Liessi (London/Vancouver)

TLDR: exceptional value, excellent quality, superb workmanship (from subcontractor), communication needs improvement Pros: ♦ The salesperson was very knowledgeable, not only on their products but on the industry as a whole (materials, installation and pricing offered by competitors), which I can confirm because we had already obtained quotes from several of those competitors. ♦ Theirs was the only estimator who not only took measurements but actually got up on the roof to have a look around. (Some companies just eyeballed their quotes.) ♦ The final price was very close to the lowest quote we had obtained but we chose London Eco-Metal because the warranty statements and professionalism gave us the added confidence to go ahead with the purchase. ♦ The staff are friendly, professional and available to answer questions. ♦ The materials are top quality and carry a 55-year warranty. (When a company offers this kind of warranty, you want to be sure they'll still be around years down the road if something needs attention.) Cons: In the end we were completely satisfied with the materials, installation and price so these observations are provided in the hope that they lead to improvements that benefit both the company and their customers. ♦ Supply chain issues have been out of everyone's control so it was no surprise that materials took longer than expected to arrive but we had to call several times for updates. It should have been the other way around but at least they responded to our calls and addressed our concerns. ♦ Possibly in an effort to move things along, the installation ended up being subcontracted to (ironically, to the company that had previously provided the lowest quote). Nonetheless, the workmanship was excellent and we were happy to have the project completed as soon as possible. ♦ There was no follow-up after the work was completed. We only heard from them again about a month later, when they called about collecting the balance. (Note: we had voluntarily paid 80% of the total up front.) They had expected us to automatically pay the balance when the work was complete but we forgot all about that while waiting for the salesperson to call and make sure we were satisfied with the work (which never happened so they missed hearing about how happy we were). Ours is the best looking roof in our neighbourhood, by far, so feel free to drive by and have a look at the work (from the street only, please). 1771 WHITEHALL DR, London, ON

I had to contact Heritage Painters three times (once by email, and left two messages) before they would return my call. The self-identified owner was very gruff throughout the call and rather abrupt with me from the start, as though customers who come through Groupon are somehow more of a bother than a potential client, and not to be trusted. She required that I redeem the voucher and provide them with a confirmation number before booking a service call, apparently so they can read off their policies about first-time customers. She explained their additional charges, that they absolutely required that someone be on site and that credit cards would not be accepted from first-time customers for additional work because so many people had refused to pay. When I advised that we would require minor repairs (their website specifically states, “Our crews comes prepared to take care of any small leaks and repairs on your gutters to ensure they are working properly”), she stated that this would require a separate visit. When I started pointing out that this was contrary to what I had read on their website, she interjected that it would be a different crew and that it wasn't included in the Groupon. When I responded that I didn't have a problem paying for additional services, she very abruptly told me to “just contact Groupon for a refund” because she didn't want to deal with me or have her crew be subjected to "this kind of attitude towards an owner" and hung up on me. By insisting that I redeem the voucher before my valid questions exasperated her to the point of telling me she didn't want my business, I'm now having to deal with Groupon to try and get a refund. Do yourself a favour and stay well away from this company and their crazy-lady owner. I can only imagine how she treats her employees.

Excellent work. I provided a drawing and detailed specifications, Ben got to work on making it all come true. Not afraid of a challenge and more importantly, had the skills to back it all up. Came through around the birth of a child. Very good communication (all things considered!) but underestimated a bit. Still, on a tight schedule and for custom work, he did an excellent job, worked very well with our tenants (we are in another province) and was very easy to do business with, even remotely. The swing gate looks fantastic and will add to the look and value of our home and neighbourhood (this was a big concern for us). Thanks, Ben!

We bought a very hard-to-find 24" GE washer/dryer set for an excellent price and were so impressed, we ended up also buying a fridge and smooth-top range. We saved over $1500! Not even the GE scratch-and-dent outlet could beat these prices, and the appliances were all in excellent condition (the fridge, stove and dryer were all liquidations; only the washer was slightly dented). Not only was Mcloud able to find us exactly what we were looking for, his pricing was awesome and he was able to deliver ahead of schedule. His delivery charge was far lower than any appliance store and included hauling away our other appliances. He was very friendly and attentive throughout, and really helped us out -- best of all, he was genuinely grateful for our business and went out of his way to make sure we were happy. If you're looking for excellent appliances at the lowest possible cost, save yourself a bundle and skip the flashy show room. Dragon Liquidation is the place to go! (under the Oak Street bridge, in Vancouver)

R&B were instrumental in getting a difficult repair completed on short notice, within a very tight time frame. Alex was able to squeeze us in while showing concern and respect for their previously scheduled customers. The plumbers on site helped my mother-in-law with some troublesome but minor repairs that saved us money and made a world of difference for her. Very nice people to work with -- friendly, helpful, professional and very detail-oriented. I recommended them with high praise.

-- high quality workmanship -- friendly, courteous and appreciative of our business -- on time, on budget, no drama -- professional operation (invoice, warranty, payment options) -- very organized with timely updates throughout the job -- excellent communication (email, phone, in person) Olin (owner) and Stan (project manager) were absolute pros from start to finish. I had no idea such service was possible at such reasonable rates. Our project called for a diagonal installation of bamboo floating floor (already two criteria that require particular expertise) in a 700 sq.ft. condo. The CMO team hit full points -- they were on time, on budget and did a spectacular job, all with a smile. As for the price, a national building supply chain wanted THREE times as much to install, plus a fee just to give us an estimate, and there was no way to communicate in advance with the flooring installer(s). It made no sense and certainly wasn't convenient. Many people go by "you get what you pay for" but that is not always true. Sometimes you're just paying for a name. Believe me, when you see quality and professionalism like this, there is no room for improvement. You're better off spending your money here. We're delighted to have chosen CMO Flooring and would recommend them with high praise to anyone who wants superior workmanship, exceptional personalized service and dedication to customer satisfaction. These people know their business!

This is the second time we've used Michael Zegarra and he is by far the most thorough and professional home inspector we've ever had the pleasure of working with. He is respectful, meticulous and an excellent communicator, always taking extra effort to point out details. We always feel he has our best interest in mind. His reports are very complete and professionally prepared. He also provides excellent supporting information, such as home grants, recommended maintenance schedules, and indications on when we should be getting concerned about certain repairs (for example, "strata should start looking at roofing updates in 5 to 7 years"). It's always a pleasure to work with people who not only know their job but take the time to educate clients about what it is they do. Nothing goes further in demonstrating value. We feel informed and confident when we purchase a property based on advice from Michael Zegarra.

Recommended by City of London as experts in lead water service pipe replacement. Exceptional quality and onsite professionalism. Prompt, efficient, excellent value. Obviously had a great rapport with municipal engineering and restoration contractors. The work involved digging a 6-foot-deep hole at the base of my front steps, boring a hole through the concrete retaining wall in our basement. It was easy to imagine a potential for disaster but there wasn't a single problem. Aqua Fix coordinated with City of London engineering to dig the hole, and a restoration company to fill it in and restore the walkway to its original state. The city dug their hole and the next day, Aqua Fix was there at 9 a.m. to replace the pipe, bore the hole (taking great care to minimize impact on the surrounding structure), point out all the details of their work and seal the hole. Their front-line communication could use some improvement. Despite several emails requesting a phone call (I made it clear that I live at the other end of the country and needed to coordinate travel dates), I received one phone call, literally the evening before they were [hopefully!] going to do the work. Thankfully, they had taken care of everything. I guess they figure they know their business (and clearly, they do) but I could have done without the stress of gambling on travel dates and absence from work. Also, the phone is not answered as a business (I kept thinking I had dialed a residential number by mistake) and never by an actual worker (the owner's wife -- a very nice lady -- took messages). The gentlemen who did the actual work were personable, courteous, clean and very respectful of our home (offered to remove shoes, etc). Their workmanship was top calibre and their communication was excellent. I would definitely hire them again, knowing to expect them to take care of the details and not wasting my time expecting much in the way of communication.

We recently took on a 3-month condo restoration project that included replacing all plumbing in our kitchen, bathroom and powder room (sinks, toilets, garburetor, drains, shower base, shower panel). Mansour, the owner of Niko Plumbing, is a rare find -- an honest plumber! Not only was he very knowledgeable about his trade, he also understood the needs of the other contractors around him and was careful to make sure that whatever he did was fully completed so the next person wouldn't have to deal with unfinished work. Also, he very patiently explained what he was doing, and why, so we would have full knowledge of our plumbing systems after he left and could explain the approach in case any other trades had questions. All in all, this is a guy who really cares about his customers and is deeply concerned about doing the best job. With Niko Plumbing, we now have a plumber for life! Highly recommended!

The approximate cost represents FOUR moves, including sizeable tips. We've used Rapidex four times this year: 1) storing about 70% of our belongings when we staged our condo for sale; 2) moving my mother-in-law's stuff from storage to a new apartment when she came back to Vancouver from an extended absence; 3) moving the rest of our stuff into storage and 4) moving everything into our new, 2-bedroom condo. These guys are phenomenal. Not only are they extremely careful (they wrapped each piece of furniture in blankets and shrink-wrap), they are polite, on time, fast and showed up showered and in clean clothes (it's shameful how often this is not the case!). All that, plus their hourly fees are only $65/hour for two strong movers who are always on the go, go, go and a proper truck with proper moving equipment. They're also bonded and insured, and you can book by email! After several terrible experiences with companies ranging from cheap to expensive, Rapidex is the only company we will ever use for moving from now on.

The condo we bought had such old cabinets and ugly, space-wasting layouts that we decided to gut the place and start from scratch. With only 2 months before possession of the place we were vacating, we had to get the work done quickly. Needless to say, the 8-week *minimum* wait we were told to expect at Kitchen Craft, Home Depot, Lowe's, Rona and several others was unacceptable, and the pricing was even worse! We were quoted upwards of $12K for pressboard and "standard" (read "cheap") hinges -- not what we had in mind and anything better would have been way out of our price range. The next best option was a local company that promised to have the cabinets ready in 6 weeks (still not much better) but were even more expensive. Their only affordable option was a made-in-China alternative (again, pressboard, dubious quality and lengthy shipping). Oh, and they charged almost $1000 for delivery and installation. We began to panic. Google!!!! Enter All Stars. (It took some effort but eventually, we found their website. Now you don't have to search!) Not only are they local, they manufacture high-end cabinets right here in the Lower Mainland. And they're not afraid to work weekends. Whoa! What a difference. One of the owners -- very friendly and professional -- came to our house in the evening to show us samples of REAL WOOD and dozens of styles and colours. They would measure and build to custom fit our spaces. He even let me visit one of their job sites (an absolutely gorgeous character home with a kitchen the size of our apartment) where I could see the quality of their work first hand. They helped us design cupboards that would create a tremendous amount of storage space in our tiny kitchen without looking bulky, even suggesting lighting options to make sure it looked exceptional, then they did the same for the bathroom and powder room. We now have gorgeous, solid cherry cabinets that go all the way to the ceiling in the kitchen and beautiful vanities with drawers in the washrooms, all with soft-close hidden hinges and solid steel handles that will never go out of style. Mind you, these came standard -- at no extra cost! Best of all? They were ready and delivered in TWO WEEKS, installation included, with a lifetime guarantee. Beat that for less than $8500, tax included. (You can't.) Despite some hiccups along the way, they always remained very professional, patient and extremely generous with their knowledge and expertise. We would recommend All Stars to everyone, whether you're trying to renovate your home on a budget or you got rich by saving money and simply refuse to settle for anything less than the very best. Go ahead. Check around. There is no better option, for quality, value or service, anywhere in Metro Vancouver. I will never go anywhere else for cabinets.

Valley was recommended as a manufacturer/supplier by Savemore Plumbing as having the highest standard of customer service they had experienced from any of their suppliers. I was told to expect lifetime warranty, excellent service if anything did (rarely) go wrong, plus they are local to Vancouver manufacturing many of their products (sinks, tubs, etc) right here in Mission, BC. That means not having to wait 6 - 8 weeks for something to ship from China, plus an expectation of consistent quality and Canadian standards. What I didn't expect was that the drain hole in our bathroom was a very unusual distance from the wall so building our walk-in shower was going to involve breaking concrete (not likely to happen in a condo, that's for sure!) unless we could find someone to custom-build a shower base for us. The minute the word "custom" shows up, companies think nothing of adding $1000 and 6 - 8 more weeks to the deal. Not only did Valley Acrylic agree to build a custom mould just so we could have our shower base, they did it at a VERY reasonable price (you can negotiate your own, thank you) and even sent the boss's son to come and make sure the measurements were correct. Then they took 3 weeks instead of 2 months and we now have the most beautiful bathroom in our building. These guys get 10 STARS from me. When people ask where we bought our "European luxury" sinks, taps and jaw-dropping shower panel, we're very happy to surprise them by answering "Valley Acrylic in Mission, BC." You can only buy Valley Acrylic products through Savemore Plumbing (Vancouver / Surrey) -- also a terrific company.

From a letter sent today to the Vancouver store manager: We have undertaken substantial renovations to our new home. While we were on our way to another plumbing shop, we saw your sale signage and decided to stop in to have a look around. We are SO glad that we did Matilda spent over an hour with me, sharing her extensive knowledge of your products and offering terrific advice. A week later, when I came in to place our order, Matilda was away so Naaz helped me out, again spending considerable time with me to pick out the right options for our situation and gave us exceptional pricing on matching Valley fixtures. These days, it's rare enough to find this quality of customer service from one salesperson, but to have the same experience twice with different sales staff is practically unbelievable. Now, Matilda is in contact with Valley Acrylic to help us solve a problem that no other plumbing company has been able to help with. You should be very proud of your team -- not only your sales staff, but whoever hired them. Absolute rock stars! And your choice of suppliers, i.e., Valley Acrylic, is superb. We are delighted to have found your company and look forward to recommending Savemore and because of you, Valley Acrylic, to everyone we know. Carry on with the great work! LH & DH - Burnaby, BC