We have ductless air conditioners one of which had a faulty pump and a lost remote. We called Dupont who were supposed to know how to deal with our brand. The worker came with the required remote but didn't realize it needed batteries so went to a nearby store to buy them. He also didn't realize that one remote would work on all identical units. He looked at the ACs and said the filters needed cleaning - he handed them to me and I washed them. He told my husband to wash the condensing units outside. He didn't touch the pumps at all. He charged $200 for the remote and $99 for the 'service' call. When I called (3 times) to ask for further service (the $99 was supposed to be for 3 months) the company was very polite but never called back. I got someone else to replace the pump and do the required maintenance at considerable expense (this worker told me that the pump maintenance was a regular part of a service call).
- Approximate cost of services:
- $300.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- They don't have the expertise to work with these ductless air conditioners - we got them from the internet and the reviews were mostly positive - I should have listened to the one with the same brand AC as mine - it was negative. So, they should have a checklist for service calls, provide it on their website and follow it when doing the calls.
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Go directly to the manufacturer and get a reference for a firm that has a proven track record in repair for their machines.
- Company Response
This customer called us because she lost her remote control for her ductless air conditoner. The ductless air conditioner will not work without the remote. We special ordered the remote for her and set up an appointment to deliver the remote and test the unit. The technician did not have batteries with him and asked the customer if they could provide them to set up the remote with the ductless air conditioner to allow for proper testing. Once the unit was set up with the new remote, the technician advised the customer that the unit required cleaning due to a lack of maintenance. He advised and showed the customer how to clean the filters on the unit as this should be done on a regular basis. When the service call was booked with us, this customer did not mention to us that they required maintenance of any sort. Our technician was kind enough to point out the dirty filters and show them how to maintain their unit. We do not charge service calls for maintenance, only for repairs. This customer wanted the service call charge to go towards a maintenance of the unit which we do not charge for. Her pump ultimately failed due to lack of maintenance and we tried to help her understand how to do that herself. Servicing the pump is part of the maintenance service but we were not asked to perform the maintenenace on the unit when the service call was booked. The technician sent out was a repair technician who carries parts and tools for repairs not a maintenance technician who carries cleaning tools and cleaners. Our maintenance charges are flat rate without a service charge. If the remote was a problem and she called us again for service, the service call charge would not be charged to this customer because she has already paid for it. I can explain this to you over the phone if you wish to discuss the matter further. Mike Logozzo 416-532-2859.