Maintaining customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of any business, but it’s even more important for plumbing companies that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award. For Rooter Hero Plumbing, the key to achieving and maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction is simple: anticipate the wide-ranging needs of its clientele by being prepared for any situation. “Our large size means we have technicians who are readily available and trained to handle a wide range of plumbing issues,” says Service Manager Nathan Bain. “This also allows us to complete each project much faster than most companies, which our customers really appreciate.”

Rooter Hero Plumbing has been providing plumbing services for residential and commercial clients in Contra Costa, Alameda, and Solano Counties since 2011. The company has the training and equipment to work on everything from fixture installations and repairs to sewer line inspections and replacements, and it also offers 24/7 emergency service for the convenience of its customers.

Unlike less experienced plumbing companies that take a “hands off” approach to explaining their work, Rooter Hero Plumbing takes the time to educate its customers about their plumbing issues so they can prevent them from reoccurring. “Our job is not just to come in and fix the issue—we take the time to answer each customer’s questions and make sure they understand what’s going on with their plumbing system,” affirms Mr. Bain. “We know plumbing problems can be very disruptive and seem to happen at the worst possible times, so we try to prevent those situations by getting ahead of them in the first place.”

Ultimately, Mr. Bain sees Rooter Hero Plumbing’s dedication to customer satisfaction as its most important attribute. “We’re not a company that wants one-time business—we want to build lifelong relationships with our customers, so making sure they’re happy is huge for us,” he says. “It’s right in our name: We really value being heroes and saving the day for our clients, so that’s what we look to do on every job.”

Knowing where to find the important components of your home’s plumbing system will prepare you for dealing with an emergency.
Many of the calls that plumbing companies receive are for emergencies such as leaking water lines or backed up sewer systems, and even though they’re trained to respond to such calls as quickly as possible, a lot of property damage can occur in a short amount of time. Most homeowners don’t realize that with a little preemptive knowledge, they can take simple steps to immediately stop back-ups and leaks. Here’s some information about three plumbing components that every homeowner should know about:

Water valves
Instead of trying to plug or seal a leaking water pipe at the break, it’s far more effective to stop the leak at its source by shutting off your home’s main water valve. To locate your water main, go to the sidewalk and identify your water meter box (the lid will be clearly marked). From the meter box, you can usually walk in a straight path and find the water meter against your house. There are two valves on the meter, and either will shut off the water to your home. You probably won’t be able to turn the valve by hand, so make sure you have access to an appropriately sized wrench.

Gas shut-off valves
There are two types of gas shut-off valves: street-side main, which is located next to your PG&E meter, and house-side valve, which is usually located where the gas pipe enters your house. With newer systems, the gas shut-off valve might be located inside the house (near the water heater). It’s beneficial to know where these valves are located, but in the event of a gas leak, it’s never a good idea to turn them off yourself because of the risk of an explosion. Unlike a water leak, a gas leak should be left to a professional. If you notice a gas leak, get everyone out of the house and call the gas company to come handle it.

Sewer clean-out
To avoid the damage that can be caused by a backed up sewer system, it’s important to know how to find your system’s clean-out. Essentially, a sewer clean-out is an outlet that allows sewage to overflow into your backyard instead of inside your home. It can be located in several places, but you can usually find it by going to your sidewalk and looking for an “S” stamped into the concrete or painted on the curb near your street. This indicates the spot where your home’s sewer line connects with the city sewer. The clean-out should be no more than three feet from your house, aligned with the “S” marker. Other times, the clean-out will appear as a “Y” or “T” in what looks like a dead-end pipe. If you have a septic system, the clean-out should be located somewhere between the house and the septic tank.

Q: Do you charge by the hour or by the job?
A: By the job. We use a price book that sets the rate for each specific service, and we’ll show that to you before any work begins so you know what to expect.

Q: How long will it take you to get to my home?
A: Our normal response time for most plumbing work is 60 to 90 minutes from the initial booking.

Q: Do you charge extra to work after hours or on holidays?
A: No. We don’t believe our customers should have to pay extra just because their plumbing breaks at an inopportune time.

Q: Are your service trucks fully stocked to take care of any type of plumbing problem?
A: Our trucks are well stocked, but there’s no such thing as having a complete plumbing supply store inside a truck. We may have to leave the jobsite to get certain materials, but we never charge our customers for that time—it’s all included in the initial estimate.

Q: What’s your approach to quality control?
A: For larger projects, we always have an installation manager onsite to make sure our technicians are doing everything correctly and up to code. We also have field supervisors for our technicians, so if they’re having trouble on a job or they need a second opinion, they can always call in some help.