JLM Design & Build, LLC

Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2015/12/02) */ ***response has been scanned in and converted to text below (original document is available using the online complaint system) Hi ***, this is in response to the complaint received by the Revdex.com November 20", from [redacted] Case [redacted] I would like to start by sharing that JLM has been in business for years and this is to my knowledge the first ever complaint to the Revdex.comWe complete between and projects annually and take customer service very seriouslyWe are a company that works on referrals from past CuStomerS The project, JLM was contracted to remove an existing deck and front walk and install a paver patio and walk in their placeThe contract also had an allowance for planting that was to be discussed prior to installing We had a few additional items added by Mr***We installed an Egress window well, window and restored the finishes in the basementWe installed 97' additional edging, removed rock on the side of the house, and installed additional steppers and two additional C.Y.'s mulch that Mr [redacted] requested This sections is to help you understand what occurred prior to the complaint During the project Mr [redacted] had made numerous comments on the process and one employee that he felt was not doing his jobHe made it clear that the foreman on the job was a great worker with the knowledge to complete the workI explained to Mr [redacted] that he was a new employee and there is always a period of time to get acclimated to the jobI also told Mr [redacted] that his project was a lump sum project so this individuals pace would be my cost not hisUnfortunately Mr [redacted] couldn't get past it and talked to me, my production supervisor and our designer continuallyI feel this was the start of his dissatisfaction with JLM In the spring following the project completion we received a call that we had a settlement issue on the back patio and that he would like it repairedWe sent a crew out to do this workMr [redacted] was very happy with the repair, he even sent a note to me on how great the second crew was and wished they had done the entire projectStill not happy with the one individual on the first crew This brings us to the issues that Mr [redacted] is complaining about First let discuss the planting issueOur plant designer met with Mr [redacted] and his wife to discuss the plants that were to be installedAfter that meeting he returned to our office and completed the planHe then returned to the ***'s and went over the plan and plant species with them and got a signed installation orderThe planting was installed without incident and the ***'s seemed to be very happy with the finished product Minnesota had a phenomenal growing season this year and every plant we installed exceeded it growth expectationWe had installed daylilies by the walk and they grew fantastic but because they were new plants with small root systems they laid over part way through the summerI told Mr [redacted] that this was a result of the two conditions and that it would not happen in future yearsMr [redacted] had another individual (one we referred to him for bed maintenance) come out to work on the bedsHe asked this person if he thought that they were the right plantsThis person suggested a different plant for Mr [redacted] knowing that he was not happy with the DayliliesAt no point did this individual state that they were the wrong plantsHe has worked in the industry for years and installed thousands of Daylilies in front foundation designs It's our opinion that the plant we installed where appropriateThree of the houses on Mr [redacted] cul-desac have Daylilies by the front walksPlanting is subjective and what one person thinks looks good is not always what another mayWe install what was agreed upon The second issue is the 6" limestone base, JLM install 6" of limestone under all of its paver projectsWe extend the base past the edge of the paver 6" to 12" depending on the useThe area Mr [redacted] is questioning is not under the pavers and is actually more than 6" past the edgeI tried to explain this him but he wouldn't listenI simply ended this discussion by stating that JLM warranties it's workmanship for years So if it settles we will dig it up and check when fixingNote that it has not settled The third issue is the mulchJLM bids mulch by the C.Yit's a very easy calculationOne C.Yof mulch cover S.Fof planting bedDuring the initial project JLM install all of the mulch that was included in the original proposalOur crew foreman called and said that we had mulched a couple areas that had not been included and that he felt he would need two additional C.Yof mulchI approved the mulch and covered the costThe next spring Mr [redacted] asked if we would install more mulch when we came out to fix the settlement in the patioWe said yes and had the crew bring the mulchWhen the crew was doing the work Mr [redacted] ask one of the crew members if he would be billed for the mulchHow would the crew member know how to answer that? Mr [redacted] state that he was told it would be freeIt was not free, we billed the mulch as the same rate as the original proposal The final issue is the installation of the EdgingThis is a 4" tall concrete edger that is normally installed 1" out of the groundThis is very hard to do in a lawn that is not smoothThe edging Mr [redacted] is referring to was adjusted a second time during the original project after an initial complaintIt is currently to 1" out of the ground depending on the locationWe try very hard to keep it level and not follow every little contour in the lawnLike all edging in Minnesota it will move over time To put the issues in Context, the project we completed was just over thousand and the issues he was unhappy with is $That is less than % of one percent of the jobI would have normally refunded the money to keep the customer happy but Mr [redacted] became very unfairHe requested over $to be refundedThis was for all the work the other individual had completed along with the additional mulch he requestedAt this point it is my responsibility to stand up to Mr [redacted] for all future contractors he tries to do this toHe is a difficult person that has lost his grip on what is fair Timing of the complaint, JLM finished the project on 9/28/and I first met with Mr [redacted] on 10/8/(over one year since completed) to discuss his complaints Mr [redacted] , I hope JLM's years in business without a complaint will have some weight in your decision to validate this claimJLM works very hard to keep its rating up on all of the contractor rating Systems Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 7, 2015/12/06) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) It should be noted that we paid extra for all the additional items that Mr [redacted] talks about in his reply The 6" limestone base is NOT under a portion of the pavers and has not settledIf it does, I do believe that JLM will fix it Only a portion of the edging was fixed last fall and that was because an approximate foot section was not laid down straightThis spring I leveled off much of the edging myself I called regarding the mulch this spring because there were bare spots with dirt showing through and other spots where the mulch was hardly present at allI did not call for more mulch for any other reason Mr [redacted] does not explain why his company did not call back after we called them about the 1st bill asking if we owed the bill for adding mulch(The foreman of that project had stated that he thought that the new mulch was free.) When we received the 2nd bill, we called again and JLM's representative called back after checking with someone at JLM and said we did owe the billWe then paid it - no argument When JLM's plant designer visited to look at the daylilies that were laying over the sidewalk and lawn, he was visibly angryBrian [redacted] ( [redacted] 's Landscaping) did agree that the plants were wrong for the area that they were planted inHe happened to be present when the JLM plant designer came to look at the dayliliesJLM's plant designer stated that he would call us back with a recommendation of new plants and whether or not JLM would pay for the replacementsHe never did call as promised [redacted] 's Landscaping did recommend other plants and we asked him to plant the new plants after we purchased themThat was completed Since we did not hear back from JLM, as promised, we called [redacted] and asked him to come out and discuss the problemsHe did stop by and we showed him and discussed with him, what I thought were some problemsHe stated that he would review the type of daylilies planted and get back to usHe never did call us backThen we filed the Revdex.com complaint This complaint would not have been filed if JLM had done as promised and called us back with answers regarding the issues: 1)the additional mulch that the foreman thought was freeWe called regarding the first bill and did not get a responseThey did call back after we called regarding the 2nd billingWhen JLM said we owed it, we paid 2) The JLM plant designer said that he would call backHe never did 3) [redacted] stated he would call backHe never did We would have appreciated a response to our questions instead of being ignored and we are still open to compromise Final Business Response / [redacted] (4000, 9, 2015/12/15) */ Mr [redacted] : To recap what the issues are: Edging: Mr [redacted] is complaining about the edging but has not requested JLM do anythingHe is just complainingI understand this but can do nothing about it Limestone under pavers: We disagree but have a warranty that Mr [redacted] is fully aware of and believes JLM will repair the pavers if there is an issueNothing required of JLM at this time Mulch: JLM installed all the mulch that was included in the proposalIt is sold by the Cubic Yard and JLM is not responsible for any additional mulch at Mr***'s house as per the signed contractThere is nothing for JLM to resolve on this issueNext year Mr [redacted] will need more mulch and if he requests it from JLM it will also be billed at the same rate as all previous mulch Planting: Mr [redacted] signed off on the plants that were installed at his houseJLM fulfilled its contracted requirement and Mr [redacted] was charged $for the DayliliesIf Mr [redacted] returns the plants JLM will refund the money Return calls: We received no less than calls from Mr [redacted] at the office during the project installation and the year followingCall are answer by our office staff if it was during business hoursMr [redacted] States that he did not get a response on many of the callsTo clear this up, Mr [redacted] lives block from my house, he has my cell phone number and every time he called it stopped by that day or the following morning depending on his scheduleI was clear with Mr [redacted] on where I stood on the issuesAfter each meeting if he wasn't happy with my response he would then call the office and try to get a different responseThese call were not returned Final words from ***: Mr [redacted] did not just ask if JLM would refund the money for the plantsHe added additional items to the list he is currently asking forThis is extortion and I will not tolerate itIf this effects our Revdex.com rating I will have no alternative but to seek legal counsel to restore our rating Thanks again for your time on this issue ***

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/12/02) */
***response has been scanned in and converted to text below (original document is available using the online complaint system)
Hi ***, this is in response to the complaint received by the Revdex.com November 20", from
***Case ***
I would like to start by sharing that JLM has been in business for years and this is to my knowledge the first ever complaint to the Revdex.comWe complete between and projects annually and take customer service very seriouslyWe are a company that works on referrals from past CuStomerS
The project, JLM was contracted to remove an existing deck and front walk and install a paver patio and walk in their placeThe contract also had an allowance for planting that was to be discussed prior to installing
We had a few additional items added by Mr***We installed an Egress window well, window and restored the finishes in the basementWe installed 97' additional edging, removed rock on the side of the house, and installed additional steppers and two additional C.Y.'s mulch that Mr*** requested
This sections is to help you understand what occurred prior to the complaint
During the project Mr*** had made numerous comments on the process and one employee that he felt was not doing his jobHe made it clear that the foreman on the job was a great worker with the knowledge to complete the workI explained to Mr*** that he was a new employee and there is always a period of time to get acclimated to the jobI also told Mr*** that his project was a lump sum project so this individuals pace would be my cost not hisUnfortunately Mr*** couldn't get past it and talked to me, my production supervisor and our designer continuallyI feel this was the start of his dissatisfaction with JLM
In the spring following the project completion we received a call that we had a settlement issue on the back patio and that he would like it repairedWe sent a crew out to do this workMr*** was very happy with the repair, he even sent a note to me on how great the second crew was and wished they had done the entire projectStill not happy with the one individual on the first crew
This brings us to the issues that Mr*** is complaining about
First let discuss the planting issueOur plant designer met with Mr*** and his wife to discuss the plants that were to be installedAfter that meeting he returned to our office and completed the planHe then returned to the ***'s and went over the plan and plant species with them and got a signed installation orderThe planting was installed without incident and the ***'s seemed to be very happy with the finished product
Minnesota had a phenomenal growing season this year and every plant we installed exceeded it growth expectationWe had installed daylilies by the walk and they grew fantastic but because they were new plants with small root systems they laid over part way through the summerI told Mr*** that this was a result of the two conditions and that it would not happen in future yearsMr*** had another individual (one we referred to him for bed maintenance) come out to work on the bedsHe asked this person if he thought that they were the right plantsThis person suggested a different plant for Mr*** knowing that he was not happy with the DayliliesAt no point did this individual state that they were the wrong plantsHe has worked in the industry for years and installed thousands of Daylilies in front foundation designs
It's our opinion that the plant we installed where appropriateThree of the houses on Mr*** cul-desac have Daylilies by the front walksPlanting is subjective and what one person thinks looks good is not always what another mayWe install what was agreed upon
The second issue is the 6" limestone base, JLM install 6" of limestone under all of its paver projectsWe extend the base past the edge of the paver 6" to 12" depending on the useThe area Mr*** is questioning is not under the pavers and is actually more than 6" past the edgeI tried to explain this him but he wouldn't listenI simply ended this discussion by stating that JLM warranties it's workmanship for years So if it settles we will dig it up and check when fixingNote that it has not settled
The third issue is the mulchJLM bids mulch by the C.Yit's a very easy calculationOne C.Yof mulch cover S.Fof planting bedDuring the initial project JLM install all of the mulch that was included in the original proposalOur crew foreman called and said that we had mulched a couple areas that had not been included and that he felt he would need two additional C.Yof mulchI approved the mulch and covered the costThe next spring Mr*** asked if we would install more mulch when we came out to fix the settlement in the patioWe said yes and had the crew bring the mulchWhen the crew was doing the work Mr*** ask one of the crew members if he would be billed for the mulchHow would the crew member know how to answer that? Mr*** state that he was told it would be freeIt was not free, we billed the mulch as the same rate as the original proposal
The final issue is the installation of the EdgingThis is a 4" tall concrete edger that is normally installed 1" out of the groundThis is very hard to do in a lawn that is not smoothThe edging Mr*** is referring to was adjusted a second time during the original project after an initial complaintIt is currently to 1" out of the ground depending on the locationWe try very hard to keep it level and not follow every little contour in the lawnLike all edging in Minnesota it will move over time
To put the issues in Context, the project we completed was just over thousand and the issues he was unhappy with is $That is less than % of one percent of the jobI would have normally refunded the money to keep the customer happy but Mr*** became very unfairHe requested over $to be refundedThis was for all the work the other individual had completed along with the additional mulch he requestedAt this point it is my responsibility to stand up to Mr*** for all future contractors he tries to do this toHe is a difficult person that has lost his grip on what is fair
Timing of the complaint, JLM finished the project on 9/28/and I first met with Mr*** on 10/8/(over one year since completed) to discuss his complaints
Mr***, I hope JLM's years in business without a complaint will have some weight in your decision to validate this claimJLM works very hard to keep its rating up on all of the contractor rating Systems
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/12/06) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
It should be noted that we paid extra for all the additional items that Mr*** talks about in his reply
The 6" limestone base is NOT under a portion of the pavers and has not settledIf it does, I do believe that JLM will fix it
Only a portion of the edging was fixed last fall and that was because an approximate foot section was not laid down straightThis spring I leveled off much of the edging myself
I called regarding the mulch this spring because there were bare spots with dirt showing through and other spots where the mulch was hardly present at allI did not call for more mulch for any other reason
Mr*** does not explain why his company did not call back after we called them about the 1st bill asking if we owed the bill for adding mulch(The foreman of that project had stated that he thought that the new mulch was free.) When we received the 2nd bill, we called again and JLM's representative called back after checking with someone at JLM and said we did owe the billWe then paid it - no argument
When JLM's plant designer visited to look at the daylilies that were laying over the sidewalk and lawn, he was visibly angryBrian *** (***'s Landscaping) did agree that the plants were wrong for the area that they were planted inHe happened to be present when the JLM plant designer came to look at the dayliliesJLM's plant designer stated that he would call us back with a recommendation of new plants and whether or not JLM would pay for the replacementsHe never did call as promised***'s Landscaping did recommend other plants and we asked him to plant the new plants after we purchased themThat was completed
Since we did not hear back from JLM, as promised, we called *** *** and asked him to come out and discuss the problemsHe did stop by and we showed him and discussed with him, what I thought were some problemsHe stated that he would review the type of daylilies planted and get back to usHe never did call us backThen we filed the Revdex.com complaint
This complaint would not have been filed if JLM had done as promised and called us back with answers regarding the issues:
1)the additional mulch that the foreman thought was freeWe called regarding the first bill and did not get a responseThey did call back after we called regarding the 2nd billingWhen JLM said we owed it, we paid
2) The JLM plant designer said that he would call backHe never did
3)*** *** stated he would call backHe never did
We would have appreciated a response to our questions instead of being ignored and we are still open to compromise
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/12/15) */
Mr***:
To recap what the issues are:
Edging:
Mr *** is complaining about the edging but has not requested JLM do anythingHe is just complainingI understand this but can do nothing about it
Limestone under pavers:
We disagree but have a warranty that Mr*** is fully aware of and believes JLM will repair the pavers if there is an issueNothing required of JLM at this time
Mulch:
JLM installed all the mulch that was included in the proposalIt is sold by the Cubic Yard and JLM is not responsible for any additional mulch at Mr***'s house as per the signed contractThere is nothing for JLM to resolve on this issueNext year Mr*** will need more mulch and if he requests it from JLM it will also be billed at the same rate as all previous mulch
Planting:
Mr*** signed off on the plants that were installed at his houseJLM fulfilled its contracted requirement and Mr*** was charged $for the DayliliesIf Mr*** returns the plants JLM will refund the money
Return calls:
We received no less than calls from Mr*** at the office during the project installation and the year followingCall are answer by our office staff if it was during business hoursMr*** States that he did not get a response on many of the callsTo clear this up, Mr*** lives block from my house, he has my cell phone number and every time he called it stopped by that day or the following morning depending on his scheduleI was clear with Mr*** on where I stood on the issuesAfter each meeting if he wasn't happy with my response he would then call the office and try to get a different responseThese call were not returned
Final words from ***:
Mr*** did not just ask if JLM would refund the money for the plantsHe added additional items to the list he is currently asking forThis is extortion and I will not tolerate itIf this effects our Revdex.com rating I will have no alternative but to seek legal counsel to restore our rating
Thanks again for your time on this issue
***