Aquire Restoration, Inc.

Tell us why here...We take great pride in providing great customer service and high quality of work with every project we complete. Unfortunately, at times, we encounter issues and work hard to work through issues in a professional manner. With that being said, we were contracted to ONLY
clean and paint many surfaces due to vandalism - NOT completely repair/refinish/replace every surface that was affected by the vandals. We have photographic evidence to support pre-existing issues (not related to their insurance claim or our contract) along with photos of what was being covered by the insurance company before we started work on this property. We also took photos during/after cleaning and painting of property to substantiate our position that our work was properly completed. We have completed thousands of dollars of additional work, that was not included in our contract, at no additional costs to the client as well. This clients' comments are completely unfounded and unsupported as they are looking for us to make their year old house, that was significantly neglected, look like how a brand new home would look. These are unreasonable expectations and the customers are blaming us for per-existing issues with the home that are NOT our responsibility or NOT in our contract. We have gone above and beyond on multiple occasions to satisfy their wants/needs and were still attempting to settle these disputes but have been unsuccessful in doing so. The client's owe a significant amount of money to us and it appears this may be an attempt to eliminate this debt. This file has been turned over to our legal department for collections.The total contract amount was $19,and we are still owed $13,for completed work. Even if we are 95% complete (in their eyes), that amount equates to a total cost of $18,- which is around $1,of remaining work. In order to settle this dispute we are willing to offer a $1,credit off our invoice but not anything above that as all our contracted work (as well as additional work performed but not charged) has been completed to what our contract states.This file has been turned over to our attorney for collections and we would like to avoid litigation for these disputes but the customers are being VERY unreasonable and do not understand that we are NOT responsible for pre-existing damage to their property that is NOT part or their insurance claim or our contract. I have attached our estimate to show that we were hired to clean and paint many surfaces NOT sand, refinish, repair surfaces prior to painting of surfaces

Update:  Upon a secondary inspection of the floor by [redacted] of Aquire Restoration, Inc, the laminate floor was found to be swelled in numerous locations with no moisture content present in the flooring.  The laminate appeared to be in the same condition as it was during our [redacted]’s initial inspection of the floor.  The only apparent cause of this swelling was due to moisture which is not a covered warranty claim against the installation performed by Aquire Restoration, Inc. or the material manufacturer.  The flooring manufacturer was put on notice and they determined the flooring was not covered under warranty after inspecting the floor.  The customer stated the flooring has never been wet or received excess moisture so Aquire Restoration, Inc. chose to hire a third-party, certified flooring inspector at their own expense to identify the cause of swelling.  A flooring inspector inspected the floor and determined the swelling to be caused by animal urine and was identified by using a UV light.  A formal letter & a copy of the flooring inspector’s report was sent to the customer which then led Aquire Restoration, Inc. to close this file.

The estimate for completed work was attached to the previous response.  The only item that we are aware of that wasn't completed was cleaning of one cabinet in the kitchen but we preformed additional work that was not included in our estimate.  It is only fair that if this line item is deducted that we are entitled to add the items that we completed but were not in the original estimate.  For instance, painting of the rear flight of stairs was never included in the original estimate but that was completed at no charge.  The items the customer was unhappy with after our meeting yesterday were very minimal and does not add up to much money.  It would take our carpenter an hour or two to correct the issues the customer's had but they were so agressive towards us that we didn't get a chance to make a settlement offer.  Please review the estimates and advise what items were not completed in your eyes.

We can get letters saying the same about the paint but in our favor. As soon as the local store hears your name their opinion changes. Since an excessive amount was charged for "cleaning" and "painting" the a larger amount will be discounted. You can't rebut most of what was said because it's not possible. Your laughing was very unprofessional, disrespectful, and rude. You dragging this Revdex.com case out so slowly reflects those same qualities. As I've stated before the cost and what is owed is not the point. It will cost at least 4,300 to fix YOUR COMPANIES mistakes and the cleaning should be creepy discounted as well. 
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 10785226, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
[redacted]

We are not willing to discuss this warranty issue any further with the customer as the completed work is outside of our warranty period listed in our contract.  Our warranty period is one year for all completed work and this work was completed over three years ago.  The customer admitted to us by e-mail that the roof does not leak during rain or melting but only when a heavy snow load is on the roof.  Again, the roof construction and environmental conditions are out of our control and will not be responsible for any warranty work at this point. Regards,  [redacted], PresidentAquire Restoration of Madison, Inc.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
The tone in follow up emails were due to the weeks span of time that went by with no reply or status update, water coming in to a bedroom makes for a tense situation.  I was looking for direction as to if I was going to get any help from Aquire, or if I was on my own and needed to get another roofer to look at it.  As the homeowner we have a more urgent outlook on the situation, and I was getting impatient not knowing what would happen in the next weather event.  Indeed, it took a letter from the Revdex.com to finally garner a response from Aquire, even though as proven in Aquire's response below, they were obviously getting the emails.  In the month since the first report of the leak, there has definitely been weather that allows for convenient and comfortable inspection, yet this is first contact since the initial.In the pre-leak emails with the roofer in 2014 when the job was completed, he was using his company's email address to conduct that business, if we want to nitpick things, by definition he is using his company's mail servers, and is without a doubt using company resources on side-jobs just by using that email address.  Not to mention misrepresenting who and what is standing behind his work when @mulyroofing.com is his email address.  I made no accusations, but did speculate as to reasons why a leak in a 3 year old roof isn't a matter of common customer service to get fixed.An explation how a roofer should stand by this $30,000  job after not even 3 years is that it was a 20 year old membrane prior to a tree going through it, and it NEVER leaked.  The old roof went through heavier winters, this new one should be able to take some adversity.  I sent the follow up reporting no leaks to help aid Aquire and/or the roofer as to what was going on and maybe make it easier to diagnose the problem.  If the construction of the house was too limiting of a factor, and Wisconsin weather is too alien of a thing for the company to contend with, the job never should have been taken on.  Instead left to more qualified people that could replace a roof that could handle more than three trouble-free years in Wisconsin.
Regards,
[redacted],You are correct with the position that I took when you first reached out to me regarding this situation to tell you that all work we preformed it outside of your warranty period (which the terms and conditions of your contract is attached - see line 6).  At that time, I indicated to you that I would attempt to help.  I should remind you that your initial e-mail was sent when the outside temperature was significantly below zero which we are not going to inspect a roof in those conditions.  I took the tone of your follow up e-mail to be unnecessary considering the weather and my initial offer to assist, even though your job is out of warranty.Regarding your accusations that we hired an reputable roofing company is false.  The gentleman and company we hired is a legal entity in the State of Wisconsin and is a viable business that took ZERO of the company's resources that he was then working for.  He owned his roofing entity prior to working for the company you inquired with and still owns the same roofing company to date.  All work was completed after hours and it was completed in accordance to how your roof was constructed prior to our involvement.  You had a tapered flat roof membrane and that is what it was replaced with - we, nor the roofer, touched any of your roof drains except for detaching and resetting the screens around the drain itself.More importantly, you made a statement to me in an e-mail dated 1/11/2017 9:56 AM where it states, "To help complete the picture, the rain from all day yesterday did not result in any leaking, Which means it must be related to weight as that that initial leak I wrote about was with A LOT of slushy weight on the roof.  I would view this as encouraging and hopefully an easy fix."  PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME HOW WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR A LEAKY ROOF WHEN IT HASN'T LEAKED IN SINCE IT WAS INSTALLED IN JULY 2014 AND HASN'T LEAKED SINCE UNTIL A HEAVY SNOW LOAD WAS ON THE FLAT ROOF? Because we are not responsible for constructing your home, the flat roof itself, the design or the amount of the snow load that was on the roof; there is no way we are responsible for a roof (work that is well out of warranty) that leaked due to a heavy snow load that leaked water inside your home.  I am sorry that you have to deal with this situation but this is not our responsibility.  If you would like to pursue this matter than have your insurance company and/or attorney contact me - this matter is closed on our end.Sincerely, [redacted], President

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 11885688, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I appreciate you reopening the case  and I apologize for the delay in response.       In response to the letter from Acquire Restoration –   We do not agree to a 10% cost reduction.   They did not provide a quote, cost estimate or contract for the job,  they did not complete the job, they did not live up to their 72 hour guarantee, they did not clean up the mess they made, they did not follow basic safety precautions and never followed up with anyone.   When I called them a week and a half after the flood for a follow up – I was told it would be 3 weeks before they could complete the job and I was free to hire someone else.   At this time – I said ok I will hire someone else and there was no mention of ANY bill.  In the attached letter – this someone is referred to as “Kevin Klass”.                  Acquire Restoration failed to provide us a bill, quote or documentation of the cost of the work they need to do.   The only discussion between Acquire Restoration and myself was that insurance will 100% cover any costs and that not to worry – they will work with the insurance company to resolve any costs.   When I questioned what if insurance does not cover it, I was assured that this type of accident is always covered by insurance.    Per the attached note – acquire restoration did not complete the job and even more concerning failed to follow basic safety procedures.   They failed to communicate with anyone and did not provide notice before entering the duplex.    Acquire Restoration assumed this was covered by insurance and therefore customer satisfaction did not matter since insurance was paying them.    Due to that – they failed to meet basic standards such as – safety precautions, timeliness, and communication.      Here is my proposal to them:    I want to make sure the workers  get paid for their time as it is not their fault that management did not follow basic standards.    Therefore, I am willing to pay them for their five hours spent at the duplex on the night of the flood –$25 an hour.    This is $125 per worker for removing floor boards and placing fans in the basement.    I believe it was a team four – which adds up to $500.    In addition – I will pay them for the hour it took them to pick up the fans from the unit, a team of two in the truck – which ads $50 .  We will also pay a small rental fee for their fans - $100 a day for the 3 days they said it would take, a total of $300.   This brings the total to $850.    We feel this is beyond fair as we are offering to pay them a substernal amount of money to ensure they did not lose money on this job.    However, based upon the facts noted above they should not earn money on this job and a fee of $5,000 is outrageous.      Please confirm that Acquire Restoration accepts this offer and I will make the payment within 24 hours.         Thanks, [redacted] Key Accounts Manager – Midwest   Skechers USA Bobs, Street, Originals & W’USA Boots [redacted][email protected] m:  (608) 772-0428

This issue was never escalated to upper management by the customer and this is the first that I have heard of this situation.  After reviewing our files & recorded documentation, we installed the kitchen laminate floor in February of 2013.  The laminate floor did not have swelled edges...

after the installation was complete.  According to our systems, the customer contacted the production manager on 1/27/14 regarding this issue.  In the job notes, he indicated that he wouldn't be able to inspect for a few weeks as his work load could not sustain an inspection at the moment.  He inspected the issue on 2/27/14 @ 10 a.m. and did not find an installation issue but found the edges of the laminate floor swelled which is consistent with moisture penetration and/or a manufacturer issue.  Our production manager took moisture content readings of the laminate floor along with psychometric readings of the home to access the home's relative humidity.  Both of those readings were in the acceptable range which leads us to believe something was spilled on the floor since we installed the floor.  According to the notes in our systems, this was explained to the customer in person on the initial inspection day.  Our office received another phone call on 6/14/14 to talk about the damaged floor.  Our production manager spoke to the customer again and reiterated his previous statement regarding a moisture and/or manufacturer issue.  Again, this issue was never escalated to upper management by either party nor our production manager.  If it had been, we would have contacted the flooring manufacturer immediately and sent the customer a letter which explains our position.  We take great pride in providing the best customer service in our industry and apologize for any misunderstanding with this problem.  Again, our initial findings is that this issue is NOT an installation issue but more a moisture issue and/or manufacturer issue.  Either way, I will assist by reaching out to this customer in hopes of inspecting the property myself so this situation can be resolved.Thanks![redacted]
[redacted]

Mr. [redacted],Thank you for the Revdex.com complaint and not contacting ownership directly with any question/concern.  I am aware of your project as I, the owner of Aquire Restoration, Inc., fielded your emergency service call into our office on July 21, 2016 @ approximately 9 p.m.  We sent one of...

our Estimators to your home and he inspected within the hour from your initial service call.  Our estimator met with your mother, [redacted], and he indicated to her what the cause was for flooding and what needed to happen to remediate.  He then spoke to you to explain the process and you mother, [redacted], signed the Emergency Repairs Authorization (attached) which states we were to preform Emergency Services in the form of Mitigation Services.  The definition of Mitigation is, "to cause to become less harsh or hostile" per Merriam-Webster dictionary.  At NO point did we state or does the Emergency Repairs Authorization include any Reconstruction/Repair services NOR did we ever provide you with an estimate to repair what was needed to be removed to properly Mitigate your duplex from the water damage.  On top of that, according to our internal job notes on our software, it is documented that you stated to our Estimator in the beginning of the project that you were going to have a "handyman" you know put the basement back together because he could do it fast - for your tenants.  We did not make a mess of your basement, we properly mitigated the basement from flooding which included demolition of drywall, floor coverings and baseboards then we dried all remaining surfaces so you wouldn't have additional problems with mold growth.  I have been in the restoration industry for over 13 years and there has never been a property mitigated (dried) and put back together in 72 hours.  It takes at least 48-72 to properly dry ANY building material that was affected by water. Regarding your interest on your account, it is shown on your work authorization and each invoice that our net payment terms were NET 30.  You have not responded to any of the invoices and past due late fees were not added until October 2016.  We have been fair and have been waiting for payment for six months and the first communication we have had with you since was in November when you called our office to speak to our Estimator.  Now you have filed a complaint after you were supplied with a notice of intent to file lien.  According to our internal notes, "you were rude and condescending" to my staff and that is NOT how we operate our business so he probably laughed when you were out of control.  I give all staff permission to treat hostile customers the way they are treating us and disconnect if anyone becomes verbally abusive.  The only interaction we had with your insurance company was by sending our invoice to your insurance company direct and have no idea if you were paid on our invoice or not.  In short, while I am willing to negotiate your invoice cost, there is no way we are going to reduce your invoice to zero.  We preformed a service which you approved.  We never verbally told you or provided you in writing that we were going to repair your basement after the mitigation was complete.  I am willing to provide you with a 10% discount if our invoice is satisfied within the next 10 business days.  Please advise.  Sincerely, [redacted], PresidentAquire Restoration of Madison, Inc.

[redacted],You are correct with the position that I took when you first reached out to me regarding this situation to tell you that all work we preformed it outside of your warranty period (which the terms and conditions of your contract is attached - see line 6).  At that time, I indicated to you...

that I would attempt to help.  I should remind you that your initial e-mail was sent when the outside temperature was significantly below zero which we are not going to inspect a roof in those conditions.  I took the tone of your follow up e-mail to be unnecessary considering the weather and my initial offer to assist, even though your job is out of warranty. Regarding your accusations that we hired an reputable roofing company is false.  The gentleman and company we hired is a legal entity in the State of Wisconsin and is a viable business that took ZERO of the company's resources that he was then working for.  He owned his roofing entity prior to working for the company you inquired with and still owns the same roofing company to date.  All work was completed after hours and it was completed in accordance to how your roof was constructed prior to our involvement.  You had a tapered flat roof membrane and that is what it was replaced with - we, nor the roofer, touched any of your roof drains except for detaching and resetting the screens around the drain itself.More importantly, you made a statement to me in an e-mail dated 1/11/2017 9:56 AM where it states, "To help complete the picture, the rain from all day yesterday did not result in any leaking, Which means it must be related to weight as that that initial leak I wrote about was with A LOT of slushy weight on the roof.  I would view this as encouraging and hopefully an easy fix."  PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME HOW WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR A LEAKY ROOF WHEN IT HASN'T LEAKED IN SINCE IT WAS INSTALLED IN JULY 2014 AND HASN'T LEAKED SINCE UNTIL A HEAVY SNOW LOAD WAS ON THE FLAT ROOF?  Because we are not responsible for constructing your home, the flat roof itself, the design or the amount of the snow load that was on the roof; there is no way we are responsible for a roof (work that is well out of warranty) that leaked due to a heavy snow load that leaked water inside your home.  I am sorry that you have to deal with this situation but this is not our responsibility.  If you would like to pursue this matter than have your insurance company and/or attorney contact me - this matter is closed on our end.Sincerely, [redacted], President

Please see the letters attached.

Aquire Restoration is an amazingly reliable and proficient company! The communication and workmanship were excellent and the coordination by Vanessa Mathison was exceptional. Managing repairs on a water leak intrusion from 1000 miles away was difficult at best and I could not have found a better company. Vanessa was thorough, on top of it the whole way and had excellent suggestions on other difficulties with this job. She is a special person who has customer satisfaction as her top priority - with lots of personality included!

As a new home owner, I was shocked when I walked downstairs and found several inches of standing water in my basement. Aquire was the first company I called and I am so glad I did. Jeff [redacted], and the entire Aquire staff, helped answer all of my questions, had great communication throughout the entire demolition/restoration project, and completed within a timely manner. They worked with me to make it affordable, offered great suggestions, and my basement looks even better than it did before the flood. I would highly recommend this company to my friends, family and anyone else in need of a restoration company. Thank you for all of your hard work...it is very much appreciated.

We had a fire at our house back in June 2014. The owner of Aquire, in Oshkosh, came to our house, to seal up the garage with plywood, everyone who helped with Aquire was great, very easy to communicate with and the finished work was great. There were some staffing issues which resulted in us being out of the house longer, but they compensated by working hard to get us back in our house as soon as possible.

This is an excellent business to work with. They take their time to understand the situation and show how much they really care. They were there for my parents when they experienced a devastating house fire. It happened almost a year ago and now their house is like brand new. It was a horrible circumstance but Aquire turned it around and brought good out of it. My family will always be grateful to them!

Aquire Restoration of Madison recently worked with us for mold remediation in a commercial building we are currently renovating. The entire staff was friendly, professional, extremely thorough and easy to work with. The staff worked very well with our general contractors. The bid was detailed and easy to understand. They did everything they said they would. We are extremely satisfied with the work that they did and would refer them to family & friends.

I would recommend Aquire Restoration to anyone needing help with water damage. They are very professional, efficient, timely, and knowledgeable.

Those working through Aquire Restoration with our situation have been very pleasant, completely thorough and patient. Naturally we've had questions during this situation and moving forward, the crew here have been very kind and considerate etc.
(awful=1...5...10=fantastic)
*Complete cleaning of damaged areas- 10
*Explaining of the process- 10
*Timely response to the emergency- 10
*Professionalism- 10
*Overall thoroughness- 10
*Knowledge of the job- 10
*Patience in dealing with homeowner- 10

I was amazed on how well all the co-workers worked well together. From start to finish, they were professional, answered all my questions, help me understand and even showed me how to do some of the repairs, detailed oriented with the repairs (our house was a task due to the uneven parts of the house). No complaining, no attitude, felt safe, and checked to make sure that I was pleased with their work. If not they were ready to change it. How nice... I would recommend these folks because they did things right in area out in the county that things were not always done right. Thanks Aquire Restoration!

Aquire has provided comprehensive service for me twice in the last 2 years. They pay attention to the details and make sure you are well in-formed through the process.