Before becoming a Certified Licensed Plumber, potential candidates must not only master things like Float Balls, Flapper Valves and Supply Lines, they are also required to attend Thief School where they’re taught how to really stick it to the average customer.
In Thief School, from day one, PPs (potential plumbers) are taught that when someone calls a plumber, they are already in trouble, desperate and not completely rational. People don’t call the day before a leak, or a couple weeks before their water heater goes down and floods the basement. No, they call a plumber only after a catastrophe strikes, therefore giving the PP’s their shot at becoming Certified Thieves.
I experienced a bit of that potential thievery last week when our bathroom faucet began to drip. At first, it was a drip or two every minute, then the frequency increased until a fat drop hit the bottom of the sink every 5 seconds. I put a water pitcher in the sink and was recycling for the bird bath, so it didn’t bother me all that much but my wife, with Mother Hearing, claims she could hear it drip at night and it was driving her crazy.
I happen to know a plumber who didn’t go to Thief School and doesn’t take advantage of people and that’s my old friend Pat Crowley with Mr. Faucet. I called Pat, but he is recovering from knee surgery after years of crawling along bathroom and kitchen floors to repair plumbing issues. So Pat was temporarily out of the picture, and I knew then we were in trouble.
Nancy called one local firm, and they said their fee was $189 just to show up for diagnostic services. Forget that. She called another local plumber, and they said they would charge $69 to come out but would credit that amount to their fee if we used their services. A pleasant young man, and obviously a recent graduate of Thief School, inspected our faucet, thumbed quickly through a manual and said the faucets were too old for him to either to repair or find replacement parts. He said they would charge $409 (including the $69 credit) to replace a new faucet if I bought it or $809 if they supplied the faucet. Faucets cost like $30 or $40 at Lowe’s, not $400, so I knew this kid was a Phi Beta Kappa at Thief School.
In desperation, I called Pat again and he gave me the number of Raymond Hunt at Action Drain and Home Repair. Apparently, Raymond, with 25 years of experience, either flunked out of Thief School or didn’t attend. He came the next morning, said the springs in my old faucet were shot and that I really needed a new faucet. He went to Lowes, bought a nice Moen faucet, installed it and left me with a bill of $225 which included the new faucet. I gladly paid his invoice and pitched in a nice tip for prompt, professional service.
Write these numbers down because sooner or later you will need an honest plumber in a hurry and not a graduate from Thief School. Call Pat Crowley (he’ll be back in action soon) with Mr. Faucet at (434) 962-2027 or Raymond Hunt with Action Drain at 434-566-1914.
