Complaint Review: ECM Servicec company - Internet Internet

The following letter was sent to the president of the company which details the circumstances very well:

Mr. Jose Ramirez

1500 High Ridge Road

Boynton Beach, FL 33426-8724

Re: Service.

Dear Mr. Ramirez,

 I am a relatively new service contract holder (since April, 2009) and I had an experience with your company that I think you should know about.

In the Spring I had a problem with a hot water recirculator. I called ECM, thinking it fell under my contract, but was told that it was not covered for service. I have a patient who has a plumbing company and is a master plumber. He came and replaced the faulty motor and all was well. The cost of the repair was over $300.

Several months later, my hot water heater started to leak and I again called ECM. I was told that since my contract was less than a year old, the replacement of the water heater would cost me approx $750 after getting back a $100 bond (after inspection). I agreed to this replacement and the water heater was replaced. The plumber who came to my house, who was very knowageable,but really lacked any social skills,seemed to do an adequate job. He was relatively unpleasant to converse with and when he left I noticed that there was quite abit of dripped solder ontop of the water heater and some masonary on the floor. One of the lines had been covered with masonry and some of it broke away when he had to access the pipe to disconnect and then reconnect the new heater. I felt that a better job of cleanup should have been done. When the ECM plumber left I noticed that when I turned  on the water throughout the house, there was a lot of trapped air in the water lines. In some case there was almost a mini explosion of air.

These above things were really not a big problem except I found later that the hot water to the back of the house was not coming on for a very long time. This was the same symptom I had when the re-circulator pump was not working. I called ECM and another plumber came out and checked the hot water heater installation and said he could not find anything wrong. The re-circulating pump seemed to be working but it was making a lot of noise. The ECM serviceman checked the hot water in the farthest bathroom and found out that it was taking over 2 minutes to get hot water there. He called his office to discuss the matter with someone. He then checked the bathtub in my wifes bathroom which isnt used very often. When he opened the hot water a lot of air was released. He left after telling me that he could not find anything wrong.

I then called my plumber who had installed the re-circulating pump and told him that I was again without hot water quickly coming to the rear bathrooms. When he came out to inspect he told me that although the re-circulating pump was on, it was much hotter than it should be. He then asked me if the pump had been turned off before the water heater was replaced and did that plumber bleed the line before the pump was restarted. When I told him it had not, he said that it was his experience that the propeller in the pump can de damaged. This is what he felt occurred. He then replaced the new pump with another new pump and the problem was solved. Fortunately my plumber has a very good relationship with his distributor and I was not charged for  another new pump. I was charged for the labor that it took to re-install the 2^nd pump ($142.50)

I called ECM and spoke to Pat (I dont know her last name). I was referred to her because I was told she handles these issues. I explained the situation to her and I forwarded to her the invoices of the re-circulating pump initial install and the re-replacement of it. She was very rude and very curt. She basically told me that she knew the plumber that did the water heater installation and he was a master plumber. She assured me that he had done everything right. I told her that I am sure he was a master plumber but ,on occasion, everyone can do something wrong that results in some problems. She spoke to me as if I was lying to her and she did not believe me. She said that she would discuss this further and back to me. She called back and spoke with my office manager. By the way, my office manager always documents personal phone calls,time of day, what was discussed,etc.

This Pat told my office manager that she had called my plumber (his company is HPI Plumbing) and she claimed that he had not said anything of the sort to me (that the pump was damaged because the line had not been bled).When I heard this,I personally called the plumber back,and asked him about this. He told me no one from ECM had ever called him.

I again spoke to Pat and asked her about this and she then claimed she had never said that she called my plumber but had spoken to your plumber. She again was rude. When I told her it was obvious that we had come to an impass and I would like to speak to you, she refused to allow that.

Mr. Ramirez, I have read your biography. I can see that you have spent over 20 years building you company into what it is today. I have read that you are hoping to expand,etc.I can tell you that having an employee such as Pat is not an asset to your operation. I am a local doctor who has practiced in Boynton Beach for the past 20 years. I have had the same insurance company for 40years. I have had an amex card for the past 32 years, I have never missed a months rent in my office building in 20 years. In other words I find what I feel are the best companies to work with and I am a loyal customer. I am just the type of client you want to keep. The experience I have had thus far does not lend itself to this end.

I am sure that the $142.50 labor charge I was attempting to have reimbursed was not asking for too much considering all the above circumstances. I dont have to tell you how important customer service is and customer satisfaction.

Therefore, could you reimburse me for the labor charge that was made to reinstall a new re-circulating pump which was damaged?

Sincerely,