LESLIE'S SWIMMING POOL SUPPLIES

Terrible experience with purchase of new pump and heater. It is now 20 days following the installation of the equipment by Leslie's Pools and still NO working pool heater. I have suffered through two installments of broken heaters and two failed deliveries of the 3rd heater. Leslie's is using R&L carriers and these guys have only managed to ship the wrong pallet to my house so far. ZERO follow-up from the local Leslie's Pool Supply store to insure equipment is installed and in working order.

On September 4th, I visited the 96th street store to schedule my pool to be closed. I selected the date of October 14. They were to be there between 12 and 5 pm with a 30 minute call ahead. At 4:55, it was clear that they were not going to show. So I called there offices to complain. I was met with total indifference as if their not showing up wasn't a big deal. Then I was informed after they had transferred me to the scheduling department, that they had made an error and I had been rescheduled to October 15. No one told me this and I wasted an entire day as a prisoner in my home because they didn't show up. I asked to speak to a manager. They gave me an area manager's number to call which I did and got his voice mail. I left a very upset message on his voice mail demanding I get a call back with an explanation and an apology which I had yet to receive from anyone I had talked to up to this point. He called me back in about 20 minutes and I could tell he had an attitude. He played dumb while I told him the story and then he admitted he had already called scheduling before calling me and already knew what the problem was. He then started in with excuses and his attitude got worse. He then said something that was incorrect and when I started to tell him that he basically told me it was not my turn to talk. He said that he let me speak and now it was his turn. I told him I did not appreciate his attitude and he said "Yes, I do have an attitude. I don't appreciate people calling me leaving me rude messages." What a jerk! That is his job! They had already screwed me and I was furious, but he didn't appreciate my leaving a terse message? I told him he did not know who he was dealing with and that I would go to his corporate offices over this. He didn't seem to care much so I hung up on him. I proceeded to call their corporate office and finally was put in touch with a very competent regional manager. He kindly listened to my complaint, asked if he could call me back, and did so within 15 minutes. He apologized profusely and acknowledged that they had screwed up. He also apologized for how I was treated by the area manager and stated that his attitude would be addressed. He set up technicians (the technicians showed up on time and were fine) to be at my house first thing the next day and didn't charge me for the closing as his way of apologizing for how I had been treated. The regional manager was a class act but the rest of the people I dealt with were horrible. One other thing. When I was at the store to schedule the closing, I was told it would be $175. I have a witness that was there at the time that will confirm that that was the cost quote the woman gave me. On the day of the closing, (even though I did not pay anything) the invoice they presented me with the charges included the $175 closing fee, but in addition, a trip charge of $24 and charges for supplies they used to close the pool. The actual invoice would have been over $225 NOT the $175 she quoted me. She NEVER mentioned anything about the additional charges would be included. I will honestly look for another company to open the pool next year. Even thought the regional manager was great, the people that I have to deal with here locally are not worth going through that hassle again next year.