UNIVERSAL CLEANING

Here is how it went overall: 

• I did like the initial promptness of their responses, and liked how quickly they did the work.
• Visually it looked like a great job.  (And I have put pictures here so you can see some of the work).
•  The price  that I was to pay was exactly the price that it was stated on their estimate paper. 

There was a little misunderstanding about the work.  It was not made clear to me until after the work was done, that this estimate did not at all involve clearing the pipe that is attached to the house at the bottom.  (This pipe goes into the ground and under the lawn).   (The workers did their best to try and clear it but they did not have the proper tools to clear it.  I gave them a branch, and then gave them a large spoon and they did their best to try and clear the muddy clog).   But for that price estimate of over $350. that did surprise me that my whole gutter job would not get done but only the pipes on the house -the drainpipes would be cleared and the gutters.   Since this was my first time cleaning gutters, in my estimate, the workers or the owner should have told me before beginning the work that the other pipes might still remain clogged after they finished their job.  

1. The estimate for the work was on target.  I paid the price on the  paper.      
2. When I asked about the guy coming back to put the "b" elbow in, seems this was the misunderstanding.
3. When I had questioned Eliot about this -after the work was done, he told me that the pipe that "goes out to the street" was not covered by the estimate.  He said they were dealing with only the pipe at the house and the gutters and drain pipes. 

Please note that initially,  I was pleased with the professionalism of H (supervisor) and really liked his attention to detail (giving the estimate etc, telling me about the gutters and the hangers and the cleaning procedure).   I never expected the second appointment day to be a problem because they came across as very professional workers and supervisor.

Once the work was done, I had asked for an estimate to repair my steps (about three concrete steps).   The supervisor (H) told me that other work needed to be done such as the chimney and other work, etc, and he gave me an estimate of approximately $4,000.    I told him that I would wait on that.  He told me that  I needed the "B" elbow for the drainpipe on the side of the house and that when he came back to do the larger job (the $4,000) job, then he would bring the "b" elbow and install that so that the drainpipe would reach the pipe that was at the concrete at the side of the house.  I said okay.   But when he left, I really thought about it, and I realized that I should not have to wait to have the original job finished until I give them a job for  $4,000.  So I called Eliot back and he returned my call.  He explained that  his worker (H) claims that he told me that this was extra,  and not included.  We talked, and H talked with me on the phone.  Bottom line , they decided to come back and put the B elbow into the pipe so that the water would go into the street pipe, the way that it should go in.  

 Why did I check off that I would not use the company again?  
 
FIRST, I   would recommend this company for cleaning gutters.   They did do a great job of actually cleaning the gutters. They were quick and professional.  I would not recommend them for any other kind of work.   I figured if there was such a misunderstanding about a $350. job, then having a larger or more complicated job done might be more challenging and too  much work for me. 
 I give them credit for making the return trip to the house even though they claimed that the B elbow was not included in the original estimate.  (H had agreed to make the pipes meet -- verbally to me but he never wrote that on the estimate).  So my advice is make sure that what is said verbally  is exactly matched in writing, on the estimate.  That part--that misunderstanding --not getting that in writing, not having it clearly in writing was partially my fault for not being thorough.  

  Though I made it quite clear at the very beginning that no one is to enter onto the property if I am not at home, (so we need to arrange appointments),  when the worker arranged to come back with the B elbow, he did not show up on the day that we agreed upon . (I waited for hours and hours for him, but no one showed up).  He showed up the next day (when I was not at home and when I was not expecting him.  Even though I made it clear to him and to Eliot that no workers were to be on the property unless I was at home.  

Eliot was very polite, and very professional, so that I did like.  But I wasn't happy with workers coming into my yard, when my yard was locked, and I was not present to let them in.    Even if a neighbor had let them in, I have another separate gate to go through so someone opened my gate while I was gone or someone climbed over my fence--I am not sure which.   The reason I know that they were there while I was gone was because I saw this metal pipe was installed and pushed sideways into the street level pipe at the house.

Personally I would never use a company again, that entered my property unexpectedly --even if they are polite, professional and prompt.    That is my reason -- the worker(s) were in a place where they should not have been.

 After the worker came to my house when I was not at home, I drove to their office on Lockman Avenue but could not find the office.   It seemed to be a residential avenue.  I could be mistaken about that.  I called the company once again, but the owner did not respond to my call.  (I left a message but received no return call). 

And in summary : 

The good:   Politeness, initial punctuality, professionalism.   They did seem to know what they were doing with the gutters.  The workers were working quickly and in a safe manner.   They appeared to really know their way around the roof.  

The bad:   Though the estimate was written and signed by two parties, there was a slight misunderstanding about what was included in that  over $350. charge. 

 The workers --on the second trip there-- entered the property ( the yards)  when I was not at home-- even though it was made very very clear that when work was to be done that I would be there with the workers. 

I am going to try and upload some pictures of this gutter cleaning job.  

NOTE  This picture I enclosed here , with the overflowing water, is an AFTER picture. This is how the water flowed after their work was done.  It overflows on both sides of the house.  I wrote a full caption for that overflowing pipe picture but it does not show here on this site.    Before the work was done, that pipe in the picture was a straight pipe and the water went down into my own plastic sheet (special drainpipe sheet) that pushed the water away from the proper.   The main part of the job--the hangers on the gutters, that job appeared to be done correctly, quickly and efficiently.

I have more pictures. I wanted to post the pictures of the gutter, but the site here would not let me post other pictures, only one picture.