Eventually delivered... sort of
Good selection of stones just be very careful who you deal with as a salesperson.
The reason for a three star rating is entirely due to ProStone eventual remedy of a series of inexcusably terrible experiences with one of their salespeople, namely Keti (otherwise would have put zero).
Specifically,
(1) Cracked and chipped the counter on installation. No apology or acceptance of fault in any shape or form offered but suggestions from salesperson (Keti) that we didn’t know what we were talking about given what we were looking at was a natural seam and not a crack! See pics below for yourself.
(2) Salesperson (Keti), eventually offered to have crack fixed in 6+ weeks HOWEVER this was handled professionally by the rest of ProStone team after bypassing salesperson. Talked to someone else who arranged to have this remedied the next day. Tech came and did a great job of filling, buffing and masking crack.
(3) Counter installation cancelled twice on dates salesperson herself had proposed. These transpired four days pre-installation the first time and one day pre-installation the second time causing major disruptions to the rest of the kitchen renos. Never once did she apologize or offer some sort of compensation (token or otherwise).
(3) Salesperson tried to give us a different slab than the one we had agreed upon and selected
Over the last couple of years we have done quite a few renos (backyard, deck, floors, kitchen, stairs, banister) and our experience with ProStone’s salesperson has been, hands down, singularly the most painful among all the different contractors. General disregard and apathy towards the customer was topped by a botched (or rather cracked and chipped) kitchen countertop installation.
We first visited ProStone’s showroom (among other shops) in May/June as we were shopping around for a granite or quartz countertop. They had a granite slab that we liked and were located close to where we live so we decided to go with them. FYI, pricing for the quartz was ~25% higher than the average of other reputable shops even after offered a 10% or so discount; pricing for granite was in-line with what their competitors were offering for similar stone grades.
Our sales rep was Keti who, after the contract signing, treated us, at best as a nuisance and, at worst, downright condescendingly.
Through every single step we were repeatedly told the installation would occur 10-12 business days after the measurements in house. Exact installation dates were very, very important for us because we were expecting a baby in August and were aiming to have all kitchen work done by end of July at the latest. Salesperson (Keti) was fully aware of this situation, yet chose to ignore it – can’t help but think it was deliberate.
6-June-2015: Visit to ProStone to sign contract and select exact slab with a measurement/template target in mid-July. Paid 50% of the agreed price but salesperson did not want to let us select a slab. Eventually did so after intervention of manager.
Early to mid July-2015: Series of emails and phone calls to eventually settle on a template date of 13-July-2015. Marking the slab for layout/cut was to be done a week after the template measurement. We were again told installation would only happen 10-12 business days after the measurement.
We were told to wait for a call from the templater at some point during the week of 6-July-2015 to confirm a time. Despite numerous calls to the shop for a status check (and reassurances from Keti), we did not hear from the template/measuring team until Sunday, 12-July-2015 at 8pm to set up an appointment for the day after.
13-July-2015: Templater came, looked at and measured everything they needed to, suggested we put an extra brace/panel around the sink area to support the counter better. Counting 10-12 business days, we expected installation on 27-July-2015 yet again confirmed by Keti.
20-July-2015: Visit to ProStone to choose how exactly where the slab would be cut. We were shown a slab that was different from the one we had chosen. After pointing this out to the seemingly puzzled salesperson, she then looks at the other slabs, and indeed there is another slab labeled as ours. Could not help wonder if this was a real oversight or intended. As we begin marking the correct slab, the salesperson, having not bothered to look at the measurements prior to us coming, realizes the measurers had not marked down any sink dimensions. Instead of owning up to this oversight, she scolds us for not having made sure the measurers had written everything down! Despite the lack of sink dimensions we are, yet again, told installation would occur 10-12 business days post measurement (27 July at the latest) and asked to bring the sink in the following day.
21-July-2015: Sink dropped off at ProStone
22-July-2015: Email by salesperson to tell us counter will not be installed within their much repeated 10-12 business days (falling on 27-July-2015) but rather at some point in August. Now delays do happen, but when we called for an explanation Keti did not once apologize for this delay but suggested this whole situation was our fault as we had not brought the sink in earlier - despite us having done so as soon as we were asked to. Exact words were “It ain’t going to happen on the 12th day”. Very very disappointing. We eventually settled for a 31-July install but had to re-sechedule several other contractors and all this during an overnight hospital stay.
28-July-2015: We received a call from salesperson asking that we pay the remaining 50% balance before proceeding with install. They email a form, which we would need to print, sign and fax to them prior to installation.
29-July-2015: As we were home nursing a newborn, we emailed salesperson to let her know we did not have access to a printer or fax and asked if we could complete the transaction on the phone or otherwise. No response.
30-July-2015 (one day before re-scheduled install): Emailed salesperson in the morning. Again no response. We call at 4pm to inquire on installation status and lack of communication. We find out the salesperson was out of the office, no one had access or willingness to deal with her accounts and our installation had been cancelled because we had not paid the remaining 50%. In utter disbelief, we ask for a solution. Another member of the ProStone team suggests the installers would bring the completed form and we could simply sign it at that time. How hard was that!
1-August-2015: FINALLY, counter is installed. Had they done a good job, we would have, quite frankly, not bothered writing a review at all despite the ordeal. Alas, It was not meant to be! Counter was cracked near the sink and chipped in a different location. Primarily concerned with crack, we called salesperson (Keti) immediately. Yet again no apology, acceptance of mistake or oversight but suggestions that we didn't know what a crack looked like and were probably looking at a natural vein. The nerve! After much back and forth, she says the crack would be dealt with only after 6 weeks!
6-August-2015: Noticed that the crack from installing was spreading and called ProStone to come & mend before further damage. Spoke to someone other than salesperson (Keti) who without much argument agreed to send someone the next day to have this looked after.
Tech who came in did a great job filling, buffing and masking crack.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $4,500.00