February 15 We were repeat customers of Granito. We were very pleased the FIRST time with our granite so when we remodelled the kitchen in our new home we decided to go back to Granito. In the showroom, the saleswoman told us that there might be a seam and showed us what an” virtually invisible” seam would look like. She said that it should not be an issue and we shouldn’t be concerned. --- HUGE MISTAKE!! We did get a seam, wider than 5 millimetres and, right in the middle of the most visible section!!! It was the first thing everyone noticed about our new granite countertop. Unsatisfied, we called Granito and asked for someone to come out and take a look at it. Our saleswoman told us it would take at least a week. She then passed us along to the installation manager who told us that often customers overreact to the seam and that it is virtually impossible to have an invisible seam . A week later, a service man came to our house, HOURS late, and agreed with us that the gap was too big. He couldn’t fix it at that time because it was a two person job to remove and re-install the section properly. The following week, they came back and did adjust the gap little. It is still a very noticeable seam and we are still extremely unhappy. However, since the service men said it was the best they could do, we decided there wasn’t much point in complaining further about the eyesore in the middle of our countertop. Five months later, the seal holding the under mount sink gave way and the sink was sitting on the drain pipes . We called Granito and we were told that someone from service would call us right away. We did not receive a telephone call. We called Granito again the next day and were told that the earliest they could see us was Friday—3 days later. On Friday, we got another call at 3:30pm saying the service men were running very late but would be there between 8:00 and 9:00 Monday morning. We were stuck without a sink for an entire week!!. On Monday, the service man came at 11:00 and reinstalled our sink. We are well aware that mistakes happen and can be corrected. However , we are not only disappointed with the poor quality in workmanship , but also with the tardy customer service. We certainly will not recommend Granito to any of our friends. Aquino and Anne Pigozzo
- Approximate cost of services:
- $3,850.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- Respond promptly to customer complaints about workmanship. Waiting a week to send out a service rep to reinstall a kitchen sink is not a reasonable time!! Do a follow up on services performed to see if customer is satisfied with the repair
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Be sure you know where the seam will be placed in the countertop. A corner location is much better than in the middle of your main workspace
- Company Response
The Pigozzo’s were well aware and informed of where there seam was going to be placed. More importantly, seams are never virtually invisible, ESPECIALLY with natural stone however we try to conceal them as best as possible. Upon the Pigozzo’s installation we understand the seam was not as tight as it could have been so at the service appointment we tightened the seam. The customer’s seemed happy after we left this appointment.
Regarding their sink issue (an issue that does not happen frequently but is extremely easy to fix), the Pigozzo’s phoned us a couple of months later during our busy season and we informed them that our earliest service to their home (which was 1 hour away) would be approximately one week. We had to reschedule one time but made sure to have them serviced within the time frame we had promised.
We are sorry that the PIgozzo’s have lost faith in our company, especially since they were so happy with us the first time. Being a family business, we definitely appreciate your return business however, there MUST be more tolerance when dealing with natural stone and products and custom work/design in the construction industry.