Gordon Phinney from Vancouver

The original quote - from the office in Burnaby not Edmonton - was $1064.70. I was told 2 men would arrive but 3 men showed up (on time) and the third man was an apprentice, causing more of a hinderance than being helpful - his constant questions took time away from the 2 professionals and the job went much slower than estimated. When the work was completed (and it was completed carefully and with respect), the cost was more than double the estimate. The 3 men stood on the porch until they were given a cheque for the full amount, it is intimidating to an older woman and there was pressure to pay the amount. The next day when the office in Burnaby was phoned they reiterated that they only deal with complaints of the work, not intimidation.

They have some great kitchen at a good price - very reasonable. Their installers work fast and do a good job - a bit messy, but not too bad. The price is great. The same product as similar stores in the area with a slightly lower price tag. The only downside is the poor communication and lack of overall project knowledge. They are hesitant to make suggestions so you had best have a good idea what you want before going to the shop.

On average you will pay around $500 for a good tap - although they carry many brands and it ranges in price. For a small store they have a good mix of items on display. They are affiliated with all major and some minor suppliers so they can order whatever you want/need.

I went in for some ant traps - something cat friendly. Due to the season they were short on stock but could reorder and have it within a week. Very friendly and helpful - if they don't have it the will get it for you or find you another store that carries the item.

From the first step - obtaining a quote, to the last step - completed work, our Strata was satisfied. The quote was reasonable and the staff were very helpful in explaining options and alternatives. The products used are garden friendly. The staff are punctual, courteous and efficient. The building (40 years old and brick) is cleaner than it has ever been and all residents are extremely satisfied. We will use them again for any similar jobs in the future.

Our strata needed to have their dryer ducts cleaned and the company we had previously used was unavailable. Michael A Smith was available, fast, efficient, and they were very respectful of peoples property and kept any nuisance to a minimum.

The technician advised us to turn off our gas and pilot light during the summer months, as it would save money. It was true that our Terasen bill was lower by a small amount, not really worth mentioning, however when he came back in September to turn the lines back on - the way he had turned it off had caused the valve to crack and a leak to spring in the line! Rather than apologize or admit he was wrong in turning the gas off - we were told, sometimes that happens. There was no warning hat this might happen when he advised us to turn off the mains. I was unimpressed by the lack of information given at the time.

Our strata uses Angel Ridge as our regular landscape firm. They are consistently over budget and our service has never improved. In three years the building has gone over budget in spend and the service level has decreased. They are always late and never prepared. The owners do not respond to or acknowledge emails of those owners who are not home during their visits but still need work done to the common property. We are told that if we need our trees pruned we must be home at the time they arrive - last year I tested this by working from home they day they were to show up, however they forgot their pruning shears and would have to come back the next day. We were charged for two visits and the next day I was not home, and although I explained the previous day what needed to be done - my tree was not pruned!