Your opinion please. Should I give this company a recommendation?

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

We do our own granite work on small slabs, bathrooms, entry ways...but NOT on huge kitchen islands. I hire it done. Too heavy, no way for us to transport the slab, or move it when working on it. Most granite supply houses will sell us remnants, not a full slab, because of liability.

I tried a new granite company and am comparing them to last years kitchen install.

Company #1, this years;

1) Does not take credit cards

2) Told me to go to such-n-such and pick out the slab we wanted, then said their account was in arrears and such-n-such wanted to be paid in full and would NOT sell to them. I'd given my deposit by then. Was told they'd buy the same granite and have it delivered. I was able to view a pic of the slab online before delivery.

3) They quoted me by square foot of my job, then charged me by square foot of the granite they purchased. Said it was a bigger slab they had to buy since the such-n-such company wouldn't sell to them. I had a written quote, I paid $110 more through no fault of my own.

4) They did NOT use metal sink hangers per the industry standard, they used little sticks of wood to hang the undermount sink. DH replaced it himself with the correct product. The caulking was white, did not match the granite. The seam was not colored....needs to be fixed by us. Three free edges offered, not fancy.

5) Left a little 1.5" x 1.5" side edge unfinished. I have to fix it myself.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Company #2:

1) Charged $4 sq ft more, but it was the original quote. Offered many fancy edges free. Used correct metal sink hangers. Cauking matched the granite. No seams.

2) Day before install I called, said we'd had 8" of snow would they still install. Yes. Then no show the next day and no phone call.

3) Two guys showed up to do the install. Said they didn't have enough people/brawn and they would CRUSH the 7' island, just letting me know they were going ahead with the install and going to damage it. I was hotly objecting threatening to sue when my DH just happened to show up with his crew to see how things were going and they ALL lifted the granite onto the island....safely. Whew.....looked fantastic!

4) The granite had little pocks in the surface. I was told the install crew would fill those. They didn't

They both had their flaws. Seems to be the industry standard. Should I recommend company #1?

(I'll cross post on the kitchen forum)

Featured Answer

lucillle

9 years ago

I could be the downfall of his business.

He is the downfall of his business. It is not the reviewer who causes the 'downfall' it is the person doing shoddy work.

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Comments (17)

ravencajun Zone 8b TX
9 years ago
Boy I don't know if I would. I'm really lucky I guess because my granite guy was amazing and everything went perfectly. The horrible stories I keep hearing had me scared. I would have to be very truthful in any review I did, good and bad. It should be an incentive for them to improve their performance.
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randy427
9 years ago
ISTM that you are judged, at least in part, by the quality of service received from those you endorse and/or recommend. When asked, I sometimes have to say that I haven't found anyone that I could recommend for a particular job.
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User
9 years ago
No. I wouldn't recommend. Your description of them wouldn't make me want to hire them.
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chisue
9 years ago
I like randy's solution. Neither company was 'good'. #2 Company was 'adequate'.
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User
9 years ago
Neither company sounds great. You should only recommend them to people you dislike. :)
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Michael
9 years ago
Last summer I was repainting a kitchen and installing an under-counter water filter for a client when I noticed the sink was held up by 2X2 treated lumber. That was done by one of the largest, most reputable granite installers in central Ohio, that I recommended. I was shocked and disappointed. I replaced it for the customer by using the Vance under-mount bracket. I billed it to the installers and they paid with an apology.

I won't ever recommend them again.
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share_oh
9 years ago
Neither! Sounds like neither is deserving of a recommendation. Would you use either of them again?
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Kessala M
9 years ago
Since you weren't delighted by either company neither one deserves your recommendation. Period.

Kessala
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User
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
No...I wouldn't use either of them again. So I should tell all in a review? or leave it...? I'd like to just forget about it....but I'd have liked to of had this review to decide "If I wanted to use them" ....ya know.....
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
9 years ago
You just answered your question in your last statement! You would have liked to have that information....
User thanked ravencajun Zone 8b TX
User
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I've gotton 6K views, on the reviews I posted a month ago. I could be the downfall of his business. My hope is he'd do better next time.....just not on my job, never again. lol
User
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
In my world, recommendations have to be earned. Neither provided acceptable service so based on what you've experienced, I wouldn't recommend either. And thank goodness DH showed up and you could fix the problems!
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jemdandy
9 years ago
Why would you recommend either one?
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dances_in_garden
9 years ago
If you don't want to give a GOOD review without fear of ruining the business, then better not to give a review at all. If somebody contacts you directly asking for a recommendation, tell them the same thing you said here. This is the good, this is the bad. They can make their own decision.

We chose a kitchen contractor based on glowing reviews and personal recommendations from speaking to past customers that we approached on our own. We had problems. For example, he doesn't pay his bills so his subs hold back work and supplies. Work and supplies we already PAID for, but he didn't forward the money. It was pay out of our pocket again or be S-O-L. It was like our items were being held hostage. Mentioned it to a few of the glowing reviewers to find out they had the same issues, and more. WTF? Why recommend them then?

His cabinet worker was an artist, and I am not kidding. He did some custom work to make prefab cabinets look built in and match what we had existing. Awesome work! We got recommendations based on this pretty much alone. But he was a sub. I would have hired him directly had I have known and bypassed the root of the problems.

We were left without a kitchen, no sink, no countertop, for months when the whole job should have taken two weeks. Ended up with a custom island that is waaaay too large. It would cost as much to have it fixed as it took to purchase so for now it stays and we have to keep it pushed against the wall due to fire code. So much for the breakfast bar overhang that we have never been able to use. And it is unstable because we had to add wheels so it is moveable (fire code again).

We could have avoided a lot of lost money and heartache.

Dances.
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Rosie
9 years ago
No, I wouldn't. Neither one deserves a good recommendation. If asked, I'd tell people just what you've told us here and let the potential customer make an informed decision.
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lindyluwho
9 years ago
I wouldn't recommend either of them.

Your opinion please. Should I give this company a recommendation?

lucillle

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ravencajun Zone 8b TX

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Your opinion please. Should I give this company a recommendation?

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