Andrews Kitchens was contracted to replace our kitchen cupboards and counter-top in July 2007. The kitchen arrived from the supplier on time and everything was as we ordered it. The biggest problem is what seems to be a complete abdication of responsibility on the part of the owner. Good luck having them return a phone call after they have your money! They came to pick up a cheque very quickly, but when I call with a problem, they are "too busy" to respond.
1. The kitchen designer did not measure properly, and the crown moulding on the top of the cabinets would not fit as planned. So the installer had to fill some gaps with spare pieces of wood that are stained to match the cabinets. I believe he did his best, but it looks very odd and is not at all what we ordered. Friends and family who have seen the new kitchen have looked at it and asked "What happened there?" The owner's response is that it's not his fault, as it was the designer who made a mistake and no longer works there. I was not compensated for the mistake in any way - so I have paid full price for something that does not fit properly.
2. We had asked for maple cabinets, but the salesperson talked us into getting cherry because he said it was a stronger wood. We noticed that the store sample of cherry had some pitted marks that looked like flaws to us and asked whether these were indeed flaws or just a natural characteristic of the wood. He replied that they used a flawed piece for the sample, and that our new cabinets would not have these marks. Well, the new cabinets DO have these pits and marks in them. The installer told me that is a natural characteristic of cherry, and if we wanted a smoother finish, we should have ordered maple!
3. A bank of drawers and a corner cabinet were installed next to each other with no spacer or filler strip between them, and the cabinet door rubs up against the bank of drawers. It took almost 7 MONTHS (!!!) and several phone calls before the owner came to our house in February 2008 to take a look. He put a magnetic latch on the cabinet, but it made no difference. We still have a door and drawers rubbing together. Oh, and the cabinet door is no longer level.
4. One of the drawers is crooked and does not open and close properly. The owner looked at it in February and was not sure what the problem was. The installer came in March (almost 8 months after the installation). He determined that the drawer had been constructed incorrectly and was not perfectly square. He put a shim behind it, but it did not seem to do the trick, as the drawer is still crooked. In April and May, I have called a total of 5 times to ask that a new drawer be ordered. As of today's date (May 24), they have not ordered a new drawer. ("We've just been really busy" is the response.) If a new drawer is eventually ordered and installed, I will update this listing accordingly and indicate that this company did solve the problem.
5. I am now updating my review, as new drawers were ordered, and they were installed in the Fall. I was annoyed that it took so long, but it did happen, and everything seems fine now. My impression is that the owner will aim to improve in terms of follow-up on customer's problems from now on.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $9,500.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- Take responsibility instead of blaming others for problems. Return phone calls promptly.
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Talk to people who have used the company. Ask the designer about his background, training, etc. Always get a second opinion about design decisions.
- Company Response
I definately do not agree with some of the things that they are saying in this review, but after being in business for over 20 years, I have to admit, that there are some customers who you just can't keep happy, and unfortunately this was one. I appreciate that she has revised her opinion in the last paragraph, but unfortunately her bad score, makes my average score look bad. Please read the review after hers, and you will wonder how can someone get a 10 on one job, and a 2 on another. As other kitchen owners have stated, they don't put a lot of faith in the review system from Home Stars, as they seem to do absolutely nothing to verify any of the information, before they put these slanderous reviews on the internet. I invite anyone to call me directly, and I will gladly discuss this client, or any of our other projects. I would challenge anyone to contact the BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU directly about ANDREWS KITCHENS, and you will see that after 20 years in business, we do NOT have one single complaint about our company, and I am pretty DAM
proud of that!! I would put alot more faith in the Better Business Bureau, than this Home Star review system, which obviously do not adhere to any sort of standards, otherwise someone would have contacted me regarding this reviw. Business is tough, and sometimes the customer is NOT always right. Thank you. Al Andrew Plese feel free to contact me at any time at 905-820-1051