CARMEL AUDIO & VIDEO

I'm not sure why people think Carmel Audio Video is so terrific, why they have such a positive brand reputation. While I was happy with their responsiveness and professionalism, I resented the fact that they were the only one of several A/V contractors to charge me ($185) for coming over and doing an initial evaluation. But I thought, that's okay -- at least I'll get a proposal out of it that I can use as a benchmark. But no. After a nice conversation of 1 to 1.5 hours, the Carmel Audio/Video engineer left, and after a few days I sent him my thoughts on what I thought we should do -- based on my conversations with him and others. About a week later, he sent me a "Preliminary Systems Design Budget" with a bulleted list that paralleled what I had emailed him, plus contained one big number at the bottom. When I asked for a more detailed breakdown, he replied that giving me an actual proposal would involve my paying more fees. I couldn't believe it. I decided they must have plenty of business if they can charge prospective clients to make proposals, so I went with another contractor who seemed to be more interested in my job. If you want a "known quantity" and are willing to pay the premium, go ahead. However, there are other good vendors out there.