So bumbed, not sure what to do :-(

14 years ago

First of all we ordered cabinets from a very reputable cabinet maker who from the beginning was very on top of it and communicated very well. I could always count on him to either answer my calls or return them ASAP.

Around June 2nd we had custom cabinets installed, well, just the bases. The cabinet maker makes bases and orders the doors. I switched one of our upper cabinets with a larger one and when he cancelled the doors for the original my whole order got cancelled, or so he says and now I am beginning to wonder if they were ever ordered at all! I am just supprised that this late in the game they weren't already made and shipped to him. But I am not sure how quickly cabinet door companies make them when one calls in an order. He told us from the beginning he had a 13 bedroom home he was making cabinetry for and it was putting him behind. For one, he can't hold too much more inventory in his shop because of all of the cabinetry for this job? I think this is what he meant. I could tell he was stressed, as he doesn't get paid for that job until completion, and told him back on June 23rd that my kitchen was at least functioning and not to worry about time. I didn't mean for him to forget us or to take advantage of that comment. I just didn't want him to rush and do a messy paint job with the facings.

Anyhow, on july 8th he finally had a receiving date of July 13th for our doors. He communicated that he couldn't be there to receive them but that he would be there on the 14th to receive. On the 23rd of July he said he had the doors and would put in extra hours over the weekend and have them put in midweek the following week. Well, this week has come and gone and guess what? No cabinets and no phone call. My husband and I are wondering if the heat wave we are having here may have delayed the painting of our doors, but still, shouldn't he call and tell us?

I am getting discouraged and hate to be confrontational (my hubby has no problem with it though) because he is such a nice guy and I know that he is in a bind. We are wondering if he has run out of money because he hasn't been paid for the big job he has (actullaly I think he had 2 big jobs).

What would you do? What would your approach be?

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Comments (7)

megpie77
Original Author
14 years ago
He is taking so long I kind of want to change the shade of white I originally chose! I feel I deserve this. Just wondering if this whole process is normal. Am I being impatient? It just seems like this summer has blown by for a project that should have been done a month ago

Did I mention I paid him in full??!!! Yikes
plllog
14 years ago
Megpie, I totally hear your frustration. I've been having big delays over tile and have decided that the trick is they'll tell you whatever they think you want to hear and don't understand that what you need is accuracy to schedule workers. Or in your case, accuracy so you'll know when to expect your doors.

Artisans aren't always good communicators. They've never learned client care. Unfortunately, "doing" anything isn't going to help the issue much. Can you "pop in" at his shop? See if he's working? My first thought was that I hope he hasn't been in an accident. If you find him, pull him aside so his workers, if any, can't hear, and passionately, but not loudly or crying, tell him how distressed you are not to have your doors. Tell him you're beside yourself, and you don't want your husband to go off and start filing lawsuits and stuff. (It always helps to have a "bad cop" even if he's not in the room.) And most of all, make him show you your doors! If they're there, they're in the shop.

BTW, if he's avoiding you it might be because the doors came in damaged and he's playing turtle until the replacements come or something.
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erikanh
14 years ago
megpie, so sorry to hear about your frustrations. I totally understand about you disliking confrontation, I do too. However, it's important for you to be firm with this guy. You've already paid for the cabinets and it's not at all unreasonable for you to expect him to comply with his promises. It sounds to me like you've been extremely understanding and lenient thus far, and that you need to let him know that your patience has come to an end. Call him or have DH call him and get him to give you a firm date of when your cabinets will be 100% complete.

Good luck!
megpie77
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you plllog. I am sorry to hear about your frustrations as well. I think you are right about people just telling us what we want to hear. We have tried to "pop in" and he is never there. He was ALWAYS there in the beginning. I do think he is playing turtle whatever the reason may be. Although I also think he is not in his shop because of his other big jobs.

Thank you erikanh. I think we will be a bit more firm with our verbage. Enough is enough. Even if he CALLED as we have left messages asking him to do so, not emailed, and gave us weekly honest updates I would be so much more pleased. He was very on top of it up until June and since then unreliable which is why my husband thinks something is wrong such as him running out of money.

Thank you both. I think we will ask to SEE the doors (if we can reach him). I feel reassured that I am not in the wrong.
bbtondo
14 years ago
Megpie:
I'm so sorry to hear that you are having trouble. I hope that things will work out good for you in the end and that this will just be a bad memory.

I have a question. Do "custom cabinet" makers order doors? I thought they made the entire cabinet along with the doors?

Barb
rubyfig
14 years ago
I am so sorry to hear this. But you know, we had something similar happen with the electrician who was usually responsive and just disappeared one day (it turned out he had to leave the country unexpectedly because his Mom was ill), so maybe a call that starts with "I hope you are okay. We haven't heard from, you which seems out of character...." Whatever way you choose to handle it, you have definitely been generous with the time and he should have been more responsive. Good luck!

bbtondo--I think some make the doors, and others buy them (to save time).
southernstitcher
14 years ago
bbtondo, many custom cabinet makers do outsource the doors. Mine is. There are companies who only do cabinet doors and drawer fronts, and have the right equipment to do an excellent job. From what I understand it's a good thing.
megpie, I totally feel for you. I have had one cabinet maker who totally fell off the planet not once but twice! Thankfully I hadn't paid him anything, so I just dumped him. The guy I'm working with now did take a while to get my drawings back to me, and I had to prod him for that.
I so hope he's not as pokey with my cabinets!!

Anyway, I would be very nice at first taking taking ruby's advice with your approach. But, if still no response - you have no choice but to get a lawyer. Feel sorry for no one. This is your hard earned money. This is always a risk with custom...

So bumbed, not sure what to do :-(

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megpie77
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plllog

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So bumbed, not sure what to do :-(

Comments (7)

megpie77Original Author

plllog

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erikanh

megpie77Original Author

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megpie77
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