Bit of a shocker of an experience given how highly this company is rated on HomeStars.
I needed to get my attic insulation removed and re-charged due to a mould problem. Insta Insulation teamed up with Canada Restoration Services to perform the work. They failed in all aspects of the project:
Sales - the sales person appeared professional at first but it turns out he never educated me on the choice of insulating material or the option to apply a vapour barrier before blowing in the insulation. When I questioned him on this (after the work was underway) his response was "do you want a 4,000 dollar job or a 10,000 job?" Obviously that is not the point. I want to do what is right to protect my single largest asset.
Scheduling: The project was delayed by a day because the attic was too hot by the time the setup was completed. Coordination with the mould remediation company was non-existent. They scheduled the work for the next day and then call me in the morning to say they need 24 hours after mould remediation to start the work - so will only come the following day. I had taken time off from work to make sure the job was completed properly - they do not seem to respect customers have scheduling issues too.
Work Quality: On the day the insulation was supposed to be applied, the truck came without any covers for the pot lights. Since the truck could not be moved off the driveway because the hose was connected, I had to bike 10K to Home Depot to buy the covers. When the work was completed, I noticed a crack in my ceiling. They said they would fix this but my calls to the office have yet to be returned.
Customer First Attitude: I sent an email to the owner describing my experience in detail. 2 weeks and no reply. Perhaps they have become complacent with their HomeStar rating. Definitely look for alternatives if you need similar work done.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $4,000.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- Think like a customer. Do not have condescending sales people, stick to your schedule, equip your trucks properly, remediate problems you create.
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Sometime the stars at HomeStars get complacent. Always get multiple quotes and put in penalty clause for work delays.
- Company Response
Hi Mr. Machado,
Thank you for the review. Although not favorable it is important people know we are transparent and accountable for our work. Despite the fact that there were issues on your site (some of which were not within our control and had mainly to do with the remediation), we still managed to keep most of your job on schedule. Changing our schedule mid-stream is difficult and I am sorry you needed to experience this. We accept the fact that we are not perfect nor do we think we are. This was an unfortunate situation but we do service a lot of customers and just because one customer's schedule needs to change, due to another contractor, does not mean we are willing to inconvenience several other customers by changing their schedule. All customers are important to us and our intention remains to do everything possible to provide an exceptional experience for everyone. I would also like to take a moment to defend our salesperson. He did provide two options and review the quotations with you. If you changed your mind and wanted another option part way through the process all you needed to do was ask. You were in constant contact with our people; everyone in our company was familiar with you and your project. I am sorry this has not been a delightful experience for you or for us. – Alex Schuts