Culligan of Maryland

We had a service appointment this week for Culligan to come and take a look at our Culligan brand water softener that would no longer turn on. The technician came into our home, took one look at the water softener and determined that it would need to be replaced, told us he would contact the sales office and left. $161 for the technician to spend less then 10 minutes in our house and perform no work. Apparently $161 is the standard (base) service call fee and it is soon going up to $185? That is definitely something that should be communicated when scheduling a service call. It was not and it is apparently not ever communicated to anyone. Feel robbed. I mean I expected some associated cost...but $161 just to tell me I need to buy a new system? No.

unknown

The representative who came out to tell us all about how their system works was terrific, explaining everything. Since then the customer service has been worse than lousy. They don't respond to phone inquiries within anything like a reasonable time, and when they are scheduled to come here they don't and don't give us the courtesy of a phone call. One of the major pieces is installed incorrectly and they refuse to fix it.  This is a filter for the system that needs to be changed periodically.  We have tried repeatedly to get a real answer from customer service and can't.  The system does work, but we would never recommend them due to their lack of professionalism. 

I have mixed feelings regarding experience with Culligan.  We purchased a house with an existing water softening system and a reverse osmosis system.  Previously scheduled 4-hour windows were missed and rescheduled, and communication with the company was inconsistent depending on employee reached.
For a recent challenge in which a seal broke and allowed water to cycle continuously 24-hours a day, I used the Culligan's online Contact Us page to request support.  I did not hear back within a week, so I called; the individual said they saw no record of my request, and they entered one on my behalf, stating I would receive a call back the following week.  I received no further communication until approximately one month later when Culligan called to remind me I was due for an annual service check.  At that time, I requested support for the leaking water softener, which we had manually turned off indefinitely.  On the Friday prior to the appointment, a Culligan representative called to let me know that a technician would arrive between 8-9am Monday morning.
A technician arrived at 9:30am Monday morning after I left for work.  He was polite and intelligent in communicating with household members in my absence, and called me near the end of the job to discuss details.  There was discussion of price and potential miscommunication; however I was advised to call Mindy (a manager) in the near future.
A call to Mindy allowed me a chance to vent historical frustrations with the company's customer service, communication and pricing.  She attempted to remain professional, but we both were somewhat frustrated.  Mindy attempted to counter each point I made, for example, suggesting that I contact the franchise directly instead of the Culligan main website.  While I appreciate that inside tip, this is but one sign that important organizational inefficiencies exist - it should be seamless to the end customer, otherwise you should not be using the name "Culligan".  When I suggested that prices were outlandish, her response pointed out the quality of Culligan systems and parts were high ($149 just to visit and see what's up, and THEN costs for whatever needs to be done), and also that the expenses such as gas, technician rates, insurance, were such that the company (or franchise) could barely break even.  In my work consulting on organizational operations, service delivery and IT service management, this response indicates to me that either: a) the franchise is not really barely breaking even, or b) there are very likely significant process, communication, logistic and sourcing (does a seal pack really cost Culligan close to $150?) inefficiencies that are being passed on to the customer (as well as requisite marketing expenses to maintain Culligan as a brand name).  It almost makes me want to create a competing business just to make the market more liquid and competitive.  I must give credit to Mindy for handling an impromptu call with a frustrated customer and maintaining her position while ultimately persuading me to buy-in that the company (or just the franchise) has made, and continues to make, significant internal improvements, including resource management and training, and implementation of an automated ticketing and response system.
To be honest, I was close to simply shutting off my Culligan systems based on my personal expense-to-value perception, but Mindy and the well-spoken technician combined to give me confidence that the company is truly improving.  For the time being, I will remain a customer and watch for the promised improvements - the water really is terrific...

unknown

I purchased a home that contained a and quot;Water Rightand quot; water softening system.
The system also contained a tank with Calcite for use in raising the PH.
The water directly from the well was very acidic and contained radium.
I decided to look for a replacement system and looked at three water softening system companies.
I choose Culligan's High Efficiency water softening system along with a chemical injection system that can use either Soda Ash or Sodium Hydroxide. Culligan was the only company that performed an additional water test to see if Soda Ash would be an effective means of raising the PH. I believe they checked for the level of CO2 in the water. The level was such that I could use Soda Ash. Sodium Hydroxide is caustic were as Soda Ash is basically harmless. With an injection system, I can add the Soda Ash along with water in the injection tank. Whereas with a Calcite tank, it's more difficult to replace and can cost $200 to $300 to have the tank filled or switched out.
I can now adjust the PH to any level I desire and the Culligan water softening system lowered my water's high radium level to a non-detectible level.
Culligan's installers arrived early and worked non-stop to install the system. the old system was hauled away.
When the WaterRight system was taken out, the water was removed from the softening tank to lessen the weight. The old tank only had a few cups of resin in the bottom of the tank. I doubt if the system was actually treating the water. Not sure why the resin level was so low.
In the end, I really like my new system and I feel comfortable with the water running through my pipes, hot water tank, my dishwasher and shower.
Thanks Culligan!

I bought a house with a Culligan softener and neutralizer. I decided to start a service contract immediately with them. Over the three years I have been let down over and over. Had a issue 6 months ago and when the tech came told me he never really works on the system I have. Spent most of the time on the phone with someone telling him what to do. About 3 hours after he left system was regening still. He had to return to fix. Recently had a water flow issue as a result of a seal pack failure. Had to wait 10 days for next appt. When tech got here of coarse he didn't had the part on the truck. When he called for reschedule person on the phone was upset he didn't have the part. Reschedule again for 10 days out and booked a 9 am time and wrote it on the work order. Well a hr after the time I called and no your late pm. I have never received a confirm call from them ever, they have never lived up to their commitments and I have been continuously let down. The Elkridge, MD location is a joke.


After having all this issues, Service Manager Gary took over the whole situation. After troubleshooting the issue over a few visits, he was able to finally fix the issue and resolve by problem. Once Gary stepped in the communication, promptness and follow up increased greatly. After about a month I wrote my original review all was fixed and now has been running correctly for the last two months. Though Culligan didn't handle the situation well form the beginning they acknowledge the issue and worked hard to resolve it and has followed up multiple times since.

Culligan of Maryland has a fantastic product. They're punctual and responsive.

technician arrived on time and was very professional. He explained everything to me in detail. (My husband had ordered the system and I wasn't home when it was installed). He also took the time to show me how everything was connected in the basement. He showed me how I can replace certain filters on my own and how to do so. I really appreciated his thoroughness. I know the reverse osmosis filters are expensive, but I like that someone comes out and makes sure everything is running smoothly.

They came out and sit with me do discuss what they can install and gave me a price quote on that. I did like that part. I think their customer service was excellent, but when they actually came out and did the work, the work was awful looking and I had a real rough time. I was after them and finally I got the service manager and the actual VP of this area to come out and talk to me about the problem that occurred after the installation. The odor from the well was awful and the smell came back after the installation. I had sediment in my water after this installation. They came back and re-install al my equipment out in my garage, which looks a lot better and it sounds quieter. They redid it for free.

Everything went fine.

They deliver water to us. We like the fact that they have scheduled delivery and they are always here when they say and we have fresh water. They are just good service people.

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I've had good luck with Culligan Water Systems. I think they are very good. They were very professional and knowledgeable. I was pleased that they explained exactly what they were doing and gave me advice on how to take care of the softener and how to use it.

The salesman, Bob, was good. He made suggestions on the pieces of equipment that he thought we needed. He wasn't pushy, though. The sub-contractor that Culligan uses to cut holes in granite was not responsive or dependable. Since the systems have been installed, we've had no problems.

THE INSTALLER WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL, AND I LIKED THAT HE WASN'T PUSHY, AND DIDN'T TRY TO GET US TO BUY OTHER THINGS. ALSO, HE SEEMED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS DOING, AND ALSO TOOK THE TIME TO EXPLAIN EVERYTHING WHEN HE WAS DONE.

VERY PLEASED WITH THEIR WORKMANSHIP, ATTENTION TO DETAIL, AND PROMPTNESS. CUSTOMER SERVICE IS OUTSTANDING. I FREQUENTLY RECOMMEND TO FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, AND NEARBY FAMILY MEMBERS.