Response from The Village Carpenter
I am always amazed at how quickly people are apt to criticize and complain. We are a small company and our Clients always appreciate our work. Missed cell calls are common in the Hereford Zone, as well as inclement extreme weather conditions, Family matters that interfere with work schedules, work order changes that delay schedules, inspectors whose overburdened schedules leave Contractors hanging for days on end, and an ongoing demand for quality work at a fair price. We offer free estimates. Our Company profile indicates that we are small and prefer to keep it that way as a quality control measure. I could spend ¾ of any given work day on just returning calls, going on estimates, pricing and drafting estimates and scheduling work. That would leave me ¼ of the day to get the work done… There are currently 38 contractors who do what I do in the same area, yet this Angie’s List Member chose to rail me for not returning her calls. Logically, if you don’t receive the courtesy of a return call, maybe there is a rational explanation as to “why,” and most people would surmise a contractor must have a pretty good reason for not returning a call that could provide work to support his Family. Had I charged this Member for an estimate and never provided the same, did poor work or over-charged her, I would have to answer for the same. I am apparently guilty of not returning a call for a free estimate. We appreciate Angie’s List Members. They pay Angie’s List for a neighborhood network of referrals and reviews, not the contractors or other providers. Most are of the quality and caliper of being well researched and realistic in their expectations. This member found us on a list and likely called a dozen others as well. I took this time for every contractor who may not have the time to offer a random stranger a free estimate which would include an exchange of telephone calls, driving to a potential clients’ location, spending an hour or more with them discussing the project, returning to a computer after calculating labor, materials, scheduling, et cetera, communicating again with the potential client who could then simply reply, “No thank you, we are going with someone else.” That is part and parcel of the cost of doing business. What is not a cost driver for a contractor is someone’s failed expectations for a free estimate. Only Angie’s List Members can withdraw their reviews. If this Member has a modicum of respect for this forum, this negative review should be removed or left for others to judge.