Arseneault in Durham

I am asking that this review be removed from record. We just won the best of award from homestars, and our reputation has been flawless. We make sure of that. Reputation is all we have to keep us on top in this business. Someone who does not care about others, and wants to destroy a reputable companies image because of a bad day, or other things in their lives that are not going well is no reason to post a review with absolute blatant lies and incorrect, half informed lies.

"They seem not well trained"-Brian and I are extremely well trained, and always continue to educate ourselves with techniques, above and beyond business practice and ethics, and product knowledge.

"they took 4 days to complete the job that was supposed to be 2-3 days" -We mentioned it would take 2-3 days, yes. When discussing with the client that an additional coat would help hide the undercoat from showing through (light colour over darker original colour), the client agreed, and because of the additional coat, we took an additional day to complete the job until it was finished to ensure proper coverage and finish.

"so I would need to pay an extra $1,000 for them to return to finish or they would pack up and leave it half done." -Again, this was mutually agreed upon by both The A Team and the client. Never was packing up and leaving an option, nor a suggestion. We always finish the job before we leave. Our reputation speaks for itself. If the client decided not to move forward with the additional coat, and/or decide to negotiate a price, etc... we were open for discussion, as we had initiated the discussion in the first place. If the client decided not to move forward with any additional work, then we would have mutually agreed to our original scope of work as completed. We always leave it in the hands of the client one we educate them thoroughly about the process, situation and solutions. The client decided to move forward with the additional work, which was discussed and informed that it is more labour, and materials to complete. We did not accept any additional payment until the job was done, inspected by the client and all was left on good terms. The client then sent the final payment house after we had packed up, cleaned up and left.

"I heard them discussing watering down the paint on the last day to ensure they wouldn’t run out." -This had nothing to do with the clients project. Why would we water down the paint, when we were concerned about proper coverage?! We had additional paint left over at the end of the job. There was no reason, nor have we ever watered down our paint to complete a job. Being in business we have never asked the client to pay us for an additional gallon if needed. We always eat that cost after agreeing to a price for a project with the client. If several gallons are needed, we will discuss with the client about additional costs. However, we never worry about that if we need one can. It's another reason our reputation is so excellent-we care about our clients and know that if we underestimate on paint, that is on us!

"They left paint on my couch, used my kitchen appliances and paper towel." -The couch was in the middle of an open concept area, and though our staging area was set up near by, we never have wet tools, products near furniture. If we must because of hight spaces, we will cover with plastic to protect surrounding areas. This was not the case. we asked if we could use her toaster oven while the client was in the kitchen. The client showed us how to use it and even shard a story about how her parents bought her the toaster oven because they had one and thought it was so great. Reading this complaint in the review is strange to me, and unnecesary. As for the paper towel, we are in the middle of a pandemic. We are fortunate to have clients trust us in their homes, and we appreciate every opportunity to work during these tough times. That being said, we make sure safety is a priority for both ourselves and the clients. We do not use linen towels in clients homes for this reason. If using the paper towel was an issue, it would have been a good time to bring that up while we were there so we didn't continue to use it, and bring our own. Not blast us with useless negative responses on our reputation based online profile. That is petty and could have been dealt with in a much more positive and friendly manner.

"In their rush to finish on day 4 they left many drips on the walls. Also I had 2 spots requiring plastering and they only did one, which I had to point out each day until they did it on the last day." -Any drips were pre existing, we had discussed and agreed upon the conditions of the walls and how much prep/repair needed to be done. Our pricing reflects the amount of time and detail spent on prepping and repairing. Options are discussed with the client prior to sending the final estimate. In addition to the repairs mentioned in the review, we always keep the client updated and informed during the process. End of each day, we debrief and bring them up to speed. The repairs were left until the end of the second last day, and completed on the final day as this was the most productive way to do this with the flow of work. Again, we inform during the job each day. It's the clients prerogative to ask each day. All we can do is keep the clients informed about the process, and progress, and make sure the job is completed as we all agree upon mutually. This was the case. The client was happy when we left, she paid without question, and we appreciated the work and hospitality.

Please read this with understanding that the only thing that keep us in business is our work ethic, professionalism and quality of work. These all build our reputation, and having it destroyed by this review is shocking and unfair. Any of the aforementioned could have been discussed between The A Team and the client during or after the project. We are very patient and reasonable. This situation has never happened to us. We always make sure we leave the site and the client in the best possible condition, much like we thought with this client. I will end with, Why were non of these "issues" brought to our attention during the project? Why was the client happy and thankful when we left? and why did the client send the rest of the money without question hours after the project was complete? Non of this review makes any sense. I wish the client all the best, and hope that she treats any other contractors that work with her fairly in the future. Please remove this review. It does not represent anything we stand for or push to raise the bar in a very diluted industry. You don't win Homers "best of" award, and consumers choice best award in the same year for any of the aforementioned reasons. We treat our clients and their homes with the most respect and care.

Thank you for your time and patience, I know it was a lot to read! I wanted to be as thorough as we always are! I understand that "misuse of an investigation" can result in a drop in our star score. I am so confident in how we conduct business that this will not be an issue. I do not fear any repercussion about this investigation and negative change to our star score, because I am confident about all the aforementioned situations. This was a completely unfair review. It is full of lies and incorrect facts.
Richard LeRoy
-Owner "The A Team Elite Drywall Repair and Painting"