I can't be sure what's going on here, but it's one of three things: either there is *terrible* communication between owners Susan and Kevin (so the business is in a state of constant confusion), they knowingly lie to obtain and keep business, or something is truly wrong with them (memory / processing issues). Either way, this has been a deeply frustrating, nearly indescribable experience.
We received (4) estimates for the exterior of our home and awarded Kevin the contract. We were promised that the job would be completed within a month of the receipt of the contract which is why we chose him: important, because we shared that we needed to get our home on the market quickly. Kevin said it was just he and his wife: "She does the office stuff, I do all the work," he joked. This proved false, and they hire a team of contractors to do the work and are not onsite. Once the contract was accepted, I never saw Kevin again.
Kevin explained during his sales pitch that he was lead certified and that *he* would safely scrape and prep the existing cracked and peeling surfaces so that minimal dust was created, catching the chips as they go. He also stated that his wife is a designer, and she would be happy to come by to help me find the color choice I wanted. We walked around the home together discussing areas that were in bad shape.
I submitted our contract on Jun 12th, along with a photo of a home exterior I liked to begin the discussion about color choice. I then reached out a week later having received no confirmation or response. I received an email confirmation, but no discussion of color. I responded asking about this, and Susan responded (three days later) that she'd call me. She didn't.
It's been a particularly rainy summer, so I wasn't surprised when July 12th came and went with no work started on the exterior. A week after the original deadline I still hadn't heard anything, and contacted Kevin and Susan by phone and email expressing understanding about this due to weather, and inquiring when work would begin. Susan responded in a voicemail that, ironically, our project would begin the next day. I called back and upon identifying myself, stating that she'd *just* left me a message, explaining where my house was and that our project was next -- everything she'd just said -- she had NO idea who I was. On and on I explained, and she remained clueless for quite some time. Very bizarre.
Finally, she confirmed that her team was currently "putting finishing touches on a home, and planned to power wash ours the next day", Tuesday. I shared that I was leaving Tuesday morning, returning Thursday eve, for a business trip, and she said that she would need our colors before Thursday eve, as they'd be painting by Thursday morning. She asked if I wanted another short project put in front of ours to give me time, bumping back ours to the following Monday, and I told her, "No, it's so important that this gets completed. I'm willing to rush around." She said to send her my list of colors via email, and they'd see us the next day -- no problem.
I finally discussed her color advice with her during this call (she said she hadn't responded to my emails about color, all signed with my maiden and married name -- our contract attached -- because, again, she "didn't know who I was"?!). I asked for tips on the sage green I'd sent in a photo. When I reached the store, I found she'd given me a bunch of greys. So I chose the color on my own, rushing back and forth Monday night and Tuesday morning so our project could begin as stated. i heard nothing as the week progressed, so assumed all was proceeding as planned.
I arrived home Thursday night expecting an at least partially painted house. Instead, NOTHING had been done. Not even the washing, despite the fact weather had been perfect. I reached out an asked what was happening, expressing frustration that we were now two weeks behind "worst case scenario date" and that I rushed around to get colors for no reason. i emphasized, again, that we had a very important deadline of August 5th that needed to be met.
Susan called, argumentatively saying that I "most certainly didn't rush around -- I had had two months to pick colors and any rushing was my fault," (despite the fact that inquiries about color were ignored multiple times, and she was the one who put off color choices until the last minute). She also said that they never give exact dates they are arriving, and acted like I was completely making up the conversation I had had with her -- she supposedly had no recollection of it. Truly bizarre and so frustrating. She then said that they'd added "multiple buildings" to the project ahead of ours, which accounted for the delay. If "weather was good Friday and Saturday, they'd arrive at our house on Monday". They needed to give "good service to their current customer, and our good service would begin when they arrived at our home and we became a customer." (?)
Weather, again, was perfect. But Monday came and went. I called, and Kevin responded this time, telling me that again i was making up my conversation with Susan -- she would have never told me when they actually were coming: completely unapologetic and condescending. I can't capture the oddity of these conversations -- both genuinely act like they have no recollection of conversations had before. He reassured me that with the current schedule they would be done "well before August 5th", and they'd be to our home mid-week to ensure this. They were working on yet another house, and we were next. Again.
I contacted them Wednesday evening. Kevin called Thursday with another round of acting surprised i expected them. He said that, finally, they'd begin power washing that day. I posed concern that the project could be done on time at this point, especially since rain was almost guaranteed for two days, and he ensured he'd have a "large team" with him to prep and paint and, with so many men, would be done in two days.
One guy arrived to power wash. He had no ladder and was "done" with the whole place in just over an hour (including a consulation with me): cobwebs and dirt were still prominent. He inquired about specifics painting trim, etc., and I asked it I could tell him when he arrived the next day, wanting to get my husband's opinion. He said, "Tomorrow? We're not coming back until next week." August 3rd: Thunderstorms predicted.
I call and email. Again. Kevin returns the call, AGAIN acting like all previous conversations never happened, and saying condescendingly that " he is really frustrated with me -- I'm not happy with anything they do." He behaved confused, asking what I want from them. I explained, defeated, that I just want them to fulfill their contract. We're now nearly three weeks past the "worst case scenario" date from contract -- no work has begun. I chose them because they promised completion in one month. I simply want them to prep and paint the house like they've said so many times they will. And I'm stuck because we can't start over with another contractor, due to the minimum two month wait for our turn with them.
The conversation broke down. Kevin said they couldn't return the next day, because the power washing wouldn't be dry. He went on to explain that they, in fact, would have to finish up AFTER the deadline he'd previously ensured they'd be done "well before", and I told him this was truly unacceptable -- we'd have to cancel altogether. Kevin admitted that they'd put yet another "regular customer" ahead of me -- said he'd call the guy and bump his project back to next week. They would, in fact, arrive the next day. "You just said it can't be worked on tomorrow because it's wet f