Hardwood Floors Outlet Inc, II

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2016/07/30) */
We want to complete the job we were contracted to do, and have been making the steps needed to complete this jobIt is requiring more time than the customer expected, and more than we expected for that matter as well for a number of reasons
We have communicated will the customer to the best of our abilityIt seems that she needed a lot more than normal, almost to the extent that she wanted to know daily that there had been no progress or that the materials had not been received to satisfy her communication expectationsThe original crew should have had the opportunity to make repairs, I feel they were not given this opportunityAny issue brought up was addressed and repaired up to the point that the sand and finish portionIt was not until we were ready to come out and do the final touch up work and some repairs that she said she did not want that crew back outIn fact, she seemed happy with the crew up to the completion of the sand and finish portion of the job, even though there were a few issues to address
I will honor her request that the original crew not return but I also think that legally they have the right to correct or make repairs within a reasonable time frameKeep in mind that prior to the comment that she did not want the original crew to come back, the delay was not that long
The job was sold and additions were requested after the original order but before the installation was completeWe were one of the few places that would actually spend time with the customer to determine the floor that she had, while most stores didn't even want to botherThe original estimate of the days did not take into account the additional work requested, sanding, finish and drying time, and stair work reworkingThere were parts of the job: install new wood, sand and finish by another crew, then the first crew comes back for the finish work in which some of the above issues were to be resolvedThe installer communicated this to the customer and that the finish needed time to dry properly before the crew could address some of the issues
The initial delays past the days were because of personal issues with the installerHis newer model truck blew an engine so transportation became a problemHe also had some medical issues during this job, which involved ER visits, and that could account for some of the workmanship issues that are not typical for this crewBoth of these are not able to be controlled, we feel that we should not be blamed for "life" happeningThis is also why we estimate, and not guarantee how long any job will takeThe customer seemed understanding of this at the time
Additional stair nosing needed to be ordered since the true length of the stair was not revealed until the carpet had been pulled, which is typicalOnce discovered the additional trim were immediately orderedTypically we can complete stair treads with stick, but that is not the case with this staircase since they varied in length more than expectedThe installation of the new nosing materials will address the size problems
There is a sound difference between the carpet that the customer is used to hearing on her steps (no creaking) and the wood material that now covers the stairsSome noise is expected, sometimes the sound can be lessened and once the installers are on the job site this is one of the issues that will be addressed
During the installation the replacement of wood on the steps identified that a step was slightly out of code, which can happen when there is a material changeIt was brought to our attention and the step was replaced to be compliantGiven that we have redone the step twice, shows that we are willing to make the proper adjustments needed for proper installation and customer satisfactionTime is required to receive replacement materials and custom stair treads take time to complete and when they have to be remade, that takes time too
I had been out to the house twice to inspect some issues during the job and assure the client that the issues would be fixedAdditionally, since the original crew was not allowed back we had to identify the amount and types of additional materials needed, to complete the installation to the customers satisfactionThere would have been no or little to no delay if the original crew had been allowed to come back as scheduled since they could have determined what materials were needed instead of a special trip to determine themFurthermore it was hard to define over the phone what was to be done to satisfy the customer, and photo do not always give a good idea of the problem
The additional flooring materials determined to be needed were back ordered, which we have no control over but are somehow responsible and blamed for this delayWe cannot install what we don't have and we cannot scheduled when we are not sure when the materials will arriveWe just, finally, received the materials and have scheduled a crewNo crew has been out to "finish" the job which will resolve several of the other complaints identified above
Our intentions from the beginning were to fix or repair the areas that were problematic and make good on our workNotifying us that she did not want that crew or anyone from original flooring crew back was a shock to us and themThe foreman felt she was being a little picky on some issues but accepted the criticism and informed the client that he would be back to make the repairsHe thought they were on the same pageMost crews do not like going into a job where a customer is already unhappy because they then have to take responsibility for the entirety of that job, and the customer is more likely to be extra picky, critical or bothThey also have to fit them into their schedule, causing more time delays, which has not happened quickly enough for anyone involved
We have been paid for the materials portion of the job, which is standard, leaving the labor portion to be paid once the installation is completeWe have been asked and have given discounts in the final balance due towards some compensation for the delaysHowever, all the extra time needed to complete this job does not result in more money for meI am just hopeful that once the job is completed that I will get the final money that I am due for the work completedThe additional materials are no cost to the client, nor is any of the labor to repair the problems
I am the retail store that sold the job and hired this licensed and experienced crew that has done exceptional work for usThis job is the exception where things did not go well but I believe we would have finished by now if we hadn't had to basically start over with a new crew who is unfamiliar with the jobI am sure that there are some specifics I have most likely forgot to mention, but the bottom line is that I believe we have identified all the repairs needed and now have possession of the additional materials so that we can now complete the repairs and standard touwork which was originally planned and planned prior to this complaint and hopefully this will make it right for the customer