Surface Encounters

Our in-store experience with Melissa was great. She made herself available when we needed her and she gave us space when we needed it. We spent several hours making selections for our kitchen & bathroom countertops, sinks & faucets--often seeking her guidance. In that time, we made our selections and signed a (revokable) contract to have (initially just) the kitchen countertop and sink replaced. Our entire experience in the store was excellent!...so why did we not have Surface enCounters do our work? We have only been working with vendors that we choose after long, careful study of the information on Angie's List. For our countertops we had done the same but when we arrived (unannounced) at the countertop vendor's business who we had selected, the relatively small (not very attractive) building was closed and locked up tight (although it was during their published business hours AND an "open" sign was visibly displayed). We were within 20 minutes of Surface enCounters (who an Angie's LIst vendor, who was working in our home when we had left that afternoon, recommended and told us had just done a very good job for him). So we stopped by Surface enCounters (& obviously had a VERY good experience with them). BUT, when we got home and ultimately reviewed the Angie's LIst reviews for Surface enCounters, they did not meet our criteria. After considerable deliberation (and eventually making contact with our "preferred" vendor), we ultimately decided that we needed to cancel our Surface enCounter contract (as Melissa had advised we could do) and we went with the other vendor (who did meet all our expectations). The experience of canceling the contract also went very well. I informed Melissa (via email) that although the vast majority of Angie's List reviews AND our own experience in the Surface enCounters' showroom were very positive, there were a small (but still significant from our perspective) percentage who had run into problems that were not satisfied with the resolution (or lack thereof) AND we also didn't find Surface enCounters' response acceptable in several of those cases. Melissa responded promptly, professionally, and ideally. She accepted our decision, had already passed on our concerns, began the process of a refund, AND asked what Surface enCounters could do to still retain our business. Perfect response. We just replaced all our countertops with beautiful new granite in the home where I hope to live the rest of my life, BUT IF we ever need more new countertops and the provider we used this time is unavailable, I would immediately go back to Angie's List and see if Surface enCounters has improved their responses to customer concerns (in the eyes of the customer reviews AND in my analyses of Surface enCounter replies). We were very impressed with Surface enCounters and wish them well. Thank you, Melissa!

The price was about the same as the other company I contacted for an estimate. I chose Surface Encounters because they had the colors I wanted and were able to schedule installation quickly. At the time of installation we discovered a seam was placed in a location different from what we had specified. Although the seam was small, the shade of the granite was lighter on one side of the seam which made the seam stand out. In addition there was a crack in the granite near this seam. I spoke with 2 different people in customer service. After confirming my story with my sales person they agreed to replace the problem area - this was a 9 foot section made up of 2 pieces with a seam in the middle. They replaced it with a solid 9' section. I was surprised and delighted with how quickly the were able to correct this problem. The final product looks amazing. The one seam I have now is incredibly small and well hidden - you really have to know where it is to find it. The seam is much smaller than the seam in the granite I had installed by a different company 2 years ago. Even with the problem, the entire process was quick and easy and the end result is great.

Great salesperson, great service people and great follow up!

They were great from start to finish. Arrived on time to start the job, removed old countertops easily and put new granite on. It looks wonderful. We now have an under mount sink and touch faucet, along with the new top. Everything went smoothly. I recommended to my friend and she has now replaced her countertops.

Overall, very professional installation. Read above.

Started well, especially since we purchased our upstairs kitchen countertops from them (great experience). After we received the initial quote, my wife met with our saleperson to discuss options and other granite and received our quote. The next time we went together to Surface Encounters to finialize our purchase, our saleperson wasn't there and the price seemed to change slightly, so we left to wait for our saleperson. we came back a second time and our saleperson wan't there and someone else updated our quote which was also higher, we told them we were quoted $45 per sq ft, he went back in and via a couple of cuts (that were originally included) he matched his new pricing. In the end, we decided to go with another company for this job.

They did a really good job and I liked the crew and saleswoman.

I went to Surface Encounters for replacing the Kitchen Countertop with Granite Countertops in July 2013. They gave me a quote during the visit. After a few days of shopping around for prices/schedule data, I settled with Surface Encounters primarily because of schedule. Their quote was not the lowest, but was generally lower than othe quotes by $100-$500. The Installation took place in August 2013. I think the replacement went very well without a problem and on schedule. The sales consultant and the installers were very courteous and knowledgeable. When I saw the finished counterop, I thought the cosmetic appeal of the product was not very good (workmanship and installation were stil good, just the granite itself). They had just 1 or 2 colors in my price range so I was forced to go with this color. All said and done, the product looks some what low end. But I needed this upgrade quick in order to sell my house. (which has not sold incidentally after 6 months on the market). My main complaint is about the company's truth in advertising (or lack there of). Every month they send advertising material that claim the price is $25-$29/sq. ft Installed. In fact seeing this advertisement again in the recent mail was what reminded me to submit this review. My countertop is about 67 sq. ft, so I planned on spending $1800-$2000 total. But when I got to the company I was told there were all kinds of mandatory charges for cutting, installing, sealing etc, and additional costs for removal of existing counter top, plumber fees, gas technician fees etc. They did not even honor the and quot;free under mount sinkand quot; or and quot;free edgingand quot;offered in the advertisements. The final price came to over $50/sq ft, which is a far cry from the advertised $25/sq ft. I compared costs with other companies and find that the total cost was within +/- 5% of other quotes. I reluctantly went with Surface Encounters because they were the only one that could do the job in 4-5 weeks. I understand that some of these charges are legitimate and it is not possible to get granite countertops for $25/sq ft. But people don't go around buying countertops often. Usually it is a one time purchase. So the company cannot expect customers to be and quot;educatedand quot; and expect these additional costs. When the advertisement says $25-29/sq ft Installed, and the final bill comes to about $50/sq ft installed (for the most basic product and no upgrades), there is some thing wrong here. So my suggestion to Surface Encounters management is to stop advertising false rates. If your cost is really going to be miniumum $50/sq ft then say so in the advertisement. That is what other companies do.

We started out by going to the Surface Encounter Showroom, there were many different samples to choose from. There is a wide variety fo colors, patterns and price ranges. After making our selection, the order was written up and a 50% deposit was put down. The process of what was to happen next was explained to us in detail. The next business day, Surface Encounters called to arrange for a man to come to the house and take the measurements for the countertop. There was a couple of weeks wait for the installation, as the countertop was made to order at another one of Surface Encounters locations. In the meantime , an installation date was set. The day of the install, two men showed up and went to work, they set the countertop and installed the two sinks (that I had bought from another source). I might add here that if you have additional work for them to do (like removing old countertops and such, there will be an extra charge). Then they drilled the faucet holes in the countertop to fit the faucets (also from another source). After that the backsplash pieces were installed and the whole countertop was sealed. They were very efficient and the whole job was done in about an hour and ahalf. They cleaned up and left everything as if they were never there. Overall the whole experience of working with Surface Encounters was a positive one. The only reason for the C on Punctuality is that on the day of the install they ran late by about 4 hours. Luckily it was on a Saturday, so I wasn't missing work. I would recommend Surface Encounters and would be inclined to use their services again.

The process went well. There was a small problem with the kitchen counter tops and they came out and fixed the problem the same. Day One issue was the opening for the stove wasn't quite wide enough and an issue with the cabinet and how the cabinet was positioned beneath the granite. They fixed these issues in about a half an hour. We worked with Melissa in the sales process of this and Steve and John, the two installers, were very knowledgeable and responsive and did a great job on the granite seams. I was very happy with them and would also recommend their services to others.

They arrived punctually and installed the counter tops diligently and professionally. I was skeptical they would fit after the laser measurement and the dropped right in. They were leveled and sealed, new sink installed and faucet holes drilled. There was a small issue with the end of ledge above the faucet that over hung too far. I marked it with tape and they removed it, trimmed and polished it outside perfectly and re-installed. I'm very happy with the installation, look, and quality.

We are still working out some issues but otherwise the company has been very good to work with in getting our minor issues resolved.

We worked with Melissa. She was great and easy to work with. Ultimately we ended going with another provider that had a relationship in place with our builder. In the future I would not hesitate to work with them. I rate them a B on price because the whole 1/2 off granite really ends up not being 1/2 off once you add in cuts, sinks, installation, etc. They ended up being a little cheaper than the competition by about 5-7% which is no where close to the advertised 50% off.

The final decision was between this company and one other. We chose the other based upon significantly higher Angie's List ratings/comments. However the way this company handled our business was beyond reproach and we would have given them the business if we had not been able to negotiate a better price with the company we finally chose.

We first went to Surface Encounters on 3/17 to and quot;lookand quot; at granite. We were so impressed by Melissa we put in a deposit so we could and quot;thinkand quot; about it a bit longer. We started scheduling the measurements at the end of May and had it installed on 6/12. We are very happy with the installers who were prompt, polite, and efficient. The counters are now gorgeous and we couldn't be happier!

Original install Oct 2012...Everything went well... Very professional. On time. Person who took measurements made suggestion that were very helpful and enhanced the appearance. Counter top cut and fit was very exacting against walls. No gaps... Laser measurement is only way to go... Needed minor adjustment June 2013... Crew was very polite efficient and knowledgeable for adjustment....Company was very helpful and responsive...

We ran into several issues with install. 1. Installer broke granite 2. Back splash broke 3. Delivery truck broke down 4. Edge not polished as promised 5. Customer service not very responsive.

I found them to be affordable and incredibly efficient. They did everything they said they were going to do and it was a one stop shop.

They were scheduled to arrive between 10 and 2. They did not show up until 5:30. There was no communication initiated by Surface Encounters. We finally called them at about 3:00. After a second call, we were informed they had had earlier problems and would be late. I expressed concern about a and quot;rushand quot; job since it was a Friday. I was assured that would not happen. Finally, the installer called to say they would arrive by 5:30. They did. It appeared that they did not rush but toward the end (10:00 pm) there seemed to be some reluctance about doing the finish work. This was rushed and incomplete. The plumber showed up on time Saturday morning and did a great job. He evened allowed me to go obtain a replacement disposal which appeared quite worn. On Monday, we complained about the substandard caulking and damaged area under the window behind the sink. They did seem concerned and promised that the plumber would return and correct the problems. HE DID AND DID AN EXCELLENT JOB! However, the lack of communication on the day of the install and resulting problems prevent us from giving an A rating. But because they addressed our concerns, we would use them again.

The overall experience was good. We went to the showroom to look at granite choices. Luke helped us there, and after we got back to him with measurements, he immeidately emailed us a quote. After we agrreed on the price, he scheduled to have someone come out an do laser measurements. Once the measurements were done, he ordered materials. 2 weeks later, everything was installed. Overall, from the time we initally went into the showroon, until the project was complete, was just over 3 weeks. We are happy with our ugrades.

Installers were very careful and professional. Product is excellent! Everything looks great and I would recommend them to others.

They have a great showroom with very helpful salesman. They are very quick and were able to complete the job in a timely manner. Their pricing and quotes were cheaper than the others I received.

We were very impressed with Steve's courtesy and professionism when he first came in to measure the countertop, so we specifically request him for the installation. Indeed, Steve and his partner John did a fanstatic job. They were very careful and efficient, paying attention to minute details. Steve keeps telling me that he is proud of his work and will not put together something that he would not want in his own house. They kept the drilling dust to the minimum during installation and even cover up things that I forgot to avoid contamination. We were very happy with the result and would recommend them to anyone.

They were very good. They were prompt in coming out and measuring and then completing the installation. We are very happy with the granite and the price was very good. We had a few quotes and they were the best price.

Decided to upgrade countertops and stopped at the showroom in Noblesville. Very impressive big slabs of granite. We were given samples of three varieties, but when comparing prices elsewhere, the stone that we chose was less expensive at another place.