Interview with Newstalk 1160

July 27th, 2011

Listen to the Interview: Atlanta Plumbing Plus on “Atlanta’s Business” Program

Well, I was interviewed by Newstalk 1160 as planned.  It was actually a great experience! I was interviewed by Jeff Davis, the station’s General Manager and also the host of “Atlanta’s Business.”  Jeff was an excellent host who made it easy for me to be on the radio.  We discussed the importance of careful hiring practices in a service industry that requires us to send plumbers in to people’s homes every day.  Jeff had done  his research and understood the importance of background checks, drug tests, valid plumbing licenses, and continuous customer service training for our employees. His research made it so much easier for me to discuss those topics with him. I was still very nervous of course and I think you can hear that in voice.  You can judge that for yourself by clicking on the link at the top of the post and listening to the interview.

 

Radio Station Interview

July 18th, 2011

I’m going to be interviewed by two radio stations this week. One is a general business interview.  The other is an interview for a show that focuses on women entrepreneurs.  I’m more than a little nervous.  I’ve never been interviewed by a radio station before.  Luckily, I’m starting out slowly with two small AM stations, so if I make a fool of myself it will be in front of a smaller audience.  I’ll post again when the interviews are over to let you know how the experience went.  Just in case you want to listen in, the stations are AM 1690 – The Voice of the Arts; and, Newstalk 1160 – The Talk of The Town, though I don’t know what dates the interviews will air yet.

Video – Plumbers Having a Little Fun!

April 30th, 2011

We took time away from our regular training to have some fun making videos recently.  One of our Master Plumbers played the part of the “Good Plumber” and another Master Plumber had fun with the“ Bad Plumber” role. Austin Thiery, a student at Georgia Gwinnett College, filmed the videos for a class project. I provided a “serious’ introduction.  Check out our video, “Finding the Right Part” here.  Clearly, I’m no actress but the plumbers did a great job and Austin got his grade for the class!

Do you like this video?  If you do, post a comment here and I’ll post a couple more of these videos over the next few weeks.

Taking Service to a Higher Level

April 25th, 2011
Master Plumber Ken Johnson going to Africa

Master Plumber Ken Johnson Leaving for Missionary Trip to Africa

We are both sad and proud today.  Sad because our Master Plumber, Ken Johnson has taken a year-long leave of absence.  Proud because he is going on a church mission to provide clean drinking water to remote villages in Africa and South America.  Ken and his team will drill wells, install pumps and run piping to a central location in each village. Electricians on the team will install solar electric panels to power the pumps.  We will miss Ken a lot but we are happy to say he did a great job for the last 3 years helping us to train our plumbers to our high service standards so our customers will still be well taken care of during his absence.  Please join us in wishing Ken well as he serves his church’s mission during the coming year.

Raising Money to Fight MS

April 14th, 2011

Proud sponsors of the Wearing Red Shoes team walking to beat MSOn April 9th, Atlanta Plumbing Plus was the proud sponsor of Team “Wearing Red Shoes” at the MS Walkathon in Piedmont Park.  We also participated in the Walkathon as members of the Wearing Red Shoes Team.

The team takes its name from the picture of a pair of Ruby Red Slippers that is prominently featured on the blog page of Caroline Kulinski.   Caroline, who has MS, is the founder and leader of the Wearing Red Shoes team, which has grown from 23 people 3 years ago to over 100 now.  The team raised the most money in the entire state this year and Atlanta Plumbing Plus was proud to be a participant in their efforts.

You can read more about Caroline and her efforts to combat MS at http://wearingredshoes.blogspot.com.

And you can check out more pictures of the Walkathon at http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=791732058407%3A28637168&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

Or, make a donation at the MS website: http://nationalmssociety.org/goto/wearingredshoes

 

Trying New Advertiser For Atlanta Plumbing Plus

April 7th, 2011

I’m going to try using Thumbtack.com to advertise our plumbing services.  They seem like an good company to work with.  And, they verify the quality of the services their advertisers provide.  Let me know what you think of our ad for plumbing services on their site.  Here is the link.

Atlanta Plumbing Plus. A+ Service. Satisfaction Guaranteed.

What’s the “PLUS” All About?

April 6th, 2011

When I took over this plumbing company it was already called Atlanta Plumbing Plus. I thought I would use the “Plus” as part of an expansion plan:  “Atlanta Plumbing Plus Electrical” or “Atlanta Plumbing Plus Heating and Air”.  I quickly learned, however, that it takes a tremendous amount of time and energy to run a plumbing company with a high-level of plumbing quality AND great customer service.  So, I decided to postpone any expansion plans.  That left me with a question “What does the “Plus” stand for?  I asked our plumbers what they thought about a name change and what they thought the “Plus” stood for.

Our great, right-hand man, Master Plumber Ken Johnson quickly responded.  He said, “When we pull up to a home and see the garbage can at the bottom of the driveway and we bring it up the driveway for the customer, that’s a Plus.  Or, when we take dog biscuits to a home to make friends with the family dog before we begin our work, that’s a Plus.  And, when we take the time to lay down mats and drop cloths to protect the customer’s home and then clean up the entire work area when we are done, that is really a Plus.  Most plumbers leave a mess behind when the leave.”

Ken said it all.  Maybe the Plus doesn’t make sense when you first see it, but it certainly does once you get to know our plumbers.  Or if you read our “Customer Bill of Rights” or “100% Satisfaction Guarantee” on our website.  If you have an opinion about our company name or would like to suggest an appropriate name change, just post a response here.

More on Buying American

April 1st, 2011

Back on March 9th I blogged about the importance of buying American made products to help put our country back to work.  I said then that it is difficult to find some “Made In America” plumbing products; but, that I had challenged our great plumbers to increase the dollars we spend on American made materials from 60% to 70% by the end of the year.

Our plumbers love a challenge, especially Master Plumber Ken Johnson.  Ken did some research and found two great toilets that proudly carry the “Made in America” label.  They are the Mansfield toilet and the Toto Drake II toilet.  In fact, the Toto Drake II is made right around the corner in Newnan, Georgia.

Yesterday, one of our customers purchased the Drake II and Master Plumber Ken installed it.  It felt great telling the customer that the toilet was made locally; and, that it would conserve water and qualify for the Metro Water District’s Regional Toilet Rebate Program; thus saving the customer money up front and on his ongoing water bills.  It doesn’t get any better than that when it comes to saving money and putting the country back to work.

If you have a story about “Buying American” we’d love to hear from you.

We Won Plumbing Award Again!

March 22nd, 2011
$25 Off - Atlanta Plumbing Plus

Mention Our Plumbing Award - Get $25 Off Plumbing Service

We did it again!  Atlanta Plumbing Plus has just been awarded the Angie’s List Super Service Award for 2010! And, this year we won in two different categories: Plumbing and Water Heaters.  These special awards are given to companies that provide exemplary customer service AND do a great job in their field of expertise.

These awards can’t be bought.  They can only be earned based on the number of customers who post positive reviews about a company on the Angie’s List website.  That means our customers, gave us this award by posting so many great reviews.

We want to say “Thank You” by giving something back to our customers.  For the rest of this year, we will take $25 off your plumbing bill every time you use our services.  Just print out the coupon to the right and give it to your licensed Atlanta  Plumbing Plus plumber when he arrives at your home.

March 11 is World Plumbing Day!

March 11th, 2011

It’s World Plumbing Day today!  The day The World Plumbing Council designated for us to celebrate how our plumbers help maintain to our nation’s health, conserve our water resources, and keep our world clean.  Here in America, we barely think about it; but, across the world, more than a billion people don’t have access to safe water, and millions die each year from treatable waterborne diseases. So, March 11th  is the day when the world remembers that better plumbing is a vital part of the solution to the world’s health problems.

Remember, your plumber may look like an ordinary guy to you, but this Superhero saves lives, prevents diseases, and builds a greener world.