Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Hot Water

At this very moment a new hot water tank is being installed in my basement. I'm writing this because I am so stressed out from this guy and the entire process.
I have been stuck in the house for two days waiting for a service call.

The tank conked out on Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon I called and booked an appointment to get it fixed. I managed to get a call booked for Monday morning, only after being threatened that if the damage was my fault or had nothing to do with the actual tank, I would have to pay. I was also asked by the customer excuses rep.
(a.k.a customer service rep.) if I would be willing to take part in a survey. I said sure no problem.

Monday morning a guy shows up, says I need a new tank, says he will call the request in, and I should have a new tank the same day. He warns me it might not be till late that evening as Mondays are always "hairy". Monday comes and goes and no tank or call. Oh no wait. I did get that survey call, were the woman tried to sell me a bunch of stuff. I politely told her that unless the purchase came with a hot water tank to be installed immediately, I wasn't interested. She didn't like that response.

Today I call customer excuses again and find out that they have no record of any request for a new tank. They book another appointment and tell me the guy would be there between 12-4.The day goes by, still no tank.

The thought of another sponge bath tonight had me back on the phone. Customer excuse rep. tells me the guy is on his way. That was at 6:00 and it is now 7:30. Guy walks in and immediately starts whining. My stairs are too narrow (how did they get the old tank in I wonder)I don't have enough light in the basement.The stairs are too rickety (well maybe if you lost 200 lbs. they wouldn't be). The doorway is too narrow (see above). Why doesn't the hot water tap work in the basement? (he's got me there since I never use it). I suggest he do like the washing machine guys and take the side door off for easier access to the basement. He tells me that he isn't allowed to do that. He stumbles around in the basement making all sorts of racket, talking to himself. Yells at me to turn on the hot water upstairs.I do so and am told by him not to touch the tap till he says .

He comes back upstairs and decides to use the side door after all. He then goes out and disappears. Comes back ten minutes later with another guy. They sure are making a whole lot of racket down there. And why do they need to keep moving their truck ?
I don't want to know.

Stayed tuned for the next installment.

2 comments:

Diane J Standiford said...

Once in our lives I think we all have HW Tank horror stories. Where I worked we were out same day. No excuses. City of Seattle. Plumber types see ya comin'. we were non-profit.

Taxingwoman said...

Non profit That says it all. I am at the mercy of the gas company.