12:15
Phoned Helen, got the clear impression that she hadn't made the necessary arrangements for Trevor to phone me regarding moving the pipework first thing on Tuesday. However she did say she would phone him immediately and either she or he would phone me back. We'll see...
14:45
I got my call back from Helen - she's clearly not gone on their don't-be-efficient-and-call-the-customer-back course. Seems I'll be getting Darryl to move the stuff and he'll be meeting me on-site between 08:00 and 09:00 tomorrow morning. He'll be bringing the booster pump for the heater, connecting the boiler and moving the pipework. We're actually starting to get somewhere! Assuming, of course, that he turns up...
Tuesday
08:00
Darryl turned up as promised, minus pump, for God's sake! Apparently, despite the job sheet showing a pump to be provided, the stores would not release one because "it's not on the contract". He started moving everything as required.
08:30
Phoned Matthew, not in until 10:00, got through to Charlotte. Explained the problem, she said she would look at it and get back to me... she didn't phone me back when she said.
10:45
Phoned Matthew, in meeting but they pulled him out to speak with me. Explained the issues and that I wanted it sorted or it goes to the solicitor. He would follow up and call me back. I also stated that this suggested a company with a serious lack of internal communication. I advised that I was documenting this all on the web for the world to see and that the header course company had still yet to contact me - he would follow that through again.
11:30
Matthew phones back(!). Apparently the heating CAN be plumbed to use the existing circulation system but with valves everywhere to switch "circuits", something we declined at the time of the contract for the two heating systems - something Dean (Salesman) suggested as undesireable and the base reason for having two sets of heater pipes in the firstplace.
Matthew needed to clarify what we were expecting when we signed for the heating. I stated that our expectation was for two separate heatings systems (gas and solar) which operated independantly, that could simply be switched on and off manually. We do not expect (or wish) to have to operate valves to switch between the various circulation systems (other than the water feature) and were not expecting to have a timer on the heating. I reminded him that, while we did not explicitly state that we did not wish our heating to be circulated via the circulation pump, the discussion with Dean regarding the separate heating pipes (regarding the subject of valves to switch between) could clearly indicate our desire for a simple, straight forward and independant heating circulation system. I also reminded him that we should not need to have the technical knowledge of a pool installation in order to get the correct result (using a car analogy).
I also told him that we had discussed the extra pump during our previous conversation, he did not recall this. In hindsight I now realise that this was discussed with Travis.
He stated that he would ensure the pump would be provided to site to be installed now that he understood the requirement. He would clarify the contract with Dean to discuss any cost adjustments (a pump is about $900) and I suggested that it should not be something we should have to pay for, given all the messing around and the expectation for a completely separate system. He suggested it might already be paid for and would clarify with Dean, but would be up for discussion if necessary after the correct equipment was installed as per our expectation.
I await the next phone call with baited breath!
14:06
Darryl phoned me to tell me that it appears that the contract should have shown a pump and "filtermate" (timer?) and that it is their stuff up. I like the way it is left for the humble techo. to advise me! He's completed relaying of the pipework and moved the pump and filter but they will have to come back again to bring the pump and connect it up - Helen is to organise that - so he's left the trench open until he can confirm which is the suction and which is the return before connecting up the boiler and pump, which is fair enough.
At last we're making progress.
16:00
Ah well, it was nice while it lasted. The tech. finished moving the pump and filter but has installed the three way valve in the most bizarre and unusual way I could NOT have thought of! Only a photo can fully express how stupid the result appears. Apart from obviously inconvenient layout, this is an accident waiting to happen. Almost as high as the boiler, it would be too easy to trip over it and snap the connector from the base of the filter. In addition, it would appear as if they forgot a new connector for the filter so he used the old three way valve instead, with the third leg cut off!! Truly unreal - I honestly couldn't have thought up this configuration if I tried.
Wednesday
10:00
I sent an e-mail to Matthew with a link to the online photo gallery. I offered them three options:
1. I take time off to watch over each and every subsequent piece of work and charge them at my consulting rate.
2. They send out the site supervisor from earlier in the project who seemed to have some common sense.
3. They give me the gear and I do it my-bloody-self!! They then test and certify it.
I'm waiting for their next phone call with antici... pation.
Thursday
15:30
I'm still waiting... so I call them. Helen is "on the phone or away from her desk" so I leave her a voicemail to call me. Matthew is "in a meeting" so I leave a message with reception for him to call me as well.
I have now checked with the Small Claims Tribunal and the cost of lodging a complaint is a mere $21 with a ceiling of claim of $6K, which should be adequate to cover me for the loss of income suffered so far, inconvenience and, of course, costs associated with getting someone competant in to rectify everything so far. I'll also get some recomendations from friends and colleagues on a decent solicitor, should I decide that it may exceed that amount.
Friday
10:10
Had a long (half hour) phone conversation with Matthew. He was not happy about this blog and considered it to be almost blackmail. He then asked what exactly it was that I wanted and I replied that I wanted a satisfactory result and that the blog was put out there as a way of achieving this. He questioned the accuracy of some of my statements regarding our Tuesday conversation, I said I stood by them and, as I reread them now, still do.
I said that I had found it necessary to use this method of communication in order to achieve this very communication since I could not get responses otherwise; case in point being that he had not got the message to call me yesterday and Helen had not returned my call (I rest my case). I again suggested that, if necessary, I would do the (bloody) job myself.
We discussed the nature of the pipework and what I was expecting. He suggested that the second valve it there to drain the pool, I then suggested that this was therefore an ommission on all the previous versions and looked far more like a kludge than a feature. Issues regarding the requirement to potentially drain the pool were mentioned briefly, I don't consider this a major issue myself. The photo's had been discussed by himself and a technical colleague and it was agreed to be unusual.
I offered to hide the blog for the time being, subject to us getting the desired result; he was grateful for this. He then stated that he would arrange for either the site supervisor we'd had before or a more senior technician to come out to rectify matters and that this person would bring the new pump and fit that, plus move the pipework, pump and filter.
He advised me that we had paid for both the second pump and filtermate but that they did not currently have a Filtermate. I stated that this was a low priority issue and that getting the boiler commissioned was the more important matter, the filtermate could be sorted at a later date.
I agreed to advise him of the name/number of the previous tech. who did the good job and he committed to arrange for either him or his own senior tech. to come and complete the installation. He would again attempt to contact the landscaper to rectify the pavers, I reminded him that they had been supposed to contact me for about four weeks.
I advised him that the boards would be off the pool before Christmas and that the walls were expected to go in mid January, giving a two week period when they could replace the headers before damage might occur to the surrounding glass and paintwork.
17:31
Received an email from Matthew which advised that "Our Senior Service Technician ... is booked to visit your property on Tuesday (4/12) to fit the pump for the gas heater circuit and redo the filtration plumbing. I can also confirm that the Filtermate (switching / timer controller) has now come into stock so will be fitted at the same time. ... will call you on Monday to confirm arrangements."
He also promised that "The Landscaper has also committed to call you to make an appointment to inspect the headers next week. I have also passed on that the rectification work needs to be carried out during the 1st 2 weeks of January."
We shall see what eventuates.
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