Doing the right thing when it costs us money
I believe in the broken window theory. If something is not right on a job, we fix it, even when it costs us. Here are three real examples from the last little while.
Standing behind the work means correcting things even when it costs us money, because how you do one thing is how you do everything. When we contracted to run a six-appliance gas line and only five were teed in, I sent someone back for more pipe. When a brand-new Halo 5 leaked at a factory seal, we ripped it out the next day and brought in our restoration crew. When a tankless arrived dead at 5 pm, I pulled a new one from the cage and sent it out in my nephew’s car before the manufacturer even approved it. That is just who we are.
Why I think this way
People ask me about jobs where we did the right thing even though it cost us money, and honestly my answer is, that is all of our jobs, always. I go over the work with the guys every morning before they head out. I am constantly saying, take this pad, throw the air cleaner in, do it this way, it gives us a better install. How you do one thing is how you do everything, and I am a big believer in the broken window theory. If I see one thing out of place on a job, I know it points to bigger things, so we correct it. It costs me money. I do it anyway, because it holds my company to the standard.
The six-appliance gas line
Just yesterday we ran a six-appliance gas line. I was reviewing the work and counted only five appliances at the gas manifold. I asked what happened. The guys said, oh, we teed off this line for the sixth one. I said, send somebody back to the shop, get another piece of gas pipe, and go finish it the way we contracted it.
Now, teeing off probably would have worked. It honestly would have been fine. But we contracted to do six, so we do six, the right way. That is not about that one job. That is about what kind of company we are when nobody is checking.
The Halo 5 that leaked at 24 hours
We put in a Halo 5 whole-home filtration system for a client, and it started leaking at a factory seal when it was barely 24 hours old, if that. Our technician got out there, saw it leaking, and immediately had it ripped out. We came back the next day with a new unit. Then we sent our restoration company out, had them dry everything, and pulled up the wet carpet. We turned it into insurance and they are replacing the carpet.
We could have told that customer, well, we need to reach out to the manufacturer to warranty it, sit tight. We did not. We went above and beyond first and sorted out the paperwork after, because that is what standing behind your work actually looks like. It is the whole idea behind our worry-free guarantee.
The tankless that was dead on arrival
Tankless water heaters are one of the most reliable products we install, but once in a while you get a bad one. I remember a unit that was dead on arrival. It was about 5 o’clock, the office had just closed, we plugged it in, and nothing. So I literally pulled a new one from the cage, put it in the back of my nephew’s car, and he ran it out to the job. We swapped it before we had even heard back from Rheem on whether the warranty claim was approved.
By 9 o’clock that night, the head of Rheem water heating texted me directly and said, do not worry, we will get it covered for you. But notice the order. We took care of the family first. The manufacturer caught up to us later. That family had hot water that night either way.
The point
I could give you ten more stories like these. The thread through all of them is the same. We will always go above and beyond for our clients, even when it costs us, because that is who we are. You can read more about what we stand for on our about us page.
The quick version
- We contracted a six-appliance gas line, so when one was teed off instead of run, I sent someone back for more pipe to do it right.
- A brand-new Halo 5 leaked at a factory seal. We ripped it out the next day, brought in restoration, and handled the insurance for the carpet.
- A dead-on-arrival tankless got replaced from our own warehouse cage the same evening, before the manufacturer even approved the claim.
- We fix the customer first and sort out the warranty paperwork afterward.
- The broken window theory drives it all. One thing out of place points to bigger things, so we correct it every time.
If I see something not right on a job, it is definitely going to cost me money, but I always make sure we correct it. We contracted to do six, we do six.
We will always go above and beyond for our clients. That is who we are, and I could give you ten more stories just like it.
David WahlCEO & Master Plumber, Wahl Family
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Call 1-855-GET-WAHLFrequently asked questions
What does it mean that Wahl stands behind its work?
It means we fix problems first and deal with the paperwork later. When a new system fails, we replace it fast from our own warehouse, bring in our restoration crew if there is water damage, and handle the warranty and insurance for you. Our worry-free guarantee spells out exactly what that looks like.
Do you really replace a failed unit before the manufacturer approves the warranty?
Yes, when it matters. We had a tankless arrive dead at 5 pm and I pulled a replacement from our warehouse and sent it to the job that evening, before Rheem approved the claim. We can do that because we keep equipment and parts in our own building with parts runners ready to go.
What is the broken window theory and how does it apply to home services?
It is the idea that small problems left unaddressed signal that bigger ones are tolerated too. On a job site, if I see one detail done wrong, I assume it points to other shortcuts, so we correct it immediately. Holding the small things to standard is how we keep the whole job to standard.
Why send a crew back for more pipe when teeing off would have worked?
Because we contracted to run a six-appliance gas line, and we honor exactly what we agreed to do. Teeing off the sixth appliance would have functioned, but it was not what we promised. Doing it the contracted way, even at extra cost, is how we hold the company to its standard.
What happens if a water treatment system Wahl installs starts leaking?
We come back, replace it, and clean up after it. When a brand-new Halo 5 leaked at a factory seal within a day, we ripped it out, installed a new one, sent our restoration company to dry the area and pull the wet carpet, and turned it into insurance to replace the carpet. You should not be left holding the bag for a defect.
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