As a septic service contractor, I’m sure there’s been countless cases where you flipped the lid and found more than you bargained for. Neglected, deteriorated tanks that need replacing, and perhaps further damage necessitating a total system replacement.
When you deliver the news, you genuinely feel bad for the homeowners. They were anticipating a $300 service call, not an estimate for thousands of dollars of repair work. Still, it’s your responsibility to inform them the work must be done to ensure a safe, functioning septic system.
What’s the old adage? Don’t shoot the messenger. Well that was precisely the response in this type of case recently in the Southeast. Called to a home for a routine pumping, the service technician encountered a crumbling tank; the top actually caved in during the job. A new tank, at a cost of $3,000 or more, was required. Apparently unable to cover the repair costs, the homeowner turned to a local TV “You Asked, We Investigate’’ reporter to plead her case.
In the report — found online at the TV station’s Web site — the customer implied that somehow the septic service contractor should have done something differently to get her out of this predicament. According to the report, the contractor first offered to pump the tank for free as a temporary fix, and then offered to donate labor for installation if the homeowner covered the cost of the new tank and materials.
Rather than focus on the contractor’s compassionate offer to work with the customer, the report dwelled on the 80-year-old homeowner’s inability to pay. Some folks who watched or read the news account said it sullied the good name of the septic service contractor.
“I'm sorry she’s on a fixed income and I’m sorry she’s elderly,” one writer said of the homeowner. “But it’s simply the cost of home ownership. (The septic company) came to pump her tank and found a bigger problem. It’s not their fault that it was in such shabby shape and fell apart. I recently had my home re-roofed and the roofer found damage that had to be repaired. I didn’t expect him to repair my roof for free!’’
Another wrote, “It is very easy to take sides with (the homeowner) because of her age, and I do feel for her. But septic supplies are very costly and installs are a lot of work. (The pumper) was probably called for a $175 pump job and problems started revealing themselves.’’
These are good points. This pumper was put in a no-win situation. Just like you do every day, he answered the call to help a customer. And now the only way he comes out looking good is if he foots the entire bill for the homeowner. We know this because his generous offers to help were met with indifference.
We dedicate this issue of Pumper to all of you who are called to perform onsite system repair, replacement and installations. Sometimes you can get into sticky situations — as the contractor in this story did — when you put down the vacuum hose and start investigating system problems.
But here’s hoping you never have one of these unhappy situations play out on the nightly news.
