Thank for taking the time to post a review. And although you posted as a Private User, we do know which project this is, as it’s not yet closed in our books.
Just, to clarify. While we did indeed launch Penguin Condo-Reno and Penguin Kitchens this year in response to client requests, they are very different projects with their own dedicated teams. That aside, let's examine this build.
You indicated in your review that deficiencies were not completed until October 16. Originally however during the Substantial Completion walk-through to identify and address any build defences on August 3rd, all work was signed off. Now we know you weren’t happy with your spouse signing off this paper, but you must understand by doing so, resources were allocated elsewhere before you let us know differently. So things like the twisted column, while something we both agreed needed to be replaced, was not going to happen the next day.
As for issues you addressed on your own time and your own dime, that came down to personal choice, and you were reimbursed via account credit for the $11.27 for the white silicon, and $7.66 for the wall plate cover. Is there anything else we should be aware of? Please note it in you buildertrend account and supply a receipt, if so.
As you noted, there were some issues along the way, and that is unfortunately a possibility with any construction build as there are things that can only be known once a tear-down and build is undertaken. As we build more basements that anyone in the GTA, we’d like to think we’ve seen them all, but even we can be surprised from time-to-time. But as you, yourself noted, they were all addressed to your satisfaction by October 16. This was in spite of money still being owed on the project, as we work with our clients in good faith as they do with us.
You do have us on HVAC though, as until you brought it to our attention we did not know about that specific space saving unit. You can see where we got the idea you were handy ;-)
Finally we’d like to address the comment on electrical as we aren’t sure how this happened, as we insist our clients do a walk-through with the electrician to note where things like outlets are needed and where they can or cannot go. The reason a change order would have applied therefore is that such changes were not requested at that time. Often a client will have a change of mind, and while we will accommodate that, that will result in a modest up-charge.
As for the comments on hiding things behind furniture, or you being a a handyman that came about from the jovial rapport you had built up with out staff when you told them about your engineering background and started suppling your own charts and such, and were meant in jest to someone we though would take it that way. Lesson learned. At no point did we expect you to do the work we were paid to do. And speaking of that, there’s still the matter of an outstanding balance.
Guy generally does not get involved mid-project as it’s a case of too many chefs at the table, and he was on vacation recently, but rest assured he will be reaching out to you directly. Every project from the perfect 10, to yes, sadly a 3 is an opportunity to learn and improve our business and the customer experience.
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UPDATED October 24, 2018
Hi Alex,
Thanks for the updated response. Hopefully you and Guy have connected, and we can resolve everything to your satisfaction off-line. At the end of the day, we know each and every one of the several hundred basements we do a year is not going to go off perfectly, as you noted. What we try and focus on is the client being happy with the finished basement in every case. We have been reviewing your letter and post internally looking to see where we can implement improvements. Most issues we find are from a disconnect in communication, and that is something we are always examining and looking to improve, as we believe perfection is something you need to constantly strive for, even if it is not always attainable. A philosophy we embrace at Penguin is “Kaizen”, a Japanese term that means "change for better” and that is something we look at daily. As a result of this specific project we are looking at having our customer care team follow up after every Substantial Completion (not just those with noted differences), just to ensure nothing has been overlooked. As to why the warped post did not show up in our files at that time, we are also looking into that. Again, we do appreciate all feedback, both good and bad as it all goes toward being the best we can be. Enjoy your basement.