Response from DUNWELL ENVIRONMENTAL
Customer called on 1/19/10 and asked about coupon pricing of $199.99 which includes a single-system duct cleaning, sanitizing and dryer vent cleaning. She was informed that return vents are not included in coupon but are priced individually depending on the size. Since customer is not aware of exact number of returns, she was quoted an estimate of 5 returns @ $23 each, which is average for a single family house in her area. She was informed that the technicians will look for the returns & price them individually before they start the job. She was further informed that for first time duct cleaning, 2 access panels will be created at $40 each. So the total ESTIMATE was $199.99 + $115 + $80 = $394.99 + tax. When the technicians came for her appointment scheduled 1/27/10, they found 8 returns priced at $29.76 each. This brought the ACTUAL price to $517.55 + tax. The difference of $122.56 was due to the fact that there were 8 returns instead of 5, and they were slightly bigger than average. However, customer was given the option to use another of our coupons which was $50 less but did not include a dryer vent cleaning. Her returns were then discounted to $22 each instead of $29.76, and the access panels were discounted at $30 each instead of $40. We worked with the budget that she already planned to spend based on our original estimate. In the end, she only paid $385 + tax, which was even slightly lower than the original estimate. No charges were hidden from her. She was well informed about the coupon pricing. She called at 10:05 AM on 1/19/10 and our sales representative spent 10 minutes and 23 seconds with her on the phone explaining the duct cleaning process, what is and what is not included in the coupon, and what to expect when our technicians arrive at her place. Just like most (if not all) advertising, our coupons have fine prints but we NEVER book a job without going through the details in the coupon with our customers. When customers call in about our coupon, it is because they have read it and want to learn more about it. This is beneficial for the customer, as well as the company, since it gives us the chance to explain to the customer how duct cleaning works and why the pricing structure is such. Customer must understand that not all houses are the same, and we always try to give the best estimate possible. We did not come to her house and surprise her with hidden costs. We did not force her into spending double nor more than she already put in mind to spend that day. We explained everything to her in detail, just like with do with all our customers whenever they call us.