hard to find that in this automated/electronic world...

Unhelpful rude hillbilies. Will never go there again.

This is one of the worst plumbing companies I have ever dealt with. No only did they misdiagnose the plumbing problem, ($200.00 later) the men that were sent out didn't want to do the work then but gave me their personal phone number so they could do the job on the side. I had another company out who immediately corrected the problem. When I called to tell the owner of Stern Plumbing what happened he was one of the rudest people I have ever spoken to. BEWARE.

After a few failed attempts by professional plumbers to fix our leaking kitchen faucet, my husband decides to take matter into his own hands.  We came to this place, and after discussing the issue, was given some parts and DIY tips.  Needless to say, problem solved.  Awesome, friendly service.

Pros:  They may have what you need as the national guys like ferguson don't stock parts any longer locally.
Cons:  They will mark up your parts 10 x cost!  Toilet filler $30 at stern, 10 at the depot.  Not exactly the same, but both do the trick.

Just tried calling this plumber based on previous reviews.  I asked him one question, Can you please give me an estimate for a shower vavle replacement?  He promptly started talking down to me and when I interrupted him to ask him a question, he hung up the phone!!!

To the owner of this establishment: You need to educate your employees on manners. For the first and last time I went to your store and had the following negative experience.
I opened the front door, began to enter and said hello to a while male with black hair slightly heavy. his response was yelling at me, you are not allowed here wait out side This man is very rude to be dealing with the public.
I was shocked, but because I needed the part I kept quiet and walked out. I later entered and was serviced by another employee. I understand that during this pandemic people are nervous, however there is no need to be so rude. because with the public money spending it at your store, you will no longer have a store.
The next time I need a part, I am taking my money elsewhere and not to you!

I love this place. Guys there are a little rough around the edges sometimes, but they always have what I need. To me, when I need a product that no one else has locally stocked, I'm not too concerned with frills.

I use Stern Brothers for most of my plumbing needs, mostly emergencies or other repairs at my home and rental properties.  They usually go out on the same day as they have more than a one man crew, and for that service and always a job well done, their service call rate is very reasonable.  Their guys are always friendly, quick, call when on the way, all you ask for in a contractor or handyman.

Mike the owner is the worse business owner I have ever met. He is nasty and disrespectful to women and especially his father in front of other customers. This man should not be in business. Mike needs customer service classes and while he's at it he should take some manner classes as well. I would be ashamed to have a son like this representing a family owned business. His mother should be ashamed. He obviously does not respect women!!!

Avoid the most obnoxious rude staff I've have experienced in a service based business.  I went in to get a toilet seat for a high-end Toto toilet, I asked Reggie if he can open the box and he reluctantly did, but the seat was also wrapped in a plastic but was not sealed it was opened on one end.   I requested that we remove the plastic so I could see that it fit the one I was replacing, he commented saying no I can't do that because then I can't sell it as new.  I told him it's not sealed we can re-bag it's not like were installing it on a toilet.  At which point he put the seat back in the box and kicked me out of the establishment.  His attitude was horrible if you look on Google or Yahoo at the reviews you'll see how obnoxious these guys are I even called the mother store and Roger answered I told him the story and he said that's absolutely unnecessary and that he should of showed me the toilet seat and said that he was the fat guy right.. I didn't want to call him fat but Roger did,  I guess he already knew who it was that was turning their customers away. Why they allow this type of idiot to deal with customers on the front line is beside me but I would say go to Home Depot and save 30% I ordered it online free shipping and paid $39 instead of 60 bucks!

Google the business and look at the same reviews treats people horrible and is super obnoxious

And the best part shop elsewhere and save 30%!!!

A+ service & expertise!
CANNOT RECOMMEND ENOUGH!!!

Home Depot - 1.5 hours w/tech , 3 trips
Lowes - 1 hour w/tech, 1 trip
Ferguson's - 30 minutes and they recommended Stern Bros.

I thought it'd be another wasted trip to find a 1968 replace my kit but once I entered and showed the pieces to Ralph, Mike had literally pulled it off their shelf before I had time to reel in the fact they even carried it...he seriously did it in less than 10 seconds.

If the fascination with them having it wasn't enough, Ralph pulled it out of the box and showed me what would be needed and what wouldn't considering all the parts I had and the configuration. To add icing on the cake, he offered a 10% military discount even though I left my ID at the house.

Living in Miami where bad customer service is the norm, it takes a lot for me to leave a Yelp review but Stern Brothers is a business that evidently takes pride in their horrible customer service. I walked in yesterday looking for a part to fix hot water issues I was having in my condo. I had a photo of the object on my phone which I took earlier in the day but I did not know the name of the object. I went in there because my building manager told me that was the piece I needed and Stern Brothers was the place that sells it.

When I explained the situation to the guy behind the counter he said he had no idea what that object was and then proceeded to tell me my building manger was an idiot who did not know what he was talking about. He then went on about what I needed to do but I did not understand him so I asked him to repeat it and I still did not get it because he was pretty much rambling about everything except the issue I was having. When I asked him to clarify, he then became insulting and said I was an idiot for not understanding. I walked out of the place and said f*ck it because it was obvious this guy was not going to help me. He then said f*ck you and when I asked him why he had such an attitude, he claimed because I said f*ck you first. I didn't but whatever. The guy was a moron.I then went to Coral Gables Plumbing by the Falls and they immediately identified the part as a pressure reducing valve. And they had no issue repeating themselves to ensure I understood what exactly was it I needed to do.

I then went on Yelp and read all the prior bad reviews on Stern Brothers and it is obvious they do not care about customer service. On the contrary. It seems they purposely act like assholes because they believe they're the only plumbing store in Miami. They're like the stereotype of the dishonest mechanic who bullies and intimidates customers. Just read the prior complaints from women.

It's a shame because this is a business that has been in existence for decades in Miami, founded by a man named Leonard Stern who always maintained good customer service. I remember going in there with my dad as a kid in the 70s.

But now it's in the hands of Michael Stern who apparently is Leonard's grandson. He himself is a big part of the bad customer service, according to previous reviews.

It really takes a lot for a plumbing store to receive such bad reviews but these guys were able to do it. I can only imagine how many other people had bad customer service and just didn't post about it. There is actually two Yelp pages for this business and they both are filled with horrible reviews. Pathetic.

These guys are just horrible people and should be avoided at all costs. It's worth the trip to Coral Gables Plumbing by the Falls to save yourself from being verbally assaulted by a douchebag behind the counter who was incapable of identifying a simple plumbing part but would not admit it.

This is the worst place I've ever been also the rudenesses how can any business stay open with employees like this and what is worts is how any owner would aloud it this counter employee needs to be .......

I went to Stern's Brothers plumbing supply and I had a bad experience with a sales associate that works in this location. I was in the store to purchase a piece I needed for my toilet, and I asked the associate to help me find the product. I showed him a picture of exactly what I needed to buy, and he sold me the wrong item. It wasn't until I got home that I noticed he sold me the incorrect piece. So when I went back to the plumbing supply to get him to exchange the incorrect item he sold me for what i really needed, he refused to exchange the product because it was already open. I couldn't get my money back or an exchange. I had to repurchase the the correct item. The sales associate was very rude and made big scene in front of other customers and employees. and the store owner was right next to us and he didn't say anything about the way he was speaking to me, or how he didn't even try to help me fix the problem he created, or give decent customer service. In other words do not waste your time coming here, it is not worth it. You can basically end up ordering the products you might need online with out having to go into the store and deal with the associates who don't pay attention to detail when they are shown exactly what the customer needs, and you avoid the rude customer service they give there.

The worst customer service I have had in a while. The fat fucks who work there treat you as though they are doing you a favor. Bought what I needed and returned it an hour later just because I couldn't get over the treatment.
Their prices aren't even that good. Do yourself a favor and find other places to get your plumbing items.

while remodeling my master bathroom, my handyman bent a piece of the pipe he was installing in my bathtub. (yeah i know he is real handy, huh) so he sent me to over to stern brothers to try and match the piece.
the guys were so honest and told me it wasnt messed up, they un-bent it for me so i wouldnt have to spend money buying a new one.
hello awesomeness.

then months later i was getting a new sink and i didnt know that it didnt come with the drain cover piece (which fyi is called a pop up) so back to home depot where i bought the sink, surprise surprise they were out of that piece and told me i could check the other store or just order online.

so instead i headed straight back to stern brothers. i got what i needed for a fraction of the cost and super happy to help small business.

bottom line, these guys rock.

Negative star. Horrible customer service and the staff is very condescending. Not certain how a company could remain in business this long. They remind me of Seinfeld's Soup Nazi character. In addition, the dude that took care of me was not even that knowledgeable - Treated me like I was an alien and made it sound like part was impossible to find - I walked away. I went to ACE hardware and replaced 6 O rings and the problem was resolved and it cost me $2 dollars and 40 cents. Stern Brothers is an old school place that treats customers like crap and should not be in business. No soup for you !!! .. Next!!!!!

Horrible treatment. Absolutely rude. Really ugly experience, as a female worker I felt harassed and bullied by disrespectful know-it-all men. They need to improve their customer skills. I was referred by another Plumbing supply to try to find a solution. They were so nasty, barking at me. Please please find other personnel. No wonder why they have so many bad reviews.

I'm not sure what to say. I called to ask to pay over the phone and said my plumber was there for a valve core. I'm sure they bent backwards to find it. EXPENSIVE!!!. I think you need to love your business before anything. For sure a seminar in customer service would help. Not everyone drink vinagre for bfast.  The older guy was nice enough to explain. The world loves you. Love them back. Peace

very disrespectful  , nasty attitude. no  service at all . dirty language since you are they shop. bet you not same bold fat A** guy there say same
if in his place. Lucky day ? was his.

No idea where the negative comments are coming from.

I had a shower cartridge spring a leak which meant I needed to turn off all the water in my house. Miami being miami, finding a short notice plumber was impossible.

The guy at the counter was super nice and walked me through the entire repair. Honestly, I have no idea if the price was reasonable but to be honest, I didn't care. Because of their help I was able to get the replacement part and repair the shower myself for 1/2 of the labor-before-parts quote I was given on the phone.

100% will go back.

This place has the worst customer service. DO NOT give them your business. They're supposed to close at 5:30pm as it says online. I called them to make sure they had a part I needed and told them I was on my way to come pick it up. When I pull up at 4:55PM this guy is locking up the door. I ask confused if he's leaving and he yells, WERE CLOSED!  I then say but I just spoke with you and he kept walking and said TOO BAD!  I had just driven 40 min across town to get there, this was infuriating.

I just witnessed the worst Display of Customer service I've ever seen at any business.  The guy that claims to be the owner and a  heavy set guy with a beard treated a gentleman looking to purchase something in their store in the rudest and most disrespectful manner I have ever seen. I had already  finished my transaction but I was tempted to return it and get my money back. People like these 2 should not be in customer service. Totally uncalled for

I'm in construction business for 20 years and today it remind me why I have never come to this place. Rude uneducated employees, zero patience when ask a plumbing question!! One of the idiots wanted me to buy a $100 12 shower arm without seen it first and told me over and over that ir was was I ask for. Not sure we're the owner pick this idiots. No wonder has 1 star rating over all. Do not buy in this place and make them close.  I just bought the same piece in amazon for $30!!!!  The owner deserves this since it's his fault.

Went to the Bird Road location (8920 Bird Rd), DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR BUSINESS, OR YOU WILL BE SORRY!  I dealt with the owners son (Mike), the rudest, nastiest, most disrespectful business owner I have ever come accross, he was even nasty and disrespectful to his father which is the actual owner. Poor man, he did not even know how to deal with his nasty son.  Mike apparently does not care for his customers or even the business because otherwise he would treat his customers with respect, which is what I told him and his answer was I do not need anymore customers All because I was asking his father how to attached a towel rack I was buying from them, he told his father he was not there to help me install it. The only thing the poor man could say to me was I am sorry and he walked into the back of the store and left me there with his nasty and angry son, That is amazing!
I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. MIKE SHOULD NOT BE DEALING WITH THE CUSTOMERS.  HE IS ONE NASTY AND RUDE INDIVIDUAL!.

Extremely rude. You are better off w Amazon.  Stern Brothers = Terrible customer service and ridiculous return policy. I bought a piece that I needed to fix my Kohler toilet. When I opened the box, the piece was broken. It had obviously been returned by previous customer and resold to me. I went back 2 days later with my receipt. Reggie gave me a huge hassle. Asked me how he knew I hadn't broken it. I explained that when I Opened it, it was broken. He said it was impossible bc he inspected every box. Obviously not, bc the box i was sold clearly had a broken piece. I didn't even want my money back, I just wanted a non-broken piece. I couldn't believe the way he was talking to me. Finally he replaced it but Im never going back. This piece was the same price in Amazon and it would have been delivered to my house the next day. They have a much better customer service policy and you don't have to deal w scumbags.

The Stern plumber tried to sneak a labor overcharge in my bill after replacing a 20-ft section of water supply line from the sidewalk to my house that had been pulled up in a tropical storm.  I'd already dug up and exposed the pipe.  The plumber spent less than 2 hours replacing it.  When he presented me with the bill, the labor amount seemed high, so I asked him how many hours, and he said 5 hours.  He tried to sell me on some story about needing to go home and clean up, but he wasn't dirty.  Clearly he was trying to get a few hours off at my expense, or maybe this was part of the the shop's profit-sharing model.  Don't use a business that tries to cheat the consumer.