Empire Today®

We scheduled Empire to give us an estimate because we liked that they would come right to our house to give the estimate, that they could do their own measurements, and we could take a look at carpet samples in the room where the carpet would go. But the salesman was extremely pushy. He was obsessed with getting us to sign up for carpeting right then, using every high-pressure tactic in the book (claiming to give us a deal, pretending to call his "boss" to get us a better deal, telling us we would never see such a great deal ever again, etc. It felt like we were at a car dealership). When we told him that we were just in the stage where we were getting estimates, he said, "I guess not everyone can be an Empire customer." We showed him out. We ended up getting carpeting from Lowes - it was cheaper than anything he wanted to sell us.

The salesperson was very casual and helpful and it was a pleasure working with her. The installation crew were very careful and professional. The work was finished on time as promised.

Summary: Once the Empire representative discovered that we were receiving a estimate from a competitor he refused to provide us with an estimate from Empire and left abruptly. He wasted my time. Long story: Scheduled an appointment with Empire Today for an estimate for replacement carpeting in my home. Since I wanted to compare estimates I also scheduled an appointment for an estimate with a competitor. Empire Today doesn't schedule a specific appointment time -- they schedule a two-hour window in which the estimator will arrive to provide the estimate. I didn't fully understand that at the time and scheduled back-to-back estimates from Empire and another company. The Empire representative arrived in the final 15 minutes of his appointment "window." He was quite cordial at first but a competing carpet replacement service arrived 30 minutes later. My wife continued to work with the Empire rep while I began to work with the competing representative. The Empire rep got to point of showing my wife samples when he decided he wasn't going to provide an estimate if we were comparing estimates, picked up his sample cases & materials, and left Unsurprisingly, we signed with the other guy. Update: The regional sales director for Empire did call me shortly after I posted this review and apologized for his representative's behavior. However, he did note that it was not Empire's practice to offer quotes and engage in bidding competition with their competitors. (The website says free *estimates* but I don't fully understand the distinction between an estimate and a quote.) We discussed this further and in the end I asked if the representatives are simply order-takers, that they expect to leave the visit with an order. His response was 'yes.' So there you have it. I've upped my "professionalism" rating from an F to a C in appreciation for their responsiveness.

Several years ago I had a laminate and quot;tileand quot; put into the master bathroom. The sections are separating around the toilet. They have been for several years - my mistake, I should have called them much, much sooner, but did not think of it. The representative was very nice but told me that the cause was probably water damage - a toilet sweats. I explained in detail that there was no sweating from the toilet - absolutely no water on the floor. Sent her pictures and she had them look at by another who also said it was water damage. They said they would supply the materials for repair, but installation would be around $200. I did not want to put any more money into this product and will do something else. I said that I would use the company again because they have installed several areas of carpeting over the years and that has all been fine. Update: April 26, 2013 Empire contacted me about the bathroom floor and agreed to fix the problem at no cost to me. The fellow who did the job arrived on time, set to work and did a wonderful job. He was very knowledgeable about his work and he kept me informed throughout. I had previously ordered carpeting and that was installed earlier this week. Workers arrived on time and worked diligently. The carpet looks wonderful and the guys did a good job.

Everything went quite well. Quality products, quality installation and quality installers. I would use them again.

I called Empire Today and scheduled an in-home consultation with local sales rep Paul Feliciano of Felishon Flooring. Scheduling was very flexible. On the morning of the appointment, Paul called to tell me that he was running early. (How often do you ever hear that from a service provider?) He came prepared with many samples and walked me through the process of choosing the right carpet for my needs. My initial planned budget was around $1,000, but I wanted to carpet both the large media room (24'x16') and the landing area at the bottom of the stairs outside the room. While he had products that would fit this budget, of course I liked the more expensive samples better. I'm not a big fan of haggling for price, and there was some of that, but we ultimately came to a number I was comfortable with. We scheduled installation for the following week. It could have been sooner, but that was the earliest I was available. I ultimately had to push it back a day. Empire was very flexible about this. Their phone reps pick up instantly without the phone even seeming to ring. The installers came within the promised window, and worked quickly and efficiently. They did a very good job. The carpet looks great. While I spent a little more than I originally wanted, I'm pleased with the results and would use Empire Today again if I decide to add carpeting to other rooms in the house.

Empire is not the cheapest, but their speed and professionalism make them worth a premium. The quality of the product and service more than justifies the price. The sales rep who visited us was absolutely delightful and very helpful, and the installation crew was quick, polite, punctual, thorough, and cleaned up after themselves. The great warrantees and speedy installation were why we chose them for our investment property; the great quality and service was why we chose them for our home. We will use them again in the future. We both work and time is money and the great thing about Empire, besides a quality product, is the customer doesn't have to be chasing them around to project manage an installation process that will take weeks and weeks. In one small criticism, I realize that they are trying to be helpful with follow-through, but I could do without all the follow-up phone calls. If I schedule a delivery for two days' time, I don't see why I should need to confirm it, and while I appreciate that they want to make sure I am happy after the fact, I would prefer an email to a phone call.

Excellent all around! Estimate was indeed the next day, representative arrived on time and ready to go. He was very professional and exceptionally helpful. Installers arrived on day requested (3 days later) at time requested. They did a quick and clean installation with no problems!

I called & they sent a lady out with samples. I wanted to keep the cost around $5000. I ordered everything & they installed it. I can stick a credit card between gaps in the laminate flooring, but the worst part is that it's bowing in areas now. They put it in so tight that my bathroom laminate bubbled up. They were nice enough to replace it but it's doing it again now! I'm also pretty sure they brought the wrong carpet too. I kept asking the installers, "Is this Cookies & Cream, because it looks gold..." but I couldn't check with sample or a store because they didn't have any! To top it off, one of the guys installing saw me taking a pain pill & he asked for one. He asked for one the next day as well. I pretty offended by that. One installer said not to walk on the carpet because of the oils in your body - I found him lying face down on my carpet after just telling me not to walk on it in bear feet! It was terrible experience all around. They'd send different people to check out the problems I had, saying it was likely moisture. When they sent people out with moisture meters, they said it was probably moisture & that I had rugs down on the entry way, apparently thinking that that may be part of the problem too. Of the three inspectors sent out at different times, only one fix was attempted & it didn't work. I called & called to have another spot fixed because my cat scratched up the carpet. They assured me they'd come out but never did.

This was a terrible experience. Everyone is very nice until you need something because something went wrong The sales person is almost flirty. I think the items in the book they show to potential buyers are different in quality from the quality they use or the backing of the items are different and therefore make the tiles feel different. It definitely feels different than items on the floor to me. The paperwork process is incredibly slow. They should join the current times. I didn't help any when I let the sales person use my fax machine for other sales. When I asked how long the process would take he told me 15 minutes. It was small bathroom, why not, what do I know about flooring? When I called him the next day about something I said you said it would be 15 minutes, he said he didn't say that he said about himself, “What am I stupid.” and went on in a goofy voice. NO professionalism there. The people did come on the assigned day. 2 people. One person did not speak any English so I could not ask any questions. The other person was out in the car with her baby who she left for long periods of time which I was worried about the car was on. The worker chipped the radiator end. The second person that sat in the car who had me sign more papers, which took a long time, kept telling me the radiator cover was old. It may have been old (not that old) but it was not chipped. She wanted to paint it. I said she could paint it but if didn't look good that would not be acceptable. To her old meant a little rust around the hinges. She had a nasty attitude and I told her to watch her attitude. She told me to watch my attitude. I asked who her supervisor was. She told me the sales person was. That's when I called him. He said he was not her supervisor. At that point I called the 800 number and asked for a supervisor. I spoke to someone who said she would have someone call me. She also said she call if there were more problems to call her back. She said if they were done have them leave. I had them leave. The local warehouse person called and he took $200.00 of the price. That would cover replacing the radiator end and more. The next day I realize the worker left a saw. I call and leave a message. No call back for 6+ hours. I call again. This is a massive saw. Some one will call to get it. They don’t call within requested time. I leave. They call the next day. A couple days later it is clear that there is no caulking between tub and floor in places. Water can seep in. I call the woman at the executive office who said to call back if I had problems. Despite my having her name and number she says we have never spoken. She seems annoyed I have called. She will have someone call me. I get a call from someone who leaves the wrong number for me to call him back. At that point I call the Better Business Bureau. A person from Empire calls to resolve the complaint. She tells me in an annoying tone that Empire doesn’t do caulking. I said then you better tell the guy who did it in the first place. Now I have to file another complaint. The tile with a lifetime guarantee is peeling. Save yourself. SHOPE ELSEWHERE.

It went like clockwork. I called Empire's 800 number on Monday and set up a sales visit for Wednesday. The salesman arrived half an hour early but I wasn't home yet. He gladly waited and we walked through the house. I had just bought the house and thought I would need to replace the carpet in the basement because it was humid there and the carpet smelled musty. But I had been running a dehumidifier for 2 days and it had dried out and smelled fine. The salesman, Al, said I did not need to replace the basement carpet: it was in good condition and all it needed was a cleaning. This saved me more than half the cost I thought I was going to pay! I appreciate his forthrightness. We followed his advice. We did replace the carpeting in one bedroom. Al recommended a low-pile carpet because we want to use that room as a home office. He made a good recommendation for the color. He took measurements and wrote up the order and talked us through each line item to explain it. We set up an installation appointment for that Saturday. On Friday, Empire called to confirm the installation date and said the installer would call on Saturday to set up a 2-hour window. Sure enough the installed called at 8am and said he was coming between 9 and 11. Two men arrived around 9:30. They removed the old carpet and installed the new one in just over one hour.

They layed the floor. The boards that go around the flooring were off. I sent them a picture and they came the next day. They ripped up the entire floor and totally redone it again. They said where is was nailed they glued and where they shoulda glued they nailed. They totally fixed it. The first guy took weeks and the second guy did it all by himself in 4 days. They stood behind their product. The first guy was fired. The price was %60 off at that time. Everybody that sees these floors likes them. I sent the pictures online and the president of the company called the next day. They were here everyday like they should have been.

They did a professional job. They kept the area clean.

Overall, I was pleased with Empire Today. Although the salesman was running late for our scheduled initial meeting, he called to inform me. He moved his schedule around and was able to meet me (approximately 45 minutes late.) The salesman presented a few options of laminate flooring for the first floor of my house (including living room, dining room, and kitchen). Originally I also considered replacing the carpeting upstairs, but it was above my budget. So the Salesman was candid, gave me some options, and didn't push me on the carpeting. We filled out the paperwork for the laminate flooring. The next day, the installers came on time and spent over 5 hours (in 90 degree weather) installing the product. They were considerate and thorough with the installation. The finished product looks great and I'm pleased with my purchase.

They did a good job; not a fantastic job; but a good job. We were happy with their service and have great prices. They do good work but don't expect them to go over and above. I will use them again in the future.

Scheduled an appointment online. Empire salesman was punctual and professional. Salesman measured the floors we wanted to do and even talked us out of doing the entryway as the existing flooring was appropriate and fine. Discussed all options along with pros and cons, as we were not sure if we wanted laminate or hardwood flooring. After discussing prices we decided upon hardwood. We asked for a better price, he then got on the phone with his boss and his boss gave the ok for a discount of about 10% from the original. We signed and took the free option of the 12 month zero percent financing with $200 down. We set a install date. A few days later the install crew showed up on time as scheduled. The crew was local, who was polite and professional. The flooring crew made suggestions to us on installation and made a great effort to do a great job. During the 4 days of installation, the crew was awesome. We give them 10s across the board!!

They were very friendly and considerate. They did a good job. They removed all of the furniture and than put it all back for me. I had an area that was scratched that they came back and fixed it for me.

Apollo flooring is a sub contractor for Empire today. John & James were very professional and nice people. They called to inform us that they were on their way each day. They went over the job specs. and listened about the need of the electrican to leave space for running wiring in the sun room. they left the space like I asked. The job of tiling is BEAUTIFUL! On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give them a 20!!!! John even repaired a loose brick on the fire place without us asking. He suprized us. I'm not sure if this review is going to the right place. Hopefully, this will be sent to the right place, if not, please get this to Empire today corp. head quarters. To John, James and their helper Jason, a very ZULU-BRAVO!!! Patrick McCormick

They were a nightmare. They were horrible. We had a problem with a flood in the downstairs, and we called them in. It was just a pain. They weren't like the commercial at all. This was before we had Angie's List. Once we looked them up online, we found a lot of complaints about them. My husband found them. He said he would take care of it; I don't know why he chose them. The salesman was very nice, but everything fell apart after that.

The laminate installed in the hall was bouncy / flexed / buckled when walked on. called complained had issues talking to anyone who made decisions. Empire finally sent a guy out to look at it and he agreed there was an issue. Then the guys who originally installed it came back and refused to do anything about it. They said the other guy who looked at it didn't know what he was talking about (I guess that also meant me). They left without doing a thing. Said Empire today would be in touch with me. I waited weeks for them to get in touch with me, so i called them two more times (over days). I then sent empiretoday.com an email stating that I would look into 1. small claims court, 2. call my local tv and newspaper and let them know that i as a consumer was having issues, 3. I am a member of ANGIE'S LIST. ;-) I got a phone call the next day :) played phone tag but eventually talked to them and the manager would come out a few days later. I talked to the manager and told him I do not know how long my workday is and we would have to meet on the weekend. Well we decided January 24th a Tuesday we would meet early before I left for work. At about 6:20 A.M. I saw a car parked out in the street but it did not look familiar. About 10 minutes later I heard a beeping, turns out it was the managers car and he had been there for quite some time. The beeping I heard was his alarm clock. He drove over an hour to get here. I gotta tell ya, that did impress me. I told the manager, I had them do the install because I did not want to take days doing it myself, (wish i had) and that had the floor been "prepped correctly" the dips that were determined to be the cause of my problems would have been addressed. Well the manager did send a different crew out and they redid the hallway, this time they prepped the floor with a self leveling solution that is like or is mortar. In the end the floor was acceptable but not perfect.

This was a very easy and customer-friendly experience. The Boston area sales rep, Todd Rideman, came to our house exactly as scheduled to take measurements, discuss flooring options and provide a quote. Todd brought carpet samples with him for us to choose from. He was able to schedule the installation at that time, as well as set us up with financing through Empire and Wells Fargo. They offer 0% financing for 12 months, which was definitely an attractive offer considering the other construction expenses we have incurred. Due to construction delays on our end, I had to call the 800 number two or three times to reschedule our installation date. Each time I called, the customer service representative was courteous and helpful. I was never on hold for more than one or two minutes, and rescheduling the installation was never a problem. At one point, I needed to know some specifications of the carpet before it was installed. I emailed Todd, who got back to me within hours despite the fact that he was on vacation with his family in Brazil. Installation day went very smoothly. Two men came to remove the old carpet, install new tackboard and install the new pad and carpet. They arrived as scheduled at 7:30 am and were finished by 10:30. They vacuumed the new carpet thoroughly before they left, and everything was left neat and clean. They asked me if I wanted to keep the leftover carpet remnants for use in other parts of the house, which I did. They bundled up all of the remnants in a neat roll, which I was able to easily carry into the basement. The quality of the carpet is good for the price. I know that there is higher quality carpeting available, but at about three times the cost. For our purposes, with two little kids in the house, this will be perfect. The color selection to choose from wasn't vast, but there were plenty of options that suited our desire for a neutral color. If you are looking for something more luxurious, or a specific color to match your furniture, you might want to explore other options if you don't mind paying more. To me, a carpet is a carpet. I would definitely contact Todd Rideman and use Empire Today for other flooring projects in our home.

The experience that I had with installation was not as smooth as I had expected. The two folks who came to install barely spoke english so it was difficult to communicate with them. They installed one room and I think they were here for almost 8 hours. I had fully prepped the room - getting all the furniture out and setting it up so they could come in, install and be done. I couldn't believe how long it took them. Several times, I heard them say things that sounded as if things weren't going well. 1/2 way through the day, one of the workers came upstairs looking for a bandaid.. he had cut himself quite badly and was bleeding.. after nursing him back and bandaging him, he was back to work.. but I was concerned about the whole situation. The guys were very nice and polite, I felt badly that we couldn't communicate. I will say overall, it was worth it because the carpet looks FANTASTIC and I got it for the price I wanted.

The earlier floor was 30 years old. I did not use them. They wanted a commitment the day the estimate was given, without me knowing the total cost of the job. I did not know that they did that. They told me that subflooring needed to be done and a subcontractor was required to do the job for them. They said that the work would cost up to $3,000. The total estimate was for $6,400. I could not make a commitment. They said they could reduce the price. I ended up getting the job done by another company for $5,000. I guess my case was unique. The person that came out told me that a subflooring was required. The earlier vinyl floor had to be removed. Later, it turned out, that the floor did not have to be removed. They really pushed me for a commitment without giving me a final quote. I did not want to do it. I do not know if that is the way they do their work. I think every job is different, but you just cannot make an immediate commitment. There is considerable psychological pressure when you have to spend a lot of money. I am not sure if they generally do that. They did come out and give me an estimate. The conditions that they set were such that I could not go with them. I would never make a commitment under pressure that way. It was a complex job and they did not respond to my needs completely.

My sales person Michael came to the house a second time because we decided that the color I chose wasn't correct. He was very happy to do it and that extra effort was much appreciated. Alex and his helper showed up on time and did a really professional job. The stair switched back on themselves with pie stairs at the landing. Not an easy job but Alex made it look easy and it came out perfect.

Empire Today did not honor their warrantee.