Google Business Maps

Another descent from the Google Business Map.

Another Wrong Phone Number!

This falls under: "Hey, if I were smart, I wouldn't be a plumber........"

I put back the 360-733-1292 number back on the website to make Google Maps happy again, but instead of 360-733-1292, I put 1293....I put in a wrong number! There are two correct numbers at the top of the page and the wrong number was in size 8 font on the very bottom, but you know which number everyone calls, right?

Funny thing is (more sad than anything) is I had a new customer mention the wrong number, but I thought she got it from the old phone book error, which was the designer's fault. She said she didn't and I shrugged it off until tonight.

Hats off to the gent who has the real 1293 number. He's had to correct many wrong numbers since the bad number started to circulate. I owe him big time, huh?

Google Local Business Map

Yikes! I got booted off the Google Local Business maps from the first page to the 5th page.

I think it was because I got a new vanity phone number, 360-647-2255 (BALL). This confused the Google machine and it dropped me! I just changed the number back to 360-733-1292 on Google, so let's see what happens now.

Use either 360-733-1292, 360-647-2255 (BALL), 360-383-0203.

Email: order@ballplumbing.net

Price Complaints

Whenever I leave a job, you'll hear "If there are any problems, call me." My warranty is honest...as long as the problem is my workmanship.

Lately, I've had a complaint about the price. Most of the time, the price is out of the price book (that's 4 years old) and a written work order has been approved and signed.

Okay, standard stuff for repair work. You get a price for it that includes parts and labor (excludes the Gov's Fee). If it takes me twice as long, the price is the same, right? My regulars know this to be true and as a consumer, I personaly prefer it this way.

But what if everything goes quick and my 30 years (yikes) of repair experience finally pays off and I gain an hour on ya? Should I discount the price? If I discount it, should I increase it if it takes me twice as long?

This all stems from a complaint on Angies List about a 250.00 bill. I left a response similar to this post, but more direct. I did NOT refund any money for the same reasons I posted here.

NWPR

Ball Plumbing has been sponsoring Northwest Public Radio on KZAZ-FM 91.70/104.70 twice a day for the last six months or so and plans to do so for decades to come! This is the kind of advertising I like!

Listen to NPR for (almost) commercial-free airwaves!

Cat and the Water Heater

Saturday was a busy day ending in a strange way. I had an emergency water heater replacement in the late afternoon in the Silver Beach area and by the time I was finished with my Bandito burrito it was close to 7:30 pm. Typical day in the life, right? Nope.

At 7:35 pm, I get a call from a frantic fellow about a cat and a water heater in a apartment complex off of Sunset. I told him the cat will come out when its ready and not before, but that wasn't the problem. The gentleman finally conveyed to me that his cat was stuck and Whatcom Humane Society has been there for hours and if I didn't want to help he'd call someone else.

It was too good to pass up. I was there in 15 minutes.

What happened: the gentleman and his wife were moving into the new apartment and their cat freaked, jumped onto the water heater, saw a space behind the heater and jumped down. Problem was that the space was very narrow and there wasn't a way out except up. The cat was stuck upside down between the water heater and the corner of the water heater closet. For 4 hours.

I shut down the water, power, and cut the overflow pipe and ever-so-gently, edged this 50 gallon water heater away from the walls allowing the cat to escape.

It was a very happy cat. And I was a hero...until they got the bill.

For the record, I have 3 cats, 2 of which came from the shelter. I'll probably donate the "cat money" to the Whatcom Humane Society as I missed my annual donantion in 2008.

RIP Kohler Toilets

Well, scratch Kohler off my list of best flushers. They discontinued the last 2" flapper systems in favor of the 3" systems.

I've been trying out different makes and models in the normal price range and there isn't much out there worth the money vs the flush.

I got in some Toto (think Dorothy's dog...not to flush, but to remember the name) toilets and so far, so good for my parameters of 1) good flush, 2) price to you, 3) part availibility for these models.

These Toto models have the old style flushers, Comfort Height bowls (17"), and a good rep.

We'll see how they fly...flush...in Whatcom County, though.