This is an article I wrote in back in 2014 after a highly frustrating experience with a vendor that caused a vast majority of the grey hair I have now. I wanted to add it to the new site to continue to raise awareness that Angie’s List is not a true and balanced source of reviews, especially the PSP.
I have used Angie’s list on and off in the past to help locate a reputable vendor when my network of Professionals came up empty. Now I have to find a more reliable method.
I posted the below review on their site to help others avoid the horrendous headaches that I have had to endure because of these so-called “professionals” in 2014. I have since been working with Angie’s List representatives to get the review posted. They refuse to post the review because the contract was with my Client/Principal and not me, even though I represent the client on this project.
They state: “We do not allow someone to review a job on behalf of someone else, nor* (spelling correction) can a contractor review the subs they hire……….However, it does sound as though you are reviewing a job that was done for someone else. In this case, your client would need to be the one leaving the review as it is work being done for them, at their house”
As has been discussed time and again on public forums, as PSPs it is our job to protect our Principal’s privacy and good name. Well, the policies that Angie’s List sets forth insists that the Principals themselves needs to open an account and post the review.
I attempted to explain:
- My client is high profile and high net worth and cannot be exposed in this manner.
- My client had little to NO interaction with the vendor and relies on me to manage the project itself.
Their response is: “As it stands, we simply do not allow personal assistants and project managers to review companies on behalf of their employers. Ultimately, your employer is the client and the review would need to be left in an account in their name, which you would be free to help them use to locate prospective contractors. Unfortunately, we cannot accept the review of C**’s F*** F***rs from your personal account, but if your employer starts an account, we could move the review to be placed under their information. I apologize that we cannot accommodate your request………”
This means that a Private Service Professional cannot post a review on behalf of their employer. So the PSP has the choice to either violate their NDA and Confidentiality Agreement or simply allow someone else to go through the same frustrations that you are trying to help them avoid.
Result for the PSP: BE LEARY OF THE REVIEWS ON ANGIE’S LIST!!!!
If I am not able to review work that I was directly responsible for managing because it was not my name on the contract, they are excluding a valuable review that would save their customers a lot of heartaches, and potentially money (considering that some work can impact the value of the home). And when dealing with clients like ours (not intending to dismiss smaller home) excellence is the bare minimum standard.
By the way, I recently had an interaction with a reviewer on Yelp that also had a terrible experience with this same vendor. She was in tears by the time the vendor left and she had to call in another company to fix the issues. Meaning that this experience was not unique.
The Review in Question
My clients had 6700 sqft of flooring replaced. C** was subcontracted to install, sand and finish varied width planks with a triple applied double ebony stain and a semi-gloss poly finish.
- The “finished” floor has uneven sanding marks throughout the house.
- The “finished” floor also shows wavy lines where the drum sander overlapped.
- There are clear lines where you can see when the hand sander was used versus the drum sander.
- Quarter rounds were delivered and rejected twice due to poor workmanship.
- There are obvious “foggy” spots in the clear coat where it was not properly applied.
- There are countless spots that were not filled properly and now look like nicks and chips.
- On countless occasions, fewer workers were sent than were required for the job.
- There are areas where the transition from wood to another surface is rough and obvious.
While C** has offered to repair the floors, we do not believe that they can deliver a product that is acceptable to any standard.
Their “Project Manager” (M**** H****) only visiting the site on average 2-3 times per month to check on work. He was eventually kicked off of the property due to constant negativity, a confrontational attitude and poor logistical management. When I started noticing that the project was in a downward spiral, I requested a daily site meeting with the Project Manager (M**** H*****) and Owner of the company (G*** C**), they never accommodated even after several requests.
I work with High Net Worth Clients throughout the country and have encountered two (in addition to my client) here in Dallas that have similar complaints
