Reviews


First Review

9/10

Our new mattress was making me sore; I would wake up with aching in my hips. I thought a foam topper would be a good solution. The Foamite associate was very helpful, explaining the differences between types of foam, and recommending something for me based on my weight and preferred sleeping position. Turned out I was too light for the firmness of my mattress and the mattress was not absorbing my body weight. I got a 2" mattress topper in the Koosh Natural (green) custom cut for my bed. Made a huge difference without the cost of a new mattress!

Approximate cost of services:
$130.00
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2/10

<p>Short story: They were 2-3 hours late each day; they walked off the job; they added extra costs to our bill. Full details are below. Also, check out my profile; I think you'll find I am a fair reviewer and active homestars member.</p> <br /> <p>Jerret at Stonecote was my initial contact. He handled the sales side and answered my pre-installation questions. This company usually requests a 40% deposit; in our case our insurance co. issued a cheque for the majority of the work (to be signed by us at job completion) and I sent a deposit cheque for the balance a few weeks prior to installation.</p> <br /> <p><strong>Disappointing Workmanship</strong></p> <p>Chris and a crew of 1-2 did the installation over two days. The installation was quick (once they arrived). They did leave a number of scratches and gouges on our freshly drywalled and painted walls, which was disappointing (photos attached). There was also a very ragged seam in one of the closets (approx. 1 cm depth); again, not major, but disappointing that the crew didn’t take care to deliver a high quality finish over the entire area.</p> <br /> <p><strong>Late and No Common Courtesy</strong></p> <p>The crew was scheduled to arrive in the early morning between 8 and 8:30. They arrived after 10. On the second day, they arrived after 11. There was no call to say they would be late on either of the days. We called on both days (9 and 11 respectively) to check if/when they were coming. When I told Jerret I would appreciate a call if they were going to be late, I was told ‘the phone works both ways’ and that I shouldn’t have waited so long to call to check in with them. A while later, we got a voicemail from Jerret demanding an apology and saying I hung up on him (I didn’t, but I did quickly end the call when I realized Jerret was not going to apologize for or investigate his partner’s lateness). He also said they would not complete the job until he got an apology (floors were half done). I was pretty shocked at this response to my relevant complaint. We had no choice but to continue with Stonecote installation in this situation. There were also numerous reasons for lateness on installations days (traffic, van broke down, stopped to eat lunch), hour-long absence (trip to Home Depot), and cancellations of appointments (another project went late, son in hospital).</p> <br /> <p><strong>Extra Charges</strong></p> <p>A few days after installation was finished, Jerret sent an invoice with an additional and very unexpected $300 added to our final bill – some costs weren’t warranted (additional stone for building up the floor) and some costs we were not forewarned about (door transition and furniture moving). There was ample time to advise us of any extra costs (two weeks prior, when we finalized the specs of the work to be done, or even on the day of the work would have been better then a week after). On the day of installation, we had asked Chris about evening out the floor, but when he said it would cost extra, we told him not to do it. Chris came back a few weeks after installation to drop off the floor hole coverings and pick up final payment. When I pointed out the ragged seam, Chris said it was in a closet so didn’t matter. When I said it mattered to me, he offered to fix it that night, which was great. When we asked about the additional costs, Chris said they always add costs on at the end and we were the only people that had ever had a problem with it. We told him the additional stone cost was unwarranted (you only need to look at the baseboards and middle drain to see that the floor was not build up), but agreed to pay the moving and door transition costs even though we felt they were excessive. Chris agreed that was fair. But when I asked for a receipt, Jerret issued one with a note that said “refused to pay” the extra stone charges. Jerret continually told us that he and Chris were equal partners, but our agreement with Chris didn’t matter or make it to Jerret.</p> <br /> <p>The floor looks good, and we are happy with it; I recommend the product, but not the company. If you do decide to give Stonecote a try, be prepared for late starts, additional charges, and vindictiveness if you have any issues.</p>

Approximate cost of services:
$4,000.00
What could this company do to improve their services?
quote accurately, arrive on time, provide one contact instead of shuffling the customer between two people
Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
try another company
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Company Response

There are always 2 sides to every story. I have contemplated trying to write out our side, and correct all the mistakes in the above account, but it feels too cheap.

I am very disappointed that we were not able to keep this customer happy. You can see from our other reviews that we conduct our business with integrity, and we care deeply about our customers happiness.
If anyone has any questions about this project, please give us the benefit of the doubt and call.

We are known for the care we take to explain every detail of a project, and for calling when things change or we'll be late etc.
This was a case of poor communication leading to disappointment. This happened despite our best attempts, proving that you can't satisfy every customer everytime.

Without recapping the entire debacle, but addressing what was listed for how we could improve:
1. Our quote was bang on and included massive discounting, total compassion in waiving our normal deposit procedure and assuming thousands of dollars of risk, and many trips back and forth to make sure the customers wishes were clearly defined and met. Also, the customer asked me, not Chris, to add product to the install, so the rest of the conversation as described is suspect...
2. We never agreed to a specific start time, rather mentioned a target we usually shoot for, but explained that given the travel time and the deadlines we were juggling to make the project work for them it would be really tough to have our normal start time. I asked if we needed to give a solid time to which we were told "no, no worries. I will be here throughout the day, so as long as it gets done!"
3. The idea that 2 business partners who work hand in hand together on each project is "shuffling" a customer between two people is ludicrous. That would be like characterizing our experience with this husband and wife team as "shuffling" us back and forth between each other?!?

Please understand that much of the information above is either wrong, or twisted to show us in a very poor light. I am not interested in a shouting match. This is a great forum for reviews, and we have learned that no matter how much communication you may have with a customer it may not be enough. I was even worried at one point that we would complete the work and be left hanging after how I was treated on the phone!

Please take this with a grain of salt and read on for more reviews... then follow up with us. You will find the above scenario to be very a-typical and our committment to excellence second to none!

-Jerret

CONTRACTORS BEWARE!
FYI in response to the photos recently posted, if this customers motive was in doubt before it has been solidified for me now.
It has been at least 2 weeks since we were last there and repaired the damaged area in the space beneath the stairs... to clarify, Chris did not tell them "it didn't matter", rather was trying to explain the difficulty of installing flooring there as the cause of the flaw. That was twisted entirely to show us in a false light.
Second point, why are these photos the first we were notified of the other issues? If we were willing to literally chisel out part of the floor we just installed to correct an error, why would we not address these other issues as well? Because it was never brought to our attention. Rather it was held back to be aired in a public forum. This is what I meant when I let the customer know in a previous conversation that "the phone works both ways".
We do everything we can to keep our customers happy and informed, addressing each issue that may arise as it comes up. We can attest to this with over 200 customers, and only 2 of them we were not able to satisfy. But the caveat is that we have to be informed if we have not met an expectation, preferably in a polite and civil manner.
For us the biggest thrill at the end of a job is to hear the excitement in a customers voice as they realize the scope of the transformation. It is a blessing for us to have a great product and skill as tradesmen to be able to help people with issues they are in dire need of solving.
However, when we are treated with no respect, no appreciation, it takes the joy out of the work, and it becomes just another job.
Again, this is not meant to be a shouting match and a simple phone call or an e mail would suffice to have issues addressed. Of course we will be wary about further dealings with a customer who will not pay "less than cost" for additional work they requested, but i'm sure were other means than vilifying us with this libelous account to be employed, this other concern could be dealt with as well.
-Jerret


First Review

10/10

We've been visiting Judy's gallery for over two years now. She has a lovely assortment of artists, many different styles and mediums, at reasonable prices for first-time original art buyers. Judy allowed us to try a work in our home to see how much we loved it and also worked out a monthly payment plan for us. We've also had a number of pieces framed here - beautiful work, often in a tight timeline!

Approximate cost of services:
$3,000.00
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8/10

We hired New Canadian to increase pipe width to improve water pressure. They came on time and got the job done quickly. Two days later, we had heavy rain and the basement flooded. We called New Canadian back and they recommended water proofing the external back wall to solve the problem. Now, one year later, our basement has not had any problems with water seeping in through the walls.

Approximate cost of services:
$5,000.00
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Company Response

Thank you for your review. We are pleased to hear that you are satisfied with our services and we are here to assist you with any other future work or inquiries that you may have.

7/10

We went to Naked Furniture to get two side tables and a custom kitchen island made. Customer service left a little to be desired: we had to explain what we wanted and repeat furniture dimensions a number of times. I was really worried throughout the process that we would end up with something completely different than requested! And the island took longer to make than initially quoted. The end result was lovely though: nice solid pieces, exactly how we wanted them.

Approximate cost of services:
$3,500.00
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Company Response

Thank you Janet for writing your review. We always love to hear from our customers. We appreciate your comments and will review our customer service policies with our staff in order to give our customers the best customer service possible. I am pleased that you were very happy with your custom kitchen island and 2 side tables. We love to hear that our customers loved their furniture ! Regards, Carol

6/10

We hired Absolute after a basement flood (city line sewer back-up) to install a back valve, sump pump, and new drain for our washing machine plumbing. The workers arrived on time and worked quickly to get the job done. We had the city out to inspect the work, and it was not approved; the sump pump was in the wrong place to function correctly in the case of excess water and meant that sewage would be pumped onto our front lawn in the event that the back valve closed. Absolute was good about removing the sump pump, covering up all the holes in the basement floor and providing an adjusted fee for the work that was acceptable (back valve and laundry drain). In the end it all worked out well, but it was confusing that they installed the sump pump that way in the first place. Customer service was good about making in right and sending out a receipt with all the info needed for the city rebate.

Approximate cost of services:
$2,200.00
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10/10

I would definitely recommend Kathy at Fine Craft Upholstery. We had her reupholster a wingback chair and ottoman, and create a custom headboard. Service was quick, efficient, and friendly. And we've extremely happy with the quality as well. We will be back!

Approximate cost of services:
$1,400.00
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