Mr Rooter

Friday, October 23, I had Mr. Rooter out to give me an estimate for some plumbing issues I had on our rental unit in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Emile was professional, very knowledgable and has a wonderful personality. Emile gave me straight talk. In layman terms, he was able to tell me what was needed and how much to do the job. Emile gave me options, even showing me how to save money and time by getting the Mr. Rooter lifetime discount and guarantee. If you have a need for a plumber, call for Emile at Mr. Rooter. His work is superior. Emile replaced a faulty shower faucet, galvanized nipple, and made sure nothing leaked. Emile also replaced 4″ and 3″ pipe, replaced the toilet flange, made the toilet secure and did the job with enthusiasm and kind words when asked questions. You get quality work, reasonable prices and an experience you can tell others about with confidence. I highly recommend using Emile (ask for him by name) on your next plumbing job. Bob Hayes, Ann Arbor, MI.

I called this company to get an estimate for a backup sump pump. I was told that they needed to send out a technician to look at what I have and provide an estimate. They do charge by the job, which is nice. But their quote was $ 400 to $ 500 more than the other companies that I brought in for estimates. No negotiating — they have «book rates.» Then the tech said that I owed $ 47.50 for the consult if I wasn’t going to order anything. I had spoken with their office twice about the appointment and was never told about a consult. He said that the office people weren’t doing their job if they didn’t tell me about it and that he would waive the fee. After he left, I check their website and it says «free in-​home estimates.» Definitely not going to call them for anything else.

I’ve had Mr. Rooter put its snake through our system three times. The young men who do the work seem personable and competent, although one gets the sense that their duties can be discharged without calling on much expertise.
I do have a gripe about their advertisement in the Yellow Pages. The ad features «²⁴⁄₇ Emergency Water Removal.» What this means in fact is that if nobody is present at the local office you can call a national 1 – 888 number and they will forward on the service call, with the assurance that you will be called when the truck is on its way, leaving the impression that they will honor the claim. In reality, this is ²⁴⁄₇ service in the sense that any answering machine is ²⁴⁄₇. The ad also states «60 minute service our specialty 7 days» and «Service usually on the job within 60 minutes.» Calling on a Sunday morning, the truck appeared eight hours later. The guy revealed that he had just started his shift. Apparently, there was never any possibility of service earlier than that.
Granted that response is likely to be slow on a Sunday morning. Perhaps the feeling is that nobody should take the advertising hype seriously. But why not just be honest?
The routine rooting cost $ 400. An extra charge was assessed for removing the bung from the inside main drain, but this was not itemized. The ad claims no extra charges for weekends.