Lee Plumbing Heating Cooling & Elc

Aug 11th, 2021

Our water heater stopped working and we called Lee Plumbing to get a quote for the repair (we already knew the part that needed to be replaced prior to making the call). Over the phone we were told the part would cost $45 plus labor which was $125/hour. The office representative stated that it would most likely take less than an hour to replace that part so we were expecting to pay $125+$45, roughly about $170 plus tax. They ordered the part and when the technician arrived he immediately noticed the water heater just needed to be reset (meaning a button had to be pressed similarly to the electrical panel reset), took about 1 second to do. Then he put the cover back on (4 screws) another 2 min. Then he lit the pilot and the water heater started working right away. He then looked around and spent another few minutes cleaning the vent. He also noticed the flame was lazy and informed us we should contact the gas company to come out and check the gas pressure. It was just my mom and I at that time, so he proceeded to explain how the water heater works, the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, etc. This was all valid information, but we weren't asking any questions. Then he spent more time taking videos of the water heater running, showed us the videos etc. I didn't realize it at first, but he was literally dragging and making conversation to justify the billing. I was running late for an appointment, so I asked him how much it would cost so I can leave. He told us $295 plus tax. My jaw dropped, he had been in our home for about an hour of which 15-20 min were spent working on the water heater issue, and the rest was just making conversation, providing unnecessary or unsolicited information. I even said a few times that I don't need to know how the water heater works and I am running late. Then we spent another 15 min arguing about the cost, he called the office, tried to charge us for material and labor even though no materials/parts were used. I had to leave, so he ended up charging $195 plus tax for 1.5 hours of labor for a 20 min job. I would have been happy to pay $125 plus tax and be able to take a shower with hot water prior to my appointment, but instead I ended up being taken for a fool (I think it's common knowledge that service repair men take advantage of women that are home alone). I was very upset and late for my appointment so I decided to call the office the next day to provide feedback for my experience. The office manager called me back a few days later. She did not seem interested in what happened and informed me that since the water heater is fixed there is nothing really she can help with. I hope this information will help someone in a similar situation. Next time I will make sure to confirm for the price once the issue is fixed and not allow the service person to drag in order to charge more labor cost. I am very disappointed with the customer service received from the office manager as well, she could have at least been nice about the situation.
Jan 20th, 2021