Empire Today®

It wnet as smooth as we hoped for. Pleasant workers and we could not have been more pleased with the end result.

The sales person was prompt, very thorough and was able to answer all our questions. Everything was explained to us so we knew exactly what to expect. The installers were on time, had everything needed to do the job contracted for and completed their work on time. There were no surprises. When finished, the installers cleaned up after themselves. Their workmanship was excellent.

After a false start (the street is unmarked), the sales call went better-than-expected. My credit rating only allowed about $5700 of financing (prior bankruptcy), whereas the bill was supposed to be around $9500 for the total job. Steve (the sales rep) pulled some strings, sacrificed his commission, and was able to bring the price down to $5800 (I put $100 on my creditcard). Steve was very pleasant and personable, and treated me (who is disabled with Multiple Sclerosis) with the respect I deserve. I was more than pleased with his handling of the project, as I was with the installers. The installation (next day) went smoothly, and the cleanup was superb. I was informed about proper cleanup of my new flooring (I ordered a Swiffer Wetjet), so overall, the entire project was professional, pleasant, and my new flooring is elegant and beautiful!

A nice woman came out and spent about 4 hours talking with us and measuring our house and showing us carpets. Very friendly! The initial quote she gave use was for 7000 after we told her we were having some sticker shock she contacted her "manager" who told her he could offer us a 2000 discount... in hindsight we really should have continued negotiating but we needed to get the carpet done in a short timeline and couldn't wait for the carpet to be ordered as other places we talked with had indicated could take several weeks. The subcontractors who came out and installed the carpet for Empire were great and did a terrific job and paid attention to details. Overall, if you have time you can probably get a better price and better quality carpet elsewhere or from Empire is you continue to bargain with them. But we are very happy with the new carpet in our house even if we feel we overpaid.

Everything was great with the installation. The installers were very professional, very friendly and helpful. The sales person that I talked to was also very helpful and friendly. They were willing to work with me on the price.

Empire Today was very efficient and did a wonderful job on our floors, both in carpet and laminate. I would highly recommend them to my friends and family. In fact my mother is law has already used their services as well and was very happy with how her house turned out. They tore up all the old flooring and took everything away so we didn't have to worry about it. Our floors look beautiful now thanks to Empire. Plus we got a bid one weekend and the scheduled our service the very next weekend.

The sales lady was nice and helpful when we were deciding what carpet to buy. The installers called before showing up on installation day so we were prepared for them. The installers worked hard all day and took away the old carpet so we didn't have to deal with that. We had a great carpet buying experience and would use them again.

When we first moved into our house, one of the first things we noticed was the flooring. We knew we'd replace it someday, but didn't see the necessity until the birth of our son. Now that he's mobile, it was time. We've seen Empire's catchy commercials. Our call to schedule an estimate was quick and easy. Paul Wickswat, our Empire salesman, showed up 15 minutes early! That was a nice treat. He was not only very professional and courteous, but was extremely knowledgeable about the products and services Empire had to offer. Since this was a huge decision to make, Paul was very patient with the time my husband and I took in decided what we truly wanted. We didn't feel pressured at all; in fact, it was nice that he took his time with us. Thanks to Paul, we knew we were off to a great start with Empire. We were scheduled for installation on 3/16/11, with possible carry over onto the 17th. On the 16th, we were given the standard show-up time "between 8am and 6pm"; but, my husband and I were amazed when the crews were there by 8am! Because the kitchen needed to get done first and there was a lot of movement going on in the house, the carpet crew decided they'd come back afterwards. My husband supervised the whole installation while I was at work. After the kitchen was completed, he said the crew worked very professionally and thoroughly cleaned up after themselves. The carpet crew returned a couple hours after the kitchen floor was done. By then, it was late afternoon. We weren't sure how much the carpet crew would get done, if any. But, again, to our surprise, the crew was willing to start and finish the job that day . . . provided we didn't mind them working late. My husband and I were anxious to get this done, so we agreed without hesitation. Empire truly offers A+ rated customer service and quality products. They work with their customers to ensure the experience goes way above and beyond satisfaction. We absolutely love our new kitchen floor and new carpet!

I had used them once before for hardwood. They said because of the pet stains on the carpets we had to apply a sch-lack because the stains would come through the new carpet. They advised us to wear a high-quality masks because the fumes were so high. We cut off half the house and sent our daughter out of the house and worked for 2 days to pull everything up and then rolled white sealant over the floors to be covered with the carpet. The smell was very intense. Empire did not make us do it but recommended it. Come to find out when we pulled the carpet up the floor was very warped from the previous owner's dog, that had soaked the floors to the point of mold. Empire came in and put in all new carpet with great techs. We have no seams. They are very affordable. We compared their prices to other companies and they had a better price and better quality. We worked with the same guy for a long time. Overall they do a good job and we would use them again.

I requested bids from three flooring installers, two were near the top of Angies List in my area, and Empire at my wifes request. I read several Angies list reviews before the appointment, so that helped a great deal. Thank you, all. What I liked: The bid was given immediately. Misunderstandings of what I wanted were corrected immediately. They seem to have good laminates and did have good vinyl. They only had polyester carpet, it was OK, but in the end I got a better deal on nylon carpet elsewhere. What I did not like: The bid took 6 hours. After showing me the quote, he showed me his worksheet, but implied he probably shouldn't. They would not give me copy of the quote (said it was free, so they did not have to give it to me). I took notes. They contract with major companies to make products for them, then relable them to "Empire" products. This makes it harder for the consumer to compare and research. We found the same vinyl mat because of the unique label on the bottom. Lastly price: The original quote was for $17,500. They wanted to know what would make me sign "today" and not wait for the other quotes to be completed. I said $7500 would do that. They came back with 12,500. I certainly do not like that they can just make $5000 go away in a few seconds. They would have been pleased to take that money from me. I signed with Angies #1 in my area for $10,400. Go Angies List!

We have used Empire in the past for some rental properties. So we gave them a call for a bid on a carpet install on our new home. The salesman showed up on time and was very pleasant. He measured and went over options, and gave us a price quote that was far over our budget. We told him we'd have to wait a while on the project. He got on his phone and called his manager and got the price cut in half (!). We accepted the bid and the carpet was installed within a week. The installers (third party subcontractors) showed up at 7:20am, while the window for installation didn't start until 8am. We weren't living in the house yet--so this required some scrambling after the installers left a message saying, "If you aren't here in 10 minutes, we are leaving". We had to race out to the house. After this, the installation went fine, and the product looked good and was professionally done. SO, two things--First, I don't like that the company was essentially over-quoting on the first try. Tell me how much the product is, and I'll take it or leave it. I know that there is a psychological benefit to giving people a "50% discount", but now I feel like I've been overcharged on previous installations. How do I know that I am being treated fairly by you? Second, if your installers show up early, and the customer isn't there, that is too bad for the installers. They should wait for the installation time window to start before being pushy. Open up your installation window if you have to, to account for a 7am install--but I don't like being threatened with a reschedule just because your installers showed up early. That said, I am happy with the price and product. And will likely give Empire another try--but I certainly won't take the first bid that is offered ever again.

We needed to get carpet installed quickly in order to put our house on the market. We shopped the big box home improvement stores as well as a couple local companies, and also contacted Empire as their ads indicated they could install next day. After calling them we set up an appointment for the salesperson to come the next morning. He was very nice and professional, but the prices were extremely high. When we protested, he got on the phone with his manager and cut the prices to nearly 1/2 but it was still much higher than the competition. Although they were nice, it seemed like a sales process like buying a car. The Empire salesperson also told us no one else could install it when we needed it, and that was not true. We ended up going with a local company they had a great price and did a great job.

Extremely dissatisfied with installation and subsequent customer service. Response from local office included lies about sending an "inspector" out, then the same installers came out telling me why he couldn't do it right! Delayed response from the customer service manager. Gaps in carpet at baseboard, not due to height of baseboard. ie it looks ok at one spot, then not at another. Stair installation is terrible. Paid for "Hollywood" tuck, only for installer to tell me he couldn't do it. Then, gaps at wall on some stairs, not on other. Razor knife cuts in baseboard approximately 60 LF. Installer did not offer strips at carpet to tile connection. Uneven spots in hall carpet with bumps protruding higher. Two realtors pointed out numerous defects. Talked with general manager Bill Wood and asked for a full refund. He offered to re-install the stair carpet with wood trim, that we were originally told was not available from the sales agent. He sent his installation manager Rob Hale out with a crew who tried to repair the short carpet in the bedrooms. Some areas were not fixed to my satisfaction. They said the hall carpet and stair carpet would need to be replaced. The lead installer Johnnie told me it was not normal to have razor knife cuts in the baseboard, as was done during this installation. The installation manager called to schedule an appointment to fix the stairs and hall, but said that Bill Wood said there would be an additional $400 charge for labor and materials. He then offered the same "Bullnose" installation we settled for that the original installer said couldn't be done. He also said they would replace the baseboard, but they didn't have the right size and would have to use a different oversize baseboard. This is an unacceptable installation at top dollar price with customer service that includes lies and price gouging.

They were too expensive. They double everybody else. We have used them in the past for other rooms and they were a little more reasonable and more negotiable. They didn't want to negotiate at all and they didn't want to match other bids, so I went with somebody else. They did come on time and brought samples. I would give them another shot at an estimate.

They arrived at 9am and stayed and finished it the same day (till 10pm!). The two guys did a great job and worked very hard throughout the day. To be young again!!! My experience with the sales lady and the installers was A+++ and would rate them both higher if it was available. I have absolutely nothing to complain about...very happy and great price to boot!

They had extremely high pressure sales tactics. She wasn't very knowledgeable about stuff. I specifically asked for pet-friendly carpet and she gave me a product which was totally unrelated.

Everything went great. The people who installed went the extra mile and made sure that everything was really nice. It was fine.

Very fast and hard working crew. Communication was difficult because the installers did not speak English, but they had been briefed beforehand and got right to work. The woman who actually sold the carpet to me came to the house asap and gave me lots of help with deciding which carpet was best for me.

The response time for an in home estimate was good. My problem with the company is that the sales lady that came first quoted a price of over $10,000. After I said that was way too much (I have an eight hundred and fifty foot cottage. And did not want flooring all the way through the house). She called her boss and said through some specials she could get the price down to around $6,500. I told her I would get back to her the next day and as she was leaving she said "I hope you being sincere and not messing with me.". Why can't a business quote an honest price the first time.. I felt like I was dealing with a used car salesman. They would not even tell me the company that manufactured the floor. I called the next day and declined the offer. Afterwards doing some research I purchased flooring from Lowe's (A high quality Armstrong product) and had installation by an independent contractor at a cost of $5,500. Big difference and no pressure. If you have the money and need fast installation this company may be for you. As for me a very bad taste in my mouth.

Empire came out to give us an estimate, but we decided to go with another provider because Empire's price seemed REALLY high, much higher than we'd expected, and about a third more expensive than the other estimates we received. Based on cost alone, I wouldn't recommend Empire. That said, they're very professional in a big-corporate-sales kind of way.

The sales rep was prompt and thorough. The installed arrived on time. He pulled his tool cart across my cream carpet which was not good. He installed the base with the seams in the middle of the wall. I asked that the sub-floor be screwed down to eliminate squeaks...but he was afraid he would hit plumbing so did not proceed as requested. I called the Install Manager and he sent someone out to take a look. He agreed the squeaks should have been eliminated and seams should not be in the center of the wall. He fixed the problem. Most of the squeaks are now gone. I am disappointed that it took many phone calls and emails plus three trips to solve the problem. I wish it had been done correctly the first time.

I loved the person that came out to my home. I have not made any decision at this point on going forward with the project.

They were very punctual and professional however their selection seemed very limited to one or two name brands only and not necessarily the best based on my internet research. They make you lock in a price/date of work and you have 24 hours to cancel with no penalty. This is what I did so that I wouldn't lose my quote or place in line. They were running one of their specials at the time (buy one room, get one free). After getting another estimate, I decided to cancel theirs. The quality of products to choose from was greater with the flooring store I went to and the price was better as well. I liked the idea that a flooring store will have more responsibility for their installers than a large company like Empire. I also like being able to walk into a store and deal with the manager if there's a problem down the line. I also didn't like their pushiness and requirement to "lock-in" my quote.

Excellent! The quality is terrific. We absolutely love the cordless honeycomb shades as they are so easy to use. All of Empire's employees performed great customer service. Bill even made a follow up call to make sure we were happy with everything. We wholeheartedly recommend them.

They came out when we called them. They had all kinds of carpet samples. They measured and told us exactly how much it would be. They were pretty flexible. They took out the trim and moldings around the wall and the baseboard, and scheduled us. We had to wait for a week or two at times to do some painting in the bedroom. They had also cleaned up after themselves. They did a good job overall. I liked everything they did.