We just had a pantry installed by Closets by Design and are extremely disappointed with the service and final product. The production staff misread the plans for the depth of the unit, which caused many problems. The new depth had the unit blocking a wall intercom. Rather than correcting the problem, I was told they could move the unit down. This left us with a 3-inch gap between our wall and the unit, which we've been told will be fixed using a filler piece of MDF. We find this solution unacceptable for an error that was made on the company's behalf. We informed the company of the error and that we would like better resolution to the problem -- we are still waiting to hear back from them.
I would never use this company again as the unit looks horrible, they have not yet taken ownership for their error (I was originally told the wrong dimension was in the plan I had signed off on, which was not the case) and I have yet to see any satisfactory resolution. The final product we currently have looks like something I could have thrown together myself using materials from Home Depot -- for a fraction of the cost.
A previous reviewer was correct that they do ask for 50% of the payment upfront and are quick to have the remainder of the payment made (I was called about the final payment days before the install date).
The pictures you see in their promotional pieces in no way match the product they install. To be frank, the item looks cheap and of low quality. I would not recommend this company if you're looking for a nice quality item and/or good customer service.
UPDATE: After several calls to the company the errors for the pantry have been corrected. An installation manager came out to the house and reviewed the pantry and offered suggestions for how to fix the unit. He presented the options to staff at the company and they rebuilt the unit with the correct measurements.
There were still some issues with the unit after the corrected version was installed. The issues include: they did not drill the correct number of holes down for some adjustable shelves, which leaves us unable to lower the shelves as much as we had planned; the scribe piece to fill any gaps by the wall looks quite cheap and was not securely fastened; shelves in the middle of the unit bow under the pressure of items placed on the shelf; and some holes for the adjustable shelves were badly drilled and were hidden by white stickers we did not notice until after the installation people had left.
Communication seems to be a problem with the company. The installation manager said the production staff noticed some oddities in the designer's plans but they do as the designs tell them and don't question them. This company would greatly benefit from having a quality control person working with them who understands both design and production. This could eliminate some problems if someone was reviewing the plans and noting any discrepancies or possible design flaws.
If I were to do this over again, I really don't think we would have used this company. There were too many problems that took too long to resolve. Plus, the end product is still not as I had fully envisioned. For closets the company may do alright, but I don't think they are well suited for creating large structures in a very public space of your home.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $1,500.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- Have better customer service relations and work to correct their errors rather than put blame back on the customer and/or offer band-aid solutions.
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Do all of your research beforehand and ensure the company does not install anything if the piece does not match the agreed upon specs.
- Company Response
Hi there, we are sorry to hear about your bad experience. We're normally known for our exceptional attention to detail, and we regret that we missed that mark. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact our Sales Manager, Christina at 416-742-3197.