ComplaintsforWallace Services Inc

• Initial Complaint

  03/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Originally had service technician, Mike, out on 11/16/2021 for a service check and clean of HVAC systems. We were told by Mike that the valve in the water heater system was getting worn but it should last for the time being but we should have him back late in the year 2022 to have it replaced. He signed off on all systems and we were charged for the services. March 4th we had Mike come back out because the system shut down and the valve that we were told was fine leaked all over the fan and control board rendering them inoperable. Very little communication was received about parts and shipping. We were without hot water and heat on the top floors of our home. We contacted Wallace Services on 3/10 to finally speak to someone about the status. Joe the owner took no accountability and sent me back to his receptionist who is his daughter to continue the conversation with me. They took no accountability for the negligence on 11/16 which caused these current issues. We feel that the business was purposefully negligent, knowing the valve wouldn’t last and would destroy other parts within the system so we would come back with more business. The technician lied about the current parts being ordered with priority overnight shipping and tracking, as the receptionist told me it’s office policy not to buy any of those services. We are still without heat and hot water, with no guarantee the parts will be here tonight, tomorrow, or even within the next few days. This will be a week without vital necessities in my household and no rush or remorse by Wallace Services. We were told by the owner Joe that they don’t even have to finish, that he is fine with walking away from completion but still billing us for a job that is not near complete. We don’t even have paperwork for this current job. We were told $1,000 but have no details or if there will be other additions. At least $1,000 of extra business for what could have been a valve that maybe costs, give or take, $100?

  Business response

  03/11/2022

  Our Tech was out on November 16th 2021 for a standard cleaning of the Air Conditioner and boiler cleaning.  ($375 - our standard charge for that cleaning) Our tech informed the husband, ****, that the valve was leaking slightly (little tiny drips) and should be replaced.  Our tech also let the homeowner know that the boiler was an off brand and that the part would be several hundred dollars to replace.  The boiler was also obsolete and is no longer made, making parts difficult to find.  The homeowner asked how long the part would last and at the time of service, we gave our honest opinion that it could last months or years.  Just like any mechanical appliances, vehicles or machinery, you can only give your honest and professional opinion at that exact moment and is difficult to see into the future. As of March 4th **** ******** called our office to let us know she was having an issue with the heater.  We were out the same day to service they system, within hours of the phone call.  Upon arrival and diagnoses, we found the system had in fact leaked and the husband knew it had increased but failed to call and inform us.  Due to the further leaking, there was additional damage.  Our tech, Mike, called the *** Boiler line for information regarding proper part replacement due to being obsolete and our *** Supply contact.  Due to older model parts no longer available, there were additional conversion parts needed.  Once parts were found, they were ordered ASAP and we informed the homeowner that we would let them know as soon as the parts were in.  In our line of business it is typical to order parts from your supply house and not receive a tracking number.  This is a standard practice amongst all supply houses we order from.  We do not order parts from ****** or other online stores that would give us tracking.  When dealing with supply houses, the orders come as the parts/equipment is available.  It is impossible for supply houses to keep parts for every make/model on the shelves at any given time.  Meaning sometimes they have to order from outside their building. Which this was the case in the ********'s boiler parts.  Our supply houses knew this was a RUSH order but again, there is simply no option for us to pay for express shipping.  That has never been an option and while we live in a world where ****** can deliver any given item within two days, that isn't the case with professional HVAC businesses.  In past years, pre covid, we would receive parts next day or within a day.   Post covid, limited truck drivers, obsolete parts, shortages across the united states and every other odd stacked against us, we simply did not receive the parts as quickly as the homeowner would have liked.  Kate, the office manager and family member of the Wallace's tried her best to explain this process to the homeowner, ******, on Thursday March 10th.  Explaining that you can not even find chicken in grocery stores even though that is something made right in our own state, let alone a part coming from out of the country.  Kate also let ****** know that Mike, our tech, had in fact called the husband, **** on Wednesday March 9th to inform him that parts were in Canada and we would let him know as soon as we received them.  ****** repeatedly told Kate that we are untrustworthy and she no longer trusts our professional opinion of her system.  Kate asked over and over how she could make the situation better and resolve the issue.  There was nothing Kate could say that **** ******** liked or wanted.  We are a family owned and operated company since 1965 built on family values, we would never purposely put someone in the cold.  It goes against every ethical bone we built our business on.  We have gone out in snow storms, in the dead of night, on holidays and extended ourselves to fit all the needs of our customers.  So for ****** and **** to speak so little of our company when all we have done is tried to repair the broken relationship.  To this date on March 11th, Wallace Services Inc has not billed the ********s one cent for any of the labor or parts installed since March 4th 2022.  Including the Blower ******* Assembly for $$379.61 and the Air Vent for $26.63 (our cost - no mark up) plus the several hours of labor (hundreds dollars), plus the part we are waiting to arrive from Canada any moment now.  Who knows how much we will have to absorb for Canada air shipping freight.  For a little company, absorbing these parts that we will never use, is a big loss.  Including loosing customers we attempted to service.  On Thursday March 10th at 3:52pm Kate offered to let the ********s to walk away from our company since nothing Kate said or offered would fix the relationship.  Even offering the parts to be dropped off for another company to install, if that is what they wished.  Paul, the husband spoke with Kate on Thursday March 10th after the conversation with ******.  Kate reiterated that if Wallace Services Inc. could not do anything in our power to right the situation that maybe it was best to walk away from the service-customer relationship.  **** asked that we do not do that and we continue to wait for the part so we could complete the repair.  At 4:45pm on the 10th there was a mutual agreement that contact would be made on Friday the 11th with a update no later than noon on the status of the part and that we would come out at any time of day to complete the repair.  After the mutual understanding, ****** decided that was not good enough and reported our company to the BBB.  Wallace Services Inc. has shown the ********'s remorse, we have not billed them one red cent which is why the homeowners don't have any paperwork - we don't bill anything until a customer has been restored into proper working order. Because Wallace Services have not been given a fair chance at repairing the relationship or system and nothing we could do or say was going to resolve anything, Wallace respectfully chooses to walk away from the ********'s with no future billing and no future relationship.  ZERO dollars will be billed to the ********'s.  Wallace has done everything in our power and unfortunately can not control a tracking number from an air plane.  We are very sorry this is how this how we are represented and have offered multiple times to find a solution.  Even at the end of the phone call on Friday March 11th at 8:30am Kate offered **** to be of any help for anything they might need.                      

  Customer response

  03/14/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution of zero dollars being billed and no further contact by Wallace is satisfactory to me.  Let it also be on record that Wallace's response was simply not true on multiple points, though.  We contacted them as soon as our machine shut down, my husband opened it up that moment and realized it had been leaking this whole time when we were assured it would operate correctly.  We had no reason to believe we needed to monitor the machine for leaks based on the conversation with Wallace's tech and the clear sign off that was provided in my original complaint.  Since ending our relationship with Wallace, we have hired a new company and they have reinforced our belief that Wallace was negligent in their services.  The repair is still in process but the first level of review was that the expensive part Wallace claimed we needed may not be needed at all and another part was completely overlooked by Wallace (there was no way it would operate without the serviceman cleaning it), second level they called the machine's tech support and another possible solution was presented that also may not need parts at all.  We are waiting for the final assessment and solution currently, but as I said this clearly shows Wallace exacerbated this problem in the first place and they did not provide the full review and service of our machine that we contacted them to do.  

  Regards,
  
  ****** ********

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