J's Custom Landscaping

"We are sorry that we did not meet your expectations for your project. The project scope did change and we do charge for additional work. Part of the reason those changes were so expensive was is due to your location. We brought the materials with us to do the job in the morning. When the project changed we had to drive 1.5 hours round trip, plus the time at the supplier. After getting the additional materials we had to then install everything. The cost was a reflection of the actual time spend doing the extra work that you authorized. Another way to figure the cost is based on price per square foot. The additional blocks were 21% more than on the original proposal. We billed out almost exactly that amount for the additional blocks. When Jay talked to you on the phone it wasn't a question of quality of work because you said you were happy with that. The problem was you didn't think it should be so expensive for the extra work and you wanted that discounted. We do staff our office typically from 7 am to 4 pm Monday to Friday. There are multiple people who can discuss projects as Jay, the owner, is frequently in appointments, out on jobs, talking with crews, etc. We typically respond to all requests within a business day. It sounds like that that did not happen in this scenario, which does not meet our normal standards. I have to apologize for the poor communication in this instance as we typically are one of the only landscapers who actually do return calls and follow through. Hopefully we can have an opportunity to prove otherwise in the future."

"[member name removed] and his wife are wonderful people to work for on their yard. We do regular maintenance as well as various projects and are always very appreciative of a quality job. Thank you for being our customer! We look forward to serving you for years to come. Jay"

"This project was performed in the summer of 2006. The statements made by the customer do not reflect what actually occurred on the project. We are one of the only landscapers who staff our office during the day so I know that we were available if the customer needs something. In reference to the materials picked, there were the exact block the customer chose out of the mutual materials catalog. They were a stacking retaining wall block. We have never done any mortared retaining walls so I am not sure her memory is correct. We did prune a Hinoki Cypress tree different than she expected. We replaced it with a quality tree from a local grower that was the largest one available at the time. We always have workers who speak English on the job since not everyone is bi-lingual. Some of them have an accent, but that doesn't mean they done speak English properly and can communicate appropriately. I am sure that after 6 years the grass will have needed to be reseeded since it was an extremely shady back yard. It is not uncommon to over seed every year or two in those conditions. As far as the retaining wall it was a small planter around the large tree in the back yard. There were many large roots that I am sure have pushed the wall since it was installed. This is standard for what happens when trees continue to grow. In summary, many of the actions described by the homeowner do not match what actually happened. We stand behind our work and our warranty."

"[member name removed] project required a specific set of skills to not damage the other surrounding trees and vegetation. We were able to accomplish his goal on this project. Also, the project was at the bottom of a hill in the back yard with about 20 steps up to bring out all of the debris! It was challenging but we were glad to work with [member name removed] to improve his property. Thank you for your business! Jay"

"We are always trying for a perfect grade, but we do make mistakes sometimes. We were not aware that the project was not completed up to the member's standards. If we had been made aware we would have gladly made the situation right. We cannot fix something that we don't know."

"The member was always made aware of any schedule changes. On smaller projects in Portland we try to fit those in between other work we are doing in the area. Jerry worked directly with her when we did the project so we assumed that the work was done to her satisfaction and the way she wanted it. If we had known how difficult the situation was going to be we would have gladly returned her deposit. We make a living doing work the right way and making people happy, and are sorry that we were unable to make her happy on her small project."

"Once we were able to get the parts we quickly did the warranty work. He was a great person to work with and we still do regular maintenance for his mother every week."

"She was a pleasure to work for on her project. We are no longer providing Handyman/remodeling services. We currently refer to Honey Do Home Repairs."