Don A.

My wife and I decided to install electric fireplace inserts in our two fireplaces. After doing some online research we chose the Heat&Glo SF-INS35. After putting in my zip code the Heat&Glo website directed us to American Fireplace, Sevierville, Tn, as the closest distributor. This was about 45 minutes from my home in Knoxville. I called the number and talked to "Jerry" who informed me that "they had just had a $100 increase in price" the day before my call. After negotiating we agreed on a price of $2,850 for two inserts which would be shipped to American Fireplace. I was told that I would have to pick them up in Sevierville in two weeks. This price was "out the door" including tax and shipping. After being notified that the units were ready for pick-up I drove to Sevierville and presented my Visa card for payment. The cashier told me there would be a 3% charge for using credit which I refused to pay. She begrudgingly processed my payment and I loaded the units and left. I installed the first stove and was pleased. I had a question during the installation which was not clear in the the instructions so I returned to the internet for information. My search using the model number revealed a distributor in Cleveland, Tn offering the same unit for $325 dollars less. I called and talked to "Joe" who was very nice. He verified the price. I did not mention my previous purchase. My wife and I decided that we would purchase another unit from the Hearth and Grill Sales, Cleveland, Tn, if we could return our remaining unit to American Fireplace. After driving to Sevierville we were informed that the unit could not be returned because it was a "special order." We argued that it was not a special order and that it was a back order. We were then made to wait over an hour until "Jerry" returned to the store. We realized that our return was subject to a 20% restocking fee but we asked not to pay that amount because we bought one stove which we were keeping. After negotiating for 15 minutes we agreed on a refund of $1,300. I ended up saving $100 and Hearth & Grill shipped the new stove directly to my home. Heat&Glo makes a good unit but they should be embarrassed by their Sevierville distributor. I could have saved myself some grief if I had read reviews. It is now obvious to me that American Fireplace in Sevierville, TN is less than reputable.

My wife and I purchased a home built on a slab in 1959. Slab construction means there is no crawl space area and much, if not all plumbing service is under and comes up through 4 to 6 inches of concrete. This type of construction can pose some challenges for plumbing contractors who can't readily access pipes in and under the slab. We called Cedar Bluff Plumbing for assistance with both repair and remodeling services. Stephen Anderson did an outstanding job in moving a water heater which was no small task. He cut the concrete, moved the pipes to the location of a planned wall and then ran the plumbing overhead and down an exterior wall to the new location of the heater. The 4/12 pitch roof did not afford Stephen much room to work but he got it done quickly. He was also successful in clearing drains for kitchen sink and washing machines. Then, for whatever reason, the quality of work on installation and trim details dropped considerably. I became disgruntled and lost confidence that the remaining work could be finished to my satisfaction. I expressed my concerns to management and very quickly received a call from Timmy Brummitt who is the service manager. I was very impressed with Mr. Brummitt on this call because he did not interrupt me as I explained my concerns. He then asked me if he could have an opportunity to "restore your confidence in Cedar Bluff Plumbing." I decided to work with him and the next day he was on site evaluating the completed work. Mr. Brummitt convinced me that he had a lot of pride in his work and the reputation of Cedar Bluff Plumbing. As an example he reworked some plumbing which necessitated opening up a sheetrock wall. In a spirit of cooperation I offered to close and finish the wall after the work was complete. Shortly after Mr. Brummitt left that day he called me back and asked me if I could be on site at 9 am the next morning. When I asked why he told me he had hired a sheetrock contractor to come and patch the wall! My confidence was restored and there were several other incidences in which I made request and he granted them with no questions ask. I don't feel it necessary to disclose the credit I received on my final bill but I really appreciated the gesture of fairness. Every company in every industry experiences problems with personnel performance. What matters to me is how the company approaches the problem. Do they even care? I can tell you that Cedar Bluff Plumbing cares and if by chance you have a legitimate problem they will make it right.

We decided to call the Container Store and try their design services which are free. A time was scheduled for a digital meeting and we received an email with instructions on how to connect. Prior to the meeting we were instructed as to how to measure the space and where to send the measurements which we wrote on a form provided by the Container Store. At the appointed time we clicked on the link and waited a short time before Natalie connected and introduced herself. The session began with Natalie asking questions as to the scope of the work which entailed the design for elements to be installed in small "His" and "Her" walk-in closets. After the face to face discussion the screen changed to a graphic design tool and we were able to watch as Natalie began the process by placing various elements in the first closet based on our discussion. She was obviously well trained as a customer consultant and also had a thorough knowledge of the use of the design software. The elements being placed were shoe draws, short and long hanging spaces, ventilated shelving and ventilated drawers. It was very helpful to play "what if" by trying various elements in different spaces. It took Natalie about 3 to 4 seconds to make any change we wanted to try. After completing the first closet we repeated the process for the second closet. After about an hour we were satisfied with the design and decided to move forward with an order. The total price was $5000 less than the Home Depot bid. All of our elements were delivered over a three week period and we received deliveries from FedX and USPS every two or three days. After the final delivery we opened all boxes and inventoried items based on package slips and the original bill and every thing was there. I was satisfied with the quality. The bottom of one draw had been crushed. I called customer service and the hold time was less than 45 seconds. The new drawer was delivered in four days. I installed the elements myself and found the instructions clear and straight forward. During the installation process I discovered that three standards were five inches too long due to my error in measuring. I decided to cut them down to size. After cutting the first standard I noticed that I cut the excess off the wrong end which rendered this standard unusable. I called customer service again and the hold time was less than 20 seconds. The agent informed me that "these things happen" and said he would send, at no charge, a new standard cut to the correct length. I would order from the Container store again and I will also recommend The Container Store to my family and friends.