COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The oven is the latest update to Bruce Johnson’s kitchen. But the process to get it installed was far from simple.

Last year, he and his wife decided to make some changes to their Columbus home.

“The appliances were over 20 years old,” Johnson said. “And my wife Karen started hinting that maybe we should just replace all of them.”

The refrigerator, the dishwasher, and the 24-inch wall oven, which is smaller than a standard range. But Johnson said he made that known to the salesperson at a local appliance store.

“I did the measurements and he looked at it and said, ‘I think a 27 inch would fit, and we can get that from some manufacturers,'” Johnson said.

To add to the customization, Johnson went with a combination unit — an oven and microwave — made by KitchenAid. He placed the order in June of 2021 and put down a deposit.

“Well, it was over $1,600, something like that,” Johnson said.

It took about two months, according to Johnson, for the refrigerator and dishwasher to arrive. But another few months went by and still no oven. In December, Johnson called the store.

“They couldn’t get any answer from anybody,” he said.

So, Johnson took it upon himself to figure out what was taking so long.

“I probably called five to seven different KitchenAid numbers over two to three days,” Johnson said. Eventually, he got through to someone who told him the unit was scheduled to be manufactured around the first of the year.

“So, January arrives and goes by… nothing. February, March, April, May, June…,” Johnson said.

And still, nothing. So, Johnson called Better Call 4. And I called KitchenAid.

“And I’m sure, in my mind, that if I hadn’t made that call, I would still be looking at that white, old oven and microwave in there,” Johnson said.

Because after I contacted KitchenAid, Johnson said a company representative contacted him. And in mid-August, Johnson said he got a call that the appliance had arrived, and by the end of the month, it was installed.

“It’s working great and we’re very happy,” Johnson said. “And it’s nice to have all the appliances updated now and everything consistent.”

Johnson reiterated that each person he spoke with at both the store and KitchenAid was pleasant and easy to work with. He just couldn’t get the answers he was looking for.

When I asked if he was given a reason for the delay, Johnson said he believes it came down to the size of the appliance, and that it isn’t considered to be “standard.”