Duct cleaning not performed by contract
- Approximate cost of services:
- $500.00
- Company Response
We had never previously done work for this client before, so we set them up for our Standard Residential Duct Cleaning Package. This package is regularly $299.95, but we had it on sale for only $259.95 + taxes. Our Standard Residential Duct Cleaning Package includes the cleaning of the two main ducts (1 hot and 1 cold) and up to 15 vents. When scheduling in appointments, we let clients know they are scheduled in for the Standard Residential Duct Cleaning Package and that we do a walk through on site to let them know how large their ventilation system is. If their system is larger, we let them know right away about the additional components in their system and of additional premium products and services available for purchase on site. We also email out all of the appointment details to our clients after they schedule in their appointment to make sure everything is documented in writing and they understand what they are scheduled in for. This email includes what service and work they scheduled to have done, what is included, and informs them that if they choose to add on any additional premium products or services, there would be an additional charge. All additional work available to be done is brought to the client's attention and it is their choice if they would like to have the additional work done or not.
During the walk-through it was determined that her system had 3 Sealed Joists that were accessible to be cleaned. Sealed Joists are not always visible in every home, as some homes have finished basements and they are not able to be accessed. In this client's home, they are accessible and were recommended to be cleaned. The client agreed to have them cleaned, so they were cleaned on site. Sealed Joists are $50.00/each to be cleaned; the 3 Sealed Joists resulted in an additional charge of $150.00. Our Technician also recommended having the Blower Fan in the furnace cleaned as it was quite dirty. This was also approved and charged at our Standard Rate of $50.00. Our Company prides itself on the amount of options we have available to our clients. We simply make recommendations and educate our clients on what we have available and then it is their choice to make a decision that they feel comfortable with. In this case, we did recommend that they also have an Anti-Microbial Disinfectant applied to the System after the cleaning had taken place and it was declined, which is definitely not a problem. We have lots of clients that choose to add on premium services that they value, but we have those that feel more comfortable sticking with the Basic Standard Packages. At the end of the day, we want to make sure that they are happy with the choices they make and feel value for the money they entrusted to our company to perform the cleaning for them.
This client contacted our office shortly after the initial crew had left her home and expressed concerns about there still being debris in her system and in the filter. Duct Cleaning is not 100% dust removal, but rather dust reduction in a system. There is currently no method on the market that allows the removal of every single dust particle from a system as there are large portions of the system that are inaccessible as they are behind the walls of a home. Duct Cleaning allows you to access components that can be accessed to remove as much debris as possible from a home or business. Also, having dust in your filter after Duct Cleaning is not uncommon; we have the following in writing on every Duct Cleaning invoice.
"It is recommended that the furnace filter be checked regularly for the first 4-6 weeks after duct cleaning. It is not uncommon to have some hard to extract dust and particles to become dislodged after the actual cleaning takes place and the furnace is engaged."We do a have Written Guarantee though, so if a client does have any concerns, we come back as soon as possible within 14 days of the original service date to re-inspect the system and re-clean any components that may have been missed or not completed up to the client or our standards. We were able to send the crew back the same day, 2 hours later, and it turns out that the Cold Air Drop was missed. We immediately cleaned it, apologized for our error and thought that the client was happy.
The following day, the client contacted our office again expressing concerns, but this time about the photos our Technician showed her on site and whether or not they were actually taken in her home as her trust for us as a Company had been eroded. When photos are taken in a client's home, we make sure that we also have a copy of them and attach them to the client's work order. So we were able to email them to her that morning and assure her that if she looks at the properties of each photo she will see a time stamp for when the photo was taken as well as a geographic stamp showing that it was taken in her home. She then emailed us back within half an hour alluding to us editing the information for the photos to make it look like it was taken in her home. Furthermore, she now had concerns as to the vehicle that attended her home to do the work, the Technicians wearing shoes in her home for the service, and more components her son said were not cleaned properly. The vehicle that attended her home was a Truck Mounted Duct Cleaning Vehicle. We have both Truck Mounted and Portable Units at our Company as we service many different types of homes and businesses and it allows us to access all of them. It was noted on her work order that the staircase to her basement was very narrow, so we sent a Truck Mounted unit so that we would be able to still do the cleaning. In terms of the Technicians wearing shoes, they wear shoes at all Duct Cleaning Jobs for safety reasons, but they are required to have two pairs of shoes with them each day. One for outside and one for inside. We want to be respectful of clients and their homes, as it is in our best interest to make sure they are happy and taken care of so that they will want to use us again, as well as refer us to their friends and family! In terms of there being more components that weren't cleaned properly, we could not ascertain over the phone whether or not the debris they were describing was in the components that we cleaned or not. So to prevent there being any doubts in their minds or ours, we set them up with a second re-service appointment for that same day, which was the day after their original service.We did send a different crew out for the second re-service appointment, Eric and Reid, and their report did state that there was some debris that was able to be removed from one of the client's main ducts, so this most certainly was a workmanship error. The report also noted that they did need to vacuum up some debris that was in a room upstairs. In these situations, we want to rectify the situation as soon as possible, apologize profusely, and then we also place credits on the file of these clients as we want to be respectful of their time and inconvenience. Our initial crew definitely did make some errors, and we acknowledge that and take full responsibility for that. We take client feedback very seriously at our company. Each client that has an email on file with us is contacted within 3 to 4 business days after a service is completed with us to see how everything went, how the Technicians were and if they would recommend us to their friends and family. We are intentionally proactive about seeking client feedback, as we would rather know about an error today and try to rectify it, than have a client never call us back again and we are never given the opportunity as a company to improve. Furthermore, we also set up random Quality Control Inspections as well to make sure that our cleaning is meeting and exceeding our Company Standards to ensure Client Satisfaction.
This client is seeking a full refund for the work that was done. She is claiming damages to her health for having debris that was generated in her home there for an additional 24 hours. As soon as we were made aware of her concerns, we addressed them immediately and took them seriously. We did rectify the situation and all of the components that she paid to have cleaned have now been done with excellence. We do not have a Money Back Guarantee; our Written Guarantee is that we will return once more for free within 14 business days to go over any areas of concern. All people and companies make mistakes, but whether or not they learn from them and grow from them is another thing. We pride ourselves on our desire to learn and grow from our mistakes. We do also want to make sure that we are respectful of our clients' time, and so we have offered to give this client a credit of $100.00 on her account with us. Our credits never expire and can be applied to any of our services. Our desire would be that we are given another opportunity to do work for her and change the opinion she has of our company into a positive one!
