Barney's Handyman Service

"Thanks for the great review! I miss many of my Bay Area clients, and you and your wife (I think Angie's List redacts proper names) are at the top of that list. I look forward to seeing and working with you next time I'm in town."

"Thank you so much for the glowing review! It's been wonderful working with you over the past few years and I look forward to helping with whatever I can every time I return to the Bay Area."

"Thank you so much for the great review! It's been a while and I'm very glad to hear you're happy with all the work I'd done. I'm now in San Diego but returning to the Bay Area occasionally to continue helping some of my best clients, so please let me know if you'd like me to contact you next time I'm up to see if there's anything on your list."

"Thanks for the great review! I'm glad you're satisfied with everything and it's always a pleasure working with you both. And thanks, again, for the gift basket and chairs. They really fit and look great in my "new" apartment. Hope to see you next time I'm in the Bay Area!"

"Thanks for the wonderful review! It'[Member Information Removed] always a pleasure working with you and your family, and I look forward to seeing you to paint the office when I'm up in the Bay Area again. I still can't believe how quickly you settled into your new home! And please let me know if you'd like me to replace a couple of those light fixtures you weren't too fond of. (I know, that'[Member Information Removed] an understatement...)"

"Thanks for the wonderful review! It is a great pleasure working with you."

"The down-side of being swamped with business (much of it being the great clients from Angie's List) is that occasionally something slips through the cracks. This client's estimate for some cabinet work after the first project was completed was one of those things. As a former marketing professional with lots of customer service experience it really bothers me when that happens, but as a very busy sole proprietor wearing many hats, sometimes it's unavoidable. I hope to be able to make it up to this client, as I really enjoyed working with him."

"Thanks for the wonderful review! It was a pleasure working with you and I hope to do so again in the future."

"I appreciate the great review. Thanks! It was nice meeting and working with you and I hope we can schedule a time to finish the rest of the projects soon."

"It was a pleasure working with this client and I appreciate the positive feedback. I hope we can work together again in the future!"

"First, I apologize for the length of this response. I take my reputation very seriously and want to be as thorough as possible. It's important to note that I admit that this project, which I thought would be fairly simple and straightforward, went poorly and took far too much time. I seemed to encounter one complication or difficulty after another. For that, some criticism is absolutely appropriate. But while I welcome fair, balanced, honest and helpful reviews, even when they're not positive, I can't help but feel a little slighted by this one. It does not mention that all of the other projects turned out very well and, as far as I'm aware, to the client's complete satisfaction. The review also fails to mention that I offered not to bill for significant blocks of time for "research," time working, shopping for the correct hardware, getting advice from cabinetry professionals and time I felt was just generally not well spent. (I may be misreading it, but the quotations around, "busy," and, "research," seem to imply I wasn't being forthcoming.) Additionally, I have yet to be paid for any of my time since the first projects were completed, including for materials I purchased out-of-pocket. As for my punctuality, I do occasionally encounter unexpected or unavoidable delays traveling from my home in Berkeley, to the City, but I always notify my clients and offer an updated ETA. I have been extremely busy lately and am sometimes unable to be as responsive as I'd like - and my clients deserve. However, on at least two occasions we were unable to move forward on this project because questions I'd posed in emails had gone unanswered. The client's frequent work travel also made coordinating with my unusually busy schedule especially challenging. Most concerning, however, is that this review seems to call into question my integrity, the veracity of my overwhelmingly positive reviews and my excellent reputation and work ethic. The reference to reviews on my business's Facebook page is also somewhat misleading. A 4.4 out of 5 average rating isn't bad, but it would be 5 without a few (so far, inexplicable) illegitimate reviews. Of 16 reviews, those four are from people with whom I have never had any contact nor done any business, whatsoever - which is explained there. The couple of reviewers who have responded to my requests for an explanation said they had no recollection of providing the review and removed it. Like everyone, I make mistakes. When I do, I admit it, try to make it right, and adjust my billing accordingly - whether or not that is noticed or requested by the client. I think it's unfair to imply that the unfortunate issues with this one project represents the norm, rather than an obviously rare exception. In the end, I do appreciate that this client gave me the opportunity to work with him and am sorry that the one project didn't go as planned. I hope we can arrange for me to at least be reimbursed for materials and some of my time, and I wish him the best of luck finding a handyman who better suits his needs"