Creative Earthscapes

Creative Earthscapes is rejecting you response as wellIt is an inaccurate representation of this situation.If this client had presented a clear idea of the project they wanted and signed a contract that reflectedthat, we wouldn't be in this situationWhen we are hired for a project, it is described in the quote- that'show we decide what materials to order and how long the job will takeIt wouldn't have been possiblefor us to be on the same page as them, they weren't on the same page as each other and argued aboutwhat they wanted over and over again on the site while our workers waited idly byAs professionals, wedon't have time to go back and forth about these inconsistencies in their story and their unbelievableclaim about the way they were talked toPerhaps they should reflect as well on the way they behaved.They absolutely tried to solicit work from our employees- referenced it as "on the side" by her.Obviously this is not okay, but whatever, CEI can't prove your intentions, convey the tone in your voiceor require you to be honest about your actionsOur employees are loyal, honest, hardworking peoplethat have been members of our team for many yearsThis customer and this situation won't change anyof thatIf anything, we will move forward and use this experience to better ourselves and our service.This seems to me to be a case of I don't want to pay for ItI have the documentation for theiracceptance of the chargesI regret that this client has used the Revdex.com to try and bully us into letting themnot pay the balance due for the project we installed for themWe would be happy to fix the couple ofsanding issues they are concerned with -once the balance is paid in full, they never brought them to ourattention until this complaint was filedNothing this client did led us to believe that they were unhappywith our project until they got the bill- if you haven't already, please review the emails to us from theclient about their satisfaction of our work.Creative Earthscapes has a great reputation and many repeat, loyal clients with whom relationshipscontinue on through the yearsOur staff is professional, kind and goes out of the way to please ourclientsWe have a great relationship with our vendors- [redacted] , [redacted] , [redacted] ,and [redacted] We have hundreds of references all over the city and in years in business havenever had a complaint on the Revdex.comWe are highly recommended by [redacted] as Authorized Contractors< [redacted] > and by [redacted] as Silver level contractors< [redacted] >

I am rejecting this response because the response is full of factual errors and inconstancies with the truthThe original email correspondence between Creative Earthscapes Inc., and us, is attached in PDF formatThe first email correspondence was sent on 3/with an idea of what we wanted utilizing SketchUp, software that allowed us to give Chad the most realistic dimensions so that he could make an accurate quote CEI followed up with an email on the same day requiring clarification on what part of the sketch would be deck and what part would be paversOn 3/29, a revised version of a plan on SketchUp was sent to CEIAs requested, this version clearly distinguished the patio and decking using colorsIn addition to three images of the design, the email included other detailsIt clearly stated that we would like a planter, and that we would like a backing on the bench (please see highlighted portions on the Email Sequence pdf)On 3/31, Chad followed up with an email stating that he would get us a quote based on the plans that we sent him via emailIt is unclear how Chad came to some of the conclusions in his statement to Revdex.comIn order not to miss any faulty accusations, we will contest each point in his statement:“This bench was supposed to be a basic bench as stated in the signed contract The final product was deck boards wide with a deck board backing, 18' long with an extra floor area and skirting on both sides.” CEI states that the quote was for a “basic bench”We, the client, do not understand what a basic bench is supposed to mean, and since we clearly outlined what we wanted in the emails to Chad before receiving the quote, we did not see the use of “basic bench” in his quote as out of the ordinaryChad does not clarify what a basic bench is in the quote or in the Revdex.com statements, so we still do not know what his original expectations or quote was based on“On 4/We picked up the deposit check and work was startedTwo days into the job production, the client wanted to start making changes when the deck was almost completeClient wanted to add skirting, a planter box pavers to the walkway and increase size of patio and eventually deck tooThe client sent multiple plans and pictures of benches she liked from Pinterest by email on 4/with multiple pics and the new plans they wanted us to build after the deck was nearly completed." As stated by CEI, work started on 4/Two days into the job, we realized that they had built the flooring for the deck, but not the flooring of the area where the bench was going to be (see Email Sequence pdf)Since we do not build decks, we did not want to assume that they did not know what they were doing, but we wanted to avoid a mistake, so we asked to meet with themWe did not ADD a planter box, as that was clearly stated in the email before the quote was given (see Email Sequence pdf)We did add space to the patio, which was paid for and not contested(The patio contractors were beyond unprofessionalThey admitted to me that they took my dirt and topsoil to their own home because it was “so great”, with out asking for permission, and still charging me for the removal [I saw no mention on the quote stating otherwise]They deposited patio debris into our trashcans in the back alley, left piles of gravel and debris in front of our garage door, stepped on and ruined a rhododendron plant [see Detail Photos pdf], and left behind two-foot-long roots)The skirting we inquired about was minimal (square feet on the left side of the deck)It was only added, because we realized though a conversation with the Crew Foreman that it was not included (even tough our original SketchUp shows skirting, see Sketch vs Actual pdf)Since it looked incredibly tacky with exposed cut concrete and support beams, we were surprisedThe additional skirting surrounding the bench is there because they had to hide the incomplete flooring that they added on to the deck, after the factThe Crew Foreman told me this himself when I inquired as to whether or not it was neededWe sent photos of possible benches to Chad via Pinterest because we were starting to get the feeling that he did not really understand what we wanted, and we wanted to provide him with as much detail as possibleWe expected him to ask more questions throughout the process if he did not understand, but he did not“Please see attached email from 4/noting the changes she wanted to make and her reference to one of our many meetings that occurred with little notice or consideration for our time.” The drawings sent to Chad (see 4/Email pdf) utilizing SketchUp were only intended to provide extra detailsIt was clear by this point that CEI did not know what they were doingWhile we had told them that we wanted the bench to have an inner diameter of inches, it seemed they were having difficultly trying to make the angles workThe sketch with the back was just another example to help CEI visualize what the backing should look likeThese drawings did not make any changes to the description we provided in the original email before the quote was givenThey only helped to clarify what we had already stated we wanted “Multiple times, they would request to meet with us with less than hours’ notice and at 7:or 8am and we, the foreman and myself both, made time for them each and every time as we built this custom piece of furniture for themDuring all these extra meetings and adjustments we made for them, they weren't complaining when we were going the extra mile to give them exactly what they wanted.” We did request to meet with them a handful of times, but this was due to the fact that they were moving forward at an alarming pace without clarifying any detailsWhen they showed up to begin the work, they had OUR SketchUp drawing in their handsThey did not initiate a conversation about any details, which were clearly not in the SketchUp (such as, should the boards run horizontally or vertically for the wall and the flower box)They were not asking for these details before making decisions, so we chose to become involved in the process to prevent us from being unhappy or having them something“They also requested that we call them to come home when we were building certain parts of the bench, the clients would expect our crew to sit by idly while we waited for them to arrive and critique the work we were doing, like exact placement, which is fine- but having us move it several times until she got it just where she wanted itThat is not us being able to use the plans they submitted.” We requested CEI to come home during certain parts of the bench, because as they began building it, it was clear that they did not have the same vision as us despite our best efforts at communication via email description and SketchUp drawings [redacted] works minutes away, so there was not much idle time, if anyThe workers always appeared to be busy with something when she arrived [redacted] had them shift the bench twice, taking no more than minutesIt is disappointing that Chad is choosing to exaggerate the facts, just because he is frustrated that we wanted to be involvedAt one point, Bill stated that he almost never even meets the clients, so it became clear why Chad was becoming so agitated at this pointWe were upset with having to take time out of our day to watch them, because we could not trust that they would get clarification before making a big decisionChad leans on the fact that they should have just been able to “use the plans they (meaning the clients) submitted”However, we told them when they arrived with OUR plans in hand, that we had never build a deck before and that they may need to tweak it to work with deck dimensions (See highlighted part of conversations in Email Sequence pdf)We expected to be consulted on any changesIf this was going to be a problem, Chad should have drafted his own professional plan (It states on his website that this is a service they provide for their clients)If he had his own plan in hand, we could have looked it over and gone over any details then“Although this is not a standard, we graciously complied and changed every aspect of the job whenever they requested.” We were not aware that attending to a customer’s needs was not standardThe fact that Chad considers this as gracious, speaks to his business modelEspecially since his idea of gracious includes speaking to his clients with a condescending tone“They agreed that they would pay for the extras and did; except for the benchI had more hours in the bench than we did in the entire rest of the deck, including the add-ons- skirting, planter, privacy rail and handrail.” In addition to the planter being in the email before the original quote, so was the handrailNot realizing all of this information was provided to him ahead of time, speaks to Chad’s severe lack of detail and that he clearly tried to proceed before he was ready (See Email Sequence pdf)“They modified this bench so much from the original "plans" they submittedEach and every board used was sanded to the exact dimensions for their custom bench to fit the table that was never mentioned before when the planning was in progressIf they didn't know what they wanted- how could we possibly know how much it would cost? All the extra trips to their home for meetings, to vendors for extra materials and the time put into changing the original plan over and over again wasn't even billed to themOnly the materials and labor are included in the $added to the contract that this client signed and accepted.” As proven by the original dimensions of our SketchUp, the bench seat was to be at least inches in width and the inside diameter of the bench was to be inches, leaving the outside diameter to be approximately inchesThese details in the SketchUp were added to account for the 48-inch table we were planning on addingSo while the actual table was not mentioned in the original email, the correct dimensions to account for it wereWhen we came home on Friday evening, 4/17, when we came home from work the bench they had begun to build was sitting on our deckThe seat was less than inches wide (not at all comfortable for anyone), and the inner diameter was almost inchesWe were really upset, so we decided to go ahead and buy a 48-inch table to help them visualize why the dimensions they used were not going to workIt became clear during this conversation that neither CEI nor the crew foreman had ever built anything like this beforeSince they advertise themselves as being able to DESIGN decks, we were surprisedChad was not upfront about not having experience in this until much later when confronted with the cost It is clear that “all the extra trips to their home for meetings, to vendors for extra materials and the time put into changing the original plan over and over again” was due to a gross lack of experience and professionalismWhen Chad realized that what we were asking for was something he had never done before, he should have revised a quote and gotten confirmation before continuing the processIf he was unsure of how much it would cost, then he should have stopped and asked the appropriate questionsWe were not aware that he was so clueless about what we were trying to build; otherwise we would have stopped the process ourselvesBeing able to look back at all of the interactions as a whole has made it clear, and we wished we had seen it sooner“On 4/29- the construction for this project was completedI met with the client again to discuss the benchHe informed me that he didn't have time to discuss it, he signed the contract for the bench, accepted the charges and later in the day, submitted an email to me stating that they were still "hesitant" to pay us the full amount for the benchPlease review email from client on 4/In this email, he even verifies settlement will be made within daysThey never attempted to negotiate with us in person or by email.” [redacted] did not have time to discuss the payment of the bench with Chad on 4/due to a work engagementHowever, he did make it clear that we were displeased with the price that he charged us for [redacted] attempted to have a civil conversation with Chad on 4/(while the crew was attempting to fix admitted mistakes that we had pointed out) about the pricing of the deckChad responded by speaking down to [redacted] in a condescending wayJust a reminder that the original quote priced the bench at $120, and the new quote priced the bench at $The quote he sent us via EMAIL was the FIRST time that we saw or discussed that price [redacted] did not sign the contract, accepting the charges for the benchHe paid the contract in full with the exception of the bench, and then was asked firmly by Chad to INITIAL the contract [redacted] did so, assuming this was to confirm the payment that he made, not to accept the charges for the benchIt is made clear in the follow up email (attached by CEI) that [redacted] did not accept the chargesIn his email, [redacted] asks Chad to follow up with [redacted] , as he would not be available that dayChad text and called [redacted] later that day (ignoring ***’s request to follow up with [redacted] ) and left a voicemail, saying that he preferred to handle the dispute via phoneI am sure this was so that there would not be anything in writing [redacted] called Chad later that day to follow up with himThat conversation will be addressed later in the emailWe made several attempts over the phone asking for a compromise, Chad held firm on the price, mentioning that he “already wasn’t charging us for all of the extra time” that his crew put inAfter this phone conversation, due to a lack of professionalism on Chad’s part, all communication ceased“Since having problems with this client, we have requested bids for building this same bench from two other construction professionalsTheir bids came in at $and $for just the bench part of the projectThey both agreed that our price to these clients is a bargain.” When we were given the overall quote for the entire deck, including the bench, we decided that the total cost was within our budgetWe did not research the cost of a bench like this before the projectWe relied on CEI to give us an accurate quote within reason, and to follow up with us if it was going to change (which they did not)As far as benches from other construction professionals go, I am sure they would not want to claim this bench as a product of their ownThe bench has many flaws and issues and would never be able to be sold “as is” (see Detail Photos pdf)From afar, the bench looks good, and I would imagine that CEI plans to put it on their websiteThe Crew Forman took pictures and insinuated as muchHowever, up close it is clear that this was the first time that the crew ever had to make angled cuts, or build anything like thisWe should not have to pay for Chad’s gross miscalculations on this project, in addition to the fact that he underestimated his ability to complete the project within the time frame and budget he allotted himself“If I had a questions like "how much do YOU think this should cost?" Their answer was, you're the expertWhen each of them was asked what they thought this bench should cost, neither of them could make a suggestionThis was as close to negotiating with them as I cameI wanted to open the conversation to them and justify my chargesBoth parties were dismissive of my requests before the invoice was signed and accepted." Chad made no effort to negotiateHe attempted to get us to state what we thought the bench was worth, only to us it to bolster his case on the price he was charging usHe makes this clear in his statement “I wanted to open the conversation to them and justify my charges”His tone did not indicate he was interested in negotiating, and he was very condescending He made it clear he would not accept less, so we did not make an official offer“To address other matters about the overall workmanship is simply this client trying to add conflict to their complaintThis client sent an email on 4/stating how great the deck looked, I've submitted this as an attachment for review as wellThe client also told the foreman that he was very pleased with the bench; saying that he "Nailed it"We installed a fence for these clients a few years ago- this was an existing customer and the foreman on this job was the main laborer on the fence installed beforeWe had a relationship with them before thisIf they thought so little of our workmanship why would they have hired us again? If our workmanship was so poor, how could we possibly use the picture of their job as a feature in our portfolio- another benefit they claim should lower the cost of their project.” We are not addressing “other matters about the overall workmanship” to add conflict to our complaintIt is quite the oppositeWe withheld complaint about workmanship to the crew to avoid conflict, so that the deck would be finished and the situation resolvedAs stated earlier, they were clearly frustrated with our efforts to be involved and it made interactions uncomfortableWe feel that the lack of workmanship should now be included to give an accurate picture to our side of the situationWe did hire them before to install our fenceIt was simple and quick, and only lasted two daysWe had no issues with them to speak of, and very little interaction, as it was not neededThis is why we chose to use them for our deckThe experiences could not be further from each other“They tried to solicit work on the side from my crew that was installing their deckThis is unacceptable practice in any form of business, most people know that without sayingThe clients wanted a pergola quoted with their original projectWhen the project was quoted, the pergola was too costly for their budget so they took it outThis is the same project that the approached our crew to do "on the side"Why would they try to hire our crew on the side if they did such poor workmanship?” This specific issue is why all conversations with Chad ceased and we chose to go through Revdex.comDuring the phone conversation that [redacted] had with Chad, it was clear that both parties were becoming frustratedNear the end of the call, out of anger, Chad accused [redacted] of trying to poach one of his crewmembers and trying to get him firedWhen [redacted] expressed that there must have been some misunderstanding and that she was sorry, Chad called her a LIARDue to Chad’s incredible unprofessionalism at attacking [redacted] ’s character, he helped us to realize that we were not going to be able to resolve this ourselvesAs far as trying to solicit work, [redacted] was having a casual conversation with the crew foreman regarding the types of side projects that he does for his neighbors [redacted] mentioned that she was thinking of doing a partial pergola down the road, and asked if he did small projects like thatThe crew foreman responded with a nod and said “it’s a possibility”, nothing elseShe did not realize that this was inappropriateShe had recently spoken with her parents about some work that they had done, where one of the workers came back to do a side projectIf it was such a problem, why didn’t Bill just mention that he was not allowed to do that? Why would he have been talking about other side projects that he had done? If he had, that would have been the end of the conversationAs it is, the subject was never brought up again [redacted] apologized for her naivety to Chad, and was called a liar in responseWe did not ask Chad for a quote for a pergola, nor were we given a quote for a pergolaIt is clearly not there on either quote, and there was not a “first draft” quote where we decided it was too muchBefore we started having communication problems with Chad, [redacted] emailed about possibly getting other work doneWe had a conversation about the work in person, and Chad followed up with a quote via textThat text did not include a pergola either, as it was never discussed “Overall, this client was given excellent service, service that would be common for a much larger scope of work and overall project priceI'm happy to point out another example of their expertise in construction: they stated that all wood items are "custom." That's a gross understatement if you don't add any consideration for the type of project and specs requested by this client and that's more than a little insulting for the scope of their expected finished product which changed the whole wayI'm so glad that they could help us make this point by mentioning that each and every board was sandedThis is indicative of their attitude about the whole projectThey've expected custom, top quality work and service but simply don't want to pay for itYes all wood decks are "custom" however sanding each board before installation isn't a practice in deck buildingThese extra steps in the process this client added and changed is called "customizing"Extra sanding, expanding the deck, and changing things on the spot was the way the this client wanted to have their deck builtIt's impossible to go off a plan (even if it had been a professional one) when this happens.” This entire paragraph is a clear example of Chad’s attitude towards his customersHe uses sarcasm and belittlement until you concedeWe never claimed to be experts in deck building, and we were up front about that (See highlighted portions of Email Sequence pdf)We naively assumed that “top quality work and service” was their business model, as indicated in their websiteIt is unbelievable that they reserve their “top quality work” for higher paying customers, which is an option that was not offered to us We encourage future customers to take this in to consideration when receiving a quote from ChadWe are still surprised that it is an extra charge to not have boards that give you splinters by touching them (See Detail Photos pdf)However, this issue is just a detail of our disappointment, and is far from the real issue being discussed“The client claims that our plan was lacking professional plan- I agree, but they asked us to use their plansSo he's right, they weren't professional, they were simple geometrical shapes put on top of each other without consideration of the dimensions of the materials that would be used to construct the bench.” As stated earlier, we were very clear with Chad that the plans we submitted were only to give him the most detail possible so that he would have a clear idea of what we were looking for, and so that he could give us an accurate quote (See Email Sequence pdf)If Chad really felt that our plan was only “simple geometrical shapes put on top of each other”, then he should have come up with his own planWhen convenient, Chad refers to our plan to support his case, and when it is not convenient he refers to our plan as “geometric shapes.” “Once the bench construction started, the clients provided the table they'd purchased and asked that we build the bench around itThe existence of the table were never mentioned before that, but building a bench around a persons’ table also makes it custom.” We printed off a picture of the table with the dimensions, and presented it to Bill the day that they showed up to start on the deckWhile the actual table was not in the plans, the correct dimensions of the bench (inches) wereHow is building a bench around a table different than building a deck around a house? We do not understand what makes certain parts of the deck more “custom” than other parts, but this issue is not worth arguing about“The client wants to say that I didn't ask enough questionsMaybe they didn't give enough info, I priced a basic bench- she gave us pics to change bench after the job had started also adding sq ft to the deck- which we didn't even really add onto the invoice.” As the client, who had never been through the process of building a deck, we do not understand how we could have provided Chad with MORE information of what we wantedWe drew our own plan instead of just trying to explain it verbally, providing him with three different angled images as well offering him the source file of the drawing (SketchUp is a free program)We believe that as the contractor, he should have had the professional experience to ask the appropriate questions at the appropriate timeAlso, in all of the drawings, it is clear that the bench is extended out from the deckChad seems to think that we extended the deck after the fact to accommodate our benchWe do not understand where he was planning on putting his version of an angled basic bench, with out extending the deck (See Sketch vs Actual pdf)? A bench was not going to fit any other way, and this just shows his poor planningAnyone who takes a top view of the drawing can clearly see that the bench area extends out from a rectangular deck“If client had asked for a picture example of the bench I quoted, I would have given her many or offered to look on our website for the basic bench we install on a deck.” Why would we, as the client, even think to ask what HIS idea of a basic bench is, when we provided him with many explanations of what we wanted? The only reason that we continued to send him emails of new pictures and drawings was because it was becoming clear that he did not understandAlso, when looking at the pictures on CEI’s website (after the fact), most of the benches are at least three planks wide“I understand that the invoice may be more than they expected but without knowing with they wanted until halfway into the job there was no way of knowing what to charge them for what they wanted until the end." As stated before, we did not change anything on the deckThe fact is that Chad did not UNDERSTAND what we wanted until halfway through the job (due to his lack of attention to detail on the original plans provided before the contract, see Email Sequence pdf)At no point did he stop and reassess the situationAs a professional, he is the ONLY one who could have known what to charge us, and it is his responsibility to let us know how much something is going to cost so that we can make an informed decision as to whether or not we want to move forward“We have a great reputation and are disappointed that this client would bring this complaint against us after accepting, agreeing and signing off on the invoiced charges dueWe expect that the client’s would hold up their end of the agreed upon amount $that is due days from the last contract signed by the client.” We would like to make it clear that we did not accept, agree, or sign off on the invoiced charges dueWhen we made our final payment to Chad for everything excluding the bench, we made it clear that we did not agree with the charges on the benchThe invoice is in [redacted] ’s name, and she did not sign itAt the time of payment, [redacted] initialed the invoice to indicate that he had made the full payment excluding the benchIf we had accepted the cost of the bench we both would have signed and dated the invoice, as we did the initial contractWe told Chad that we would like to settle in days, but this was under the hopes that he would be willing to negotiate, which he clearly is notWe request arbitration/mediation through Revdex.com, and we request that Creative Earthscapes extend the time allotted until the matter is resolved This dispute has become regretfully petty; however it is important to us that we addressed each of CEI’s claims to show that this process was very difficult and stressful from the day that work began The true point of debate is that CEI was given a set of dimensioned drawings and a description from which to quote a price for construction, but failed to take the time to pay attention to details, prepare their own plans, and confirm that they truly understood what it was that we were asking for We gave them drawings and CEI provided a quote, without asking questions They showed up with our drawings in hand without their own structural plans, without asking questionsThey began building the deck, without asking questions We came home to find that they failed to plan for the bench as we described it in the quote process and we got very concerned In an effort to get the crew back on track, we provided more detail, which CEI interprets as us changing the deck, changing the bench, and adding a flower box, rail, and skirting All of these things were included in our drawings and underscore the fact the Chad failed to note them when he offered a quote (See Email Sequence pdf)In all of our email correspondences, we attempted to be polite and even positively reinforced Chad in order to avoid conflict, as it was clear he was becoming agitatedIn hindsight, we regret that we chose this course of action.Regards, [redacted]

Creative Earthscapes visited the clients’ home on 3/for a deck quoteOn 4/the quote for the "basic" deck they requested was submitted to them and on 4/the quote was accepted, signed and returned to us for project start Please see attachment #"Client original quote" The basic deck was to be sq ft with a 9' angled benchThis bench was supposed to be a basic bench as stated in the signed contract The final product was deck boards wide with a deck board backing, 18' long with an extra floor area and skirting on both sides On 4/We picked up the deposit check and work was started Two days into the job production, the client wanted to start making changes when the deck was almost completeClient wanted to add skirting, a planter box pavers to the walkway and increase size of patio and eventually deck tooThe client sent multiple plans and pictures of benches she liked from Pinterest by email on 4/with multiple pics and the new plans they wanted us to build after the deck was nearly completedPlease see attached email from 4/noting the changes she wanted to make and her reference to one of our many meetings that occurred with little notice or consideration for our time Multiple times, they would request to meet with us with less than hours’ notice and at 7:or 8am and we, the foreman and myself both, made time for them each and every time as we built this custom piece of furniture for themDuring all these extra meetings and adjustments we made for them, they weren't complaining when we were going the extra mile to give them exactly what they wantedThey also requested that we call them to come home when we were building certain parts of the bench, the clients would expect our crew to sit by idly while we waited for them to arrive and critique the work we were doing, like exact placement, which is fine- but having us move it several times until she got it just where she wanted itThat is not us being able to use the plans they submittedAlthough this is not a standard, we graciously complied and changed every aspect of the job whenever they requestedThis includes construction and placement of the bench, planter boxes and size of deck and patioMyself and the crew foreman, or both of us, were there to meet with them multiple times to figure out exactly what they wantedClient would bring new pictures from Pinterest showing us pics of benches that were way different than the original design we were provided and quotedOne of the first meetings we met and she showed picsI told her that would cost more and she agreedJust like she agreed to the added cost of the planter box, extra pavers, skirting around the deck, and pavers along the walkway They agreed that they would pay for the extras and did; except for the benchI had more hours in the bench than we did in the entire rest of the deck, including the add-ons- skirting, planter, privacy rail and handrailThey modified this bench so much from the original "plans" they submittedEach and every board used was sanded to the exact dimensions for their custom bench to fit the table that was never mentioned before when the planning was in progressIf they didn't know what they wanted- how could we possibly know how much it would cost? All the extra trips to their home for meetings, to vendors for extra materials and the time put into changing the original plan over and over again wasn't even billed to themOnly the materials and labor are included in the $added to the contract that this client signed and acceptedThe full breakdown of costs charged is as follows: Materials: $ Foreman: $23/hr @ hours = $ Labor 1: $16/hr @ hours = $ Labor 2: $13/hr @ hours = $ The total of these costs is $We aren't out to make money on this project aspect- just cover the costs of the job On 4/29- the construction for this project was completedI met with the client again to discuss the benchHe informed me that he didn't have time to discuss it, he signed the contract for the bench, accepted the charges and later in the day, submitted an email to me stating that they were still "hesitant" to pay us the full amount for the benchPlease review email from client on 4/In this email, he even verifies settlement will be made within daysThey never attempted to negotiate with us in person or by email Since having problems with this client, we have requested bids for building this same bench from two other construction professionals Their bids came in at $and $for just the bench part of the project They both agreed that our price to these clients is a bargain During this process, both clients went back and forth about their level of expertise in the construction fieldIf it was convenient for them to have "knowledge" of the "industry standards" then they had itIf I had a questions like "how much do YOU think this should cost?" Their answer was, you're the expertWhen each of them was asked what they thought this bench should cost, neither of them could make a suggestion This was as close to negotiating with them as I cameI wanted to open the conversation to them and justify my chargesBoth parties were dismissive of my requests before the invoice was signed and accepted To address other matters about the overall workmanship is simply this client trying to add conflict to their complaintThis client sent an email on 4/stating how great the deck looked, I've submitted this as an attachment for review as wellThe client also told the foreman that he was very pleased with the bench; saying that he "Nailed it"We installed a fence for these clients a few years ago- this was an existing customer and the foreman on this job was the main laborer on the fence installed beforeWe had a relationship with them before thisIf they thought so little of our workmanship why would they have hired us again? If our workmanship was so poor, how could we possibly use the picture of their job as a feature in our portfolio- another benefit they claim should lower the cost of their project They tried to solicit work on the side from my crew that was installing their deckThis is unacceptable practice in any form of business, most people know that without sayingThe clients wanted a pergola quoted with their original projectWhen the project was quoted, the pergola was too costly for their budget so they took it outThis is the same project that the approached our crew to do "on the side"Why would they try to hire our crew on the side if they did such poor workmanship? Overall, this client was given excellent service, service that would be common for a much larger scope of work and overall project price I'm happy to point out another example of their expertise in construction: they stated that all wood items are "custom." That's a gross understatement if you don't add any consideration for the type of project and specs requested by this client and that's more than a little insulting for the scope of their expected finished product which changed the whole wayI'm so glad that they could help us make this point by mentioning that each and every board was sandedThis is indicative of their attitude about the whole project They've expected custom, top quality work and service but simply don't want to pay for itYes all wood decks are "custom" however sanding each board before installation isn't a practice in deck buildingThese extra steps in the process this client added and changed is called "customizing" Extra sanding, expanding the deck, and changing things on the spot was the way the this client wanted to have their deck builtIt's impossible to go off a plan (even if it had been a professional one) when this happens The client claims that our plan was lacking professional plan- I agree, but they asked us to use their plansSo he's right, they weren't professional, they were simple geometrical shapes put on top of each other without consideration of the dimensions of the materials that would be used to construct the benchOnce the bench construction started, the clients provided the table they'd purchased and asked that we build the bench around itThe existence of the table were never mentioned before that, but building a bench around a persons’ table also makes it customOnly 9' bench, angled as mentioned in the original quoteThe client wants to say that I didn't ask enough questionsMaybe they didn't give enough info, I priced a basic bench- she gave us pics to change bench after the job had started also adding sq ft to the deck- which we didn't even really add onto the invoiceIf client had asked for a picture example of the bench I quoted, I would have given her many or offered to look on our website for the basic bench we install on a deck I understand that the invoice may be more than they expected but without knowing with they wanted until halfway into the job there was no way of knowing what to charge them for what they wanted until the endThey agreed to the extra chargesWe offered them to take as much time as they needed to pay the billThe client and I agreed to days when he paid the second installment and signed the invoice for the bench and other add-onsThe client told me in person that he didn't need that much time$is a more than fair price just like all the other prices Why would we charge a fair price for everything but the bench? $is a fair price for creating this itemIt was considerate of us not to charge these clients for each change they made to the contractThat is an industry standardCreative Earthscapes is not just an Industry standardWe offer exceptional serviceWe've been in business for years and have never had a complaint with the Revdex.com and have several positive reviewsWe appreciate the professional assistance from the Revdex.com and are proud to be Accredited MembersWe take pride in our service and don't take complaints lightlyWe have a great reputation and are disappointed that this client would bring this complaint against us after accepting, agreeing and signing off on the invoiced charges dueWe expect that the client’s would hold up their end of the agreed upon amount $that is due days from the last contract signed by the client Items attached include: different plans submitted by client that revise the original quote Pinterest pictures of the example benches clients wanted us to use as a guide for their bench- provided after original quote The original signed quote for the "basic" deck Revised signed and accepted invoice by client after job was done, assuming responsibility for add ons All emails between us and the client that changed the scope of the project or required meetings and changes to the original plan Pictures of the final deck/bench project that show the high quality craftsmanship this project required and the professional customization these clients wanted for every aspect of the projectThese pictures don't represent a basic deck and bench that the clients asked for in the beginning