Miller General Contracting, Ltd.

"We at Miller General Contracting appreciate the kind words very much! We look forward to working with Angie's List members on your projects, large and small. To improve communication with the members, our company has recently joined the Angie's List family. Please visit our website: [hyperlink removed]"

"The first thing you all should know is that this project, for which an agreement was never finalized, was in a commercial space, and not in a residence, and therefore does not qualify for Angie's List. Be that as it may, [member name removed] added numerous items to the proposal, insisting I do it all at no extra charge. I asked for an extra few hundred dollars to cover labor and material worth several times that amount. At this point, he became enraged and started yelling at me. I took my things and left the premises. He then called me a few times begging me to return, apologizing for losing his temper, but not offering to pay a. I thought about it, and decided against it. We had started very badly, and, given his temperament, I despaired of any improvement. To explain what he meant by "giving me the proposal": he rejected mine and had a friend with a better command of English prepare a document, which he called the proposal, adding in whatever he wanted without regard to cost, and refusing to consider as much. So, we have the customer preparing the proposal and demanding acceptance. Again, when I wouldn't accept it, he lost his temper, and I left the premises. See my email response to his entreaty for my return: Boris: I've thought and thought about what happened yesterday, and I have to rely on my intuition, considering the circumstances: 1. I clearly stated, after considering the $1200 you took off my price without discussion, that we would have to add $300 back. A fair compromise would have been $600, and anyone would have agreed to that, and all I asked for was $300. I told you this the last time we met. When I brought it up yesterday, you grew very upset, and then offered me $150, which of course I could not take seriously. 2. You changed what we had clearly discussed was adding two light fixtures that you supply, to removing and replacing all the existing fixtures, and then insist that's the way it has to be. 3. In our subsequent telephone discussion you insult my intelligence by pretending to be stupid. You are not. You're very smart, and you know exactly what you're doing, and what you're saying. You told me, and I quote, that you didn't know new fixtures had to be wired. Seriously? You do not negotiate in good faith, therefore: My intuition told me to cut my losses and get out. I was very close to agreeing to at least do the painting, but I was actually sick over this whole thing, and, again, my intuition told me to stay away from you. It's a shame. I was looking forward to the job, and working with you. The art of constructive compromise is part and parcel of doing business, and leads to win-win for everyone. Unfortunately, you regard compromise as losing, and unacceptable. Your business philosophy is I should win, you should lose. In spite of all this, I have no doubt you will be very successful in your endeavors. I wish you the best of luck."

"The legal matter is ongoing. The question is credit from the down payment for the 70 hours spent in preparation for this project before the owner went in a different direction."

"We are pleased and grateful for any and all positive comments. I would like to note that we are not handymen - we are contractors engaged in home improvement and home construction, licensed and insured in New York and Nassau County, Long Island. We welcome any and all requests for estimates, for which there is no charge."