Drain Works Plumbing

Rating: 4.8 out of 5

Drain Works Plumbing reviews (1700)

  • Review from HomeOwner
    Rating: 5 out of 5
    Review left on 31 Jul 2012

    Drain inspection

    The Drainworks technichian, Matt, just left and I am very pleased with the service provided. He was friendly, respectful, and knowledgable. He took the time to ask me for pertinent information, inspected my drains, and then offered informative feedback. I will be sure to call Drainworks again if I have any other plumbing concerns.

    Answer from pro:

    **Thanks Brian** We are very grateful for the review. It is wonderful to read that you were so pleased with the service. Customer service is our top priority, and it is nice to know that our efforts were well received. Thank you for sharing. We look forward to being the plumbing and drain service providers you can rely on.

    Reply created 1 Aug 2012
  • Review from HomeOwner
    Rating: 4 out of 5
    Review left on 30 Jul 2012

    Find and fix water leaks in the laundry room.

    I called drain works in Late July of 2011 to find the cause of a leak in the laundry room. The person that sent was extremely professional and polite. He inspected the laundry room, did some tests and found out the actual laundry machine was leaking. he answered all of our questions especially since this is my parent's first house. The only complaint i have was the price. In my opinion, the price didn't justify what was done. Please go over what you want done with the plumber before he/she starts. It will save time and money. make sure you guys are on the same page.

    Answer from pro:

    **Thanks Peter** We appreciate your review and are glad to hear that you were happy with the extremely professional and polite service you received. It is nice to know we were of assistance to you and your parents. We agree that you should always go over what you want done before any work begins, which is why we are confused by your complaint regarding price. A price was given to you over the phone when the appointment was booked and again when the plumber arrived onsite before beginning. It is only with our customer’s approval that we proceed with any work. Thanks again for choosing DrainWorks; we do look forward to hearing from you should you require our assistance again in the future.

    Reply created 31 Jul 2012
  • Review from HomeOwner
    Rating: 5 out of 5
    Review left on 29 Jul 2012

    Main drain, and water line upgrade

    Recently purchased our 2nd house and for the 2nd time we used the services of drain works after a backup in our basement. On both occasions I have found them to be professional, on-time, on budget and efficient in their work. I would not hesitate to use them in the future.

    Answer from pro:

    **Thanks Paul** It was a pleasure reading your review and learning just how satisfied you have been with the professional and efficient service you have received. We strive to make customer service our top priority and it is rewarding to have our efforts acknowledged. We do look forward to being the plumbing and drain service providers you can continue to rely on and we thank you for your patronage.

    Reply created 31 Jul 2012
  • Review from HomeOwner
    Rating: 4 out of 5
    Review left on 19 Jul 2012

    Basement Toilet Back-up

    The service I recieved was great! DrainWorks gave me an accurate time of arrival and provided me with the details of the work upfront. The service person showed me everything I needed to know about my basement drain and he clean it out quickly. The only issue I had was the additional cost for the removal of the toilet. Time permitting or with advanced notice I could have done that on my own. At the cost of the service and the little time that was expended removing and replacing the toilet, I expected the toilet removal to be included. I did feel that I was under pressure to accept the additional cost since it would have meant that the service person would leave and have to come back later. Had the service been seamless without such a decision, I would have rated DrainWorks a 10.

    Answer from pro:

    **Thanks Yosh** We appreciate the kind words, and are happy you found our service great. In addition, it's very satisying to hear that you like our policy of providing an accurate arrival time as well as the details for the work, upfront. In regards to the additional cost for the removal of the toilet, there is no way to give an exact price for a job over the phone, as there are far too many variables to consider with any given job. In your case, it was described it as a plugged bathtub, when booking the call, however, it turned out to be a larger main sanitary line issue, which we adressed for you with multiple services, which is the reason for the increase in cost. We certainly wouldn't have wanted to have you remove the toilet needlessly, hence the assessment once our technician was onsite. Thank you again for the wonderful review. We truly appreciate the feedback.

    Reply created 19 Jul 2012
  • Review from HomeOwner
    Rating: 5 out of 5
    Review left on 18 Jul 2012

    fixed kitchen sink

    my kitchen sink needed to be replaced. it was too old. I hired drainworks plumbing and they did a good job on installing a new sink. so far i dont have any problems.

    Answer from pro:

    **Thanks Scarlett** We appreciate your review and thank you for sharing these kind words regarding the positive service experience you received. We look forward to being the plumbing and drain service providers you can rely on should you require assistance again in the future. Thanks for choosing DrainWorks.

    Reply created 18 Jul 2012
  • Review from HomeOwner
    Rating: 5 out of 5
    Review left on 17 Jul 2012

    Replacing kitchen tap

    Contacted DrainWorks because we had a leaky tap. We had a licensed plumber, Philip Burns, at our house within 4 hours. Philip outlined our options- continue to tighten leaking tap or replace it- clearly and I felt NO pressure to purchase a new tap. Philip even patiently waited while I contacted my husband and we made a decision. This is the second time that we have used DrainWorks and I don't even think of contacting other plumbing companies at this point.

    Answer from pro:

    **Thanks Meaghan** It was an absolute pleasure reading your review. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience here with others. We certainly do value your patronage and look forward to being the plumbing and drain service providers you continue to rely on.

    Reply created 18 Jul 2012
  • Review from HomeOwner
    Rating: 4 out of 5
    Review left on 12 Jul 2012

    Drain Pipe beneath basement floor snaked clean

    Overall, very pleasant experience. This is the second time using this company after having poor experience with one of their competitors previously. Our first time was 3 years ago (2009). Friendly, courteous staff, carefully brought equipment in, laid down tarps, cleaned thoroughly afterward, etc. This was simple precaution snaking as we had previously had back-up, and all went as planned on time, etc. Company calls ahead to give delivery time window, and individual tradesman showed up on time. My only slight concern was tradesman's desire to upsell services. I understand this from a business perspective, but if I wasn't here and say my wife were to have been on her own for this visit, I feel she may have ended up with additional unnecessary camera scope work (+$300), but if you're confident in the work you need done & tell them that, they left it there. I should note my main reason for writing this review is the financial benefit in doing so. The company offers a $25 cheque back to you for writing this. You can say good or bad. Another nice touch, as we're choosing to do is to donate to Sick Kids foundation (you can keep yourself too) which apparently comes with full reciept of proof etc. Anyways, overall I would highly recommend this company & I have no personal ties in anyway to them.

    Answer from pro:

    **Thanks Jake** We’re thrilled to hear that you had another pleasant experience with us, especially after a previous negative experience with one of our competitors. It’s always rewarding when a customer appreciates everything we do to deliver a first rate experience to them, be it punctuality, being friendly and courteous, or taking extra precautions to ensure your home stays clean while we are there working. As we had clarified in our follow up phone call to you, the camera inspection was an additional $155, not $300, but as you said in our conversation, it certainly is a great value, and provides the home owner with accurate information as to the state of their drain line, should they want it. We always offer camera inspections on sanitary drain line calls, simply to ensure our customers are fully aware of any underlying problems that may go undetected, otherwise. Also, we’re glad that you appreciate our transparency in encouraging our customers to post reviews on us; good or bad. It helps us grow as a company and enables us to understand the needs of our customers. Thank you for recommending us so highly, and for choosing to donate to Sick Kids; we firmly believe that this is truly a win for the children, our customers, and us as a company.

    Reply created 12 Jul 2012
  • Review from HomeOwner
    Rating: 5 out of 5
    Review left on 10 Jul 2012

    Fix faucet

    Last year Phil came and fixed my faucet. he was also the same guy from drainworks who hooked up my new sink. Phil is very friendly, and smart. He does an awesome job, always tells me what he is doing and provides the honest truth. This morning the faucet that was replaced last year was leaking. He fixed it in 10 minutes! I was impressed and able to get on with my day

    Answer from pro:

    **Thanks Greg** We appreciate your review and thank you for your patronage. It is nice to know that you are continually impressed with Phil’s friendly, honest and efficient service. Thank you for choosing DrainWorks. We look forward to being the plumbing and drain service providers that you can rely on, should you require assistance again in the future.

    Reply created 11 Jul 2012
  • Review from HomeOwner
    Rating: 5 out of 5
    Review left on 3 Jul 2012

    Backed up drain

    Service was excellent. The triage person on the phone was courteous and explained things clearly. Matt was the technician sent to our house the same evening. He was professional and also very detailed in his explanation. He guessed the problem was from a large tree root encroaching on our pipes. After using the camera, this confirmed his experienced instinct! He also localized the problem and explained to us the different options as the next steps would involve the City since it was a City pipe problem. Would highly recommend DrainWorks!

    Answer from pro:

    **Thanks Camilla** We are very grateful for the review. It is rewarding to hear that you were happy with the courteous, quick, professional and detailed service you received. Customer service is our top priority and we thank you for sharing this experience relaying the effectiveness of our efforts. We look forward to being the plumbing and drain service providers you can rely on should you require assistance again in the future.

    Reply created 4 Jul 2012
  • Review from HomeOwner
    Rating: 0 out of 5
    Review left on 3 Jul 2012

    Owner Eddie (sp?) swore at us on the phone, after we paid them $304 for a job!!! Dishwasher - unhook and rehook up

    How would you like to deal with a company whose owner SWEARS at you. Well, Eddie (Drainworks VP/GM) who said he was the owner (which is strange in itself since their website says Terry is the owner!!)....swore to myself and my wife on the phone. He said the F-word a number of times. We were astonished that such verbal abuse was happening from a supposedly reputable company. We had called Drainworks for an easy job...just needed our dishwasher pulled out for something to be retrieved, and then re-hooked up. As soon as the Drainworks technician reinstalled our dishwasher and ran the dishwasher test cycle there was water leaking out of the door. Never in the 6+ years living in our house has our dishwasher ever leaked! The Drainworks technician said there was nothing he could do, collected $304, and left. We had to call other Appliance specialists to help with the dishwasher leak, and they said the Drainworks plumber who did the job did not level the dishwasher properly when he re-installed it back and also damaged the door seal when pulling it out. We simply called Drainworks back to discuss this situation with someone in a senior position. First, Eddie (Drainworks VP/GM) was abusive to my wife because I was on speaker phone while she was in the room (I do not like having the cell phone right beside my ear). He was saying things to her such as "GET OFF THE PHONE, this is a conversation between your husband and I, you do not matter". Well Eddie, she does matter because she's a co-owner on the credit card which the $304 was made on. And that is not how to talk to people. He was extremely rude and shockingly abusive. I told him that was not the way to speak to customers and hung up. I immediately called Drainworks back again hoping to talk to Eddie after he had a chance to calm down, Eddie picked up the phone and immediately SWORE at me multiple times and also said "you are not a customer, you are a rat!....F-word, F-word". I did not even raise my voice during the phone conversation (my wife heard the entire call from the speaker phone), and we were quite shocked at what was happening. Thankfully our toddler and newborn baby were not in the same room to hear such foul language. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!! They charged $304 for such an easy job. If you were to buy a completely new dishwasher from somewhere reputable, and had it delivered, installed, and the old appliance removed....it would typically cost you $140-$170. Drainworks charged more than DOUBLE for a simple unhook and re-hook of the dishwasher (very simple job...no new dishwasher needed to be delivered and no old one to be taken away). And on top of that, they SWEAR at customers. Go with someone else. Please note, we have a newborn baby at home. So time is really a luxury for us. I am using what limited free time I have to write this review (whereas I could be spending this time playing with my kids) because it is important for HomeStars readers to know about this situation. Do not be simply swayed by their "10" ratings. It's easy to give a company a "10" when a job goes right. The most important thing is to see how a company reacts to its customers when a job does not go 100% right. That is a true testament to a company's customer service. I wish I spent more time reading the "0" reviews. If you browse on the Drainworks Homestars reviews, you will find a few different "0" reviews...I encourage you to read those reviews and more importantly read how Drainworks responds to them. My wife and I both work for large Fortune 500 companies, and never would our customer service department or a VP for that matter respond to people in such manner. Hope this is helpful for others! ** Update July 7'12 in response to Drainworks' comments: Funny Drainworks should say my review is not accurate. That is exactly what they did for all the other "0" reviews, never is it their fault, always the customers. Have a read of Chantelle's review of them on Jan 4, 2012 (you'll have to scroll through a few pages to get there). She copied/pasted an email from Eddie, read the tone of the email and the words used. I wish I had taken my time to read her review and the other "0" reviews before hiring this company. Drainworks response and tone to these customers were very telling. Well, my cell phone records easily show that on July 3'12 I made only two calls to Drainworks. The first one was the one I mentioned above where Eddie was berating my wife who happened to be on speaker phone in the same room. I hung up on him (yes, I admitted to hanging up on my original review) because that was not the way to speak to a woman or anyone for that matter. I called Drainworks back a 2nd time hoping to speak to someone in charge, to which Eddie picked up and immediately knew it was me (guess they have call display) and said "who the F-word do you think you are!!" and then multiple F-words after that. That's also when he said "I AM the boss!". He knows exactly what happened on the call and what words were used. If Drainworks had a recording, great, that would validate what happened. Or maybe Drainworks does not have a recording of the 2nd time I called when Eddie swore...if he's the boss, he may know how to turn off the phone recording. Good thing video recording on cell phones are so easily available now!! We were so surprised at what was going on during the 2nd call, a cell phone was whipped out. Yes, it did take about a week's worth of phone tag with Eddie before I got him live on July 3rd. He mentions he called me and I could not talk, well yes, I was holding my newborn baby at that time just about to put the baby in the crib so I could not talk. When he called back, I was driving, and I do not pick up cell phones when driving (it is illegal here in Ontario). We then had a couple more times of 'he called/I called phone tag'. Drainworks mentions the awards they have won...well...some companies may choose to rest on their laurels over time. Again, my earlier comments....see how a company responds to customers when jobs do not go 100% right. That is the most telling. Read their TONE to these customers. The job Drainworks was hired to do: Easy unhook of dishwasher, move it slightly out, move it back, re-hook. Immediately after it was rehooked and the technician ran the test cycle there was water leaking. We had to get appliance specialists to look at the issue, they could tell that the Drainworks plumber did not balance the dishwasher correctly when rehooking it and damaged the door seal when pulling it out. That was the issue we had with Drainworks, which we wanted to discuss with someone in charge. My wife and I both knew the cost was $304, that was not the issue we had with Drainworks...I already waited 4 hours for the technician to come out (my time slot was 11-2pm, the technician came to my house late at 3pm). I took a half a day off work to wait for him...I did not have time to get another technician to come. However, I was not expecting to pay $304 and be left with a leaky dishwasher from the job! Thanks for reading.

    Answer from pro:

    Unfortunately, this review is not accurate. Our voice recordings and documented invoice, prove otherwise. This complaint has nothing to do with the work that was done, rather, once our customer, David's wife got home, she decided she had an issue with the price agreed upon by her husband. Secondly, above and beyond the plumbing work we were there to do, their secondary issue was appliance related, which we do not provide service on. David acknowledged and signed off on this (as stated verbatim, on our invoice). Thirdly, David's wife had initially called to talk about this, however, as we had no dealings with her, and we didn't know what she was talking about, we advised her that we would call David to discuss. On our first call to him, he said he was too busy to speak and to call back within the hour, which we did, but he did not answer his phone, so a message was left for him to call us. When he finally did call back, over a week later, unbeknownst to us, his wife was on another phone eavesdropping, and started yelling about the price. He called multiple times only to hang up and call again to try to speak to someone else when he didn't agree with what was being discussed. Further, as evidenced by our voice recordings, we never once swore at David. To engage in such practices completely contradicts the numerous awards we've garnered as a company here on HomeStars, and elsewhere. This review is about our customer’s wife being unhappy with the price of the job. What more could we have done? Insist that he call his wife to ensure they both agreed to the work? Walk away after he gave the go ahead to proceed with the work? Perhaps if there is a discrepancy between David and his wife about decisions that have to be made regarding service at the home, having both onsite when work is done, would benefit all parties involved.

    Reply created 6 Jul 2012