Benjamin Franklin Plumbling

Spouse upsold unneeded work; work done adequate; clean-up poor; price seemed excessive (compared to experience with other plumbers, though not the same work).

WE WERE VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE FIRST EXPERIENCE, SO MUCH SO THAT WE CALLED AND COMPLAINED THAT THE WORK WAS NOT DONE PROPERLY AND WE WERE GROSSLY OVERCHARGED. GAVIC AGREED TO GIVE US $200 TOWARD THE NEXT TRIP, BUT WE FOUND ANOTHER PLUMBER WHO FIXED THE JOB RIGHT AND FOR LESS MONEY. MY WIFE (ACCIDENTALLY) CALLED THEM (RATHER THAN OUR NEW PLUMBER) AND THEY FIXED THE PROBLEMS - BUT AT WHAT WE THOUGHT WERE INFLATED PRICES. MY WIFE RAISED THE ISSUE WITH THE TECHNICIAN AND HE IMMEDIATELY REDUCED THE BILL BY 30%. I HAVE NOW HAD TWO EXPERIENCES, BOTH OF WHICH SUGGEST THAT THE TECHNICIANS LACK INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

ALAN HAS BEEN TO THIS HOUSE FOUR TIMES; HE IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE DURING BUSINESS HOURS; ALWAYS ANSWERS HIS CELL PHONE; IF UNABLE TO TALK AT THE MOMENT HE CALLS YOU BACK; IS VERY PROFESSIONAL & FRIENDLY; SHOWS A GREAT CONCERN FOR YOUR PROBLEM AND LISTENS CAREFULLY TO YOUR EXPLANATION. HE REVIEWS THE SITUATION AND EXPLAINS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION YOU MAY NEED TO KEEP AN ITEM RUNNING; HE ANSWERS UNRELATED PLUMBING QUESTIONS. HE IS ALWAYS CHEERFUL, A DELIGHT TO HAVE AROUND. I HAVE RECOMMENDED HIM TO MANY FRIENDS. HIS COMPANY CALLED ME AFTER TWO TIMES AND DID A SHORT CUSTOMER SURVEY TO SEE HOW HE WAS DOING. THE OFFICE HAS ALWAYS BEEN HELPFUL AND PROFESSIONAL. AS I HAVE ONLY USED THIS COMPANY RECENTLY, I DID NOT HAVE OTHER ESTIMATES DONE, HENCE I GAVE A C. I JUST SENSED THE PRICE WAS NOT CHEAP.

I WAS VERY, VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE GAVIC. WHEN I CALLED, THE WOMAN I TALKED TO EXPLAINED THEIR PRICING POLICY, WHICH VARIES BY WHEN THEY GUARANTEE TO BE THERE. THE FELLOW WHO DID THE WORK WAS VERY PERSONABLE AND PROFICIENT. I WAS ONLY HAVING A PROBLEM WITH ONE TOILET. WHEN HE FINISHED THAT ONE, AND I SAW THAT HE HAD PUT IN AN UPDATED STYLE OF FLAPPER MECHANISM, I HAD HIM LOOK AT ANOTHER TOILET THAT HAD AN OLDER VERSION. HE REPLACED THAT ONE AS WELL FOR A VERY REASONABLE AMOUNT. THAT AFTERNOON, THEY CALLED ME AND ASKED IF I WAS SATISFIED WITH THE PLUMBER'S WORK. THAT WAS REALLY REFRESHING!

THEY DID A GREAT JOB, BUT THE PRICE SEEMED A LITTLE HIGH BASED ON THE WORK COMPLETED. $238 SEEMS HIGH FOR RESETTING AN EXISTING TOILET. MAYBE IT'S THE GOING RATE.

GOOD OVERALL EXPERIENCE AS THEY EFFECTIVELY FIXED THE PROBLEM IN A TIMELY MANNER. GOOD RESPONSE TO OUR INITIAL CALL. HARD TO COMMENT ON THE OVERALL PRICE AS WE WERE NOT KNOWLEDGEABLE ON THE PRICE OF SUMP PUMPS, BUT IT SEEMED REASONABLE GIVEN THE PROBLEM AND THE WORK THAT HAD TO BE DONE. BOTTOM LINE, THEY FIXED THE SITUATION AND WE HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS W/ OUR SUMP PUMP SINCE THE NEW ONE WAS INSTALLED.

I WAS ORIGINALLY CHARGED $280 FOR THE JOB WHICH I THOUGHT WAS WAY TOO MUCH FOR A SIMPLE JOB, NO MATERIALS REQUIRED, AND ONE HOUR WORTH OF WORK. I COMPLAINED AND THE MANAGER PAUL CALLED ME AT HOME AND DROPPED THE PRICE $80. I THOUGHT PAUL'S ATTENTION TO MY COMPLAINT WAS EXCEPTIONAL.

THEY DID A GREAT JOB. THEY CAME AND CORRECTED THE PROBLEM QUICKLY.

PAUL GAVIC CALLED BEFORE ARRIVAL AND CAME OUT AS PROMISED. HE TOOK THE TIME TO CHECK OUT THE AREA WHERE THE WATER HEATER WAS TO GO AND ANSWERED ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ABOUT WATER AND PIPING ISSUES. HE EXPLAINED OUR OPTIONS AND GAVE US THE PRICES. HE GAVE US THE OPTION OF DOING SOME FAST THINGS OURSELVES TO SAVE MONEY. WE HAD HIM DO ALMOST EVERYTHING WE INQUIRED ABOUT AS HE HAD THE PARTS HE NEEDED ON HIS TRUCK. HE CLEANED THE FLOOR AREA BEFORE PLACING THE WATER HEATER AND CLEANED UP THOROUGHLY AFTER HE WAS DONE. VERY PLEASANT TO DEAL WITH AND WE ARE HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS. THERE WAS A FOLLOW UP PHONE CALL REGARDING MY SATISFACTION FROM THE COMPANY A FEW HOURS AFTER THE SERVICE WAS COMPLETED. HIS WORK IS 100% GUARANTEED SO IF THERE IS A PROBLEM, I AM CONFIDENT IT WILL BE HANDLED IN THE SAME MANNER.

VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH GAVIC AND SONS. ALTHOUGH THE OWNER TRIED TO MAKE AMENDS, NEVER REALLY FELT LIKE WE WERE BEING TREATED WELL (ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT WE WERE PROBABLY BILKED IN THE FIRST VISIT).

WE WERE ABLE TO TALK TO SOMEONE LATE ON A SUNDAY. THEY WERE VERY PROMPT IN THEIR RESPONSE. WE RECEIVED A QUOTE AND THEY WERE READY TO DO THE WORK AFTER WE ACCEPTED. THE WORK WAS NEAT AND WELL DONE. THE PRICE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LITTLE HIGH BASED ON THE WORK DONE.

THEY OFFERED FAST SERVICE, HOWEVER I THOUGHT THEY WERE VERY EXPENSIVE. $400 FOR 1 HOUR OF WORK. WHEN I CALLED TO ASK ABOUT THE PRICE I TALKED TO THE PLUMBER. HE WASN'T ABLE TO ANWER MY QUESTIONS, OR GIVE ME A BREAKDOWN OF THE COSTS. BASICALLY HE TOLD ME THE PARTS WERE VERY INEXPENSIVE, BUT COULDN'T EXPLAIN WHY THE LABOR WAS SO HIGH. I SAID THAT IF THE PARTS WERE $50 AND THE LABOR WAS $350 FOR 1 HOUR, WHAT WOULD I DO IF I HAD A BIGGER JOB, AS I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE COSTS. AGAIN HE COULD OFFER NO EXPLANATION.

MR. GAVIC WAS POLITE AND PROFESSIONAL. HE WAS QUICK & NEAT IN HIS WORK. HOWEVER, HIS PRICES ARE EXTREMELY HIGH FOR 15-20 MINUTES OF WORK. IT WAS $200 TO THAW THE PIPES AND $200 FOR A WEEKEND EMERGENCY CALL, MINUS THE $15 COUPON FROM ANGIE'S LIST.

THE PLUMBERS WERE TIMELY AND VERY FRIENDLY. THEY HELPED ME REALIZE THAT MY PLUMBING NEEDED SOME SERIOUS WORK.

GRADED LOW DUE TO POOR SERVICE IN SETTING UP THE CALL. I DID NOT HAVE THEM DO THE ACTUAL WORK.

I HAD CALLED ANGIE'S LIST TO GET THE NAMES OF A COUPLE OF COMPANIES, WHEN I COMPARED THE RATING, PRICING AND WARRANTIES. THEY WERE A LITTLE BETTER AT PRICE AND THE WARRANTY WAS ALSO BETTER, EVEN THOUGHT THE ANGIE'S LIST RATING TOLD ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THEY WERE EFFICIENT, PROMPT AND DID A GOOD JOB AS FAR AS I CAN TELL. IT WAS A 40 GALLON WATER HEATER AND THAT INCLUDED THE PERMIT.

THEY CAME AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE WHEN OUR CERAMIC TILER SAID WE'D NEED A PLUMBER. I WAS VERY PLEASED.

THE SERVICEMAN WAS OBVIOUSLY VERY PROFESSIONAL. HE REPLACED A 55 YEAR OLD COMMODE WITH A NEW ONE, WARNED ME ABOUT POTENTIAL ISSUES, EVERYONE IN THE OFFICE STAFF WAS POLITE, RESPONSIVE AND HELPFUL. OBVIOUSLY EAGER TO PLEASE ANGIE'S LIST MEMBERS.

THE SERVICEMEN CAME TO MY DUPLEX AND WERE ON TIME. I HAD THEM SNAKE OUT A 2ND FLOOR SINK. THEY USED A COUPLE OF ORANGE GASKETS IN THE SINK TO SEAL IT UP. THEN SAID THEY WERE A $20 VALUE, (LOOKED LIKE A COUPLE BUCKS) SAID THERE WAS NO CHARGE. I HAD FORGOTTEN TO GIVE THEM THE COUPON. SO I CALLED THEM BACK, AND TOLD THEM THAT I HAD A COUPON AND HE SAID THAT HE HAD ALREADY GIVEN ME A "DEAL" WITH THE FREE GASKETS. SO HE WOULDN'T TAKE OFF THE $15 COUPON. I BELIEVE IF I WOULD HAVE TOLD THEM ABOUT THE COUPON FROM THE BEGINNING THEN HE WOULD HAVE JUST CHARGED ME FOR THE GASKETS.

THEY'RE GREAT, PROMPT, AND HELPFUL.

GREAT WORK ON FIXING BLOCKED DRAIN, GOT TO THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WHEN OTHER PLUMBERS HAD NOT. HE DID NOT, HOWEVER, CONTACT US AGAIN, AS HE SAID HE WOULD, ABOUT ORDERING THE NEW FAUCET AND INSTALLING IT, NOR DID HE RESPOND TO MY TWO PHONE CALLS TO THE COMPANY ASKING ABOUT IT. I CALLED ANOTHER PLUMBING COMPANY EVENTUALLY, AND THEY REPLACED THE LEAKY FAUCET AND THEN FIXED THE HAMMERING IN THE PIPES SIMPLY BY REPLACING A FAULTY BALL-COCK IN THE TOILET. SAVING ME $800 FOR THE REPAIR THE GAVIC & SONS PLUMBER HAD SUGGESTED. THE WORK HE DID DO WAS GREAT, BUT HIS LACK OF FOLLOW-UP ABOUT THE FAUCET AND HIS BAD DIAGNOSIS OF THE CAUSE OF THE HAMMERING WAS DISAPPOINTING. I WOULD GIVE HIM HIGH MARKS FOR PROFESSIONALISM WHEN HE WAS AT THE HOUSE, BUT AN F FOR PROFESSIONALISM, BECAUSE OF HIS LACK OF FOLLOW-UP; HENCE, HE GOT A C.

MARK WAS CALM AND COMPETENT. I APPRECIATED THE ESTIMATES.

LEAK WAS FIXED, BUT PLUMBER NEVER TURNED HOT WATER HEATER BACK ON. NEXT MORNING, COLD WATER FOR CHILD'S BATH! CALLED AND TOLD THEM TO GET SOMEONE OUT TO TURN ON HOT WATER. NO CALL BACK FOR OVER TWO HOURS AND THEN TOLD IT WOULD BE TWO HOURS LONGER TO GET SOMEONE OUT. I STOPPED GAVIC'S CHECK AT THE BANK, BECAUSE I HAD TO PAY SOMEONE TO COME AND TURN ON THE HOT WATER BECAUSE I COULDN'T WAIT. THEY THEN HELD THE CHECK FOR SIX MONTHS AND RE-DEPOSITED IT. IT WENT THROUGH, BUT MY BANK JUST GOT THE MONEY BACK FOR ME. FUNNY HOW THEY KNEW TO HOLD THE CHECK.

I WAS GIVEN THE NAME AND PHONE NUMBER OF AN EMPLOYEE TO CONTACT ABOUT THE TOILET. HE VERY COURTEOUSLY AND NICELY ANSWERED MY QUESTIONS. WHEN I DID HAVE TIME TO SCHEDULE THE APPOINTMENT, THEY CAME OUT, REVIEWED THE PROBLEM, AND CHANGED THE FLAPPER. ALL IS WELL NOW. $79 SEEMED KIND OF EXPENSIVE FOR A FLAPPER, BUT BEING A PLUMBING NOVICE, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.

JEFF WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND TOOK A REAL INTEREST IN THE JOB. I LIKED THE FACT THAT THEY GAVE US THE COST OF THE JOB BEFORE HAND -- A LOT OF PLUMBERS ARE BY THE HOUR AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE IN FOR. WE WILL CALL THEM AGAIN AND, IN FACT, HAD THEM DO SOME WORK IN THE BATHROOMS AND KITCHEN AT OUR SMALL OFFICE BUILDING. PEGGY FOLLOWED UP WITH A PHONE CALL AFTER EACH TIME HE WAS OUT, TO BE SURE EVERYTHING WENT OKAY. OUR OVERALL EXPERIENCE WAS EXCELLENT. WE HAD A LOT OF REMODELING DONE TO THIS HOME, AND I WOULD RATE GAVIC & SONS OVERALL AS ONE OF THE BEST PROVIDERS WE USED.