This report is false, and if I can find a way to file a slander case against A-- C-------- (who is calling herself "JoAnne"), I will pursue every legal opportunity to do so.
I gave a bid to do Virginia Graeme Baker compliance work at this property. I gave the bid months ago when the weather was too hot to safely drain a white plaster pool. When I do work for HOA's, I usually work with the property management company and they have the contact with their HOA boards. This case was no different. However, a member of the board chose to call me directly to ask me some questions about this federal safety law.
I answered her, and was even going to follow up with her about a bid for some other work. She never said that my bid for the compliance work was a "ripoff"--in fact--the HOA had every opportunity to get other bids (which I believe they did) during the months between the time I gave my original bid and the time when I was contacted by the property manager telling me that I had won the bid.
I have found that I am usually in the middle of the pack when it comes to my prices.
She has made several severe statements that I will respond to. I trust you, as a reader of this rebuttal, to make an intelligent judgment as to what this is really about.
"Do not ever hire John Mortensen of Aquatic Concepts to work on your pool. Particularly, pool safety compliance work for the Virginia, Graeme, Baker Act."
I am considered to be one of the more knowledgable people in this valley on the Virginia Graeme Baker Act. I have written industry articles on it for the Southwest Pool and Spa Association and have been interviewed on the subject several times by the nations flagship magazine for the pool industry, Pool and Spa News. Additionally, I sit on the Maricopa County Swimming Pool Advisory Committee for approving variances for semi-commercial pools and have great working relationships with Maricopa County's Environmental Services division (which has authority over semi-public pools).
I am and always have been an advocate of safety measures that can reduce the instances of drowning (fatal and non-fatal) and suction entrapment.
"He will rip you off for as much money as he can get away with." In fact, this board awarded me the work after comparing my bids with other companies.
"He will lie and tell you anything to get your business." In fact, the property manager and every other board member who voted on the changes she is so angry about will vouch for my truthfulness and I will give any honest person who wants to know the truth their numbers so you can ask for yourself.
"He does not keep his word." I have kept my word and will be glad to provide the specific references to prove this.
"He will avoid you and doesn't answer his phone his phone when he knows he's been caught in his lies." After my initial conversation with A-- C--------, the property manager, who asked me to bid on the project in the first place, and for whom I have done other work, asked me to not contact A-- C-------- because it would cause too much confusion and that she would be the communicator with all of the board. Subsequent to that, she polled the board about a change I proposed (**see below for details). The majority of the board voted to accept what I had proposed. After this, I did not return the two calls from Amy (each time she called, I notified the property manager and let her know that I had a message from Amy to call her and I was asked to NOT call her). On Amy's second voicemail to me, she called me a "little chicken" and said she was going to file a complaint against me.
I immediately called the property manager to let her know what the message said.
After being apprised of what A-- had said in her voicemail, one of the board members sent the following e-mail to Amy:
"A--, It has some to our attention that you are threatening John with Aquatic's license with a complaint. He does not answer to you. We all agreed and signed his proposal to have this work done. He is following the proper protocol by dealing directly with [the property manager], as she is the property manager.
You can not file a complaint under [the property], and if you attempt to do so, the Board and homeowners will have to take legal action. I would hope you will stop this harassment immediately.
He has completed the job correctly and in a timely manner.
We as a Board make decisions regarding the property. You are not the sole person in charge of [the property]. As it stands now, the pool is filling and will [be] up and running shortly. I think we had a job well done."
J-----
I know that any other member of the board will back me up. This is about a power play between board members of an HOA and my good name is being dragged through the mud because of one person who did not get her way!
***I do not believe in wasting water. However, as a pool professional, I have an obligation to bring up scenarios that are in my client's best interests. When I checked the water at this facility's pool, the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) were in the 83rd percentile. Translation: The National Plasterer's Council recommends a TDS range of 300-1800 PPM (on non-salt system pools-which this is...). This pool's water was already at 1500 PPM TDS. When the TDS is high, the pool service company can have a difficult time keeping the water balanced (especially when pH and Total Alkalinity out of the tap are high---as was the case at this facility). I suggested that we drain the pool (now that the weather was more temperate), do the work, and replace the highly saturated water with "new" water out of the tap. The new water had a TDS of about 930 PPM. This was a reduction of 38%. The property manager agreed, the pool service company agreed, the other board members agreed. Only A-- disagreed. She left me a message saying so. I called the property manager and was told that the majority of the board had voted to move ahead, so I did.
I had already called the city and discovered that the replacement water we would need to re-fill the pool would cost the facility around $153.00 for a 50,000 gallon pool. This pool was only 34,500 gallons and the spa was between 1200-1500 gallons. In good faith, I actually deducted $300.00 from my original proposal and that was reflected in my final billing. I also bought chemicals for the start-up after the re-fill of the pool and spa. I actually spent more that if I had paid two divers to team with me to do the work underwater (which would not have solved their TDS issue).
To recap: I deducted more for the water usage than they will pay. I paid for start-up chemicals. I reduced their TDS by 38%. I made their water easier to care for. I followed the instructions of the property management company and the will of every other board member except this one person who has gotten online and lied or "misremembered" a lot of things.
She said I was:
"Unprofessional." Please see all of the references below.
"Sneeky and Shady." If you read the narrative above, you will see that I communicated to the correct people. A-- C-------- just wanted to exert power she did not have over the board, and I am paying for it by having to respond to these lies. I believe it is more sneeky and shady to lie about a person and threaten his livelihood under an assumed name because you know he has proof of your lies and can sue you for slander if you give your real name.
"Greedy." I am so greedy that I deducted DOUBLE their costs as a good faith gesture AND paid for the chemicals to rebalance their pool?
It takes about 1-2 hours to have a dive team come out and do this work. Between setting up the drain and monitoring it, setting up the re-fill and monitoring it, and doing the work, I spent 10-15 hours on this portion of the project. Why would I do this if it was to "make a bigger profit on [my] already overpriced proposal"?
Please see my many references below from colleagues and customers...Is this one disgruntled board member who didn't get her way with her board really telling the truth about the way I do business? I trust you to make an intelligent decision.
What People Say About John R. Mortensen
(Copies of original reference letters available upon request)
“Seldom will one find someone with the rare combination of talents that John possesses. John is exceptionally intelligent, highly motivated, detail oriented and has the highest levels of personal and professional integrity of anyone I have ever met…”
Steven Rondeau
President/Owner of Rondo Pools and Spas
“I treasure the multiple opportunities we shared that resulted in International Award-winning projects, success under difficult circumstance and scheduling constraints and the resulting World Class levels of customer satisfaction.”
Bill Gullekson
Director of Sales Shasta Semi-Commercial Division (2008)
“I would like to take some time to say 'Thank you John'. So many times people rant and rave about the negative experiences they have. I would like to share a very positive one. From the moment you introduced yourself I felt an immediate connection with a man I knew I could trust. Throughout the entire process of our pool being built, you were always available for questions, concerns, or changes that I had requested. You always returned calls promptly; and in a business where flexibility is a must, you always seemed to keep your commitments. Whether it was a call at 6am or lOpm, on a weekday or weekend, you were always willing to help.”
Eric Chauvet
Customer-Roseville, CA
“We met John Mortensen for the first time in 1993 when we contracted with Century Pools to build our pool. John drew up the plans for that pool and the plan is what sold us on using Century to build our pool. The plan was beautiful and very professionally done. John was quite helpful in bringing our vision of the pool that we wanted, onto paper and finally into our backyard… We moved into our current home in 1997 and in 1998 we decided that we would have another pool built. Some friends had decided to use Courage Pools and when we found out that John had drawn up the plans for them we gave Courage a call. John drew up our plans based on what we wanted and again his plans are what sold us on Courage. John Mortenson is very creative, helpful and has been a pleasure to work with.”
David and Linda Kidd
Customers-Roseville, CA
“You were personable and friendly. We found you to be forthcoming with your knowledge and suggestions while at the same time attentively listening to our thoughts and ideas. You answered our calls and our questions without delay. The fact that you always kept us informed and that you personally oversaw the project, every step of the way, was also very much appreciated. As you know, we have already recommended you to design pools for several people. We will gladly continue to recommend you…”
Jim and Judie Giordano
Customers-Roseville, CA
“During our bidding process we had many pool designers work with us and we found that John was not only the most responsive to our needs but also was able to translate our pool dreams into a real pool design. He demonstrated great creativity in assisting us with our design and made our pool meet and exceed our original expectations.”
Duane and Jackie George
Customers-Orangevale. CA
“John had a detailed knowledge of the construction, and the necessary people skills to explain confusing issues in simple terms. John also displayed patience when I changed my mind five different times and requested the blue prints be re-drawn. He actually appeared to enjoy working with us to meet our needs, not his own. I did not find this in any of the other companies which attempted to sell their pools by finding faults in all the others. John would not comment in any negative way about the others, but had an air of confidence that his company could provide the best construction and service. It was John’s honesty and knowledge of his product and service that set my wife and I at ease.”
Michael Gallisdorfer
Customer-Orangevale, CA
“John Mortensen is a professional in every way. Mr. Mortensen, acting as a sales/design representative for Century Pools served my every need in the recent construction of a swimming pool in my backyard. His knowledge of the contract details, design and follow-thru during the actual construction time was first class with no exception.”
Price Walker
Customer-Folsom, CA
“As any business professional enters into a new organization, he or she should seek a person of the highest skill-set, ability, and desire as a mentor figure. John Mortensen is that mentor figure to many, many subordinates, co-workers and peers at Shasta Industries… John Mortensen has been the epitome of an extremely valued executive for several years…His construction knowledge, organizational skills, and operational skills are widely viewed as superior among other directors.”
Brad Loy
(Former) Director of Organizational Improvement: Shasta Industries
"It was my pleasure to work with John at Shasta. He is extremely knowledgeable and talented in a number of areas - not just pool design and construction. He is creative, analytical, solutions oriented and business minded. I learned a great deal from John and respect his ability to work with a diverse stakeholder group and remain professional at all times. He is also a tremendous team player and team builder. John would be an asset to any company he joins or any project he oversees."
Joan Roth
Principle, Marketing Mentor AZ
“Competency:
Few…in the Construction industry match John's technical and management aptitude.
Leadership:
The mark of a quality leader is not measured by the number of those whom one leads, but by the number that wish to follow…. because of the many people who have turned to John for guidance, it was natural that John became one of Shasta's most respected leaders.
Integrity:
For as long as I have known him, John's word has always been his bond.
Commitment:
Not only is John dependable, but his level of commitment is exemplary. Without fail, John's decisions are based upon what is best for others…rather than upon what is personally best for John, himself. There are few persons for whom I would be willing to provide similar accolades as I do for John. I am confident that you will not regret giving John your fullest consideration.”
Ed Yacknin
Manager, Internal Operations: Construction Division Shasta
“John is among the greatest mentors I’ve had in the pool building industry. He skillfully combines his extensive construction and design expertise to convey to customers and co-workers exactly what needs to be done to complete a project right the first time. He is definitely among the elite designers and builders of pools in Arizona and the Southwest. John’s a genuinely likeable person who operates with a high level of integrity and intelligence. I’m happy to count John as a colleague and friend in this industry.”
Clark Stuart
Consultant, Atlas Solutions Group
“John has the highest integrity and is…an intelligent and motivated individual... His guidance and knowledge are exceptional and his commitment to excellence unwavering. John had frequent customer interaction and always handled himself in a professional and courteous manner. He was a fine representative of our companies' values to our clients. John is adept at explaining processes and defusing anger. He is very good at customer service and works hard to ensure that their expectations are not just met, but exceeded. As part of his [Training and Development] responsibilities, John created new systems and a set of standards to make accountability easier to track and accuracy more resultant.”
Jeff Hultenius
Pre-Construction Production Operations Manager for Rondo Pools & Spas
“Few of our associations with the construction trades have been as delightful and problem free as our pool building experience. Our positive attitude is due primarily to the integrity and competence of John Mortensen.”
Jon and Susan Snyder
Customers-Rancho Murieta, CA
“In a time when doing business is only learning how to swim with the sharks, John Mortensen appears, a shocking anomaly, a man out of his time. He seems to me a throw back to the early part of the century -when business was done in good faith and sealed with a handshake. He proposes what he can do. He actually does it. He suggests what is fair. It actually is. He oversees every single step of his project. He demonstrates pride. He communicates efficiently and effectively. He provides genuine good service. He calls me six months after my pool is completed to warn me of the dangers of a freeze and what to do to protect my investment. He shows real commitment and concern. I don't know where he came from; I just thank my lucky stars I found him. What a rarity, you know, a man of his word. He not only built me a beautiful pool, he restored my faith in mankind a little.”
Roxanna Summers
Customer-Orangevale, CA