You can save about $100 on a Roto Rooter drain cleaning or, sewer cleaning by following a few simple steps. When a Roto Rooter drain cleaning technician arrives at your home to clean a clogged drain he will first look at the problem to diagnose what is going on, and what he needs to do to fix the problem. The next thing he will do is quote a “Flat Rate” price to fix the problem and ask you to sign the estimate to get started. This is when you need to “Put The Brakes On” and start saving money. It is important to realize the the “Flat Rate” you were quoted has some hills in it that can be smoothed off lowering your Roto Rooter invoice by about $100.
Get Rid Of Hidden Costs and Unnecessary Add Ons
The first thing to do is remove the unneeded add ons from your bill. The Roto Rooter technician more than likely said he would “Clean and Treat” your drain line or, may have offered a gallon of Roto Rooter Pipe Shield along with the work. The “Clean and Treat” is the way the technicians are trained to sell their “Quota” of “Pipe Shield” without coming right out, and saying they are selling it to you. This product costs $52 for a gallon at this time, and the technician receives a commission of around $13 for the sale. The technician has a quota where he has to sell at least 4 gallons of Roto Rooter Pipe Shield each week. As a former employee of Roto Rooter I can assure you this product is not an easy sell on its own, and the company offers no substantial data that it even works. Most technicians will quote a “Clean and Treat” with vague references to the product, and hope the sale occurs. Make sure that you ask questions about what the “Clean and Treat” is, if that is what was offered, and decline the offer saying you only want the drain snaked, and do not want to buy the “Roto Rooter Pipe Shield.” Once you do this the price should decline about $52 and when the final bill is printed out a separate line item on the bill under drain care products for “Pipe Shield” $52 should not appear. Make sure to examine the final bill, and make sure it was not added onto the bill.
Discount Coupons
Roto Rooter routinely offers discount coupons on their website for a percentage off or, a set dollar amount. Make sure that you visit the Roto Rooter website and print out the coupons. Hold these for a “Trump Card” after negotiating additional discounts outlined below. You may get them to reach even deeper into their pocket.
If You Are A Senior Citizen Make Sure You Get Your Discount
The next thing you need to do is realize the “Flat Rate” that you were quoted off of the “Price List” has some wiggle room. If you are a senior citizen, the company policy states, that you are to receive a 10% discount off the price. Some technicians will automatically do this, and others will not ever mention this unless you ask for it. If you are a senior make sure that you get your discount! The discount should appear as a discount on the final bill printed out by the technician.
Additional Discounts Off the Flat Rate Are Available
The next thing about the “Flat Rate” you need to know is that the Roto Rooter technicians are routinely allowed to offer a discount of 10% to a customer that has a price objection, in order to close the sale. Some may be able to discount even further on their own, and almost always can go further with a manager’s permission. Simply said, Roto Rooter’s prices are on the high end of the scale, and the technicians are under the gun to keep a high enough close rate to avoid scrutiny by the company. When you play hardball the “Flat Rate” is negotiable! Everyone should negotiate even seniors that already have the 10% discounted off the price. When you make it known to them that you know other companies will do the work for less than their price, they will negotiate in order to keep the job from going to another company. Be aggressive and try to get even 15 or even 20% off the “Flat Rate!” You want the discount and a full guarantee of 6 months on the drain cleaning.
Don’t Feel Guilty!
Do not feel any guilt at pursuing the discount! Roto Rooter’s prices are on the upper end of the price scale because of their own choice to have high overhead costs. It’s not your fault, Roto Rooter opted to buy 2 full page ads in every phone book known to man, and have an abundance of managers. Even when the technician removes the Roto Rooter Pipe Shield and discounts the flat rate by 10% very little will be lost by him. If you figure the Pipe Shield was $52 and the drain cleaning was $360 for a “Clean and Treat” price of $412, which you then lowered $52 by cutting off the Pipe Shield, and an additional $36 by getting 10% off, you only lowered the technicians commission by $23.80 while lowering your cost $88.
Times are tough and you should always try to save what money you have, who knows what tomorrow will bring? You owe it to yourself to save money by removing expensive unnecessary add ons, and negotiating the “Flat Rate” price structure of Roto Rooter.