November/December 2019
Straight from the
PIPES
ClearWater Plumbers
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Hide the Sausage Rolls!
down a sausage roll! On that day, I was on campus, in an in-depth one-on-one conversation regarding the plan for the day. In the morning, my deal is maximum efficiency. Get the guys to the jobs and don’t waste time and money. We hit the ground running. It’s rush hour in my head. The call center ladies clearly stated, “Jeff is here, but you do not want to go find him. Jeff put these signs up stating ‘No Soliciting.’” This guy said, “Oh, no that’s perfect. I’ll go find him!” To cut to the chase, this guy cut in on my conversation to tell me about their new branch supply house. When I told the solicitor he needed to leave, he left … but intentionally went the wrong direction and started talking to the clocked-in service plumbers just a couple feet away. I pride myself on persistence and hard work, but this guy was just persistently dumb. In disbelief, my jaw dropped, I walked over to the late-20s shyster and asked if he was kidding. You would have thought I was speaking Chinese and he was from Mars — the only thing he understood was my threat to call the police. There are signs clearly posted everywhere on the property that say “No Soliciting.” I walked in the call center to cool my jets and tell the funny story. Sarah told me she warned him not to intrude, but he blatantly disregarded her plea. That is when I grabbed the box, walked outside and called his attention to return the gift. I released the heavy box of dough-covered sausage on the driveway. It was a vertical drop — not a horizontal throw — as is now a folk tale to be repeated. Subsequently, I called his supervisor and explained the fantastic reverse-relationship-building experience I had. I heard months later from a friend in that industry that this salesman told everyone in the DFW plumbing supply industry how I threw pigs in a blanket at him for no reason. The colleague said, “Jeff with ClearWater? Really? But Jeff is so nice …” Yep, Cool Hand Jeff has left the building. Don’t mess with our efficiency or I will start throwing eclairs like a monkey at the zoo — I’ve got a reputation to uphold.
nice guy, and I don’t want to upset anyone. However, it was at that point with Kenny where he would come by so often that I felt like the chair he sat in needed to have his name on it. My ego no longer wanted him. My breaking point was when
I was right in the middle of having to deal with a plotter not printing, a deadline on a bid quickly approaching, and Kenny was here just chilling and talking about his lawn mower or something crazy. I told Kenny to leave, but he kept sitting there wasting the air in the room while I was in my own crisis in my own space. He did not have the self-awareness to get the hint. Kenny never came back after that day. He was a pleasant guy, but sometimes you have to quit being nice and do the work. What a relief. Since then, I put signs up saying “No Soliciting,” and it’s well- posted — overly posted. I even have a sign stating that one building is a “call center.” In the call center, which is where the solicitors typically go first, we have some of the nicest people in the world. Their approach to solicitors is much slower and sweeter than mine. The problem is some of these sales folks are high D (dominant) personalities, and solicitors don’t take no for an answer when peddling their services and wares. They were taught by someone, “Don’t take no for an answer!” So they say, “I need to talk to Jeff,” or “Can I come talk to your guys about …?” or “Hey, I can build that better for y’all. Is Jeff around?” Okay, Jeff, but when were you throwing sausage rolls at some poor guy just trying to sell pipe door to door? Well, that’s a good question. So, this particular salesman came in several mornings looking to “visit.” He wanted to tell me and our staff about the new branch of a regional plumbing supply house — you know, he wanted to build a long-lasting relationship with us. On a cool fall morning, this poor entry-level salesperson came with a grand plan. The plan was called “bring food,” and a warm box of sausage rolls was the silver bullet. No plumber on earth would turn
– Jeff Longspaugh
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Video Inspection of Hot Water Heaters
The entire process is simple and doesn’t require any more effort on your end. First, our company applies for a permit for the hot water heater, then we get to work to make sure it is installed correctly. Once that work is completed, our plumber will call a number onsite to enter into a video inspection using their phone and one of the two apps we mentioned earlier. The inspector and plumber communicate through the video phone call to finish up the water heater inspection. This process takes place the same day the heater is installed and is less than 15 minutes. If you need a heater installed and can’t afford to take a day off of work, call ClearWater Plumbers today. We guarantee you a quick, easy, and stress-free process to get warm water pumping through your home once more.
Everyone uses hot water in their homes, making working water heaters essential. However, like most things in life, they will inevitably break down at some point and need to be repaired or replaced. When a water heater goes down, it needs to be addressed quickly, which can impact a homeowner’s life in a pretty significant way. The worst part of getting your water heater up and running again is taking time off work — first for the installation, and then for the inspection. At ClearWater Plumbers, we don’t want anyone to miss any more workdays than they have to. No one wants that additional stress on top of everything else, so we’ve created a solution that doesn’t require that extra missed day for a hot water heater inspection once it’s installed. Our excellent team is working with the city to combine our services with the use of the FaceTime app for iPhone users and the Duo app for android users, which gives homeowners more flexibility with their schedules.
Bypass Your Refrigerator’s Filter
Why an RO System Is Best
THE BENEFITS OF A RO SYSTEM The reverse osmosis (RO) system is typically located under the sink and is designed to prevent all minerals and chemicals from entering the water you intend to drink. Unlike filters, the RO system uses a technique known as reverse osmosis that separates unwanted contaminants from the water at the molecule level. Without the need for filters, you’ll find yourself saving a lot of money, as well. You won’t need to replace your refrigerator’s filter every six months or worry about the amount of maintenance your fridge might need as the filter becomes less and less reliable with age. CONNECTING YOUR WATER TO YOUR RO SYSTEM Attaching your refrigerator’s water dispenser to your RO system is not only beneficial but also pretty simple. A water treatment specialist can connect the RO system to the fridge. This bypass will create better water pressure, water flow, and purer drinking water for you and your family. Keep your water clean by getting your fridge hooked up to your RO system! If you’re tired of changing your filters and are eager to get yourself clean drinking water, call ClearWater Plumbers. We can get your refrigerator set up and ready to go through your RO system today!
Refrigerators manufactured with water and ice dispensers give homeowners a chance to pour themselves a cold glass of water whenever they wish. However, many people get irritated when it comes time to replace the water filter in their refrigerator, especially if their home has a water filtration system already installed. Luckily, there is an easy way to bypass the need for a water filter in your fridge. WHY SHOULD I CONSIDER BYPASSING THE FILTER? Aside from many people already having water filters at home, fridge
filters are not very effective. A filter is meant to keep minerals and chemicals out of your drinking water, but it can fail to block other contaminants, such as heavy metals, due to their size. Additionally, a fridge filter often slows the water flow and reduces the water pressure.
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ClearWater Plumbers | 817-296-0670 | clearwaterplumber.com
Tim Meet Your Plumber Tim was born a plumber. Well, maybe not from day one, but very early on, he had a plunger in one hand and a pipe wrench in the other. As a child, he would help his dad on his plumbing jobs. He enjoyed it so much that he went on to get licensed in 1997 and has been plumbing ever since. He greatly enjoys new construction, and he is ClearWater’s resident remodel go-to guy. He is highly revered for his attention to detail and ability to get the job done right. Tim says he would want to be a 3/4-ton GMC Sierra truck if he had to pick because it will get him anywhere he wants to go. One day, we might find him on a beach with a truck bed full of fishing gear and some sunscreen. He enjoys being outside hunting, fishing, riding horses, or just kicked back and relaxing on the beach. When he finally hangs up his pipe wrench for good, he wants to end up on some beach ... somewhere with his wife — preferably Hawaii.
Inspired by Food & Wine Magazine
INGREDIENTS • 1/2 cup canola
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1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder
oil, plus more for greasing
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3/4 cup unsulphured molasses 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• • •
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1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
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2 large eggs
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
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1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp kosher salt
DIRECTIONS: 1. Heat oven to 350 F. 2.
Grease a loaf pan with canola oil. 3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together 1/2 cup canola oil, molasses, brown sugar, eggs, ginger, and cranberries. In a separate bowl, sift and combine flour with baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until blended. 4. Scrape batter into loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes. 5. Transfer to a rack, let cool for 20 minutes, slice, and serve.
SUDOKU
Answer on Page 4
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ClearWater Plumbers | 817-296-0670 | clearwaterplumber.com
6954 Boat Club Rd. Fort Worth, TX 76179 817-296-0670
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
ClearWater Plumbers
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No Soliciting!
Don’t Stress About That Broken Water Heater
Getting Hooked Up With Cleaner Water
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Meet Your Plumber
Cranberry Gingerbread
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No Soliciting!
Hide the Sausage Rolls! How Jeff Deals With Nagging Sales Reps
I’m disguising his name, but he was an outside salesperson for a plumbing supply house. He
I’m almost embarrassed to tell y’all this …
So there is a story circulating that I chucked a box of pigs in a blanket — sausage rolls, kolaches, whatever you call ‘em — at a salesman bright and early one morning maybe a year ago. Let me tell you why and how I came to dislike solicitors who cannot read signs or who like to talk their way around the definition of “soliciting.” In the beginning, I was in the office more working on bids, serving customers, advertising, making material lists, and talking to inside staff; an outside salesperson would drop in maybe once every couple months. Looking back now, it must’ve felt good for my ego because I never thought I was such the businessman that salesmen would want to stop by. Wow, I was big time! Then there was Kenny ... he changed my perception of cold-call door-knocking.
dropped in one day out of the blue, so I thought, “Wow, I have a salesperson from a big-time supply house stopping in to check on me and see if I need anything.” I chatted pleasantries with Kenny, told him I did not need anything, thanked him for his time, and we talked for five minutes. He came back the next week. We chatted for 10 minutes, but I did not need anything. Then, the following week, he stayed 20 minutes. The fourth week, he sat and chatted for 30 minutes. The following week, he sat and chatted for 30 minutes again. I don’t know how fast you catch on, but if you’re starting to catch on, you’re faster than I was ... he was distracting me. I’m a really
Continued on Cover ...
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ClearWater Plumbers | 817-296-0670 | clearwaterplumber.com
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