Today I received this email asking for my thoughts about a very particular problem. The builder wants to add a high end special order wooden bathtub to a home and the factory told him that they didn’t trust their production line plumbers to install it without doing damage and basically told him to pound sand.
First of all, I didn’t know there were wooden bathtubs but below the email are some pictures I found on Google.
What is your opinion of this unique problem?
Coach,
My name is XXXXX XXXXXXX and I build custom modular homes in NJ. Yesterday I asked XXXXXXXXXX to get a price of an installed special order wooden tub for my customer that has already given me a big deposit on her home. I priced the tub at a specialty plumbing supplier and learned that the tub was $6,588 and the special fixtures needed were another $853. I conveyed the model numbers and prices to my sales rep and told him that I knew there will be a markup on the tub and fixture plus the cost of installation. I told my customer she would have to write a check for the total installed price before the factory would order it and she said that was no problem. This home has a contract of $1,091,444 and she has already set aside the total in a special escrow account that I can draw from. If only every customer could do this.
I just learned that they will not buy or install this tub because they are worried the plumbers they have on the production line will damage it and they cannot afford to replace it. I am pissed. I have ordered special windows for this house at over $61,000 and special cabinets and even Sub Zero appliances and they had no problem with that. They will not give in and this could be my last house with them.
Here are my concerns. First, are they wrong in not accepting this option? And two, if I leave them and go to someone else, will they still stand behind the house. It comes with a full RWC warranty but I’m worried about getting service if something needs repaired in the units they send. This is a 9 box house.
Coach, what are your thoughts?
Now it’s your turn, what would you this guy?
Here are some wooden tubs.
