Lifestyle Group Residential Remodeling

"THIS REPORT IS SO DISAPPOINTING. SADLY, IT WAS FROM A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROJECT THAT WAS COMPLETED IN 2007... 2 YEARS AGO. THE CLIENT BECAME MAD AT US RECENTLY FOR A REASON I WILL EXPLAIN BELOW AND SOMEHOW ANGIE'S LIST HAS DETERMINED THAT A REPORT SUBMITTED 2 YEARS LATER FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF HURTING OUR COMPANY'S REPUTATION IS ACCEPTABLE. IN REALITY, THIS PROJECT WENT VERY WELL AT THE TIME OF COMPLETION 2 YEARS AGO. DURING CONTRACT SIGNING, WE REVIEWED THE SPECIFICATIONS IN DETAIL WITH THE CLIENT LINE BY LINE. THE CLIENT NOTICED THAT WE HAD IN WRITING TO ADD AN ICE MAKER LINE FOR THE REFRIGERATOR. WE WERE TOLD BY THE CLIENT AT THAT TIME THEY WERE NOT HAVING A REFRIGERATOR WITH AN ICE MAKER. THEY LITERALLY CROSSED THIS OUT OF THE SPECIFICATIONS TO SIGNIFY THIS WAS A TASK NO LONGER TO BE COMPLETED AND THEY INITIALED IT. AT THE END OF THE PROJECT, GUESS WHAT TYPE OF REFRIGERATOR THEY BOUGHT... YES, ONE WITH AN ICE MAKER. GUESS WHAT THEY ASKED US TO DO... YES, RUN THE WATER LINE. NO BIG DEAL AT ALL. WE RAN ONE, DID NOT EVEN CHARGE THEM OR CONSIDER CHARGING THEM FOR THE TIME TO RUN OUR PLUMBER BACK OUT. AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE PLUMBER RESPONDED VERY QUICKLY TO THE REQUEST. THE PROJECT HAD GONE WELL AND THE CLIENT WAS HAPPY SO THERE WAS NO REASON TO END ON A BAD NOTE. HOW DO WE KNOW THEY WERE HAPPY? HERE ARE TWO E-MAILS FROM THE CLIENT TO US IN 2007 RIGHT AROUND THE TIME OF PROJECT COMPLETION. FIRST, AN UNSOLICITED E-MAIL FROM THE HUSBAND TO US “THE KITCHEN AND DECK LOOKS GREAT! THANKS.” NEXT, AN UNSOLICITED E-MAIL SENT SEPARATELY FROM THE WIFE IN 2007: “EVERYTHING LOOKS SO WONDERFUL…WE’RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT HAVING IT ALL COMPLETED! NOW IF I COULD ONLY FIND THE PERFECT KITCHEN CURTAINS! (YOU GUYS DON’T DO CURTAINS, DO YOU? JUST KIDDING). THANKS.” THOSE E-MAILS DO NOT SOUND LIKE THE COMMENTS OF UNHAPPY CLIENTS. WHEN WE ENGAGE IN DEMOLITION OF A KITCHEN, NORMALLY IN THE ROUGH PLUMBING PHASE, WE WOULD SET A NICE ICE MAKER BOX IN THE WALL BEHIND THE REFRIGERATOR AND RUN A WATER LINE TO IT WITH ITS OWN SHUT OFF VALVE. THE TIME TO DO THAT IS WHEN THERE IS NO DRYWALL, NO CABINETS OR COUNTERTOPS AND YOU CAN PROPERLY RUN THE PLUMBING, THEN FIX THE DRYWALL. IN THIS CASE, SINCE THE ENTIRE PROJECT WAS COMPLETE WHEN THEY MADE THEIR LAST MINUTE REQUEST, WE DID WHAT ANY PLUMBER OR ANY LEGITIMATE CONTRACTOR WOULD DO -- WE RAN THE WATER LINE FROM THE KITCHEN SINK PLUMBING USING THAT SHUT OFF AND A FLEXIBLE WATER LINE TO REACH THE REFRIGERATOR. IT IS A COMPLETELY APPROPRIATE AND INDUSTRY ACCEPTED APPROACH. IT HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE DAY WHEN A CLIENT BUYS THEIR FIRST REFRIGERATOR WITH AN ICE MAKER AND THAT NEW REFRIGERATOR IS PLACED IN THEIR EXISTING CABINET OPENING. THEY JUST HAVE A PLUMBER RUN A FLEXIBLE LINE. WHEN THIS CLIENT INSTALLED HIS NEW REFRIGERATOR AFTER OUR PROJECT BY SLIDING IT IN THE DESIGNATED OPENING, HE DIDN'T REALIZE HE PINCHED THE LINE AND CREATED A SLOW LEAK BELOW HIS REFRIGERATOR. HIS ACCIDENTAL MISTAKE IMMEDIATELY BECAME OUR FAULT. HE JUST WASN'T CAREFUL. I OFFERED TO RUN OUT AND REPLACE THE LINE FOR HIM AS A KIND GESTURE, BUT HE STATED HE ALREADY DID IT HIMSELF. NOW, THIS REPORT SHOWS UP... 2 YEARS LATER. WE ARE AT A COMPLETE LOSS AT HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS. AS A COMPANY THAT TRIES TO DO THE RIGHT THING EVERY DAY AND TREAT PEOPLE THE RIGHT WAY, THUS 10 STRAIGHT YEARS OF ANGIE'S LIST SUPER SERVICE PROVIDER AWARDS, WE KNOW WE WILL RUN INTO A CHALLENGING CLIENT OR TWO ALONG THE WAY EACH YEAR. WHAT WE DON'T UNDERSTAND IS HOW TO RESPOND TO A REPORT SUBMITTED LIKE THIS TO ANGIE'S LIST WHEN IT DOES NOT IN ANY WAY REFLECT THE RELATIONSHIP DURING THE PROJECT. THEIR GRADES ABOVE ARE COMPLETELY BASED ON THE FACT THE HUSBAND CREATED A LEAK AND THINKS WE ARE TO BLAME. WE HOPE THIS PROJECT RECEIVES THE CREDIBILITY IT DESERVES, WHICH IS NONE. WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR SIDE OF THE STORY."