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ShawnZ’ Plumbing
About 10 years ago, Shawn Zangerle decided that he’d had it with being a chemist, and decided to go into the family business of construction. Because he’d seen that regular construction was such a cutthroat business, he decided to specialize, and plumbing became his calling. After spending four years earning his Journeyman status and another year running for someone else’s cheese, he quit where he’d been working “like a mouse in the maze.” As a small business owner, he’d get to choose his hours, which he wants to work for, who he hires and how long they work for him. Sounds like every little kid’s dream right? Stay up late, eat what you want, make your own rules? Well, his childhood dream had finally come true and ShawnZ’ Plumbing had arrived. After five years, he still believes it was the right choice. His wife now agrees with him, even though she was a little unsure when the decision was first made. She was concerned about the 2 a.m. service calls, the plumber’s jokes, and the run of the mill mishaps of the small businessman. Shawn knew that this was the place to be. As he says, “if the lights go out, there’s always candles. If you’re living in sewage though, I’m going to get called.” He hit the ground running, quickly proving that he knows what he’s doing by his good reputation. ShawnZ’ relies mainly on word of mouth, and on ads placed in places like our own Gazette. In five years, there have been few short lulls, and its quickly back into action. He currently employs three other men (nonunion), and finally has found another good Journeyman he can trust to watch the phones for some time off. Since Shawn still works the tools, and runs the business, and works on advertising, it’s tough to keep the good ones happy. No matter what the state of the workers is, though, he knows that customer service is number 1. He knows that “Without the customer, we’re nothing. We leave the place cleaner than we found it, give them a good price, and treat their home like our own.” What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of needing a plumber to come and fix something? ‘Ouch, that hit’s the wallet’ was my first thought. However, Shawn really brings it home for me. “People complain about the cost of a water heater, but compare the cost of your couch and loveseat. They probably cost you about $1500, and a new water heater is going to run around $900 for installation and a new unit. It’s a fixture in your house that works every time you turn the faucet, warming the water, earning its value, but a couch sits there, just plywood and fabric.” They do give bids on bigger jobs, and they also charge an hourly service fee of $88.50, plus materials. Plumbing takes on a few different forms. There’s the one that we are all familiar with, the service calls, which he is quick to respond to day or night. They also do remodeling, whether it’s putting in a new bathroom in a basement, or refitting an old set of pipes to be more efficient. ShawnZ’ tries to be as Eco-friendly as possible. They recycle everything they can, and resell the used hardware that is no longer needed rather than taking it to the dump. Being a family man, he has a major perk with being his own boss. He gets to spend time with his children, aged five and eight, and often volunteers at the older child’s elementary school. The family is thinking of taking a vacation (three-day weekend!) sometime in the near future, the first in a long time. If you need something done, call quickly! Or at the very least, keep the number handy for this likable guy: (503) 516-1816.  |
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