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Before you go
to The Home Depot or the Lowes improvement store, will they provide a reference
for work performed?
Charge you for a measurement? We personally know of dissatified customers that have
had kitchen renovation & bathroom remodeling work performed by the Big Box
contractor stores such as The Home Depot and Lowes.
Case #1
This is an actual former Home Depot customer
which had a bad experience and forwarded this to us!
Timeline
of bathroom remodeling project for Farmington Hills, MI (inv. # 2722-232788)
Jan. 20th, 2008: I met with Mike
Mc Dermed at the Commerce Home Depot to schedule guest bathroom remodeling project. Project was scheduled and
billed to Home Depot credit card. Mike stated the Job would take 2 to 3 days and would start as soon as I recived the materials
Monday, February 10th:
materials arrive at my home
Tuesday,
February 11th: Home Depot calls my home requesting that I contact Chenowyth Construction to schedule material
inspection. I called Chenowyth Construction to schedule an inspection for Friday, 2-15-08 @ 8:30 A.M.
Friday, 2-15-08: Chenowyth Construction
shows up 1 hour late and a man named Aaron spent less than 15 minutes inspecting material. When
inspection is completed, Aaron states that the cabinet doors on the vanity are dented and he would FedEx me another set of
doors. After Aaron left, I realized the cardboard & banding was still wrapped around the
vanity and there was no way he could have seen the doors on the vanity. At this time Aaron gave me a work schedule that stated
the work would commence on Wednesday, 2-20-08 first thing in the morning and would be completed on Monday, 2-25-08.
Monday, 2-18-08: I contacted Chenowyth
Construction to see what time they planned on starting, Wednesday, 2-20-08. Their response was, we will be out after 10:30
A.M. on 2-20-08. I stated this was unacceptable and they said what’s the difference…you need to be home while
we are in your home for the entire 4 days. I asked if this was a firm policy, and they stated that my salesman at Home Depot
conveyed this to me, which was not true. At this point, I had no
other option than to cancel the job...which is what I did. I called Parko Home Renovations and Ron
Parko, the owner, was at my home in 30 minutes and provided me with a competitive quote. Ron stated he would be at my home
the next morning at 8:00 A.M.
Tuesday
2-19-08: Parko Home Renovations is my home at 7:45 A.M. and completed this bathroom remodel
in 1 ½ days. Ron Parko, the owner of the company stated that I did not receive a toilet seat & lid, universal vanity
filler and brushed nickel handles for my vanity. Furthermore, Ron Parko asked why Home Depot sent extra vanity doors, because
the ones that came with the vanity were fine. Ron also stated that I was shipped double the amount of floor tiles (200 extra)
which I returned for a $136.00 credit. *Bathroom floor measures 5 X 8
Thursday, 2-21-08: Mike Mc Dermid reorders nickel
plated handles for vanity, universal vanity filler and toilet seat & lid. I was promised these items would be FedExed
and arrive at my home in lees than a week.
Monday, 2-25-08: Great Lakes Granite comes to my home to take final measurements
for granite counter tops and informs me that that they do not re-connect any pluming. I now learn
that this is my own responsibility…one that Mike Mc Dermid never conveyed to
me.
Tuesday,
2-26-08: Toilet seat & lid arrive at my home, but no nickel plated handles or universal vanity filler.
Summary: As of 3-3-08, this simple
bathroom remodel job that Mike Mc Dermid promised would take 2 to 3 days is over 6 weeks old and
I’m still missing parts and waiting for my granite counter top to be installed.
Note: After the extra parts were available,
Parko Home Renovations complete the installation of the ordered parts before the granite company showed.
As you can see from the above letter. Home
Depot or Lowes uses a "SUB-CONTRACTING COMPANY" that turns and "SUB-CONTRACTS" to a "SUB-CONTRACTOR".
When you shop at the Home Depot or Lowes Home Improvement
stores, the person you design with, develop a trust with, and share you concerns with will never once set foot into your home.
After they sell you on their products and service they are done, any complaints even go to the manager. They floor sales designer
is done. Your project is assigned to the Installation
department. The Installation department gathers the paper work and faxes to a few "SUB-CONTRACTORS" to see who will
be willing to do your job. The "SUB-CONTRACTOR" who then wins the bid the shops for another "SUB-CONTRACTOR".
Do not be fooled by the shirts, they make all "SUB-CONTRACTORS"
wear them. They even have them place their yard signs in your yard to finish the illusion.
Case #2
Please do not fall into this!
Typical scenario.
Lets say you need some home improvement done. You search the Internet and chose a company that comes up on top of the search
to call. Lets call the company "A B C" building company. The company looks good, seems they been around since the
mid 1960's. The person who answers the phone we will call Joe. Joe comes out to give you quote for the home improvement that
you are requesting. Joe informs you that plans or specifications are not needed to get a firm and accurate estimate. Joe gives
you a price and it seems very reasonable. You sign and then comes the disappointments. You find that Joe does not have any
in house staff other than himself. This means Joe sub-contracts everything! Unfortunately for you, Joe has under bid
the actual costs. It is not Joe's fault directly, Joe just does not know the actual costs associated. Therefore Joe
has to cut corners, but where? First Joe starts with the quality. Joe hires sub-contractors that will do the work
for cheap thinking they might get work from the next contract that Joe signs. The problem with this is that Joe has no
idea if they are even capable of performing the work. Joe checks in when the project is under way and voices some orders to
the sub-contractors. Your however in shock at the personnel and job being performed. However, Joe does not care as long as
he makes money.
Please hire a company that when you call for a price, the person performing the job will be the
one you meet.
This way there will be a better control over cost over runs and change orders.
You also get to see
a portfolio of the work actually performed by the individual themselves.
You can deal direct with the staff to address
any and all situations.
Your project tends to finish in a more timely manner.
There many benefits for dealing
direct. I personally
know this and "ABC" is short for an actual company. We were once hired by Joe to finish up the remodeling project
that went very bad for Joe. If only Joe called us first.
Case #3
While shopping for some materials at the Canton Michigan Lowes Home Improvement
store, I over heard a very disturbing conversation between a Lowes Home Improvement Store Employee and
a Lowes sub-contract installer. The Lowes Home Improvement sub contract installer was asking the associate in the Plumbing
department a question. He asked, "When installing tile for a shower in a bathroom if he installs the tile directly to
the rubber liner". The associate in the Plumbing department thought that would work and explained to the Lowes
sub contract installer on how he would do it. You cannot expect tile to stick to rubber it will
not happen. Plus if it did how would you pitch to the drain? The Advice was completely wrong and the sub contracted installer
had no business even attempting to perform this task without proper training. Lowes Home Improvement
should really look into the sub contractor installers qualifications if they are going to offer Lowes
installation service for bathrooms.
Case #4
coming soon, you will love this!
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