Plumbing

I've always known the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses. However, after reading an article in Black Enterprise magazine, I decided to refocus my efforts on supporting such businesses whenever necessary. It just so happened that I had a pressing issue that provided an excellent opportunity to apply my new found dedication. After taking a look at blackpages.com, I located a plumber in my area and quickly called to make an appointment.

I admit that I was thrown by the extremely casual manner in which the middle-aged woman answered the phone...but my real frustration was the screaming baby in the background. After taking my name and number, I was promised a call back within an hour. About 3 hours later, I decided to call back (people get busy and forget) at which time I got the owner, who eagerly agreed to send someone out the following morning.

Saturday morning, I get a call informing me that my plumbers are running behind schedule (no problem, I was still sleeping anyway). They arrived, did their business, and got payment...yet, I still had the same problem that I started with. After giving me some crap about the entire condo building being set up incorrectly and it being impossible for them to fix my issue without fixing the pipes in the walls :/ they left. About an hour later, I walk into the kitchen to find water dripping from under the cabinet on my hardwood floors (angry!). I immediately call them back and am told that it will be 2 hours before they can come back. Four hours later, one of the two persons shows up, claims to have fixed my leaking problem and refuses to leave a bucket under the sink (just in case it wasn't fixed) because he's convinced my problem is resolved.

I run out the house to a gathering with WS's family. Upon my return, I find water dripping from under the sink on my hardwood floors (angrier). I call the plumber back and am told that the owner will be out Sunday after he leaves church and from seeing his uncle in hospice. Sunday afternoon, the owner arrives with one of the original workers and goes into some other story about all of my pipes needing to be replaced. After an hour, they leave. Three hours later, two workers return and spend several hours replacing the pipes under the sink....yet my problem still exists. I'm told they will need to leave one pipe leaking with a bucket underneath and will return the following day to fix.

Before heading off to bed, I decide to check to ensure that all is in order only to find that a second pipe is also leaking and once again water is running onto my HARDWOOD FLOORS!!!!! The following day, I schedule Roto Rooter to come out and provide a second estimate. He suggests that the rodding wasn't done well enough but wants to charge $250 to do it. While he's still there, my "BLACK" plumbers show up, causing an awkward but necessary situation. Roto guy makes some suggestions and leaves my "BLACK" plumbers to work.

Frustrated and angry, I head off to Toastmasters, leaving WS instructions to call my dad before the plumbers leave. I arrive home to learn that they replaced a strainer basket, rodded again, and now the drain in working fine....at a tune of another $175 (they're still waiting on payment). Why? Well you know that pink stuff that they put around the pipes to seal them? Despite me leaving more than enough towels, they dripped it onto MY HARDWOOD FLOORS!!! And you guessed it...it won't come out!

I'm trying to remind myself that this is an isolated incident and that every Black business interaction will not be like this....however, I think I'm going to my white massage therapist this weekend.