HouseSmart Customer Feedback

February 18, 2011

Here is a letter we received from a person who's mother had work done by a local plumber. She called our office to see if we could help when she realized her mother was over-charged for the work that was done

Dear Shell Busey,

My mother, a senior citizen required a plumber to come in and look at two toilets in her home, as they seemed to be starting to leak in the base of the toilet.

On her own she decided to call up a plumbing contractor to come and see what the problem was. The plumber said that both the flapper and flush system should be replaced. Mom said that is fine. After 50 minutes of service my mother was handed a bill for $743.68.

I arrived at my mother’s home just as the plumber was leaving. I didn’t think of looking at the bill when I arrived, as it really is none of my business, until Mom told me how much the bill was.

I just about fell over when I looked at the bill and saw that 50 minutes of work costs $743.68. I decided to investigate a bit more and go to a few places where plumbing parts are and see what “The best of the line” products cost. When I found out that the pricing of materials was next to nothing ($35.00 for the two pieces versus $322.00 from the contractor) I thought maybe I should call the Shell Busey HouseSmart Referral Network for some advice.

I was talking with a young lady from Shell Busey's cente HouseSmart and she said that someone from the office would get back to me. The phone rang shortly after, it was the General Manager Michael Gibson. He said he would try to help me on this matter. He suggested I contact the contractor to discuss the bill with the owner and also to contact the Better Business Bureau.

In fact Michael went well out of his way and asked me to send the bill that was given to my mother. I emailed it directly to Michael and he replied in moments with the owners name and email address, and suggested to contact him. I right away contacted the contractor and so did Michael to speak with the owner. I left two messages and two emails for the owner until finally I received a call back.

Michael kept on top of me to keep him in the loop as to the final results. Through his guidance and perseverance, I kept on top of the plumbing company and finally received close to $300.00 credit back onto my mother’s Visa.

I cannot thank Michael Gibson and The Shell Busey HomeSmart Referral Network for their kindness, honesty and guidance throughout this matter.

From now on I am going to always go through Shell Busey's HouseSmart for all home projects, from plumbers to electricians, to a handyman. This way I can feel confident I have a reliable and trustworthy trades person that Shell Busey's HouseSmart has referred me to.

Both my mother and I thank you a great deal!!!

Sincerely,

Constance