If your office leases its water cooler or ice machine, the company you lease it from should fix it, and the service call shouldn't cost you anything extra. "Service included" should mean free repairs or a replacement machine when it stops working, a fast response from the provider's own technicians, and maintenance they schedule without being asked.
That's what it should mean. Whether it does depends on the company behind the machine.
Who fixes it: you or the provider?
When you lease equipment, the provider owns it. That makes the repairs theirs. You shouldn't need to call a plumber, open the machine up, or shop for parts. One call to the provider should get it handled.
It's different with a store-bought unit. If your office bought the cooler, repairs are yours, and so is the replacement when it gives out. We compare the two in store-bought vs. a serviced bottleless cooler.
What should "service included" actually cover?
The phrase gets used loosely. Here's what it should mean in practice.
Free service calls. If the machine isn't working, the provider comes out and doesn't send you a bill for the visit. With us, service calls are free, as often as you need them.
Fix or swap. Some problems can be fixed on the spot. Some can't. Either way, you shouldn't be left without water or ice while a part is on order. We fix the machine or swap it for one that works.
A fast response. "We'll get someone out" isn't an answer. Most of our service calls are completed the same day, and nearly all the rest the next day.
Technicians who work for the provider. Subcontracted repairs add a middleman and a wait. Our technicians are our own employees, the same people who install the machines.
A local person on the phone. You should be able to call and talk to someone who can help, not open a ticket with a call center. Our calls are answered in Salt Lake City by our own team.
Maintenance they schedule. The provider should reach out to set up maintenance, not wait for you to notice the water tastes off. We schedule preventative maintenance about every 12 to 18 months.
What isn't the same as a repair?
It helps to know the difference between a service call and maintenance, because providers handle them differently.
- A service call is when something is wrong: no cold water, no ice, a leak, an error light. With us, those are free.
- Preventative maintenance is the scheduled visit where the machine gets checked over and the filters get changed. Filters are consumables. How fast they wear depends on your water and how much your team uses the machine, and Utah's hard water is part of that. At Water Star, preventative maintenance is a separate, scheduled visit that we bill for.
Some providers fold maintenance into "service" and then rarely show up for it. A clear line between the two, with the maintenance actually scheduled, is a better deal than a vague promise that covers everything and delivers nothing.
What should you do when a leased machine breaks?
- Call the provider. Not a plumber or appliance repair shop. The machine isn't yours to have worked on.
- Describe what you see. No cold water, slow ice, a leak, a noise, an error light. It helps the technician bring the right parts.
- Shut off the water if it's leaking. There's usually a small shutoff valve on the line that feeds the machine. Then wipe up and wait for the technician.
- Don't open it up. Inside are electrical parts and a refrigeration system. Leave it to the technician.
What if your provider doesn't show up?
This is the most common reason businesses call us. The machine stopped working, the call went into a ticket and a wait, and days went by. Or the maintenance that was supposed to happen just never did.
If that's where you are, switching is simpler than most people expect. A rep visits, we install a new machine, often in the same spot, and from then on repairs are ours. Here's how switching water cooler providers works.
How we handle it at Water Star
Every bottleless water cooler, combo unit and commercial ice machine we install is looked after by our own technicians. Service calls are free. We fix it or swap it, as often as you need, and most are completed the same day. We schedule the maintenance and reach out to set it up. That's how we've earned a 5.0 on Google across more than 300 reviews.
Want to see it in your own break room first? We'll install a machine free for a week, and 98% of businesses that try one keep it. Get a free quote and we'll reach out within 1 business day, or call 801-609-4321.