Installation of fire dampers & duct type detector
The customer service was awful.
I am legalizing my basement suite so had to put fire dampers into the ducts and install a duct type smoke detector. The city inspector actually recommended Gandy so I thought why not go with it.
Cory came over and gave us a quick quote which was nice. But the quote was vague, with no price breakdowns in any way. Just straight up $1800. I asked for a breakdown and Cory said "it's for the cost of materials with mark up and labour, taking about 4-6 hours". I don't know about you but that's not my idea of a breakdown. Regrettfully, we went with them anyways since I wanted the job done asap.
Day of install, 2 guys showed up 40 minutes late and were done in less than 2 hours. I was out in the garage and didn't get notified that the work was complete. I expected to get a walk through of what was done, or when I could lock up, etc, but no, they just left. At least they had cleaned up after themselves which was great. All that was left were pieces of the ceiling they had cut out. No manual or specs for the special duct detector installed. My electrician needed the specs in order to wire and initialize the duct detector. So I contacted Cory who didn't get back to me until called him again in 2 days to follow up. The guys told him they had left it on the furnace which they didn't. I looked all over the place. Another day later, still no reply about the specs. I ended up having to google it and print out the manual and specs at work b/c the next day the electrician was coming to do the install.
Day of invoice, I got the same vague style bill of $1800. No breakdown of what cost what, how much the labor was, what the markup was, etc etc. I contacted the clerk for a breakdown and instead of getting one, all I got was attitude. She stated I should have requested a detailed breakdown at the time of the quote. Uhhhh... I DID! There seems to be little communication between the office staff and the guys that go out to the jobs. I just don't understand why it is so difficult to get a breakdown. It's not an unreasonable request even though they made me feel like I was asking for the moon. It's almost as if they're hiding something. So frustrating dealing with these people.
I never did get a detailed invoice or an apology for the awful customer service.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $1,800.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Company Response
Hi Mya,
Thank you for taking the time to contact us about the experience you had. We are very sorry to hear that it was a less than positive experience with the representatives of our company and the customer service that you received. We do get a lot of referrals from the city inspectors as they have seen many of the jobs that we have done and recognize that it is typically a cut above the rest when it comes to workmanship. I am disappointed to hear that the service you received was not what you expected. Please understand that we do not typically break down our quotes piece by piece as this takes a considerable amount of time per job and would drive the cost of doing the job up. I believe Cory did give you a break-down of which costs were for labour, and which costs were for material. If you have not yet received this, I would be more than happy to forward you a copy. Although our techs were only there for two hours, it was a 2 person crew – equaling 4 total man hours. Our crew that was there certainly should have taken the time to do a walk through with you, and let you know they were leaving before they left. If you would like us to come back and walk you through the work that was done, I would be happy to send someone back at no extra charge to you to do this. Again, I apologize for the poor customer service you received, and thank you for taking the time to bring it to my attention. If you have any further questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me at the office (604-534-5555) or email me taylor@gandyinstallations.net.
Thanks,
Taylor Gandy
Gandy Installations