The Grout Guys, Inc

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]
Regards,
*** ***
The response dated September fails to resolve my complaint. Mr*** medical condition is unfortunate, and I wish him a speedy recovery. That said, it has no bearing on the quality of service provided. Mr*** was contracted to provide restoration services for the shower in our main bathroomThe service was scheduled for on August. *** arrived that morning at 0926, minutes late. I explained the scope of the project, as Mr*** and I had discussed during the initial consultation. I left for work after providing *** with a key to the house to facilitate the repair. I explained to him that I expected a call, or some other contact advising when the service was completed later that day. I also advised that I was scheduled to be at the dentist later that day, and may not be able to answer the phone, so a text message would suffice as notice that the work was complete. I left for work. I returned home that evening, and had not heard from *** either by phone or text message. I had also provided him with my office number to ensure he was able to contact me directlyThe work appeared to be unfinished. There were numerous gouge marks throughout the tile from a hand tool of some sort, and cracked tilesThe marks were not consistent, which is why I believed a hand tool caused themI emailed Mr*** at 8:p.mon August using the following email address: ***. I asked, “***, good evening I met the technician this morning. He introduced himself, but I can't recall his name. Is the job complete?”
Mr*** responded at 8:p.mon August from the same email address: *** He stated “*** called me around and told me he was wrapping up and informed me you wanted to pay via credit card. I believe everything should be all set. Need to give at least hours for everything to cureMr*** called shortly after sending me the email. I explained that I was not satisfied with the service provided, as the tile had been damaged during the restoration. There were also at least two places where the grout had been removed, and not replacedMr*** advised that he and *** would meet me at the house the next morning to inspect the workThe morning of August Mr*** and *** met me at the house. Both of them offered that the tile wasn’t ceramic tile, but a “soft” tile covered by a laminate as an explanation for why the hand tool had gouged the tile. They also explained that one or two marks, or **ratches, were normal. I noted that there were approximately twenty (20) gouges throughout the shower, and cracked tiles that were not previously crackedAt no time did Mr*** attempt to apologize for the damage to the shower, nor did he offer to have the tile replaced or repaired, either through his company, or another service. Mr*** also explained that *** had been working with him for several years and was currently employed as a project manager. *** job title is irrelevant as his workmanship is substandard, destructive, and does nothing to repair the damagedI had two additional technicians who were scheduled to do work on the house later that morning and I felt it appropriate to provide Mr*** with the full payment for the service and follow up with him afterward, as I had noted my concerns with the quality of the work and the damage to the tile. *** filled in the missing grout, but made no effort to repair the damaged tileI took photos of the damaged to the tile. I emailed Mr*** at 4:p.mon August using the same email address he had previously responded to: ***. To date I have received no responseI filed my complaint with the Revdex.com on the 31st of August. I have not attempted to call Mr***, or the business, as I received a rapid response from him via email which affords the documentation I feel is unfortunately necessary under the circumstancesAgain, I regret Mr*** medical condition and complications, and wish him a speedy recoveryThat said, my complaint will be resolved at the point the damage is repaired in fullMr*** was provided the opportunity to correct the problem on the 19th. Rather than accept the responsibility for the damage, he blamed the quality of the tile. The extent of *** experience should have lead him to recognize the problem, “soft tile”, and halt progress on the work to contact me for guidance, and or approval, before proceeding. As a result, I expect a different service provider to complete the necessary repairs to the tile with no further expense incurred on my behalfThank you for your time**

*** please excuse any grammar errors I am currently dictating into my phone since I'm still in ** *** *** recovering from my surgery.After we had finished our work at mr*** house on August 18th he contacted me that evening sandy hits had some issues with the work and if I could come out and take a look at itI got back in touch with him I do not remember if it was that night or the following day and told him I could come out on Thursday August 20th with my technician *** to come I got back in touch with him I do not remember if it was that night or the following day and told him I could come out on Thursday August 20th with my technician *** to come take a look at it.We met that Thursday morning of August 20th and looked over the work he had a number of concerns of places that he saidHe showed us a number of areas of wear he claimed *** had to damage to some of his tiles we looked at the work and agreed with him that we believe some of the areas were indeed damaged by us but not all of the areas the particular type of tile the Mr *** have is very delicate and anytime you remove grout there is always a chance that some of the edges can be shaved away which in his case were there is no structure damage and most of the damage that was caused was very minorSecondly I discussed with him that I don't believe all of the issues he had was due to us*** even said that some of the areas on the tiles that he was pointing out where there before we started working on the showerI was at mr*** house going over the work with *** and Mr *** for about minutes. After we discussed the issues in the shower Mr *** and I stepped outside and ended up speaking for about another minutes or so I was telling him about the back surgery I was havin on the next day because I knew he was in the medical field and we had some common interestAfter we finished our conversation he proceeded to write a check for the $and give it to meAt no point did he Express any other issues to us or that he didn't understand what had caused some of the damage to his tiles and was agreeable that all of the issues may not have been due to us.We have been doing this type of work for over years and we do it to times a week never in the whole time I've been in business have we ever cause damage - + tiles. If I recall he also mentioned that he tried to get back in touch with me a few days after we met to demand a refund but he knew that I had gone in for surgery and was unavailable to get back in touch with himI feel very bad I do not leave my customers hang in and try to resolve issues as soon as possible as I can unfortunately at this time my health just took priority in this matter as stated I do believe that some of the damage was caused by us but all three of us had agreed upon and I'd be willing to give Mr *** a refund of $for not being able to resolve this quicker with him.I'm not sure what the best course of action is at this time for contacting me I do not have any idea how long I will be in ** *** *** and if my wound starts to drain again they will be sending me to either John Hopkins or Duke University for further treatment.*** if you can just keep me up to date with what Mr *** would like to do I can continue to work with you on that

*** please excuse any grammar errors I am currently dictating into my phone since I'm still in ** *** *** recovering from my surgeryAfter we had finished our work at mr*** house on August 18th he contacted me that evening sandy hits had some issues with the work and if I could come out and take a look at itI got back in touch with him I do not remember if it was that night or the following day and told him I could come out on Thursday August 20th with my technician *** to come I got back in touch with him I do not remember if it was that night or the following day and told him I could come out on Thursday August 20th with my technician *** to come take a look at it.We met that Thursday morning of August 20th and looked over the work he had a number of concerns of places that he saidHe showed us a number of areas of wear he claimed *** had to damage to some of his tiles we looked at the work and agreed with him that we believe some of the areas were indeed damaged by us but not all of the areas the particular type of tile the Mr *** have is very delicate and anytime you remove grout there is always a chance that some of the edges can be shaved away which in his case were there is no structure damage and most of the damage that was caused was very minorSecondly I discussed with him that I don't believe all of the issues he had was due to us*** even said that some of the areas on the tiles that he was pointing out where there before we started working on the showerI was at mr*** house going over the work with *** and Mr *** for about minutes. After we discussed the issues in the shower Mr *** and I stepped outside and ended up speaking for about another minutes or so I was telling him about the back surgery I was havin on the next day because I knew he was in the medical field and we had some common interestAfter we finished our conversation he proceeded to write a check for the $and give it to meAt no point did he Express any other issues to us or that he didn't understand what had caused some of the damage to his tiles and was agreeable that all of the issues may not have been due to usWe have been doing this type of work for over years and we do it to times a week never in the whole time I've been in business have we ever cause damage - + tiles. If I recall he also mentioned that he tried to get back in touch with me a few days after we met to demand a refund but he knew that I had gone in for surgery and was unavailable to get back in touch with himI feel very bad I do not leave my customers hang in and try to resolve issues as soon as possible as I can unfortunately at this time my health just took priority in this matter as stated I do believe that some of the damage was caused by us but all three of us had agreed upon and I'd be willing to give Mr *** a refund of $for not being able to resolve this quicker with himI'm not sure what the best course of action is at this time for contacting me I do not have any idea how long I will be in ** *** *** and if my wound starts to drain again they will be sending me to either John Hopkins or Duke University for further treatment*** if you can just keep me up to date with what Mr *** would like to do I can continue to work with you on that

Revdex.com:The man said he would caulk over the old caulkI did not think this was an acceptable solutionIf he had said he would remove the bad caulk and re-caulk the tub, I would have scheduled an appointment with him.A good caulk job lasts longer than a yearThe caulk was crumbling and this had nothing to do with my house settling
I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]
Regards,
*** ***

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.We understand that the business owner has been having health issues and has been hospitalized It is correct that he has not been available to discuss any of our concerns As such, it does not sound as if he has been fully informed about the discussions that have occurred by phone with his service manager *** spoke with *** by phone on September prior to his second visit to our home and discussed the concerns about persistent mildew under the caulk and discolored grout at that time His return on October was in part because he had refused to work on the second shower on Sept 29, stating that he hadn't been I strucrd by his boss to do that one *** was present when he came back on October and physically pointed out areas of mildew under the caulk and areas of discolored grout His response was that he felt the discoloration was "seeping from outside he shower" and that he would apply additional caulk on the outside to prevent this Of note, our house is almost exactly years old, so this is the appropriate time for a maintenance clean and seal of the grout to be done; there has not been neglect or maintenance delay.The owner's statement that the caulk problem is related to the caulk having been applied over moisture is almost certainly correct We have had that concern from the beginning given that it took a full week for the caulk to cure to clear, rather than the 48-hours that *** stated it would take However, the business website details at length a process for cleaning and assuring that surfaces are dry before sealing and applying caulk It is not the responsibility of the customer to ensure that the caulk is properly applied to a dry surface That's why we hired a company claiming expertise in this area If the caulk could not be properly applied due to moisture concerns, the appropriate time to discuss that with the customer is before claiming completion of the job and charging a fee That would allow for determining a more appropriate way to proceed to ensure a good result As things stand currently, our shower is completely unusable and will have to have this work redone, entailing additional cost and wait time We are unclear as to what the business owner feels he should be paid for in regard to the shower Results matter We are willing to allow the $fee charged for caulk application to the kitchen stand We are not satisfied that any of the proposed work on the shower has been completed as agreed and continue to request refund of the $charged for that work Our credit card company has been notified of the dispute of this charge
Regards,
*** *** *** ***

This customer did call me and we spoke on the phone I told her that we would come back and evaluate the issue and then do what was necessary to fix the issue I never told her we would caulk over the old caulk or remove the caulk, I told her we would look at the
issue and determine what we needed to do I told her several times we could come out She asked me if there would be a charge and told her no, I told her that we warranty ourworkmanship She never agreed for me to come out.We do not use the wrong caulk for tubs We caulk between 15-showers, tubs and countertops per week I told herthat sometimes the weather can make houses expand and then the joints can move and caulk can crack She told me about the years and I agreed with her. We do jobs all the time that last that long, without begin able to go over and look at her job I couldn't tell her what the reason was Shedidn't see to like that I couldn't give her an answer why it happened.We have been using the same caulk for over years.*** *** *** *** *** ***
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* am sure this contractor was competent, but he is truly wrong with his explanation There are types of caulk Silicone, Acrylic and a mixture of both which is what we use There is no wrong one to use, as long it is made for tub areas, which by the spec sheet you can fully see it is.I take pride in all our work and have been a good member of the Revdex.com I always try to help any customer at anytime. This customer did not allow me to come out and look at her issue, nor give me a chance to fix it

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
We understand that the business owner has been having health issues and has been hospitalized It is correct that he has not been available to discuss any of our concerns As such, it does not sound as if he has been fully informed about the discussions that have occurred by phone with his service manager *** spoke with *** by phone on September prior to his second visit to our home and discussed the concerns about persistent mildew under the caulk and discolored grout at that time His return on October was in part because he had refused to work on the second shower on Sept 29, stating that he hadn't been I strucrd by his boss to do that one *** was present when he came back on October and physically pointed out areas of mildew under the caulk and areas of discolored grout His response was that he felt the discoloration was "seeping from outside he shower" and that he would apply additional caulk on the outside to prevent this Of note, our house is almost exactly years old, so this is the appropriate time for a maintenance clean and seal of the grout to be done; there has not been neglect or maintenance delay.The owner's statement that the caulk problem is related to the caulk having been applied over moisture is almost certainly correct We have had that concern from the beginning given that it took a full week for the caulk to cure to clear, rather than the 48-hours that *** stated it would take However, the business website details at length a process for cleaning and assuring that surfaces are dry before sealing and applying caulk It is not the responsibility of the customer to ensure that the caulk is properly applied to a dry surface That's why we hired a company claiming expertise in this area If the caulk could not be properly applied due to moisture concerns, the appropriate time to discuss that with the customer is before claiming completion of the job and charging a fee That would allow for determining a more appropriate way to proceed to ensure a good result As things stand currently, our shower is completely unusable and will have to have this work redone, entailing additional cost and wait time We are unclear as to what the business owner feels he should be paid for in regard to the shower Results matter We are willing to allow the $fee charged for caulk application to the kitchen stand We are not satisfied that any of the proposed work on the shower has been completed as agreed and continue to request refund of the $charged for that work Our credit card company has been notified of the dispute of this charge
Regards,
*** *** *** ***

First I would like to state that I believe all of this is because Mrs*** misinterpreted the proposal for the work that was written up for her daughters bathroom The work order stated that we were supposed to do a Clean & Seal in the bathroom, recaulk all the joints in the shower in a
warm grey caulk (which she picked) and patch cracked lines in the grout with a warm grey grout Then were to re-color the bathroom floor, all inch tiles The day of the estimate I she did not pick a stain color On Wednesday January we called her to ask which color she wanted I always leave a stain color chart, if a customer doesn’t choose at the time of the estimate She told us that she couldn’t decide which color she wanted and told us to pick what we thought was best.The day of the job Friday January 20th, my tech Pete showed up to begin the work He brought stain colors with him, so he could show her the greys we had in stains After he completed doing the clean & seal in the shower stall he caulked all the joints and began to begin staining the bath floor She told Peter that she wasn’t happy with the color of the stain because it didn’t match the caulk color Pete explained to her that they were different products, but different companies and they didn’t have corresponding colors to each other Mrs *** still wasn’t happy about his Peter called me and after he and I discuss the issue, he went back to her and said he would see what he could do Peter then went out of his way to go to *** *** to see if they had any caulk that might be closer to the color she wanted He did find something close, they didn’t have it in stock and that we would have to order it He went back to Mrs*** house and explained what happened and told her that we would order the caulk and he would come back and the caulking he already did at no charge Once Peter was done with all the work on the work order he went to her for payment She proceeded to tell him that the job wasn't completed and she wouldn't pay anything When we asked what wasn't completed she said that her daughters shower stall was supposed to be re-colored(stained) as well He went over the work order with her and explained that was not in the order nor was it quoted She got very upset, so Peter called me to let me know what was going on.When I got on the phone with Mrs*** she told me that she wasn't going to pay for anything, because it wasn't finished I explained to her that on the work order, I wrote that just the bath floor "all 12inch tiles" were supposed to be re-colored I explained to her that we never spoke about re-coloring her shower stall I also told her that we do not stain inch tiles, which the shower floor has, since the lines are to small and wouldn't have even suggested doing this We only re-grout tiles that small and that wasn't quoted She got very upset at me, so I asked her to put Peter on the line and I would see if I could work something out I talked to him and he told me that I thought he might be able to use a tool and stain the lines on the shower floor and could stain the inch tiles on the walls He thought it would take him about 3-hours to complete I got back on the phone with with Mrs*** and told her that I was sorry that somehow she didn't understand the quote and maybe I didn't explain it well enough to her, even though it was written down I told her that normally a shower stall she had would have been quoted around $more in the estimate, but because of the issue, I would only ask $ She again, told me no and how bad of a company I was and if she had known she would have gone with someone else I proceeded to try to go over the estimate again with her and explain we did what we were supposed to do, but she cut me off and told me "You just keep on talking, you must be in love with your voice" At that point, I asked her to put Peter back on the line She said, "are you going to let me talk?", I responded "No" and asked for Peter again Once Peter was on the phone, I told him to pack his equipment and leave her property Peter then called me from his car and told me that she was belittling him while he was leaving, yelling at him on how we were such a bad (vulgar term) company and how unethical we were How I was such an jerk (vulgar terms) and she would have gone with someone else I proceeded to try to go over the estimate again with her and explain we did what we were supposed to do, but she cut me off and told me "You just keep on talking, you must be in love with your voice" At that point, I asked her to put Peter back on the line She said, "are you going to let me talk?", I responded "No" and asked for Peter again Once Peter was on the phone, I told him to pack his equipment and leave her property Peter then called me from his car and told me that she was belittling him while he was leaving, yelling at him on how we were such a bad (vulgar term) company and how unethical we wereHow I was such an jerk (vulgar terms) and she was going to file a complaint about us.I see in her complaint she states that she has to carry her daughter upstairs, because we left the bathroom in such a messThat may be true that she is doing that, but not because of anything we left or didn't do in her eyes We cleaned her shower and re-colored (stained) the bathroom floor There was no mess to leave behind, we didn't remove any grout or do any demo work there, just cleaningIf she chooses not to use the shower, that is her issue, the shower is completely usable I believe she is trying to use her daughters disability for a dramatic effect I tried to offer her an option way below what I should have normally charged for my tech to be there, which I didn't have to, all of this is has been caused because she is confused about the work order and is not reading it She is only telling me what she thought she was getting I can't control what people think We did ALL of the work that is listed the work order.She was unwilling to listen or even compromise even though she was mistaken.This complaint is not valid

In regards to Mr and Mrs *** they were supposed to contact you to let you know we have been working with themI have been in contact with them handcent a second technician out and have done everything that they wishedThey wanted us to remove all the old caulking which we have done and originally only wanted us to wait a week before we came back but once I tried to contact them to set that up they wanted to wait a little more than a monthMy last conversation with them was that that was okay by me and they just needed to contact me when they wanted us to come back I also have all of this documented via text messages which I'm going to try to attach to this email

This is in response to the complaint that was submitted by *** ***
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Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]
Regards,
[redacted]
The response dated 12 September 2015 fails to resolve my complaint.  Mr. [redacted] medical condition is unfortunate, and I wish him a speedy recovery.  That said, it has no bearing on the quality of service provided.  Mr. [redacted] was contracted to provide restoration services for the shower in our main bathroom.The service was scheduled for 0900 on 18 August.  [redacted] arrived that morning at 0926, 26 minutes late.  I explained the scope of the project, as Mr. [redacted] and I had discussed during the initial consultation.  I left for work after providing [redacted] with a key to the house to facilitate the repair.  I explained to him that I expected a call, or some other contact advising when the service was completed later that day.  I also advised that I was scheduled to be at the dentist later that day, and may not be able to answer the phone, so a text message would suffice as notice that the work was complete.  I left for work.  I returned home that evening, and had not heard from [redacted] either by phone or text message.  I had also provided him with my office number to ensure he was able to contact me directly.The work appeared to be unfinished.  There were numerous gouge marks throughout the tile from a hand tool of some sort, and cracked tiles. The marks were not consistent, which is why I believed a hand tool caused them.I emailed Mr. [redacted] at 8:24 p.m. on 18 August using the following email address: [redacted].  I asked, “[redacted], good evening.  I met the technician this morning.  He introduced himself, but I can't recall his name.  Is the job complete?”Mr. [redacted] responded at 8:29 p.m. on 18 August from the same email address: [redacted]  He stated “[redacted] called me around 4 and told me he was wrapping up and informed me you wanted to pay via credit card.  I believe everything should be all set.  Need to give at least 48 hours for everything to cure.Mr. [redacted] called shortly after sending me the email.  I explained that I was not satisfied with the service provided, as the tile had been damaged during the restoration.  There were also at least two places where the grout had been removed, and not replaced.Mr. [redacted] advised that he and [redacted] would meet me at the house the next morning to inspect the work.The morning of 19 August Mr. [redacted] and [redacted] met me at the house.  Both of them offered that the tile wasn’t ceramic tile, but a “soft” tile covered by a laminate as an explanation for why the hand tool had gouged the tile.  They also explained that one or two marks, or **ratches, were normal.  I noted that there were approximately twenty (20) gouges throughout the shower, and cracked tiles that were not previously cracked.At no time did Mr. [redacted] attempt to apologize for the damage to the shower, nor did he offer to have the tile replaced or repaired, either through his company, or another service.  Mr. [redacted] also explained that [redacted] had been working with him for several years and was currently employed as a project manager.  [redacted] job title is irrelevant as his workmanship is substandard, destructive, and does nothing to repair the damaged.I had two additional technicians who were scheduled to do work on the house later that morning and I felt it appropriate to provide Mr. [redacted] with the full payment for the service and follow up with him afterward, as I had noted my concerns with the quality of the work and the damage to the tile.  [redacted] filled in the missing grout, but made no effort to repair the damaged tile.I took photos of the damaged to the tile.  I emailed Mr. [redacted] at 4:13 p.m. on 20 August using the same email address he had previously responded to: [redacted].  To date I have received no response.I filed my complaint with the Revdex.com on the 31st of August.  I have not attempted to call Mr. [redacted], or the business, as I received a rapid response from him via email which affords the documentation I feel is unfortunately necessary under the circumstances.Again, I regret Mr. [redacted] medical condition and complications, and wish him a speedy recovery.That said, my complaint will be resolved at the point the damage is repaired in full. Mr. [redacted] was provided the opportunity to correct the problem on the 19th.  Rather than accept the responsibility for the damage, he blamed the quality of the tile.  The extent of [redacted] experience should have lead him to recognize the problem, “soft tile”, and halt progress on the work to contact me for guidance, and or approval, before proceeding.  As a result, I expect a different service provider to complete the necessary repairs to the tile with no further expense incurred on my behalf.Thank you for your time.**

Revdex.com:The man said he would caulk over the old caulk. I did not think this was an acceptable solution. If he had said he would remove the bad caulk and re-caulk the tub, I would have scheduled an appointment with him.A good caulk job lasts longer than a year. The caulk was crumbling and this had nothing to do with my house settling.
I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]
Regards,[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
The product and service was inadequate. I asked for the bathroom to be steam cleaned, the guy showed up with a bucket and a scrubbing brush; No color chart was left st my house, I chose warm grey for the entire job, the grout and stain did not match, the shower grout was not stained , the grout was not cleaned, the tiles were not caulked around the floor. Nothing in the job was correct. Instead of listening to the customer, the owner talked over the top of me, was very condescending and offensive. There is a similar hostile tone in his response to our complaint when he references We do not wish to have anymore contact with this company. We will have to find a more trustworthy company to do the work on the bathroom. We hope the Revdex.com will document our concerns and make other potential customers aware of the risk involved if they chose this company. People see Revdex.com symbol and think the company is safe. Not the case in our situation.sincerely,[redacted]
[redacted]

As stated my service manager [redacted] went to this customers house on Sept 29 to preform the work that was needed.  He was asked to come back on Oct 1 to work on the second shower that was quoted on the estimate.  When he arrived on Oct 1, the customer notified him that they didn't...

want the second shower done, but did have some concerns about the original shower.  The clear caulk that was placed on the inside of the shower frame, didn't turn completely clear.  All clear caulk goes on white and then turns clear, unless it draws moisture.  This is a very common place for that to happen.  The shower frame on the bottom can sometimes hold a good amount of moisture inside of it.  [redacted] removed all the caulk from that area and then reapplied a new bead.  At this point no one told [redacted] that they were unhappy with cleanliness of the grout.  Matter of fact of all the communication we have had, that has never been mentioned.  If [redacted] was told, he would have gone over any areas again.  Grout can be clean, but still discolored if it is not properly sealed every 3 years like its supposed to.  I explained this during the estimate.  I do not give any false promises.  If the grout is still discolored, after our cleaning then the only other option it to regrout.I know that between the time of Sept 29 and Oct 1 [redacted] had a few phone calls with [redacted].  There was nothing wrong with the workmanship, the issue they are having is the clear caulk at the shower frame.  We cannot control moisture issues.  That has to do with the shower frame itself.  We did nothing wrong, but the customer is trying to blame us for something we cannot control.Yes they did get a voicemail, since I have been in and out of the hospital and recently spent 9 days straight.  I was released yesterday afternoon.  So I was unable to go take a look at the work myself.  My wife Amy has been listening to our messages and letting our techs know if they need to contact somebody since I was unable too.They left 2 messages on Friday Oct 9th.  Then sent a text message that evening.  My wife checked the message while in the hospital with me that evening and responded that evening back to [redacted] explaining the situation and that she would have someone contact her.  I have included those texts with this.  Then on Saturday Oct 10th Amy texted the husband to make him aware as well.  Then on Sunday Oct 11 our Service Manager [redacted] called the husband and spoke with him and he told [redacted] that we didn't want us to come out.I know that the customer says they waited a week before using the shower, but I don't think that they understand the issue.  Its not about how long after with moisture, it has to do when the caulk is laid.  If there is any moisture under that shower frame, the caulk will absorb it and it will not cure properly.  I can clearly see that is the issue with the picture they sent me. Also the $300 amount also include a $50 charge for caulking their Kitchen Countertop, that they do not mention they have any issues with.  He keeps mentioning damage, but there is no damage there, they have caulk that absorbed moisture, didn't cure properly because of that and now is not adhering properly.I am sorry that they are having this issue, but it is not due to us or our workmanship.  We have made multiple attempts to help them and have even tried to go back again, but was asked not.  Because of the overall situation of them not being able to reach me and I was unavailable to come look myself, I would be willing to send them $100 for their hardship, even though it has nothing to do with our workmanship.

Currently [redacted] is in [redacted] due to some complications that arose from his back surgery on August 21st.  He has a severe infection.  This is his wife [redacted].  We are not sure when he will be cleared to leave, he has been their for over a week now.  Looking at...

the dates.. it seems [redacted] spoke with him the day before his surgery.  Since the 21st I have been answering his calls and this Mr [redacted] has not call at all.  He might have sent an email, but I do not see one in his account, but I know 100% he hasn't called [redacted].  His surgery was done on August 21 and he has been in and out of the hospital with complications.  He has been in for the last week with the doctors doing cultures to find what bacteria is causing these infections.  We are hoping that [redacted] will be returning home sometime next week, but he still will not be able to walk and be heavily medicated.  I know he usually responds quickly and is always concerned about his service and his customers,  I would imagine he should be able to respond himself in a few weeks.

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [redacted]
Regards,
[redacted]

Review: The Grout Geeks were to remove the grout in a shower and replace the grout. The grout was to be white. All instructions regarding not using the shower before the work was performed and after work was performed was followed. The grout was not white but grey after the job was completed. I was told the reason the grout was not white was there was a moisture issue with the shower. Another tile company was contacted to finish the job. The company replaced the grout with white grout with no problems at all. I repeatedly called the owner of the company to get assistance with this matter. He was not helpful at all. His workman was not very competent. I have photos of his work and the finish product from the other company.Desired Settlement: I paid $375.00 and would like a partial refund of $150.00

Business

Response:

This is in response to the complaint that was submitted by [redacted].

Review: On 12/27/13, the Grout Geeks at [redacted] came to my home to caulk the two tubs on the second floor of my home. [redacted] was the name of the representative who performed the service.

Neither tub had an issue other than it had been approximately 7 years since the tubs were last caulked and I wanted new, fresh caulk.

When my daughters came home from college in December 2014, water spots appeared on the kitchen ceiling below their bathroom. The caulk was cracked around the tub. I called the Grout Geeks at [redacted] to report the cracked caulk. The man I spoke to told me it could not be their work and there must be an issue with my tub or house. I advised him the tub had not been used all semester as my daughters were in college and I had not had an issue with the tub prior to their work. I advised him the last caulk job had lasted for 7 years and there were never any water stains on the kitchen ceiling. He said he would come out and caulk over the bad caulk. I did not think that was an acceptable response. From my research, you cannot successfully caulk over old caulk.

I had a contractor come to my house and he removed the cracked caulk. He told me the wrong type of caulk had been used by the Grout Geeks. Silicone caulk should be used on tubs and the caulk the Grout Geeks used was hard and had begun to crack and crumble. He said the caulk they used is the type of caulk used on the exterior of buildings.

I will now need to have the other tub caulked correctly.Desired Settlement: As I paid $200 to the Grout Geeks for two tubs and $75 to the contractor for one tub, I believe a reasonable settlement would be $150. This would reimburse me for recaulking both tubs by the new contractor I have hired.

Business

Response:

This customer did call me and we spoke on the phone. I told her that we would come back and evaluate the issue and then do what was necessary to fix the issue. I never told her we would caulk over the old caulk or remove the caulk, I told her we would look at the issue and determine what we needed to do. I told her several times we could come out. She asked me if there would be a charge and told her no, I told her that we warranty ourworkmanship. She never agreed for me to come out.We do not use the wrong caulk for tubs. We caulk between 15-20 showers, tubs and countertops per week. I told herthat sometimes the weather can make houses expand and then the joints can move and caulk can crack. She told me about the 7 years and I agreed with her. We do jobs all the time that last that long, without begin able to go over and look at her job I couldn't tell her what the reason was. Shedidn't see to like that I couldn't give her an answer why it happened.We have been using the same caulk for over 5 years.[redacted]

* am sure this contractor was competent, but he is truly wrong with his explanation. There are 3 types of caulk Silicone, Acrylic and a mixture of both which is what we use. There is no wrong one to use, as long it is made for tub areas, which by the spec sheet you can fully see it is.I take pride in all our work and have been a good member of the Revdex.com. I always try to help any customer at anytime. This customer did not allow me to come out and look at her issue, nor give me a chance to fix it.

Consumer

Response:

The man said he would caulk over the old caulk. I did not think this was an acceptable solution. If he had said he would remove the bad caulk and re-caulk the tub, I would have scheduled an appointment with him.A good caulk job lasts longer than a year. The caulk was crumbling and this had nothing to do with my house settling.

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]

Regards,

Review: We contracted with this business to clean and seal caulk and grout in our master shower. The business's website includes a clear description of what can be expected when this work is undertaken. A technician came to our home no Sept 29 to perform the work. There was no visible improvement in cleanliness of the grout. A caulk which goes on white and dries clear had been applied in some areas; other areas with visibly damaged or mildewed caulk were left untouched. By the time the caulk had partially dried the next day, mildew was visible under the reapplied caulk. We called on Sept 30 and reached a voicemail - we left a message requesting that the business owner come to inspect the work and correct the deficiencies. The business owner did not respond but the same technician who had originally done the work called and returned on Oct 1at which time he applied additional caulk over some areas. He advised allowing 48-72 hours for the caulk to cure prior to exposing it to water. We chose to allow a full week as there continued to be white areas visible within the caulk stripes. It finally appeared clear as of 10/8/15. On 10/9/15 the shower was exposed to water again when we wiped down the walls to clear them of dust left from the work. The caulk immediately turned white again and now is actually loose and peeling and in far worse condition than it was prior to the "worK" done by the Grout Geeks. It is not watertight and the shower is unusable without additional repairs, as water would be leaking freely into the shower surround if it were used at this time. We have contacted the business twice during business hours today, again always getting voicemail, and have received no return calls. We have documented the condition of the shower with dated and timed photographs which we will keep on file, as we are actively disputing the credit card charge for their work.Desired Settlement: The shower is in worse condition than before they came and is now actually unusable. Full refund is needed in this situation. I do not wish to have any further work done in my home by this business given the lack of competence observed thus far.

Business

Response:

As stated my service manager [redacted] went to this customers house on Sept 29 to preform the work that was needed. He was asked to come back on Oct 1 to work on the second shower that was quoted on the estimate. When he arrived on Oct 1, the customer notified him that they didn't want the second shower done, but did have some concerns about the original shower. The clear caulk that was placed on the inside of the shower frame, didn't turn completely clear. All clear caulk goes on white and then turns clear, unless it draws moisture. This is a very common place for that to happen. The shower frame on the bottom can sometimes hold a good amount of moisture inside of it. [redacted] removed all the caulk from that area and then reapplied a new bead. At this point no one told [redacted] that they were unhappy with cleanliness of the grout. Matter of fact of all the communication we have had, that has never been mentioned. If [redacted] was told, he would have gone over any areas again. Grout can be clean, but still discolored if it is not properly sealed every 3 years like its supposed to. I explained this during the estimate. I do not give any false promises. If the grout is still discolored, after our cleaning then the only other option it to regrout.I know that between the time of Sept 29 and Oct 1 [redacted] had a few phone calls with [redacted]. There was nothing wrong with the workmanship, the issue they are having is the clear caulk at the shower frame. We cannot control moisture issues. That has to do with the shower frame itself. We did nothing wrong, but the customer is trying to blame us for something we cannot control.Yes they did get a voicemail, since I have been in and out of the hospital and recently spent 9 days straight. I was released yesterday afternoon. So I was unable to go take a look at the work myself. My wife Amy has been listening to our messages and letting our techs know if they need to contact somebody since I was unable too.They left 2 messages on Friday Oct 9th. Then sent a text message that evening. My wife checked the message while in the hospital with me that evening and responded that evening back to [redacted] explaining the situation and that she would have someone contact her. I have included those texts with this. Then on Saturday Oct 10th Amy texted the husband to make him aware as well. Then on Sunday Oct 11 our Service Manager [redacted] called the husband and spoke with him and he told [redacted] that we didn't want us to come out.I know that the customer says they waited a week before using the shower, but I don't think that they understand the issue. Its not about how long after with moisture, it has to do when the caulk is laid. If there is any moisture under that shower frame, the caulk will absorb it and it will not cure properly. I can clearly see that is the issue with the picture they sent me. Also the $300 amount also include a $50 charge for caulking their Kitchen Countertop, that they do not mention they have any issues with. He keeps mentioning damage, but there is no damage there, they have caulk that absorbed moisture, didn't cure properly because of that and now is not adhering properly.I am sorry that they are having this issue, but it is not due to us or our workmanship. We have made multiple attempts to help them and have even tried to go back again, but was asked not. Because of the overall situation of them not being able to reach me and I was unavailable to come look myself, I would be willing to send them $100 for their hardship, even though it has nothing to do with our workmanship.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

We understand that the business owner has been having health issues and has been hospitalized. It is correct that he has not been available to discuss any of our concerns. As such, it does not sound as if he has been fully informed about the discussions that have occurred by phone with his service manager. [redacted] spoke with [redacted] by phone on September 30 prior to his second visit to our home and discussed the concerns about persistent mildew under the caulk and discolored grout at that time. His return on October 1 was in part because he had refused to work on the second shower on Sept 29, stating that he hadn't been I strucrd by his boss to do that one. [redacted] was present when he came back on October 1 and physically pointed out areas of mildew under the caulk and areas of discolored grout. His response was that he felt the discoloration was "seeping from outside he shower" and that he would apply additional caulk on the outside to prevent this. Of note, our house is almost exactly 3 years old, so this is the appropriate time for a maintenance clean and seal of the grout to be done; there has not been neglect or maintenance delay.The owner's statement that the caulk problem is related to the caulk having been applied over moisture is almost certainly correct. We have had that concern from the beginning given that it took a full week for the caulk to cure to clear, rather than the 48-72 hours that [redacted] stated it would take. However, the business website details at length a process for cleaning and assuring that surfaces are dry before sealing and applying caulk. It is not the responsibility of the customer to ensure that the caulk is properly applied to a dry surface. That's why we hired a company claiming expertise in this area. If the caulk could not be properly applied due to moisture concerns, the appropriate time to discuss that with the customer is before claiming completion of the job and charging a fee. That would allow for determining a more appropriate way to proceed to ensure a good result. As things stand currently, our shower is completely unusable and will have to have this work redone, entailing additional cost and wait time. We are unclear as to what the business owner feels he should be paid for in regard to the shower. Results matter. We are willing to allow the $50 fee charged for caulk application to the kitchen stand. We are not satisfied that any of the proposed work on the shower has been completed as agreed and continue to request refund of the $250 charged for that work. Our credit card company has been notified of the dispute of this charge.

Regards,

Business

Response:

In regards to Mr and Mrs [redacted] they were supposed to contact you to let you know we have been working with them. I have been in contact with them handcent a second technician out and have done everything that they wished. They wanted us to remove all the old caulking which we have done and originally only wanted us to wait a week before we came back but once I tried to contact them to set that up they wanted to wait a little more than a month. My last conversation with them was that that was okay by me and they just needed to contact me when they wanted us to come back I also have all of this documented via text messages which I'm going to try to attach to this email.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: [redacted]

Regards,

Review: I contracted [redacted], of the Grout Guys to perform a restoration of the grout in the shower in our main bathroom. The work was **heduled for the morning of August 18th at 0900. The service manager arrived at 0926. I briefed him on what [redacted] and I had di**ussed, provided him a key to secure the house once he was done, and left to go to work and explained that I would appreciate a call when he was done so I knew how the job had gone.

I was never contacted by phone after the job was completed. I returned home later in the day and di**overed that the work appeared to have been completed from the perspective that there was no attempt to coordinate a return to finish the job. I emailed Mr. [redacted] at 8:24pm on the evening of the 18th to ask if the job was finished.

He responded via email to explain: "[redacted] called me around 4 and told me he was wrapping up and informed me you wanted to pay via credit card. I believe everything should be all set. Need to give at least 48 hours for everything to cure."

He called shortly after sending the email. I explained that I was not satisfied with the work as the tile had been damaged in multiple places. There were also places where the grout had been removed, and not replaced.

[redacted] and [redacted] met me at the house the next morning to inspect the work. I explained that I was upset as the tile had been damaged approximately 20 times during the restoration. [redacted] and [redacted] both explained that he tile was soft which caused the tool to gouge the tile. Neither of them attempted to apologize for the damage, much less to reduce the cost of the service. I paid the fully agreed upon cost at that time, as I had other technicians who were **heduled to do work at the house that morning.

In an email to [redacted] on 20 AUG 15, I explained the issues I had with the service. I have not received a response of any kind.

The check was cashed on 24 Aug 15. I have photos of the damage to the tile and the ceiling over the shower.Desired Settlement: The tile in our shower has been obviously damaged. At some point our intent is to remove the damaged tile and repair the shower. The cost of doing so will exceed the $450 charged by Mr. [redacted]. I would like a refund of the fee charged for the service that destroyed the tile in the shower.

Business

Response:

Currently [redacted] is in [redacted] due to some complications that arose from his back surgery on August 21st. He has a severe infection. This is his wife [redacted]. We are not sure when he will be cleared to leave, he has been their for over a week now. Looking at the dates.. it seems [redacted] spoke with him the day before his surgery. Since the 21st I have been answering his calls and this Mr [redacted] has not call at all. He might have sent an email, but I do not see one in his account, but I know 100% he hasn't called [redacted]. His surgery was done on August 21 and he has been in and out of the hospital with complications. He has been in for the last week with the doctors doing cultures to find what bacteria is causing these infections. We are hoping that [redacted] will be returning home sometime next week, but he still will not be able to walk and be heavily medicated. I know he usually responds quickly and is always concerned about his service and his customers, I would imagine he should be able to respond himself in a few weeks.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]

Regards,

The response dated 12 September 2015 fails to resolve my complaint. Mr. [redacted] medical condition is unfortunate, and I wish him a speedy recovery. That said, it has no bearing on the quality of service provided. Mr. [redacted] was contracted to provide restoration services for the shower in our main bathroom.The service was scheduled for 0900 on 18 August. [redacted] arrived that morning at 0926, 26 minutes late. I explained the scope of the project, as Mr. [redacted] and I had discussed during the initial consultation. I left for work after providing [redacted] with a key to the house to facilitate the repair. I explained to him that I expected a call, or some other contact advising when the service was completed later that day. I also advised that I was scheduled to be at the dentist later that day, and may not be able to answer the phone, so a text message would suffice as notice that the work was complete. I left for work. I returned home that evening, and had not heard from [redacted] either by phone or text message. I had also provided him with my office number to ensure he was able to contact me directly.The work appeared to be unfinished. There were numerous gouge marks throughout the tile from a hand tool of some sort, and cracked tiles. The marks were not consistent, which is why I believed a hand tool caused them.I emailed Mr. [redacted] at 8:24 p.m. on 18 August using the following email address: [redacted]. I asked, “[redacted], good evening. I met the technician this morning. He introduced himself, but I can't recall his name. Is the job complete?”Mr. [redacted] responded at 8:29 p.m. on 18 August from the same email address: [redacted] He stated “[redacted] called me around 4 and told me he was wrapping up and informed me you wanted to pay via credit card. I believe everything should be all set. Need to give at least 48 hours for everything to cure.Mr. [redacted] called shortly after sending me the email. I explained that I was not satisfied with the service provided, as the tile had been damaged during the restoration. There were also at least two places where the grout had been removed, and not replaced.Mr. [redacted] advised that he and [redacted] would meet me at the house the next morning to inspect the work.The morning of 19 August Mr. [redacted] and [redacted] met me at the house. Both of them offered that the tile wasn’t ceramic tile, but a “soft” tile covered by a laminate as an explanation for why the hand tool had gouged the tile. They also explained that one or two marks, or **ratches, were normal. I noted that there were approximately twenty (20) gouges throughout the shower, and cracked tiles that were not previously cracked.At no time did Mr. [redacted] attempt to apologize for the damage to the shower, nor did he offer to have the tile replaced or repaired, either through his company, or another service. Mr. [redacted] also explained that [redacted] had been working with him for several years and was currently employed as a project manager. [redacted] job title is irrelevant as his workmanship is substandard, destructive, and does nothing to repair the damaged.I had two additional technicians who were scheduled to do work on the house later that morning and I felt it appropriate to provide Mr. [redacted] with the full payment for the service and follow up with him afterward, as I had noted my concerns with the quality of the work and the damage to the tile. [redacted] filled in the missing grout, but made no effort to repair the damaged tile.I took photos of the damaged to the tile. I emailed Mr. [redacted] at 4:13 p.m. on 20 August using the same email address he had previously responded to: [redacted]. To date I have received no response.I filed my complaint with the Revdex.com on the 31st of August. I have not attempted to call Mr. [redacted], or the business, as I received a rapid response from him via email which affords the documentation I feel is unfortunately necessary under the circumstances.Again, I regret Mr. [redacted] medical condition and complications, and wish him a speedy recovery.That said, my complaint will be resolved at the point the damage is repaired in full. Mr. [redacted] was provided the opportunity to correct the problem on the 19th. Rather than accept the responsibility for the damage, he blamed the quality of the tile. The extent of [redacted] experience should have lead him to recognize the problem, “soft tile”, and halt progress on the work to contact me for guidance, and or approval, before proceeding. As a result, I expect a different service provider to complete the necessary repairs to the tile with no further expense incurred on my behalf.