Response from Uncle Brian's Home Improvements
Let me begin by saying that Angieslist is an invaluable tool, allowing customers to share their concerns and frustrations, as well as their successes with other members of the angieslist family and with their contractor. This venue is long overdue and it's no surprise that angieslist is such a wild success. Let's talk - The relationship between contractor and customer can be a difficult one at times, but, when it clicks, everyone walks away feeling as though they got what they wanted. That's the goal - always. So, Member's criticisms are not taken lightly and cetainly not ignored. I'd like to give a little background into the contracting world, in general and to Member's project specifically - in an attempt to get beyond excuses and see if we can all walk away better informed and more likely to reach that happy stage at the conclusion of the next Home Improvement. Granted, that's a tall order when dealing with such a diversity of people and an unending list of Home Improvement needs and wants. Still, it's important to take the time to think thru the problem areas and implement changes to better serve folks in the future. Of course, the Home Improvement World is a two way street, and to reach a more satisfying conclusion for all -the client must also take on some responsibility and a deeper understanding of exactly what's required to get to that place. Having said all that, I'd like to say - that I agree with most of Member's review with a few exceptions. I definitely concur with her C grade concerning her project. After more than 30 years of Home Improvementing, I have literally thousands of jobs under my belt (toolbelt-that is), still, I have a finite variety of tools and experience at my disposal. It's my responsibilty (as the professional) to inform my customers of my abilities or lack thereof, and pass on the projects that I'm not fully qualified to complete. I usually accomplish this by explaining my strengths and weaknesses to folks, most accept this information, some become agitated - thinking I don't want to do their job for some other reason. Member's job was a bit unusual because it involved a coupon she purchased on angieslist - a Big Deal. This $240 coupon included 2 men for four hours of carpentry work, also included was a truckload of tools - at her disposal. The Big Deal offer is a good way to introduce a customer to a particular business and allow both parties to see if they work well together. Uncle Brian's performed about 20 of these " Big Deals", a few customers wanted to undertake a fairly complex project, even if that meant - not completing it in the 4 hour window. These "Big Deals" are not a good setting to commence a Bathroom renovation / a Pantry beneath a circular staircase or an exterior staircase with 2 sets of Railings, they are better suited for smaller less complex projects that don't require alot of planning / discussion and thoughtful execution. Member called and asked about local building codes regarding stairs and railings. I told her stairs was not my thing and I wasn't in the position to advise others concerning them. I asked is she had other projects and she mentioned building a pergala (or at least what sounded to me like a pergala). I suggested she consider other less complicated projects, but she said she would do some research. I would normally have passed on a project like this, I refer to them as "Rush Jobs", not because they need to be completed quickly, but because, once they begin they must be completed in an unreasonable short period of time. There are many reasons why folks request a "rush job" , and I believe there are companies out there that specialize in this sort of project, but I have found them to be fraught with pitfalls and sometimes dangerous. Member's Project was a classic " rush job". After I suggested that building a staircase with 2 sets of railings in 4 hours was too aggressive, I asked if we could spend the time neccessary to complete her project properly. She said to do what we could in 4 hours and she would deal with the rest. That scenario rarely ends in satisfaction, unless , of course, we complete the job by rushing through it. I did - against my better judgement - attempt to rush thru this project. The outcome - Member thanked us for getting so much done and said it looked good, she even gave us a $20 tip. I felt awkward leaving the project incomplete, knowing I could have done better, if I had the time to plan it out more thoughtfully and execute it more carefully. Let me deal with the screw issue briefly, when I arrived - Member had purchased some of her materials. I jotted a list of additional materials her project required and set up the tools. She went shopping and was gone for about 90 minutes, so I pulled from my truck the neccessary fasteners, knowing Member would return them later. I realize she saw "her" screws at the conclusion of the project and believed they were still hers, not considering, I had pulled screws from my truck during her departure. I could have explained to her the screw situation, I asked her to purchase screws to replace the ones used from my stock, because her screws would not have arrived in time. Enough said. What have I learned and what new policies will be implemented because of this experience? How could we have ended in a better place? Uncle Brian needs to make the decision to pass on these rush jobs or complete them properly at our expense. It is not worth it to have a rush job tarnish our reputation. We will reimburse to Member 100% of the $120 we received from angieslist. What could Member learn concerning future projects and how to end in a better place? When hiring a company to perform a task, allow sufficient time to accomplish the task properly and completely. If the budget does not allow this - don't begin until it does. Lastly, starting the project relating what another persons ideas are only complicates things further, better to hire the other person. I hope these thoughts and ideas help you with your next project and remember, careful - thoughful planning should be apart of every home improvement project. We wish Member and her family well, Uncle Brian and Family