Deck upgrades, some indoor painting
I hired Eugene in 2000 to do a variety of tasks: cleaning & staining deck, installing some glass, building some tables for the deck, and some indoor painting. The tables that he had built never lasted the winter. The stain bubbled up, and the wood was splitting.
I started calling Eugene in early spring 2001. I left him many, many, many messages (I think he had call display and was avoiding me) and he never called me back. The only time I spoke to him was when he actually picked up the phone. I managed to speak with him once and asked if he could replace the table tops by May, and he said no. He said to call him after his big job in October. So I waited and called him in October, and he again never called back.
I offered him all kinds of solutions in my messages including borrowing his sander, and me sanding off the bubbling stain myself. I said that he could take off the table tops now, and replace them later in better weather if he was busy with other projects. He never replied.
I called again in January 2002, and then gave up in the spring. I eventually hired another guy to replace all the table tops that I had already spent money on with Eugene.
I had kept these notes as I had intended to take Eugene to small claims court, but I just got so busy that I never followed through.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $3,000.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- Use quality products for appropriate use, and stand behind your work. Have some integrity, be accountable, and show some respect for your customers.
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Don't risk it. Don't use Eugene. If it goes bad, you'll be on your own and could spend even more money fixing his mistakes.