CHRONOS CONTRACTING

"Great client. Have worked on an number of her projects over the course of the last 12 years. She lives in a 19th century brownstone with some beautiful original details. I am happy we were able to maintain these original qualities while enhancing things affected by time. Also glad that she is happy with the work."

"I did respond to a request from this person. I telephoned him after receiving a message and we spoke at length about the work- and I went out of my way to give him helpful information. But as I made clear to him, it was too small a project for me. I was polite and spent extra time on the phone offering advice even after saying it is not something I’d be interested in. He said I was very knowledgeable about the work and really would like me to do it. He then became antsy and tried to get prices from me. Well after I said I wasn’t interested. I stated I can not give prices for something that I haven't seen. Then he became nasty and hung up on me. I find it strange that someone would demand that a service provider take on a project that they clearly state is too small for them- and then raise their voice followed by hanging up the phone."

"I receive endless phone calls from telemarketers and scammers looking to gather my personal information, or sell me garbage. Sadly, this is the price one pays for having a business phone number listed all over the internet. Due to this, I choose to screen my calls. When most people call someone for the first time, they tend to introduce themselves rather than demand to know who they are calling. Conversely, telemarketers open up by asking for me by name in an aggressive way and as if they know me. To a large extent this was the tone with this caller, which is why I asked if he was looking for work to be done in his home, or business. His reply was that he was looking to refer me to "someone." Because I get many calls from telemarketers selling low-grade Contractor referral services, I then asked him whether he was part of a referral company. At that point, as he admits, he hung up on me. The whole thing lasted about 15 seconds. I don't feel that I was speaking over him, rather I was trying to ascertain what the call was about. I was not being rude, nor did I hang up on him. I'm still not sure what his actual intentions were, as I've had telemarketers from far-flung Contractor referral outfits use Angies List to bother me while trying to build up their base. I am sorry if he isn't what I thought he might be. It's possible he may have been put off by the apprehension in my voice. On the other hand, I wouldn't hang up on someone for that reason. If it is true that he was genuinely trying to refer me to someone he has an actual connection with, then my apologies for the misunderstanding."

"The above description of events does not does not match up with my experience. I arrived at this member's building on time, and at the time that we had scheduled. Upon arrival, I was told that the other Contractor had been late, and was asked to wait in the lobby a bit so they could finish with him. I waited 15 minutes, at which point I saw the other Contractor leave the premises. I then waited another 10 minutes, at which point I called this member to remind them that I was waiting. They did not pick up their phone, and was sent to voicemail after a few rings. At that point I had been waiting almost a half an hour, so I chose to leave. After reaching my other jobsite across the neighborhood, I received a call asking me where I was. I explained that I had phoned after 25 minutes of waiting, and no one picked up. Given my preference to defer to the customer I was even open to returning, but I waited to hear a reply first. The response was a sincerely disingenuous "sorry" that was clearly meant to get me back for the free estimate, rather than a real apology. I then expressed that I needed to move on with my schedule, and couldn't return. In any renovation or remodeling project, it's always very important that both parties feel comfortable working with the other. I pride myself in gravitating towards clients who are happy to engage in a mutually beneficial business relationship. Being in business for almost 20 years, I feel that my company has lived up to that goal."

"I am sorry this Angie's member feels disappointed in my pricing. On the other hand, I did go over an hour out of my way to offer a free estimate, as well as to give useful information regarding the project. There were no strings attached in coming to her home, nor my spending the time to compile a free quote. I would add that I feel the price to be more than competitive, given the request to renovate 1.5 bathrooms. As far as the materials not being included- labor & work materials are always clearly included in my quotes. It is items such as tile, plumbing fixtures, etc. that are not- given their wide price range. Usually that is taken for granted, and one also has to choose these items prior to getting a price on them. While I am not the Contractor one seeks out hoping for the lowest bid, I do offer high-quality renovations that last for years to come."

"Unfortunately, this individual is purposely making up falsehoods and using smear tactics. He blatantly lies stating that I sent him "hostile" text messages "attacking his character" and that "I insulted his condo board." These and the rest of his statements are distortions and untrue. He telephoned me the other day, and rather than talk about the work he was hoping to have done, he began by asking me a series of "trick questions" regarding soundproofing. His tone was a bit strange & aggressive, but I answered them to his satisfaction. At that point he claimed, "that I passed the test." I assumed the conversation would flow more easily from there, and I began to go into detail the best means of soundproofing his and his neighbor's apartment. He was hard to communicate with as he had a need to interrupt the answers he had requested and generally had a need to talk over me. He seemed combative within a simple conversation regarding soundproofing, which immediately put me off. During the conversation he mentioned pricing and stated he received an "outrageous & ridiculous" bid from another Contractor. I asked him how much they asked for. He said $10,000. I asked him what he hoped to pay, and he replied $3,000. At that point I knew this was not a project I would be at all interested in. He expected to have most of his walls demolished, soundproofed, sheet rocked, plastered and painted for $3,000. I was frank and told him that I was not interested in the project based on his desired pricing. I clearly stated that painting the apartment would cost more than $3,000. He became a bit frantic and pushy and wouldn't let me off the phone. He wanted me to come there to see for myself, and maybe they could pay a little more. I then said that he could send me a text message with photos and measurements and I could send him a ballpark quote via a return text. He finally let go. Cloying had turned to rude and I was happy to breathe again. He did send a text message and from the dimensions given, the job was even larger than he had described verbally. I returned his text message stating that $10k was not at all an exorbitant amount of money, and that I was not available for the work. He then sent a text asking me to come for an in-person estimate, as they would take the best of three bids. I stated, "I am sorry, but I am not within your price range." I then received two text messages threatening to give me a bad review on Angie's List i.e. "You'll see the review on Angie's..." Essentially he was happy to get free information on soundproofing and became angry at himself for letting the $3k mark out of the bag, as he could have gotten more advice from a free visit. Once I caught on he became vindictive, which given his demeanor on the phone wasn't entirely surprising"