A L Sereni & Co Inc

Horribly. Lee Sereni, the owner, told me in February that it would be no problem to fix. They had done the awning at the home for 10-15 years under previous owners and we had used them the last 3 years. They never fixed the problem and instead hung the awning in May, putting some caulk around some exposed areas in the stucco in a manner that was unworkmanlike and sloppy. The installer said the framework would happen in two weeks and he would fix the caulk. He never showed. Spoke to him again and he said he would be back first week of June. Never showed up. Spoke to Lee Sereni and he told me that in his estimate we will never be satisfied by his work (if this is his work, this is true) and that he still hadn't hung over 100 customer awnings in June because of rain. He was horribly rude and didn't care for our business. Don't use them if you want work done or if you want an awning hung before July! See pictures below of the caulk job mentioned on my house.

Great

First we were told that they lost their seamstress so the awning would be delayed but in time for May graduation.  Follow-up gave me the information that the awning production was subbed to a company in Indiana.  Early in May 2012, Mr. Sereni showed up at the house unannounced taking measurements for awning ordered months before.  When questioned why he was at the house he said he doesn't need to take this abuse. and left.  The  awning was delivered in June and lasted only 2 years as the seams are disintegrating.  Product and company are not reputable.

The workman are so nice. They really went the extra mile. I am really happy with did. They have a lot of integrity. I would recommend them to anyone in the future.

After the initial appointment in January, they gave me a time frame of approximately 2 to 3 weeks for the part to be ordered and then we would schedule the installation.  I also hired an electrician to disconnect the power source to the awning as Sereni Awnings required because they do not handle connecting the electricity to the unit.  I have scheduled 4 different appointments with Sereni in the last several months in order to have the motor installed.  They have had different reasons for cancelling or not calling me until after the scheduled appointment time had passed.  For the appointment this morning, I called the company yesterday to confirm.  They never returned the call.  When I finally did get a hold of Lee Sereni this morning, an hour after our appointment, he told me he gave my part to another customer a week and a half ago who needed it.  Then he proceeded to say "I don't care if I lose 500 customers from this.  I have more work than I can handle."  I am so glad I never gave him any money for the part.  I would never recommend this company to anyone.

The work was impeccable, Installing htis awning has added another room onto our home. We spent most of our time on this deck from May to  September. We keep a TV outside, it even kept us dry in the rain. We had a scheduled appointment to have the awning taken down for winter storage soemtime in the first full week of November. We panicked with the  forecast of Hurricane Sandy, called the company on Friday to see if they would remove it prior to the start of the storm. I am sure that many other customers made the same request, they must have worked throughout the weeend, a team arrived to remove our awning early on Sunday morning.

We purchased this house two years ago, and inherited an existing (non-retractable) awning. A particularly heavy snowstorm that winter massed the snow on the awning -- and the weight bent the support poles.

The next summer, we searched Angie's List for a new awning, and had a few folks come in and provide estimates for a retractable system. We settled on Serini based on their cost estimate, the comfort we felt with their sales person, and the reviews from other Angie's List users.

We placed an initial deposit of $930. I had to place a call or two to actually determine when they were going to do the work, but it was finally scheduled -- they came on time, did the work. Looked great. Worked great.

We tested the opening/closing mechanism that day, and it worked great. We used it again later that summer. And at the end of the summer, I tried to close it mechanically using the installed electronical switch -- NOTHING HAPPENED. I closed it manually.

"No problem," we thought. Electrical stuff is always tricky. So my wife called AL Sereni, and they came out and removed the electrical switch for the retractable awning -- the promised to contact us soon to schedule the replacement.

We heard nothing for at least two months.

I called and left a few messages. Finally, I reached the owner, Lee Sereni, He said he had no idea what I was talking about. He indicated that he had a small installation staff, and he was sure he would have known that if they picked up a defective switch with the intent of replacing it.. He asked me for a physical description of the individual who performed the work; I told him I had no idea, as I was not there when the component was removed. He told me that he would look into it.

Since it was the end of the summer, and we were spending less time outside, this became de-prioritized. And with three small children, it definitely was not top-of-mind!
Finally, in late winter (early 2011) I called and left a message to determine where the motor was. No response. Left another message about a week later. No response. Finally, a week after that, I called again and reached lee serini. He remembered us, and indicated that they was unavailable to re-install a working switch, given that he lays off his installers each winter. I should call back in the spring. In the late spring of 2011, I called him, and left a message. No response. I called again a week later, and finally reached lee serini. He indicated that he someone would come out on a scheduled date a few weeks later. Lee came out at the appointed dated/time. He installed the switch - and the awning still wouldn't retract. He said it was probably the motor, and suggested to my wife that lightening probably struck the motor, he doubted that the motor manufacturer would replace it. No word for a month. This last weekend, I randomly flicked the switch - AND THE AWNING RETRACTED! Someone from his firm in the last month must've come back to our house, reinstalled the motor, and never informed us.
About two months later, my wife reminded me that we never heard back from AL Sereni. I left a few messages, and finally connected with the owner again. he indicated that the motor had indeed been ordered, and he would contact us with an installation date.

Again, no response.

I called again in March 2011. Left messages. No response. Finally reached the owner -- only because I called him, not because he ever returned any of my messages. He indicated that each winter, he lays off his installation staff, and rehires them in the spring, as the weather becomes better and the orders are ready to be fulfilled.

I left him a message last week and still no response.

I have never, ever experienced something like this before. My wife and I are beyond calm.cool, and collected when it comes to services and purchases. Life is too short to get upset.

But the way AL Sereni operates, I can't help feeling upset -- and ripped off. AL Sereni sold us a defective product. And did nothing to resolve this situation -- in fact, has given me nothing by the runaround for almost 1 year now. It BLOWS ME AWAY that they have been in business this long.

Next stops: small claims court, so I can at least try and recoup they money.

I hope that my situation is not indicative of others' experiences, as I would hate to know that they were treated this way as well.

see above

Things went well. I called them to get an estimate and the guy who runs the company came over quickly and then from there it pretty much went smoothly. It was delayed due to the manufacturer, but everything else was fine.

I called and they came out quickly to provide an estimate around 3/26. He was very helpful with advice on fabric/frame selection, as well as which manufacturer to use. The awning was to take approximately 4-5 weeks to arrive for installation but it took longer. The only issue is that I had to call to find out what was causing the delay, instead of someone contacting me - the frame hadn't arrive yet. But after the initial call, they followed up and everything went smoothly. The awning looks great.

They had put up the original awning twenty years ago, so they new what type of fabric to use. They didn't have to replace anything but the fabric. The hardware was all good and the motor was still good. They did have to replace a couple of screws. They are a good company, efficient and professional.

I WAS VERY SATISFIED. THE AWNING IS BEAUTIFUL AND VERY EASY TO USE. BEFORE THE INSTALLERS ARRIVED, THEY CALLED TO LET ME KNOW THEY WERE COMING OUT. IT WAS EXPENSIVE BUT IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY.

I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE JOB. ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN SOMETIME AGO, THE HOUSE MAY FALL DOWN BUT THE AWNING WILL STILL BE THERE. I DID HAVE THEM SERVICE THE AWNING ONE TIME SINCE THEN AND I HAVE BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH IT.