I received a call the other day from a frustrated customer of another company. The knock-off (and patent infringing) product was not performing anything like the company told him it would. In fact, it could not perform the fundamental task of increasing the dissolved oxygen in the septic tank! He called the company and they had no answers. They were puzzled. He told me that he could not get his money back.
The Devil is in the Details
As I listened to this unfortunate man it became apparent that the company he purchased from has not a clue about aerobic remediation. Although they claim to have many years of experience it is obvious it is not in this field. The man carried on for 20 minutes about what he checked and who he talked to. Some were experts in wastewater treatment plant operation, but none could solve his problem. As he spoke, all of the clues to the problem came out. Unfortunately without the proper problem solving skills and training, the plumbing company that sold him the product could not resolve his septic tank problem. What was interesting was that the homeowner actually knows more about the products fundamental design flaws than the company did. The man was determined to solve the problem himself. He spent about 6 weeks trying different components that he kludged together in an effort to increase the dissolved oxygen in his septic tank. He has not succeeded.
Questions to ask before buying product from a company
- How long has the company been in business?
- Are they a member of the Better Business Bureau?
- How many installations do they have across North America?
- Will the company be in business if you need to exercise the Guarantee or Warranty and how can they prove it?
- Are they a “Bricks and Mortar” Company or building things in their garage? Can they prove this?
- What are their technical credentials? Do they have an engineering staff or are they plumbers or web programmers?
- Does the company have any patents? Do they sell products that infringe on the patents of others?
- Do they have any third party data that support their claims of performance?
The Truth About This Industry
If you have septic system problems I don’t need to tell you the stress that’s involved. You are dealing with one of the most expensive and least understood system on your property. The local “experts” will tell you that the only solution is to replace the system. The “chemical” companies will tell you to flush their magic bugs or solutions into the septic tank and all of your problems will disappear. The infringing “knock-off” companies will tell you that their systems are the best. What they won’t tell you is the truth. The local contractor stands to make thousands of dollars to replace your system. The chemical company will keep leading you along with more “product” when it doesn’t work the first time avoiding a refund. The “knock-off” companies won’t tell you that they are selling you a $70 pond diffuser assembly and that they have no idea about testing their products in the application.
Near the end of my conversation with the man that bought from the “wrong” company, I asked him, “Why didn’t you buy from us?” His response was, “Well I guess it was price. Having known then what I know now, the couple of hundred dollars I saved initially would have been well worth it because all I have now is a product that doesn’t work.” Trust only a company with over 10 years experience and the technical expertise to support you before and after the sale, Aero-Stream.