In theory, the services Jay provides would be extremely valuable. Finding and working with a contractor is time consuming and miscommunication is the leading cause of projects going off the rails. The idea of employing an experienced 'project manager' is a great one, and clearly other users on Homestars have had very positive experiences.
I did not. While it was helpful to have a consultation with Jay, the end result was a failure. He recommended 5 contractors, which resulted in the following: 2 viewed the project and never supplied quotes; 2 viewed the project and provided quotes that were wildly expensive and well above market rates. 1 cancelled a site visit, then never followed up.
While this clearly reflects the contractors behaviour and professionalism first and foremost, I was left with the impression that Jay simply didn't care. He provided a rationale that basically suggested my project was too small ($50,000) for a contractor to care about, and that being blown off was to be expected in the busy season. He never once suggested another approach, offer to connect me to another contractor, or even ask if he could help in any way. He just wished me luck and sent me the bill.
From my point of view, these referrals had Jay's stamp of approval, and a 40% response rate with little follow through just leaves me wondering where the value was in using House Calls. If I was charging someone for a service that involved referrals, I would take some ownership over the situation and ensure the client was satisfied before billing them.
Ultimately, I found there to be very little value in House Calls, and nothing that couldn't be provided through some due diligence on potential contractors using Homestars.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $250.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- Take ownership when a project isn't progressing anywhere instead of dismissing the client's concerns.
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Recognize when your project is not sufficiently large to get Jay to care. Supplement Jay's list of recommendations with your own contractor search on Homestars.
- Company Response
Your criticism of our service is unfounded and incorrect. Four out of five recommended contractors spent their valuable time at your home and reviewed your project.
You are now unhappy because that same group of four knowledgeable, independent business people came to the same conclusion: that your project was one with which they preferred to take a pass on, for whatever reason. Contractors have the right to chose their clients too. They are under no obligation to submit proposals simply because you want them to.
Had you selected one of these firms to actually do the work, and had then become dissatisfied about their work for some reason, I would agree with you, but that didn't happen.
House Calls Renovation Advisors is not about a theory of service. House Calls is all about achieving successful renovations as evidenced by a long list of satisfied clientele. I believe caring is what we do best.