Plumbing firm doesn't want my custom!

willista

Not knowing a lot about plumbing but needing a new boiler installed I selected a few local plumbing firms from the gas safe register and sent the same e-mail to a few of them asking for a rough quote. Here's the reply that I got from one firm called AA1 Plumbing:

"Hi,
Looks like you don't trust anyone to give you a good price to supply and fit. We don't need to chase every person that thinks there going to get cheap price by e mailing everyone.
We are fully booked for 8 weeks that sais everthing about our prices and quality of work.

Don't want your work."

Was I right to get angry about this response? Why is it not right to shop around for plumbing services?

jtb2412

I think you've had a lucky escape there ! You were well within your rights to obtain quotes and would have been rather silly not to have done. I don't think they deserve your custom with a reply like that !

Let it go over your head, have a good laugh that they feel so incensed to send a stupid reply and take your custom elsewhere - hope you get your dream boiler at a good price! xx

maninthestreet

Name and shame the firm. Maybe they will think twice about responding to enquiries in the way they have done.

morg_monster

wow you think in this day and age every company knows about how important good customer service. Like it would have been that hard just to say, we're really sorry but are fully booked for the next 8 weeks, if you are still interested in getting our quote please let us know. the end result would probably be the same and they wouldn't have set themselves up for you telling everyone you know how rude they were, you might even have used them again in the future.
honestly, what do they expect you to do, just give them the work without any quote or anything?!

just a quick q - did you copy them all in on the same email - if so, suggest for next time you send individual emails and personalise each one. Still no excuse for such rudeness and i agree you should be relieved they've shown their true colours!

Alan_M_2

I guess it depends what was in the email you sent them....

I decline to quote on occasion, usually when you get a gut feeling that something is more trouble than it's worth or will simply be a waste of time and effort. In fact I declined one this morning. I am a little more polite about it though.

hartcjhart

"Hi,
Looks like you don't trust anyone to give you a good price to supply and fit. We don't need to chase every person that thinks there going to get cheap price by e mailing everyone.
We are fully booked for 8 weeks that sais everthing about our prices and quality of work.

Don't want your work."


I hope the quality of their work is better than their spelling/grammar:rotfl::rotfl:

fiddiwebb

The name would have put me off straight away, AA1 Plumbing :rolleyes:

tanith

To me that badly spelt and constructed e-mail looks like it might of been sent by someone minor in that company, I'd be tempted to find out who the Company Management are and copy it to them asking if this a normal response to a potential customer.. .. but you still had a lucky escape ...

willista

Thanks for all the replies guys. This was the first time I've started a thread on here, I was so shocked by their response.

Alan_M wrote: »

I guess it depends what was in the email you sent them....

I decline to quote on occasion, usually when you get a gut feeling that something is more trouble than it's worth or will simply be a waste of time and effort. In fact I declined one this morning. I am a little more polite about it though.

Alan, this is the message I sent to the firm using their online enquiry form. I did send the same e-mail to other firms, but separately. "Looking for cost information for installation of Vaillant EcoTEC combi boiler to replace system boiler. Boiler already puchased with flue and magnaclean. Quotes required for installation of new boiler, powerflush and possibly installing new radiators and TRVs (also already purchased)." Maybe they prefer customers who buy their boilers from them but I felt I had a good deal on the boiler.

lagi

The fact that they know you sent a few emails out to get quotes, probably means they trade under a few names to get themselves more work. You probably emailed the same company twice not knowing. Also they could be sending one quote back saying this then hoping you might go with one of their other ones. Wouldn't worry about it, just pass on the bad word about the company.

andrew-b

At least you even got a response from them!!

We don't know what your original email said [EDIT]i see we do now![/EDIT] but if you sent the email to multiple receipients you should really have put their addresses in the "BCC" (blind copy) field rather than "To" field then they wouldn't see who else you sent the email to!

Even so was no need for them to respond like that and as others said you've had a lucky escape! Though tempting i wouldn't respond to them further and just leave it at that.

However it's impossible to quote for a job like yours without seeing it as there are just too many variables involved and it's like asking how long is a piece of string. Your better off making some phone calls and arranging for a few heating engineer's (preferably recommendations) to come round to give a quote. You can still play them off against each other but you need to be a bit more poker face and keep some of your cards face down!

Andy