Troy Granite

On February 3, 2015, [redacted] purchased a countertop from Troy Granite.  The purchase included a full height backsplash in matching granite.  The granite countertops were installed on March 10.  At that time, we advised Ms. [redacted] to withhold...

her final payment until the entire project was completed.  We were scheduled to install the full height granite backsplash on March 13.   During the fabrication process, the stone for the full height backsplash broke.  This does happen at times.  When it occurs, we simply use a new piece.  In this case, unfortunately, there was no more of the same shipment of stone to replace the piece with.  We called the customer immediately to inform her and give her several options.  We had 2 other shipments of the same stone, but, as they were different shipments, they were not an exact match.  We suggested that Ms. [redacted] come to our showroom to see the options available.  We offered 1.) to use another shipment of the same stone, 2.) to use another stone of her choice as a backsplash, or 3.) to install a tile backsplash instead of the granite.  She selected a couple of stones and tile backsplashes that she liked; all of which were a higher cost than the original granite.  We informed her that we would not charge anything extra despite the higher price points.   Ms. [redacted] came back and made a final selection, electing to have us install a tile backsplash.  Three days after the tile was ordered, she called to ask if it had been ordered.  When she was informed that the tile had been ordered, she said that she had been thinking about doing something different, but that the tile would be fine.  On April 7th, Troy Granite installed the tile backsplash for Ms. [redacted].  After the last tile was set and installed, she stated that she did not like the tile and wanted us to remove it and install something different.  After telling her that we could not do so, she became very rude with our tile crew.  Finally, after much discussion we agreed to remove the tile backsplash.  We removed all of the tile.   After discussing the situation with Ms. [redacted], she said that she wanted us to install a different backsplash.  We let her know that we could do so, but that this time we would need to charge her for it as we had already installed the first backsplash at no extra charge.  She became quite rude and said that she would not pay for the backsplash since it was included in her original agreement.  We told her that if she was unwilling to pay for the new backsplash, that we would adjust her remaining balance to only reflect the granite countertops and would waive the cost of the backsplash, despite having ordered and installed the tile.  She said that she would call in a few days to make her payment.   After several days passed, we called Ms. [redacted] again to request the final payment.  At that time she said that she would not pay the remaining balance and wanted us to remove the countertops and refund her deposit.  We informed her that since the countertops were cut and installed, we could not refund her deposit and that the final balance was due.   After approximately 2 weeks passed with no payment, we called her again.  She again refused to pay the remaining balance and said that she wanted her deposit back.  We again informed her that we would not be refunding the deposit.  She said that she would not pay any more money and hung up the phone.   At this point, we have done everything reasonably expected given the situation.  We are willing to work with Ms. [redacted] regarding her backsplash; however, we cannot give her a full refund as the countertops were installed.   If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.   Thank you, [redacted]
 
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]

10/9/15
Dear Revdex.com Representative,
Thank you for contacting us in regarding to this complaint (ID [redacted]).
Troy Granite Management reacted promptly to contact customer and has kept ongoing correspondence with her since the beginning of this incidence. Troy Granite has...

apologized, and is sincerely regretful for the damage done to [redacted]'s floor. As a courtesy, Troy Granite did not yet collected the remaining balance ($1000.00), although our granite installation was competed at customer's satisfaction on 7:17, 2015,[redacted] and Troy Granite arranged Service Estimates to replace repair the floor. [redacted] had estimates given for complete replacements of the floor but not an estimate to repair the damaged areas. She wishes to have the entire floor replaced,Troy Granite arranged two estimates. Both companies concurred that the damaged areas could be repaired (replacing only the damaged boards). One of the company ([redacted]) was also chosen by customer to have replacement estimate. Other company ([redacted]) owner is one of the 4 licensed flooring repair technicians in PA. Since these companies have agreed that the damaged areas could be repaired, Troy Granite agrees to have the damaged areas replaced, or to pay the customer for the cost of repair of the damaged area. With the information provided by the flooring companies, Troy Granite representatives concluded that replacing the entire floor was an unnecessary request.
[redacted] estimated $729.60 to repair the damaged area, and [redacted] estimated $900 to repair the damaged area, Troy Granite is willing to pay the cost of repair to one of those companies and provide service to repair damaged area. Troy Granite is also open to reimburse the customer the cost of repair, and leave the repair to the discretion of the customer instead of paying the flooring companies to repair it.Ismail G.,District Manager

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

 
We don’t have a $4700 counter that we paid for.  No one from Troy has attempted to contact us asking if we were satisfied so it’s obvious that they don’t care or know how to fix it.  Every technician they sent have said that’s all they can do.  They have been to our home several times and it’s still not fixed.  We love the stone but HATE the seam.  We’ve posted this on several websites (ie. [redacted]) and response was that this not right. We did not mind spending the $4700 for getting the counter that we loved but what we paid for is not quality.  
 
We would like $1500 back as we did not get what we paid for and the time spent away from work (calling, emailing, and at least 4 days of sitting at home while given a 4 hour window each time of when they can come to “repair”.  Attached is a picture of a counter from a customer’s home I was in recently showing that it is possible to have a difficult stone/pattern without a significant seam.
 
Thank you,
Pictures 007 and 008 are from other house (installed by different company) and unfortunately pic 001 is ours (2-3 times fixed by Troy  already)

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to this issue.  We, Troy Granite, work hard to ensure that every...

customer is fully satisfied with their countertop installation.  Unfortuntately, when working with large pieces of stone, sometimes issues can occur.  In this case, unfortunately a portion of the countertop broke during the installation and fell on the floor.  Our installers managed to control the pieces enough to minimize the damage to 3 small spots on the floor; however, it still did require leaving the customer without a countertop for a few days in order to fabricate a new piece. 
 
Typically we are able to take care of issues like this in a timely manner, but unfortunately, this was just before a holiday weekend that also included a scheduled full system maintenance that left us without our machinery for 4 days.  The customer was understanding and while not thrilled, patient enough to wait almost a full week for their replacement countertop.  At the same time, we replaced pieces that had large variations in the pattern that the customer was not fond of. 
 
In regards to the floor, we sent a contractor to replace the damaged boards; however, after a visual inspection he realized that the floor was quite old and replacement boards are not available.  Since, the individual boards could not be replaced, we offered to either repair the damage per industry standards or provide the customer a refund in an amount greater than the cost of repairs.  The customer refused both requesting a new floor.  We talked with the customer informing them that since it was only 2 or 3 boards that were damaged, replacing the entire floor was not necessary, but that it could be repaired by laminate flooring professionals to like new condition.  The customer refused to allow us to have someone attempt to repair it to see what the repair would look like.  The customer sent a follow up e-mail that we mistakenly overlooked.  After realizing that we overlooked their e-mail we replied advising them that we will replace their flooring.
 
We certainly believe that repairing the floor or offering a refund greater than the amount of the repair cost is completely fair; however, because of our delayed response to their e-mail, we feel it was right to cover the cost of the flooring.

Hello,Thank you for allowing us the
opportunity to respond to this issue.  The customer is correct in that the
contract was sitting on their glass stove and that it did in fact begin to
smoke.  Though it is unclear if the stove was already on or if our
installers did...

accidentally bump the controls, we have already discussed with
the customer that we are willing to cover the cost to repair the issue with the
stove.In our original discussions with the
customer, we misunderstood the issue and asked that they run through a trouble
shooting guide before we sent someone to take a look.  When we discovered the issue was different
than we had understood, we further discussed with the customer how to resolve
the problem.  As we do not have appliance
repair experience, we asked that they schedule to have a technician repair the
issue and forward us the invoice for payment.  If the customer is unable to locate a repair company, we will do so for
them.Though our installers do not
remember bumping the controls of the stove, it is certainly possible.  It is also plausible that the papers on the
burner could have caused an issue with the light.  Of course, we cannot be certain that we
caused this issue, but we believe the cutomer’s request to be reasonable and so
have been working with the customer to resolve this.

10/9/15Dear Revdex.com Representative,Thank you for contacting us in regarding to this complaint (ID [redacted]).Troy Granite Management reacted promptly to contact customer and has kept ongoing correspondence with her since the beginning of this incidence. Troy Granite has apologized, and is sincerely...

regretful for the damage done to [redacted]'s floor. As a courtesy, Troy Granite did not yet collected the remaining balance ($1000.00), although our granite installation was competed at customer's satisfaction on 7:17, 2015,[redacted] and Troy Granite arranged Service Estimates to replace repair the floor. [redacted] had estimates given for complete replacements of the floor but not an estimate to repair the damaged areas. She wishes to have the entire floor replaced,Troy Granite arranged two estimates. Both companies concurred that the damaged areas could be repaired (replacing only the damaged boards). One of the company ([redacted]) was also chosen by customer to have replacement estimate. Other company ([redacted]) owner is one of the 4 licensed flooring repair technicians in PA. Since these companies have agreed that the damaged areas could be repaired, Troy Granite agrees to have the damaged areas replaced, or to pay the customer for the cost of repair of the damaged area. With the information provided by the flooring companies, Troy Granite representatives concluded that replacing the entire floor was an unnecessary request.[redacted] estimated $729.60 to repair the damaged area, and [redacted] estimated $900 to repair the damaged area, Troy Granite is willing to pay the cost of repair to one of those companies and provide service to repair damaged area. Troy Granite is also open to reimburse the customer the cost of repair, and leave the repair to the discretion of the customer instead of paying the flooring companies to repair it.Ismail G.,District Manager

I am sorry to hear that the [redacted]'s had a bad experience with their granite counter top installation.  At Troy Granite we strive for excellence and pride ourselves on giving excellent customer service.  We do our best to have the most professional staff  and to ensure that all...

installation are done to the highest quality standards and take pride in the way we communicate in a timely manner with our customers.  But we are human and it is not always possible to perfect each condition.  We strive for five star customer service but unfortunately this customer did not feel treated fair.We will gladly honor the [redacted]'s request for $100 to reimburse them for the cost of their carpenters work to stabilize the island.  We will be contacting them in a timely manner to resolve this situation.Best Regards,Ben Y[redacted]Sales Manager

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

WE have a few comments on the explanation of this issue.Prior to this customer posting a complaint our service manager stopped by to take a look at the countertops. (manager came out after we demanded that someone come out and look at it). He agreed that while the seam itself was good, the epoxy in the seam did not match well and so made the seam stand out far more than normal.  ( That is not true.  Service manager said it looked fine. ) He suggested that they have a crew come to darken the epoxy.  (this was after we said it was not acceptable)  As well, he said that they would be replacing a granite windowsill that had chipped during the installation.  The customer was satisfied with the windowsill as it had been repaired; however, our service manager said that it would be better to replace this piece.  (that part is true)When the crew came out, they replaced the windowsill but were still unable to get a good color match on the epoxy.  (after the crew came out the second time we called Troy Granite several times and no one return calls is why we filed complaint with Revdex.com). The seam itself was cut well ( not true- it is chipped and could have been cut better) but without a matching color it was going to stand out.  The customer requested that we cut a new piece for one side of the seam.  (This was after 3 visits that did not resolve the issue.)  Our service manager let them know that a new piece was not going to fix the issue.  The existing pieces were good and were cut well.  He also informed them that removing an existing piece poses a high risk of breakage to the adjoining piece.  He said that they would send another crew out to remove as much epoxy as they could and replace the epoxy with a better color match.  If the customer still was not satisfied at that point then they would look at replacing the piece.After the second crew replaced the epoxy and polished the seam a bit more the customer was very happy.  (I don't know if you can say we are happy, it looks better and sadly we've accepted the fact that this is  is going to be as good as it will without replacing the entire counter top which means the tile backsplash will have to be redone as well.  All the while we were being told that this is a difficult stone.  If they can't handle it then maybe they should not cut/fabricate for anything other than a straight counter without seams or not sell this particular stone.  [redacted]At minimum they should notify customer of this.  Not just say, your counter will have a seam here so either side will not match together that has a busy pattern.  That we can live with.  A thick line directly down the center of the counter under a light and in plain view was not conveyed to us when we paid $4700.  We may have reconsidered selecting that stone or spending that much if we knew that.

10/29/15Troy Granite has repeatedly offered to pay for the cost to repair the damaged area of the customer's hard wood floor. In the two estimates received from the customer, there was no mention of a repair cost to the damaged areas, only a complete replacement.As a General Contractor, Troy Granite goes beyond requirements to work with the best builders/contractors in out area. This includes Cabinet, Tile and Flooring experts. Troy Granite always tries to find the best possible solution to these issues, by using expert contractor/installers. We work with more than 200 professional builders, contractors, installers.We encouraged the customer to also contact flooring experts together own repair estimates, Since we also received expert advice on the repairs and costs, with the assurance that the repairs could be done to satisfaction.The flooring expert that was sent to the customer's home on September 19th was referred by one of our reputable local builders that contracts this flooring expert to do repairs for them on a regular basis. We do not conduct interviewing based on religion, race, or any other discriminating fashion. We are an equal opportunity employer.As stated before, based on our gathered information to repair the customer's floor, we agree to not collect the final payment of $1000 to cover the repair of the damaged area of the customer's floor.Ismail GDistrict Manager

Revdex.com:
We have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  We will wait to receive the check before this matter is closed though.
Regards, [redacted] & [redacted]

Review: Troygranite agreement was for granite counter top and full height backsplass granite,troy granite put in the granite counter top,was to come back and put in the granite back splass,troy granite called. The day before delivery,and said,they had,broke the backslass

Business

Response:

On February 3, 2015, [redacted] purchased a countertop from Troy Granite. The purchase included a full height backsplash in matching granite. The granite countertops were installed on March 10. At that time, we advised Ms. [redacted] to withhold her final payment until the entire project was completed. We were scheduled to install the full height granite backsplash on March 13. During the fabrication process, the stone for the full height backsplash broke. This does happen at times. When it occurs, we simply use a new piece. In this case, unfortunately, there was no more of the same shipment of stone to replace the piece with. We called the customer immediately to inform her and give her several options. We had 2 other shipments of the same stone, but, as they were different shipments, they were not an exact match. We suggested that Ms. [redacted] come to our showroom to see the options available. We offered 1.) to use another shipment of the same stone, 2.) to use another stone of her choice as a backsplash, or 3.) to install a tile backsplash instead of the granite. She selected a couple of stones and tile backsplashes that she liked; all of which were a higher cost than the original granite. We informed her that we would not charge anything extra despite the higher price points. Ms. [redacted] came back and made a final selection, electing to have us install a tile backsplash. Three days after the tile was ordered, she called to ask if it had been ordered. When she was informed that the tile had been ordered, she said that she had been thinking about doing something different, but that the tile would be fine. On April 7th, Troy Granite installed the tile backsplash for Ms. [redacted]. After the last tile was set and installed, she stated that she did not like the tile and wanted us to remove it and install something different. After telling her that we could not do so, she became very rude with our tile crew. Finally, after much discussion we agreed to remove the tile backsplash. We removed all of the tile. After discussing the situation with Ms. [redacted], she said that she wanted us to install a different backsplash. We let her know that we could do so, but that this time we would need to charge her for it as we had already installed the first backsplash at no extra charge. She became quite rude and said that she would not pay for the backsplash since it was included in her original agreement. We told her that if she was unwilling to pay for the new backsplash, that we would adjust her remaining balance to only reflect the granite countertops and would waive the cost of the backsplash, despite having ordered and installed the tile. She said that she would call in a few days to make her payment. After several days passed, we called Ms. [redacted] again to request the final payment. At that time she said that she would not pay the remaining balance and wanted us to remove the countertops and refund her deposit. We informed her that since the countertops were cut and installed, we could not refund her deposit and that the final balance was due. After approximately 2 weeks passed with no payment, we called her again. She again refused to pay the remaining balance and said that she wanted her deposit back. We again informed her that we would not be refunding the deposit. She said that she would not pay any more money and hung up the phone. At this point, we have done everything reasonably expected given the situation. We are willing to work with Ms. [redacted] regarding her backsplash; however, we cannot give her a full refund as the countertops were installed. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Thank you, [redacted]

Can't understand how they have an A for Revdex.com rating. Worst customer service ever. Don't pay by check and most importantly don't pay final payment unless you are 100% satisfied. Management doesn't return phone calls either. Other reviews/complaints on here are true. If your counter requires a seam I would highly suggest using someone that can see because it's obvious that they can't. Their version of the truth vs. reality is completely different. If this site allowed me to post pics I would.

Review: Troy Granite delivered and installed granite in our kitchen on November 9th. They laid their copy of their contract on top of our smooth surface glass top stove. While installing they accidentally hit the [redacted] to turn on the stove. The contract caught on fire filling my home with smoke. Since that time the indicator light on our stove signalling that the stove top is on will not go off. The stove top is not on but this is a safety hazard as we now do not have this safety signal. The company sent us a link to trouble shoot but it was not for our problem. In addition, they state that the stove came on all by itself. This is not true as we have never had any problems with the stove.Desired Settlement: We either want the stove repaired or replaced.

Business

Response:

Hello,Thank you for allowing us the

opportunity to respond to this issue. The customer is correct in that the

contract was sitting on their glass stove and that it did in fact begin to

smoke. Though it is unclear if the stove was already on or if our

installers did accidentally bump the controls, we have already discussed with

the customer that we are willing to cover the cost to repair the issue with the

stove.In our original discussions with the

customer, we misunderstood the issue and asked that they run through a trouble

shooting guide before we sent someone to take a look. When we discovered the issue was different

than we had understood, we further discussed with the customer how to resolve

the problem. As we do not have appliance

repair experience, we asked that they schedule to have a technician repair the

issue and forward us the invoice for payment. If the customer is unable to locate a repair company, we will do so for

them.Though our installers do not

remember bumping the controls of the stove, it is certainly possible. It is also plausible that the papers on the

burner could have caused an issue with the light. Of course, we cannot be certain that we

caused this issue, but we believe the cutomer’s request to be reasonable and so

have been working with the customer to resolve this.

Review: Even though Troy technicians came to my house twice (Dec. 19, and 21, 2013), they still did not complete the installatin of a granite counter top with backsplash for the kitchen. They charged my credit for the second half of the payment without my authorization, $1303.50 (without completing the job either). The first half of the payment was paid as deposite at the time of work order was placed on Nov. 29, 2013.

Here are the problems:

1. The installation job is not completed. The cauking/sealing of the backsplash to the wall was only done in some of the area, not completely.

2. The seams (joint points of two pieces) are very noticable for the backsplash, especially for the bridge near the stove. The seams are about 3-4 milimeters. The width of the bridge is larger than designed (from previous counter top).

3. They should not charge to my credit card without my authorization and completion of the job (THOUGH THEY HAVE MY CREDIT CARD INFO ON FILE).Desired Settlement: complete the job (cauking/sealing), reduce the width of the seams if possible or give 20% discount for their mistakes (large seams and wider bridge)

Consumer

Response:

Our experience with Troy Granite was excellent. All sales reps, and installers were professional, and courteous. After installation, we discovered a problem and they were extremely prompt in fixing it. We needed a new slab cut. They insisted on coming out, remeasuring and cutting a new slab very quickly. They even were able to match the new slab perfectly. The reinstall was done on a Saturday night, and the workers did not quit until it was complete, even working after hours to insure it was done.

We had kitchen counter tops and back splashes installed. They were polite, on-time and installed with good workmanship.

Review: My wife and I ordered a beautiful granite counter. We paid $4733 in full. Upon installation my wife noted that there was concern with the seams in the counter. There are 3. 2 behind the sink and another huge seam directly behind our stove that is approx 15" long. We called them out to look at it as it is EXTREMLY Noticible from 10 feet away. They came out and darkened the epoxy however, it is still not good. The cut is bad and it's chipped all along the seam. We've had 3 contractors come to our home and all said ABSOLUTELY NOT ACCEPTABLE and that it should be fixed.

We called back yesterday, was told our sales guy [redacted] was with a customer, called back and told he's on vacation. Asked to speak with a manager who was not available. Left a message and as of today. No return call.

The remaining balance was paid the day of installation as agreed in the contract, however, they must have know we'd complain because the obviously drove straight to our bank. They left our home at 3 pm on Wednesday and check had already cleared by Friday morning.Desired Settlement: We don't want $$$ back. We want what we paid for and we want it fixed. They can come back out, pull out the granite and refabricate/cut it so that the seam sits together. We understand the pattern will not match but we should not see a 15", 1/4 " visible line running down the counter from 10 feet away. It's the first thing you see when looking at our kitchen from our front door.

Business

Response:

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to respond to this issue. Prior to this customer posting a complaint our service manager stopped by to take a look at the countertops. He agreed that while the seam itself was good, the epoxy in the seam did not match well and so made the seam stand out far more than normal. He suggested that they have a crew come to darken the epoxy. As well, he said that they would be replacing a granite windowsill that had chipped during the installation. The customer was satisfied with the windowsill as it had been repaired; however, our service manager said that it would be better to replace this piece.When the crew came out, they replaced the windowsill but were still unable to get a good color match on the epoxy. The seam itself was cut well, but without a matching color it was going to stand out. The customer requested that we cut a new piece for one side of the seam. Our service manager let them know that a new piece was not going to fix the issue. The existing pieces were good and were cut well. He also informed them that removing an existing piece poses a high risk of breakage to the adjoining piece. He said that they would send another crew out to remove as much epoxy as they could and replace the epoxy with a better colormatch. If the customer still was not satisfied at that point then they would look at replacing the piece.After the second crew replaced the epoxy and polished the seam a bit more the customer was very happy.

Consumer

Response:

Review: Purchased Granite counter tops from Troy Granite on 10/13/14 with an installation date of 11/11/14. When order was originally placed, we advised Troy Granite that we would attempt to remove the existing counter tops, sink & cook top prior to installation. On 11/9/14, we attempted to take off a ledge over the sink. After several attempts and beginning to cause damage to the drywall, we stopped. On 11/10/14, we contacted [redacted] with Troy Granite and advised her that after being unsuccessful at removing the ledge above the sink, we would like to add to have them remove the existing counter tops to our order. She stated that it was no problem and that it would be an additional $300 to do so. She advised that they do not haul the counter tops, but would cut them into small pieces so that we could put them in trash bags for disposal. We agreed to the additional $300 and it was added to our order. On 11/11/14, 3 installers came out to install the counter tops. After the work was completed, one of the installers who did not speak good English gave us a questionnaire to fill out regarding the quality of the service and if all services were completed. The sheet was filled out and signed and payment was called into Troy Granite. As they were departing, I took a wipe to clean off the excess dust that had accumulated on the cook top from the sanding of the granite and at that time, I could feel a bump on the cook top. Upon further review, we found a crack that went from the bottom of the cook top almost completely to the top on one entire side. We immediately called Jose back into the house to advise him of what we discovered. He immediately claimed that the crack was there when they went to remove it (though nothing was said to us, nor were we asked to sign off on any prior damage). We advised him that this was not the case and he immediately left and we contacted Troy Granite. An email with a picture of the damage was sent to [redacted] at Troy Granite. After several hours of not hearing a response back, a call was made to [redacted]. During this call she stated that what they had heard back from Jose was that the crack was there prior to them removing the cook top, that Jose has been an employee for years, has always been honest and that he has no reason to lie due to the fact that he would not be personally charged for the damage since the Company has insurance to cover things such as this. She continued to repeat how he had no reason to lie, kept attempting to speak over me on the phone any time something was mentioned. The call ended with [redacted] stating she needed to speak with the Sales Manager and see what can be done. The morning of 11/12/14 I received an email from [redacted] stating she had made attempts to call but our voicemail was full. The only number on the contract is my cell phone number. In the email she again stated that the Installer was denying damaging the cook top. I immediately called and spoke with her. Again, the experience was the same with her not allowing me to speak with constantly attempting to speak over me. I advised her that I have worked as a Customer Service Manager for the past 6 years and have been in the Customer Service Industry for over 20 years and stated that I found her behavior appalling. At no point during either call were the words "I'm sorry" stated. It wasn't until after I advised that since they were not willing to take care of the damaged cook top and I advised her we would seek further action on our end did she state she would transfer me to a Manager. At that point I spoke with [redacted] who stated that Jose advised him that he "assumed" we were not using the existing cook top because he saw a crack and asked us where the replacement cook top was which is inaccurate. Jose only asked if we were going to use the existing cook top. I pointed out some inconsistencies to Jose's story with [redacted] in which he stated there is no proof as to whether or not the cook top was damaged prior to their arrival and therefore offered to pay for half of the cost of a replacement.Desired Settlement: Prior to the Installers arriving on 11/11/14, there was no cosmetic damage to our cook top. In speaking with other competitors of Troy Granite, all have advised me that if an installer finds damage to something they have to physically remove or work around, the Customer is advised, it is written on the work order and the customer is asked to sign it. This was never done in our case. All 3 installers had cell phones which has camera's on them which would've made it easy for them to take a picture of the damage, prior to them uninstalling the cook top to ensure they would not be held liable. We will not accept having to pay any cost towards an appliance which was not damage by us either prior, during or after their installation of the counter tops. We are seeking replacement of the cook top with a comparable cook top.

Business

Response:

[redacted]

Thank you for bringing this submission to our attention. Below please find our perspective and response to the issue at hand.

As the customer stated, the original work order stated that the customer would remove the old countertops, plumbing connections and cooktop themselves as well as reconnect the sink and cooktop. The evening prior to the scheduled installation of new countertops, the customer called to ask us to remove the existing countertops. She said that they had tried to remove the piece near the sink but were unable to do so and so did not go any further. As stated in the complaint, the price of $300 was added to the final balance to pay for the removal of the existing countertops.

When our installers arrived at the home on 11/11/14, they found that all of the countertops were unscrewed from the cabinets and that the cooktop and sink were partially disconnected. Before removing the cooktop, our installer, noticed that the cooktop was cracked. As it was already cracked, he assumed that the customer would be installing a new cooktop and so removed the old one without mentioning the crack. The customer stated that she contacted other granite installation companies to ask their policy regarding already damaged property. As is consistent across the industry, all of the companies stated that they have the customer sign a statement acknowledging previous damage. While this is standard practice, it is generally only done if the damaged material is being re-used, not if it is being discarded. It is common for us to remove damaged cooktops, as customers often use the opportunity of changing their countertops to also update their appliances. If the cooktop is noticeably damaged, it is almost always the case, and therefore assumed, that it is being replaced. This does not excuse our installer from not having the customer sign off on the existing damage, but it certainly does explain it.

After the countertops were installed, our installers questioned where the cooktop that they would be installing was. The customers told him that they were going to be using the same cooktop. Our installation crew was surprised, but put the cooktop back in place per the customers’ request. Once the installation was complete the customers asked our installer to show them how to reconnect the cooktop. Instead, he simply did it for them and they tipped him accordingly.

Finally, the installers had the customers sign off on the work completed and the final payment was made. As our installers were leaving, the customers called them back in regarding the cooktop. Our installers told them that it had been damaged when the install team arrived, but the customers alleged that it was not.

The customer called the office to speak with her salesperson. She stated that our installers had damaged her cooktop. Her salesperson asked that she send photos of the damage for us to assess and said that we would speak with the installers and get back to her. We immediately called to speak with our installation crew, who informed us that the cooktop is indeed broken but that it was broken prior to their arrival. After speaking with our installers, the salesperson spoke with the customer again to inform her that she would speak with management regarding the situation.

It was finally decided that as there was no evidence that the cooktop was in fact damaged by our installers, but that we could not prove otherwise that a fair resolution would be that we each pay for half the cost for a new cooktop. We proposed this resolution to the customer but she was unwilling to accept it. She said that we were responsible to pay for a brand new cooktop since we broke the old one and asked to speak to a manager. Our service manager, spoke with her. He informed her that as there was no evidence either way, it seemed fair to them to pay for half of a new cooktop. This way, they were getting a brand new cooktop at only half the cost. The customer was unwilling to accept this resolution. At this point, the customers had a stop payment issued on their final payment.

Management discussed the situation again over the weekend and it was decided that Troy Granite would simply cover the full cost of a new cooktop in order to avoid further conflict. We informed the customer of this decision. As per a mutual agreement, the customers will purchase their new cooktop and reduce the cost from the final balance before authorizing payment.

Thank you,

Troy Granite

I had a great experience from beginning to end, and am making plans to work with these people again. The estimator was friendly and professional, the project manager pointed out issues I hadn't considered but turned out to be critical to the ultimate success of the renovation, and my installers did as close to a perfect job as I could have dared hope.

Review: We had countertop installed by Troy granite a few days ago, and it is now showing an at least 10 inches long and straight line of crack. We called them and they came and took a look. Initially said they can sand it down to remove the "fissure" but not recommended because of the labor and dust involved. But the crack is not superficial. It is all the way through the whole thickness of the stone.

We were never shown or told that we were getting a stone with a deep long "fissure". We are afraid it is going to break one day besides of the bad appearance. We would not chose this piece if we knew the defect existed .Desired Settlement: Replace the defect piece with a similar color and patten one or at least give us a discounted rate somehow for the defect. Ask us to pay for full price again for replacement is not good at all.

Business

Response:

Thank you for the opportunity to offer our perspective onthis situation. We worked with thiscustomer to provide their bathroom countertops. Rather than selecting their countertops from full slabs, the customersopted (as many do) to utilize our remnant section in order to save money ontheir project. The remnant section issimply pieces that are left over after kitchen countertops have been cut. We sell them at a discounted price in orderto offer customers an affordable option for their small projects. This customer came and personally selected the remnantpieces for their countertops. The pieceswere only slightly larger than the countertops, so the customer was aware thatthe majority of the pieces would be used. After the countertops were installed, the customer called saying thatthere was a crack in the countertop. Wesent a technician out to inspect the countertop and upon inspection it wasdetermined that there was a fissure in the countertop. According to the Marble Institute of America,a fissure is “visible separation along intercrystalline boundaries. This separation may start and stop within thefield of the stone, or extend through an edge. A fissure differs from a crack, in that it isa naturally occurring feature in the stone.” Fissures are naturally occurring variation in a stone and are notsomething that is avoided or repaired. The customer saw the full piece that was to be used fortheir countertop, including the fissure. After installation they realized that they did not like the fissure intheir countertop. They demanded that wereplace the piece at our cost. Weexplained that because the customer came and personally selected the piece tobe used, and because it is a natural fissure and poses no problems, structural orotherwise, that we could not replace the countertop for free. We offered to replace the piece at adiscounted rate; however the customer was not satisfied with thisdecision. They threatened to place astop payment on their final payment if we did not comply with theirrequest. We again informed them that wewould not replace the piece at no cost. While we are grieved that the customer is not happy with theircountertop, we cannot replace the piece at no cost simply because the customerdoesn’t like the way that it looks. We believe in quality craftsmanship and customerservice. We strive for these ideals withevery project and work hard to ensure that each of our customers are fullysatisfied. Though we understand that nomatter how hard we try, we will not be able to please everyone, we believe thatquality will speak for itself.