We have a beautiful master bathroom, but I would never, ever work with The Home Improvement People again. Why? A list of our frustrations is the best way to tell the story. Ben quoted the job with half his attention on his cell phone. He gave a dollar figure for the job in about 5 minutes. When asked for something in writing, he scribbled on a form. Gerhard the contractor came to look at the job. We did not have the same idea of the job. We consulted Ben’s quote. Gerhard laughed and said he couldn’t read it. Nobody could read Ben’s writing. He said he’d tell us what things cost when he’d torn up the floor. Gerhard asked for $6,000 on the first day of the job. We had paid a deposit. We had been given no payment schedule. Gerhard supplied a change work order that added thousands of dollars to the job. Everything had a cost attached to it. At no point did Gerhard say, “Sure, we can do that.” He always said, “Here’s the additional cost.” And just as Ben promised, we had to supply everything – including baseboard sold in 12’ lengths! (We switched to tile baseboards.) The vanity didn’t come with a backsplash (although Gerhard doubted this and we had to confirm it). We discussed alternative backsplashes. Then, one day we got home and the vanity was installed with no backsplash. No communication or creativity brought to the problem whatsoever. We’ll have to figure that one out on our own. The crew must have pounded on the walls. Most nails in the walk-in-closet wall were sprung. A townie-sized hole radiates around a sprung nail in the master bedroom wall. No word about this. We had to discover the damage on our own a week later. We asked for a date when the floor would be finished so the shower guys could come in to measure. No date was given. We asked again and were told the shower guys could come “now.” Not much respect there for the scheduling of the job or for the shower company. Incredibly, the crew’s tools took up one full garage. Most of the lights were on in the house each night when we got home (in daylight!). But one day the crew announced the job would be done in a couple hours. I was asked for about $13,000. I was not asked to review the job or if I was happy. I left for an appointment and came home to find all the tools gone, not a single scrap of the bathroom tiles left behind, and a crystal from the new chandelier with a bent fastener on the bedroom bookcase. In sum, I did not feel we had any useful communication about the job, the payments, or the timing. I did not feel we were working with a crew that cared about our satisfaction with the results, or that brought any genuine interest to the project. Sure the bathroom looks good, but compared to other contractors we’ve worked with, these guys were brutal.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $30,000.00
- Company Response
Hi Paula,
We were genuinely both shocked and disappointed upon reading your review of the bathroom we completed several months ago. We were disappointed because as a rule, we would do anything and everything possible to make sure our clients are completely satisfied with the overall service and finished workmanship on any renovation we get hired to do. We were shocked because at no point during the renovation did you voice even a small concern. When we read this review, we attempted to reach out to you numerous times, to see what if anything can be done to address your concerns. Unfortunately, for a reason we cannot understand, you had no interest in discussing.
What's particularly disturbing is that virtually all the issues raised, have simple explanations. The monies requested throughout the job were all progress milestone payments clearly outlined in our contract. We never requested payment before payment was due. Many of the owner supplied items, and much of the additional work your requested throughout the job, were items clearly delineated in our contract. While we do understand that sometimes having to forward progress payments can be frustrating, unfortunately, we have no choice but to attempt to collect payments as they become due.
Issues like illegible handwriting also seem a bit unfair, given the fact that while the original estimate was handwritten, the contract was sent to you neatly typed and formatted in Quickbooks.
Gerhard is one of our senior bathroom project managers. He is referenced in fact in many of the reviews on this very site. His professionalism is typically unmatched. He oversaw supplying you 3D drawings to help you better visualize the finished bathroom. We did this at no additional cost. He also made frequent site visits before and during the renovation to make sure everything was progressing on schedule. It always was.
Given the fact that both you and your husband were not home during any part of the renovation, most communication occurred via email. Neil who was the on site lead, told me that when he did his final walk through with you, you were elated.
If we were allowed, we would post finished pictures of your bathroom. It is magazine worthy. We honestly can't imagine why months after completion of this job, you would post a review that describes a completely different experience than the one we remember. Once posted, we cannot begin to understand, why our attempts to explain and correct any lingering concerns you may have, continue to be ignored.
We are at least happy, that you are happy with the finished product. While confused, we are truly sorry you did not find the experience enjoyable. Should you change your mind, our offer to meet or talk still stands.
To any potential client who is still reading this, we ask that you understand that no renovation is truly template or predictable. We have built a reputation of delivering beautifully finished jobs that are well supervised and coordinated in as efficiently a manner as is allowable. That is a commitment we will not stop delivering on. Thankfully there are hundreds of reviews that support that.
Ben and Dan
