HOUSE DOCTORS HANDYMAN SERVICE

It was an awful experience. I don't even want to re-live it. It was such a shoddy job, I'm still trying to get it fixed. It was a nightmare.

They answer the phone as if it's a house, not a business. I had to ask if I had the right number! I was very turned off by her negativity. Once she knew I was in Evanston, she said "the problem with Evanston is that you have to cut the carpet and bundle it". She then gave me the price per hour and said it would be a minimum of 2 hours. She asked no questions, like what size the room was or anything. I found that to be a turnoff and very unprofessional.

I find it incredibly useful to have Pnina working with us on our projects. She is very communicative about the details of each project, the amount of time it may take, and the cost involved. She suggests money-saving alternatives and gives pro/con lists of various choices. She has referred us to other companies when it makes more sense for us to go with other companies, but also follows up to make sure we have been happy with those referrals. Yes, it may be a little expensive, but we also have the comfort of knowing that things are being taken care of the right way. I am very happy to have found the House Doctors.

HANDYMAN, OSCAR, WAS VERY NEAT, RESPECTFUL, AND PROFESSIONAL. SCHEDULING WAS EASY, AND PNINA WAS VERY HELPFUL.

I ASKED FOR EXPERTS IN CARPENTRY & LOCKS. I GOT REALLY NICE GUYS WHO WERE TRYING THEIR BEST, BUT WERE OBVIOUSLY NOT EXPERTS. THEY ALSO DID NOT COMMUNICATE ABOUT THEIR WORK SCHEDULE OR PRICING. FOR EXAMPLE, THEY ANNOUNCED AT LUNCHTIME ONE DAY THAT THEY WERE LEAVING AFTER 1/2 DAY & NEVER COMMUNICATED THAT WE WOULD BE CHARGED EXTRA FOR WORK AFTER A CERTAIN POINT. WE THEREFORE WERE PRESENTED A BILL FOR MORE THAN WE AGREED TO, ON THE BACK END. WE REFUSED TO PAY, AND AFTER MUCH NEGOTIATION WITH PININA, SETTLED FOR THE ORIGINALLY AGREED UPON AMOUNT. MY ARGUMENT WAS - AT THE TIME IN WHICH A CLIENT IS SUPPOSEDLY GOING OVER BUDGET, HE OR SHE SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THAT FACT - NOT A WEEK LATER, WHEN THE FINAL BILL IS PRESENTED. THAT WAY, THE CLIENT HAS A CHOICE WHETHER OR NOT TO PROCEED WITH SAID BUDGET OVERAGES. I HOPE THAT SINCE THEN THIS PROVIDER HAS ADJUSTED THEIR WAY OF DOING BUSINESS.

IT TOOK THEM OVER THREE MONTHS AND I ENDED UP HIRING ANOTHER CONTRACTOR TO COMPLETE THE JOB AFTER THEY RUINED $350 WORTH OF TILES. THEY DISMANTLED THE ROOM WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER BREAKING THROUGH THE BEDROOM WALL. THEY TOOK 2 WEEKS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO REPLACE THE CEMENT BOARD. THIS IS A RENTAL PROPERTY THE DELAYS FROM THEIR LACK OF SKILLS COST ME RENT. IN ALL, THE JOB ENDED UP COSTING TWICE AS MUCH DUE TO THEIR INCOMPETENCE. TILES ON WALLS WERE THREE INCHES FROM ONE WALL TO THE OTHER SINCE THEY DID NOT USE A LEVELING LINE AND STARTED ONE SIDE OF THE ROOM AND WENT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM WITHOUT LINING THEM UP. THERE WERE TILES THAT WERE NOT FLUSH ON THE WALL. THEY BROKE ALL OF MY BORDER TILES AND INSTALLED A RANDOM 14 OUT OF 54 BEFORE THEY CLAIMED TO BE FINISHED. IT'S BEEN A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE. I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH BAD WORK. I'VE HAD THINGS NOT TO SPECIFICATION, BUT NEVER SUCH AMATEURISH MISTAKES.

I ASKED FOR REFERENCES AND THEY DID NOT SEND THEM. THEY MAY ALSO HAVE GOTTEN THE DATE OF SERVICE WRONG, ALTHOUGH THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN MY ERROR. THEY COULD NOT BE REACHED ON THE PHONE. OVERALL EXPERIENCE WAS POOR.