Jim Skamarakas

When you call a contractor, you expect to get some busy people. But not a rude and ignorant woman sitting in the office. I called Brownie Electric, Inc. a few weeks back for an update on a work quote. A woman answered the phone, and we got:

• Woman - “Hello”
• Me - “Hi, I have a quote for work that is out of date. I would like to get another estimate and get the work schedule.”
• Woman - “How old is the quote?”
• Me - “20 months”
• Woman - “I can’t be bothered with a quote that old, those prices are no good.”
• Me - “I said I wanted an updated price ”
• Woman, puts down the phone and tells someone behind her “Look I can’t be bothered with difficult people like this”
• Some guy - “Hello Brownie Electric”
• Me - “Hey listen, if your hiring woman who can’t be bothered with customers on the phone, why does she even work there?”
• Some guy - “No, no, she wasn’t talking about you. There is stuff going on in the office”

Brownie Electric, Inc. offers free estimates. But the estimates has proven to be of no use. Why did I not do the work before? They estimated the cost of an electric service panel upgrade at $1,200 over the phone. When I explained that I would want someone to actually, I don’t know, come to my house and look at it BEFORE giving me a quote, they said they do this all the time, and it’s pretty simple and straight forward. So I schedule a crew to come out.

WOW - go figure, the unforseen happened. They need to add a disconnect. Now the price rizes by $600. But the materials cost on the quote also shows only $95.00, which is a typo. It is not materials, but the permit fee. Apparently they are using some generic form for their quotes which does not have a line item for permits.

Okay, they are here, I knew the over the phone estimate would be wrong, so I said go ahead with the work. What happens next? Well sir, it’s cold out, and we would like to schedule the actual work work for another day. Well hell, you brought 3 - yes three - guys out to the house. Send one for the permits (BTW, I live next to the permit office. It is a short walk of a few hundred feet) and the other 2 get started. Um, well, we we don’t have that disconnect and have to go get it. Okay, you have 2 trucks here, and we live in the 6th largest metropolitan area with a population of 6,188,463 and you are a full time electrical contractor. The part should be available some where, if not already on your truck. After all, you do these all the time.

Dam, you mean a business that can give out quotes over the phone might actually be wrong in its estimate and have to raise the price by 50%, and then be unable to do the work that day.

So we reschedule for when they can do the work next - in 3 weeks.

Next day Anna said forget it, do it later. We cancel the follow-up, paint the room where the electrical panel is, and move furniture around.

Now we come forward 20 months - time to get the work down. As you can see, its a nice home project, not a necessity project. Now the some guy gives me a quote of $4800. Materials costs have gone up a lot he begins to explain. I said fine, I just need an updated written estimate to get reviewed by the attorney for funds to be released. Oh and now he says he needs a 50% deposit to schedule the appointment.

As I write this, it has been 3 weeks and no updated quote, or follow-up call to schedule the work.

They sure have some funny business practices at Brownie Electric.

And they do not use the web much. A search for them turned up their one site on page 2 and another had it on page 3. I guess they do not get much business from people web surfing as compared to paper phone books.

 

http://www.brownieelectric.com/

101 W. Chapel Ave.
Cherry Hill, NJ 08002

Toll Free: 1-866-888-5505
Camden: 856-663-6466
Gloucester: 856-589-1255

 

Camden, Glouscester, Burlington, Cherry Hill, NJ, Residential New Construction Service, and Installation, Troubleshooting, 
Violations Corrected, 100-200 AMP Service, Home Inspections, Service Upgrades, Electrical Certifications,
Circuit Breakers, Ceiling and Attic Fans, Landscape Lighting, Swimming Pools and Spas, Air Conditioning Lines, Phone and Cable TV, Complete Office Building Rewiring, Office Lighting/Parking Lot Lights

Whether you need an electrical panel upgraded for HVAC equipment, new wiring for an add-on room or you just need a light fixture repaired, we will beat any competitor’s price and we’re confident you will appreciate the neat and professional workmanship.

Services include:

Residential New Construction Service and Installation
Troubleshooting 
Violations Corrected
100-200 AMP Service
Home Inspections
Service Upgrades
Electrical Certifications
Circuit Breakers
Ceiling and Attic Fans
Landscape Lighting
Swimming Pools and Spas
Air Conditioning Lines
Phone and Cable TV
Complete Office Building Rewiring
Office Lighting/Parking Lot Lights

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