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Ready Refresh Water: Dumb Ass, Stupid Management

Ready Refresh Water: Dumb Ass, Stupid Management

The water supplier Poland Spring was in a scandal years ago with claims that it was using simple ground water for its product after its natural springs ran dry. Nestlé owned Poland Springs and suddenly changed our water deliveries at home to a company they own called Ready Refresh. Then things began to deteriorate.

A couple of months ago we needed to order more water, which we had always done when needed, but I found myself talking to someone with a very thick accent and very poor English in the Philippines, or Cambodia, or somewhere in Asia. What she eventually told me—after a lengthy wait listening to music, and then a further wait while she consulted someone else—was that it would be two weeks. That was that, no exceptions.

So I wrote to Henrik Jelert, the Ready Refresh CEO, to tell him that was not our normal servicing support, and his representative was almost incomprehensible, and I was firing them. He, of course, never deigned to reply, but two weeks later—after I had fired Ready Refresh and chose a very reliable new company, Crystal Rock, with phone reps in the US and the ability to change my deliveries online—a woman named Janet from Ready Refresh left a message (on the wrong phone number) asking if she could help with some problem I was having. I called her back, and this happened three more times: She was never available, and just to get to her voice mail took eight minutes.

Companies fail because of dumb ass, stupid management, like faking their products and faking their service.

Written by

Alan Weiss is a consultant, speaker, and author of over 60 books. His consulting firm, Summit Consulting Group, Inc., has attracted clients from over 500 leading organizations around the world.

Comments: 10

  • Jolene Portegys

    January 31, 2024

    Purchased Lumina Bottom-Load Dispenser from Ready Refresh for $300, but after 11 months, it broke. They replaced it with a new one. Seven months later the red air connector to the inlet cap broke (because its plastic). They will not replace this one because of the “original warranty” on the first unit that broke is past its warranty. They offered me 6-months free RENTAL on a new dispenser but begin paying monthly rental after that, or 50% discount PURCHASE PRICE on a 3rd dispenser. Never mind that I have already spent $300.
    After 42 minutes of I’m sorry, but…., a lot of music, and 3 representatives that was all they would do.
    I proposed they give me a new Bottom-Load Dispenser (I’m 73 years old and cannot lift those bottles anymore) FREE with new 1-year warranty to maintain my business. I asked Ashley to give call me within a few days if that was acceptable, or I will go to another water company. We shall see what value they have on maintaining their customers!

  • Minister Edward

    February 4, 2024

    As I am experiencing at this very moment: 2/4/2024. I am sending everything back to them and demanding the $99 yearly membership “fee” as I just paid it 2 weeks ago

  • Alan in Chicago

    May 9, 2024

    I used Ready Refresh for about a year. When it works, it works, but if you need to contact them for any reason, it’s awful. It got worse as time went on, and eventually even scheduled (normal) deliveries would be delayed 1-2 weeks. I am very glad I got my softening/filtration system running and no longer need to depend on delivery services.

    “Dumb ass, stupid management” is exactly how I’d describe it. Glad to hear you made it out as well.

  • Kim

    September 18, 2024

    I cancelled my service with this company after 8 rescheduled deliveries (not my doing). Now that I have cancelled, they are now rescheduling pickup dates (3x so far) for the water coolers. They told me to leave it outside for them to pick up. It’s been out there for three days. I hope someone steals it at this point.

  • Dionne France

    October 21, 2024

    As of last week Thursday October 17th, I have cancelled my 15 year service with Ready Refresh. They keep on over-charging me every month, (even though I was told about 2 years ago that I was grandfathered in with my monthly payments). I started off paying around $35 a month, since 2007-08. The service was great and very accommodating, delivering on Saturdays. Then after a few years, they changed their name to Ready Refresh. Service was terrible, not coming when scheduled. Staying home from work to receive the delivery and they’re not showing up or calling. But let me dear make a late payment and they want to charge me a late fee charge. I had to get on them about this and they removed the charges several times. I get 4 five gallon water bottles monthly and they have the nerve to now charge any where from $86-$99 a month for water. They are not giving me anything extra but, want me to pay over double the original price for the same 4 bottles. They send me an email, and paper note in the mail with different prices, and when I call on the phone they say I owe an even higher amount. I pay my bill before it is even due every month and every month they charge me for a late payment, even though they said my payment is due on the 5th of the month. Last week they said it’s due on the 18th. If I pay before the 5th of every month how can I be late. One time there was a roach inside one of the bottle of water bottles, and they said they would send me a free bottle. I am very disgusted with this company. They tell you anything over the phone but, do not put it in the system, so the next time you call, there is no documentation of what you were promised. I called last week to find out why they kept on over charging me. When the rep couldn’t figure out why, she transferred me over to cancellations. They told me that I was only making half payments each month that’s why I had incurred a $20 late fee each month. That is an absolute lie. I made full payments each month, before the 5th of the month. I read some of the reviews and can only say that I wish I saw them years ago, and “Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish”. They are coming on October 24, to pick up their equipment. I would not recommend them to anyone.

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