Matt's Shutters & More

"I apologize you feel this way, but this review is not true and not fair to my company. First of all, the shutters I was repairing at this home were magnolia shutters- a company that is no longer in business and manufactures a specific type of shutter that no one else repairs. The mechanisms for their shutters are complex and because they aren't in business anymore, their parts are very hard to come by. I spent a great deal of time making the rod that the louvers attach to at the shop, I had my son there helping me out, and I've been doing this for over 26 years so that is why it didn't take very long. It Also, I brought in 3 separate tool boxes full of the individual connectors and parts to put the louvers and this shutter panel back together- you must not have seen that. I used 9 different tools total to complete this job (drill, hammer, flat screwdriver, crowbar, ice pick, needle nose pliers, regular pliers, locking vise grip pliers, and a small paintbrush for touchup) I don't charge by the hour- I charge on a per job basis depending on the work and the availability of parts. I take great pride in my work and stand by all of my repairs and new installations. Also, I sent you an email of the quote for repair along with the solar screens- you must not have seen that either. The subject line is: "Solar Screens Estimate" and in the body of the email, I wrote word-for-word quoted directly from the email: "For the magnolia shutter repair (reinstalling the metal rod, repairing the 3 1/2" louvers, and lubricating the metal contacts) it will come to $425 for parts and labor." I sent it to the email that was on your business card that you provided me during our initial visit. The price is most certainly not based on the neighborhood I'm in- I do several jobs a week in Highland Park and always charge based on the work that goes into it and the supply of parts, regardless of the income level or neighborhood class of my clients- and again, not by the hour. I don't "3rd party out" my work because I've been doing this for 26 years- I've gained the experience and know-how to be able to do it on my own- I don't think that's fair to criticize someone for doing their own work- in fact, most people prefer that. As for the screens- I use a sturdier 1" framing, use the best quality brand (Phifer SunTex) and deliver it to install within 1 week. I stand by my prices because I do quality work in a timely manner. The price I quoted you was exactly $2196.48 with tax and installation- straight from the invoice, not $2400. If you aren't happy with it, then you don't need to leave me a bad review based on an estimate- just go to a competitor and find the best price that works for you. As for the last comment you made about me being on Angie's List, I work on both word-of-mouth and a little Google advertising. I have never paid to be on Angies List- you become a member by having a free account and others coming to your page to review you- I've never advertised or paid to get on Angie's List so there was nothing I was lying to you about. I agreed to work with you on the price at the end because you were so concerned about it and I wanted to leave with your total satisfaction. I even agreed to lubricate the other magnolia shutters they had in the home so they could operate smoothly and prevent future damage- free of charge. Building goodwill and trust with my clients is the most important thing to me- I take great pride in the work I do and stand by my prices. I'm sorry that you weren't satisfied with the pricing, but I was clear from the beginning. I wasn't hiding anything from you, and did everything possible to leave with your total satisfaction. Thank you, Matt"

"It was so great working with you and I thought the screens looked fantastic! It was so hot when I was up there installing them because that area was in direct sunlight- I knew these would make a huge difference in your home and I'm happy you like them."

"Thank you! It was a pleasure serving you and I thought the black blinds looked amazing. It's not something you see everyday and I don't think I had installed black blinds before, but looked gorgeous when everything was done- great taste! I will be more than happy to take care of your remaining windows and will contact you soon to do the measurements."

"[member name removed], thank you very much for your kind words. It was my absolute pleasure to help you out. Your home truly does look beautiful; and you can look forward to cooler rooms in the summer, increased privacy, and lower utility bills with your new solar screens. I'm so thrilled that you're happy with everything and I hope to work with you again in the future. Matt"