Watchdog is a weekly feature about problems in area neighborhoods -- potholes, broken traffic signals, incorrect signs -- that aren't being fixed in a timely manner. Click on points on the map below to read past installments from this year.
• 2008 Watchdog photo gallery
• Watchdog story archive
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I am a single woman who has lived in my home for 22 years. The most challenging aspect of home ownership has been attempting to find good, honest and fairly priced service for the up keep of my home. My last experience was expensive. I paid Roto-Roter $345. for a simple drain cleaning that took maybe 40 minutes. I would have paid my local plumber only $105. Roto-Roter is fine for emergency/weekend plumbing problems, but one is better with local plumbers for run of the mill, non emergency issues. Always ask your neighbor which plumber they use and recommend. It is best to use local, well established plumbing firms that have served the community for many years. You pay for the nationally established company. Also, customer service is very poor with this national company. The local agents do not return phone calls and the customer service at the higher level (national office) is not any more responsive. My advice again, is to stay with local, well established firms, I have found this to be true in construction as well. These firms are in essence your neighbor and have serving the local community well for many years. Stay away from the large, national, non-responsive companies like Roto-Roter.
brettmom (08/19/2009, 11:44 AM )