24-7 Plumbing Is Ready To Drop In Anytime
By Melissa O'Brien
 Your home is one of your most important assets. So, when you hear that drip, drip drip of your faucet, or your bathtub is taking an hour to drain, are you willing to let just anyone look at it? As in most cases, you get what you pay for, and with plumbing, it is no exception. That is why, when you are having plumbing troubles at home, it is best to call the experts at 24-7 Plumbing.
“Value is what our company stands for,” says Marlene Ballester, who owns and manages 24-7 Plumbing with her husband Mike, a Florida State licensed Master Plumber. “Value consists of competitive pricing, communication, knowledge, experience and following through. Too many companies have lost the true meaning of customer service.”
24-7 Plumbing is family-owned and operated. When you call for service, all calls are answered by a plumber, not an answering service or a receptionist. “We do not send service technicians to our customers,” says Marlene. “We send licensed plumbers who have years of experience and education. We do not sell or price gauge; we fix your problem. We don’t give our employees a quota they have to make each week or month, which can cause service technicians with other companies to sell something the customer doesn’t need.”
Marlene says that it is important for homeowners to educate themselves. “We recommend you get at least three estimates,” she says. “Remember, you get what you pay for and cheaper is not always better; value and competitive pricing is better.”
Mike started in the plumbing business almost twenty years ago and worked for two national plumbing services before starting 24-7 Plumbing on his own ten years ago in Ft. Lauderdale. He moved the business to Tampa three years ago, and they now have four employees. Before hiring, 24-7 performs extensive background checks on all staff -- providing a drug-free workplace.
When is it time to call a plumber?
It’s important to remember that plumbers are not just for emergency service, replacing old water heaters or performing drain cleaning. Plumbers actually perform plumbing remodeling, such as kitchen and bathroom remodeling and re-piping. In fact, this is 24-7’s specialty. You can call 24-7 Plumbing to create a new bathroom, laundry room, drainage systems or if you need all your piping replaced.
“There are many aspects to plumbing,” says Marlene. “You would be amazed how complex the plumbing system and the industry is. That is why it is important to hire a state-licensed plumbing contractor. They have years of experience and knowledge, and they keep up with the codes and changes in the industry. Contractors are required every two years by the State of Florida to have a Continuing Education Course. If they do not, they will lose their license and be fined.”
A handyman who does not have the knowledge or experience can cause financial devastation to the homeowner. “You will have no legal or financial recourse to collect damages from an unlicensed contractor or handyman,” continues Marlene. “Insurance companies will not pay a claim and can possibly cancel your homeowner’s policy. We have seen devastation to a property when a homeowner tries to save a few extra ‘bucks.’ In addition, it is against the law to hire an unlicensed contractor to perform work on your property. The owner needs to have all the same requirements as licensed contractors.”
The time to call a plumber is before it becomes an emergency. “Keep in mind most plumbing emergencies happen late at night or in the early morning hours,” says Marlene. “It can be very expensive for you to have service then. If you notice small leaks and keep putting them off, this is a warning sign there is a larger issue and a potential for a pipe to break. As our name states, we do offer emergency 24-hour service. We have gone out at in the middle of the night when someone has come home to find a pipe has burst behind their wall or the water heater failed, or an old valve never was replaced and flooded the house.”
“There are times we can’t make every call,” continues Marlene. “But if we are unavailable, we refer to another company through our plumbing association whom we trust to provide a similar services to our customer. We want to ensure their emergency is being handled.”
For Christiaan Shallo, who owns Disaster Restoration Specialists (a company that refurbishes homes and does renovations), working with 24-7 Plumbing has been a positive experience. “I have known Mike and Marlene for two years,” says Christiaan. “I am able to call Mike out to a job at any time. He comes right out when I need him, and I have never had a customer who has complained or been unhappy with a job. He does not have the huge overhead that some of the larger companies have, so his prices are fair and they offer great customer service.”
The Ballesters take pride in their business. “We live in Land O’ Lakes and are very active in supporting the Pasco community,” says Marlene. “We are members of the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, and Tri-County Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractor’s Association, which is a national organization for the plumbing trade.” Marlene and Mike recently opened the chapter here in Pasco County along with two other plumbers and a local vendor -- Broedell Plumbing Supplies -- and now have 14 members.
“Our chapter also will be one of the sponsors for the ‘Women Build 2012’ Habitat for Humanity effort and our company personally sponsors different charities each year,” says Marlene, who also is in the class of 2012 Leadership Pasco program. “It’s about giving back.”
24-7 Plumbing serves Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Hernando counties. For more information, call 866-692-8392 or visit 24-7plumbing.com. They are offering a FREE plumbing inspection with any service call when you mention this article. This is a $125.00 value.
Joyce Lost 81 Pounds At MEDI Weightloss In Lutz
By Kelli Maw, MD
 If you have driven on State Road 54 in the Lutz area lately, you might have noticed the MEDI billboard that says Joyce has lost 81 lbs. Some people have asked about the story behind the message.
Here it is!
Joyce is a very pleasant working mother who had tried all types of weight loss programs over the years, including hypnosis, without much success. At one time, she was able to lose 30 lbs on her own, but then could not progress any further. Then about two years ago, she was diagnosed with diabetes, and faced with the possibility of having to be on lifelong medication.
What made her decide to try harder?
She and her 11, and 13 year old kids love the Florida theme parks. One day, after a two hour wait to get onto Universal Studio’s “Harry Potter” ride, they climbed into their seats. The staff tried to close the bar, and the man said to Joyce, “sorry, I have to close it one more notch for you to be able to go on the ride.” Joyce got out of her seat, and let her kids go without her. As she waited, she thought about the times they would go to Busch Gardens, and she would tell her kids to go on the rides without her, since she knew she wouldn’t be able to go with them. She looked at the hundreds of people lining up for the rides, and wondered how many people were asked to get off the rides because of their weight. At that moment, she decided that, that was it! She was tired of missing out on fully enjoying these outings with her kids, and tired of being diabetic. That was when she decided to join MEDI Weightloss Clinic in Lutz.
Joyce started losing weight, her blood sugar became normal and her primary doctor thinks she might just have reversed her diabetes. Her advice to those who want to manage their weight, is to not let mistakes add up, make corrections to their diet early, and incorporate excercise into their weight loss regimen. Since Joyce started losing weight, others at her work have become motivated to do the same. Joyce is an inspiration to us all!
MEDI Weightloss Clinic is located at SR 54 and Oak Grove Blvd. in Lutz, 813-909-1700.
Social Media 101: Don’t Let It Scare You Away!
By Meredyth Censullo Frameli
 If you’re like me, long lines at the grocery store or drive-through pharmacy aren’t as annoying as they used to be; waiting on a friend who is late for coffee isn’t a big deal; and the stationary bike at the gym is slightly more amusing.
And that’s because I’m never without my smart phone that’s loaded with social media apps that, for better or for worse, keep me constantly connected to my two Facebook accounts (personal and professional), three Twitter accounts, photo-sharing site Instagram, and various GPS-based services that update my location, provide me with tips and allow me to share my experiences with others.
It turns out I’m not alone in my preoccupation with all-things social media. I realized the true reach of Facebook the day I got a “friend request” from my then 90-year-old Grandma.
According to statistics compiled by social media blogger Jeff Bullas (jeffbulas.com), one in every nine people on Earth has a Facebook account, and each Facebook user spends on average more than 15 hours a month on the site. It’s projected Facebook will have 1 billion (yes, with a B) users by 2013.
If you’ve balked at the idea of creating a Facebook account for yourself, and perhaps view the social media site as a self-gratifying waste of time, consider this perspective from Jennifer Baker, Ph.D., who writes for the online journal Psychology Today. She points out that information we used to trade with friends and family about others – essentially “catching up” through gossip or the grapevine – now can shared first hand.
“My Facebook friends admit their failings with frankness and humor,” writes Baker. “And I cannot imagine gossips having much fun with the material when presented that way.”
Conversely, Facebook allows us to share our own lives to varying degrees. The new “timeline” feature allows users to customize what our friends see, and highlights important events in our lives, such as wedding anniversaries and fantastic trips.
Facebooks also allows us to stay connected to our community. Analysis of user habits shows the emergence of Facebook as a real driver of news stories.
ccording to research company Hitwise, a growing number of “shares” of news story links on Facebook paint the picture of an increasingly nichefied world of news readers. Friends are reading what their friends are reading, who are reading what their friends are reading, and so on. I’ll admit that even as an employee of a local news organization, I first see big news stories as they pop up in my Facebook timeline, either posted by news sources or shared by my friends. Facebook posts are also a great way to let news organizations know what’s happening in your neighborhood.
Moreover, Facebook can be a useful marketing tool for businesses big and small. Data from the company comScore highlights the website traffic gains big name brands such as Best Buy and Target recently experienced over the holidays thanks to a combination of paid and media efforts on Facebook.
According to Antony Francis, CEO of Head of Lettuce Media, a Pasco County based social media company (headoflettucemedia.com), the use of Facebook can be complimentary to, and even amplify, traditional marketing such as print advertisements and websites. He points out that with more than 800 million Facebook users, most businesses’ customers likely have profiles, and therefore can be connected with easily.
Francis recommends business owners approach social media as they would approach a networking group.
“First, observe and see how everyone interacts, then look for opportunities to join the conversation and get involved. In your conversation look for opportunities to share what it is your business does, and how you might help them solve a problem, while at the same time listening to them to see how they might do the same for you.”
I’ve spent a lot of time pointing out the up-side to Facebook, but the fact is there are scores of social media sites that you can tailor to your personality.
If brevity is what you’re interested in, then you might find the micro-blogging site Twitter appealing. It provides a constant stream of 140-character-or-less packets of information, or tweets, from sources you chose to “follow”, or receive information from. Your tweets can easily be organized into lists, for categorizing and reading of only the information you’re interested in. Twitter is adding nearly 500,000 users a day, and handles nearly 1.6 billion queries daily.
For those of you who are strictly looking for a way to connect professionally, the networking site LinkedIn currently has more than 135 million members in 200 countries and territories. Consider the site as a way to share your resume with the world.
Shutterbugs can easily share photos by uploading them to the sharing site Flickr, which collects 3,000 images every minute. Personally, I like to share pictures on my Twitter and Facebook accounts by uploading them through the free app Instagram, which allows users to edit photos using various finishes, such as black-and-white, from my smart phone.
Many smart phones also allow us to record videos and instantly share them online via YouTube. That video-sharing service has 490 million unique users who visit every month. Videos on YouTube can be shared with friends and family via Facebook, Twitter, or traditional email.
There are also ways to utilize sharing services without getting too personal. The application “FourSquare,” used by 15 million people worldwide, determines users’ locations with GPS, and allows you to “check in” at various locales. You can keep your FourSquare check-ins private, or share them with designated friends. Checking in to businesses can often yield unadvertised special deals or discounts. And there’s a “tips” feature that allows for immediate feedback on a service or product provided at that location. I like to use FourSquare tips when I’m visiting new cities; it’s a great way to learn about hot spots frequented by the locals, or the best dishes to order at restaurants.
And finally, one of the latest trends in social media, that I’m just now learning to use, is Pinterest, which essentially is a series of online pinboards that you organize and customize with stuff you find on the web. My pinboards include photos of shoes I love, the best things I’ve ever eaten, and the places I’ve visited – or would like to visit.
So, don’t be turned off or scared away by social media. Like anything, it’s not harmful when done in moderation. And if you have any questions about social media, feel free to post a question for me on The LOLA’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TheLOLAnews |
