
Empire Today
About us
Empire Today®, Makes Beautiful New Floors Easy. Call 877-733-9131 for Carpet, Laminate, Hardwood, Vinyl, or Tile flooring. Empire is the easiest way to get the best value and a professional experience. Call 877-733-9131 to Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate and samples will be brought right to your home. Get professional room measurements and an all-inclusive price estimate. We offer professional installation when you want it around your schedule. Empire’s convenient shop-at-home service and professional installation let you skip the hassles of home improvement store shopping. We carry quality name brand floors from industry leading brands. Because of our national footprint and manufacturer relationships, Empires great prices include your floor, installation, materials, and more. Empire Today is dedicated to customer satisfaction and has been a leading provider of installed home improvements and home furnishings for over 55 years. Call 877-733-9131 NOW to schedule your FREE In-Home Estimate. For more information, visit EmpireToday.com.
Business highlights
Services we offer
Hardwood, Laminate, Update Services Offered to: Empire Today offers quality, Vinyl, get professional room measurements and an all-inclusive price estimate. Plus, name brand Carpet, or Tile Flooring. Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate by calling 877-799-9131. Shop from the comfort of your home, we’ll professionally install around your schedule. Empire Today is dedicated to customer satisfaction and has been a leading provider of installed home improvements and home furnishings for over 55 years.
Amenities
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
---|---|---|
56% | ||
9% | ||
4% | ||
11% | ||
20% |
"Dear customer, this is not the experience that we wish for our customers, and we sincerely apologize for yours and your mother's experience. We'll be further reviewing your concerns, thank you."
"Dear Customer, Your feedback is valuable to us, and we thank you for sharing!"
"Dear Customer, Thank for sharing your experience. We are happy to know that your overall experience was a positive one, and we hope that you are enjoying the new look and feel of your home. Thank you."
We purchased flooring from Empire today based off false promises from the salesman and installer of the flooring. Our house is on a slab foundation and the sub-floor has some uneven spots that we specifically addressed with these 2 individuals. We asked if we should fix the issue before installation. We were assured by the salesman that the installer would determine if they needed to be leveled out before installation and would take care of it if needed. The installer said it was not needed and that we could call customer service if we ever had problems with it sagging and it would be covered under the 30 year warranty. The salesman also told us in his sales pitch that the laminate we were looking at was better than tile (which we were considering) because if we dropped a heavy pan on it and broke the floor then it was covered under warranty. Well, it was all a pitch and all lies because when we call 4 years later with settling issues, we were told that that kind of issue is an installer issue and only has a 1 year warranty (this was never mentioned when we were purchasing). We also asked about the pot issue and they said no...that would not be covered either. Their offer was to replace the floor for us at a great price. Really?! So the solution is for me to pay more? No...that is not an acceptable solution based off the promises we were made. This is false advertising from what we thought was an A+ company. We are very disappointed.
Jan 8, 2016: "I sat down with Empire Today's salesman, Sean Owen and decided to go with their 50/50/50 deal for installation of laminate floors in my master bedroom and office. After researching several other local companies, I believe this 50/50/50 deal is a scam. My fault for not searching prior to going with this awful company. They were still more expensive than other quotes. With that said, the company arrived on a cold January 2016 day. Two of the three Mexican workers did not speak English. Therefore, it made it difficult to communicate at the onset. They kept leaving my front door open after asking them to close the door multiple times. In addition, the electric saw was just outside the front door and was extremely loud. After the work was nearly done, the English speaking worker came to me and said they did not have enough boards. I was flabbergasted. I immediately called Sean and he said, "I have some personal contacts and I will call you back." It has been several days and no one from Empire Today not even Sean has called me! Not one! Not even the salesman. This shows how much they DO NOT care about their customers and how they only care about getting their money. Today, I receive an automated appointment via email and that I am scheduled for completion this Saturday! I won't be here and it is a "noreply" email! Now, for their work. The quarter round work was awful. One section of quarter round came to a "point??!!" The transition boards were awful. There were gaps and overcuts. Here is what they did. They filled the transition board gaps with white caulk! Unbelievable! They left my bedroom door dirty with their black gloves and dirty hands. It was awful. Never ever use Empire Today due to their salesman's lack of professionalism and their workers lack of English speaking workers and more importantly, the extremely poor craftsmanship. It just goes to show that companies like this boast about they have been in business for so many years and great customer service - NOT! NEVER AGAIN Empire Today! And, all of my facebook family and friends will know! I will use the power of social media!"
Update Jan 12, 2016 (also see review on Yelp dot com): Sean the salesman has yet to this day ever call me back (POS). On Jan 11th, I spoke with JT (customer service) and told her not to send out the same crew since they did a bad job and left my front yard dirty with saw dust and pieces of wood flooring. She spoke with the installation manager and they said they would send a different crew out on Jan 12th. On the morning of Jan 12th, I receive a call from the same crew! OMG! I told them not to come out and I called JT back. The installation manager John Judge wanted to talk to me and he wanted me to take a third day off from work so he could find another crew! Ridiculous! He did not want to spend extra money to gather up a new crew. This just goes to show you how they do not care about their customers. No problem making a client lose wages from being out of work for 3 days due to their unprofessionalism, terrible customer service and complete lack of respect. If you have any intelligence whatsoever and have read this, I will only have to say that you are an idiot if you use Empire Today.
Update: 1/28/16: Empire Today never called me back after their response on 1/8/16. This just goes to show their total lack of care and lip service they will type in on a review and then tell consumer affairs that this has been settled. They got their money and are moving on. From the top down, CEO Keith Weinberger of Northlake IL, sales people and customer service, they are dishonest, uncaring false professionals. So for the readers out there, all they want is your MONEY! And, you are paying for their TV commercials and false advertisements. DO NOT USE "EMPIRE TODAY!" DO NOT USE EMPIRE TOMORROW! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
"We regret that all of your concerns have not yet been addressed, and we understand your frustration. We will be contacting you shortly to discuss any unresolved issues and work towards a resolution. You can also reach us at [email protected]. Thank you."
"Thanks for taking the time to share your experience! We’re glad that your installation went well and that you’re happy with the finished product. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns. Enjoy the new look and feel of your home! Jeanette Ramey, National Customer Service Manager"
I paid $5,700.00 for my carpet and vinyl tile from Empire Today. My sales rep roped me in by telling me if I wasn't happy within a day of install- they would "come back and rip it up...but hopefully you wont do that". The entire install was to be done on Thursday 12/4. So I took 2 vacation days on 12/3 to prep and 12/4 for install. I am a single female who lives alone and I had alot of things to move.
While the carpet was being installed on 12/4, I received a call from another Empire employee about the tile- who stated they had no idea I was getting carpet layed and they couldn't do it that day! Very upset, I took a third vacation day and missed 2 important events at work. They were to show at 8 on Friday. They showed at 9:30 and forgot the requested transition pieces. Those transition pieces were ordered by my sales rep the day before. I requested the grout line to be larger than what they showed me. So they started and I stayed downstairs. Near the end I came up and the grout was thin and the wrong color. I immediately told them this was wrong. I called my sales rep who came over 30 minutes later. He brought his color samples in and confirmed on phone with another Empire employee the color was wrong. I also showed him where the transition pieces had been installed, that the carpet was bunched up and bubbled. He then made another appointment to that employee over the phone for 8 Saturday morning. I told him I didn't have a 4th vacation day and they would need to be gone by 11:30. He stated it would be quick.
Saturday I woke up and they never showed! I finally called, and the Installation dept. had no idea they were supposed to show up- their own employee had made the appt! So...there went my opportunity to have my floor "ripped up" within a day of installation. They failed to comply with their own promise by failing to even show up within their stated time frame. I am very disappointed with my floor and wish I had used someone else who could give me the grout width and color I asked for.
Fortunately the other two workers who did my carpet were great, on-time and hard workers. They should get commendations. Unfortunately I will not recommend Empire Today to friends or family. An expensive venture turned wrong. I was so excited to have my house looking good, I had saved up money for my down payment and financed the rest. I don't have any more options- since they won't help. Every employee I have been passed around to stated they can not help me any further with my requests.
"We appreciate [member name removed] contacting us regarding her concerns, and we have been in contact with her about this matter. We regret the delays in the completing the installation and any inconveniences that occurred as a result. The installation has been completed properly according to industry standards, so we are not able to remove the floor and reinstall with wider grout lines. We have offered change the grout color, as the customer states it is incorrect. We look forward to reaching an amicable resolution with the customer."
EMPIRE CARPET ? CHARLOTTE, NC SERVICE AREA
This branch of Empire Today which serves a large area surrounding Charlotte, NC seems to have serious issues with their installation department. The products we chose have been as promised but that is where it ends. The actual installations have been sloppy and sub-par. There have been many attempts to correct the work but every time it was only made worse. The installation department as a whole seems to be very disorganized, i.e. sending installers without the correct materials for the job, sending the wrong installers for a specific job, setting appointments that nobody shows up for or are extremely
late, not returning phone calls in a timely manner when promised, and fabricating stories as they need. We endured
numerous repair appointments, with each one consuming an entire day, only to be left with the same problem (or worse), plus damages and a huge mess. With each appointment, we spent a considerable amount of time preparing for, moving furniture ahead of time, waiting for installers, and cleaning up after each one. We ended up making concessions and settling for less than what we were promised each time, just to have this over with. And even then, although it has been a full 6 months and the repairs are still incomplete. We have used other Empire locations in the past with good results but apparently this location has lower standards and does not stand up to their advertising. IF, after reading this, a person decides to use Empire Today anyway, pay by any credit card other than theirs, that way when you are left disappointed, you will be able to put the entire transaction in dispute and your credit card company will withhold payment to Empire until everything is settled to your satisfaction. BUYER BEWARE!
UPDATE - August 5, 2014 - Empire has not contacted me since I declined to sign a release/non-disclosure. The release was allowed Empire to pay us a small sum relieving them of any and all responsibility, liability and warranty. The non-disclosure section would prevent me from ever discussing the situation. It was not about money, nor was it our intent to high jack them for money, we just wanted the work/repairs completed as they agreed. We paid up front in full as we agreed.
UPDATE - February 6, 2015 - Regarding Jeanette Remey's response dated July 14, 2014. Empire has not contacted us regarding any of the above complaints. There has never been any resolution. We are well past the 1 year warranty, the problems that orginally existed remain and continue to deteriorate. I guess their strategy is to post what ever sounds good.
UPDATE - October 6, 2016 - The sloppy install job continues to need repairs. Contrary to their post, we still never heard a word from Empire. (I was signed into my Angie's List account to update a good review so I figured I update this one too.)
"It’s disappointing that you’ve been experiencing issues with your installation, and we can assure you that we are taking your concerns very seriously. It’s our understanding that we’ve been in contact with you about these issues and that we are in the process of working towards a resolution. Thank you. Jeanette Ramey, National Customer Service Manager"
"It was wonderful to read your review! We’re thrilled that your sales rep was so helpful and made the process easy, and we’ll be sure to pass along your compliments. It’s fantastic that the installers were able to exceed your expectations; we always want to provide our customers with the world-class service you described. We truly appreciate your recommendation, and we’re looking forward to assisting you with future home improvement projects. Enjoy the new look and feel of your home! Jeanette Ramey, National Customer Service Manager"
Another man picked up the cut down carpet and said he would try to bring it back bound and install it same day, but that they were busy at the warehouse. He did not know that it was a runner and I had to remind him. He was quite unprofessional in my opinion.
I cannot detail the pain that has followed (too many phone calls) but for sure there is a bunch of lies going on. It is now February 27, 2014 and nothing has happened. I got a call that they were too busy and would come the next week. Then I never heard from them again. I called the main number and complained. I then got a call from a manager saying that the runner was on his van and he wanted to install same day. I got the message too late and returned the call. Nothing. The guy never called me back.
Another two weeks go by and I call the main number to complain. A coordinator then says that my carpet was so hard it and quot;brokeand quot; their binding machine and they could not bind this carpet. They did not have the same equipment that handled it previously. I am so suspicious at this point and want a resolution. Another woman at the office says that she will try to reach another place in Gastonia that may be able to bind this carpet. They were supposed to follow up with me three days ago and nothing. I called Monday and somebody was supposed to call me yesterday and nothing. Now I just want my remnant back. Calling today but not sure if I can EVEN get my Berber remnant back.
This is the WORST experience I have ever had with ANY vendor. BUYER BEWARE!
"Thanks for bringing this to our attention. This sounds like a frustrating experience, and we’d like to make things right for you. We’re disappointed that we were not able to complete your service as scheduled, and in the lack of follow up you received, as we never want our customers to be disappointed in our service. We will be reaching out to you shortly, and you can also reach us at 888-588-2315 x4195 or [email protected]. Thank you. Jeanette Ramey, National Customer Service Manager"
"We love hearing from our satisfied customers, so it’s wonderful to know that you’re enthusiastic about the service you received. We always want to exceed our customers’ expectations, and we hope you’re enjoying the new look of your home! Thank you. Jeanette Ramey, National Customer Service Manager"
"Thanks for sharing! It’s wonderful that your installation went so smoothly! We’re thrilled that you’re enjoying the finished product, and we’re looking forward to assisting you with future home improvement projects! Jeanette Ramey, National Customer Service Manager"
"It’s wonderful that your sales rep was able to help make the process easy and convenient for you and that you’re pleased with the finished product. Thank you for sharing your experience, and we look forward to assisting you with future home improvement projects. Thank you. Rebekah Clerk, National Customer Service Manager"
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"Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re so glad that we were able to exceed your expectations and that you enjoyed your experience with us from start to finish. We truly appreciate your recommendation and look forward to working with you on future projects. Enjoy the new look of your home! Rebekah Clerk, National Customer Service Manager"
Our new flooring is beautiful. I was impressed with our sales rep, and the workers were fast and efficient. What impressed me the most was that they were able to work within our very short time frame. I would call them back if we decided to do work upstairs.
"Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re happy that we were able to work with you on your home improvement project and accommodate your schedule and needs. It’s great to know that you’re enjoying the finished product and we look forward to working with you on future projects. Rebekah Clerk, National Customer Service Manager"
"Thank you for making us aware of your concerns with your installation. We understand that we were in contact with you and completed your repairs last year. We always strive for complete customer satisfaction, and we will be reaching out to you soon to discuss your experience. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please call us at 888-588-2315 x4195 or [email protected]. Thank you. Rebekah Clerk, National Customer Service Manager"
"We regret that you we’re not completely satisfied with your experience, but we understand that we’ve spoken to you and that everything has been completed to your satisfaction. We appreciate the feedback and look forward to working with you on future home improvement projects. Please contact us if you have any additional questions or concerns at [email protected] or 888-588-2315 x4195. Thank you. Rebekah Clerk, National Customer Service Manager"
"We’re thrilled to hear that you had a great experience from start to finish. We strive to provide world class service and are sure that you’ll enjoy the new look and feel of your home for years to come. – Rebekah Clerk, National Customer Service Manager"
"We’re happy to know that you’re pleased with your overall experience. We make customer satisfaction a priority, so we’re glad that we worked with you until you were completely satisfied with the finished product. Thank you for the review. Rebekah Clerk, National Customer Service Manager"
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