Signature Home Improvements

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Got an email today, 12/09 from my Sales Rep Mickey informing me that Signature Home Improvements went bankrupt this week and closed its doors. I paid for a service not rendered. No work has been provided. I want my down payment of $3078.90 back!,

We had a bad experience with Signature.  We had high hopes based on the reviews on Angie's List and Signature's description of how our project would go.  Our project, a 5x9 bathroom with the same footprint, was scheduled to be completed in three weeks; it took three months.   We were introduced to Chad, our project manager, and told he would be there for us throughout  the project.  His schedule was so tight, he had little time to oversee our project.  At some point in the project, Chad was taken off the project and Emily managed it over the phone.  With this kind of management, we had problem after problem.  A wall they installed had to be torn out and redone; the tile floor had to be torn out and redone; electrical work had to be torn out and redone.  They left us without power to our garage for almost a week because the GFI they installed in the bathroom, which controls the garage electricity, did not work.  I could go on and on with problems, but our complaint is we paid Signature for a service they did not provide.  Emily did call and review the project almost every night, but we needed someone on site to oversee the project.  Our invoicing was incorrect as well.   On our first invoice, we were billed the incorrect amount for the tile overage.  We did not notice the error and  paid the first invoice in full.  When we received our second invoice, and they again billed us for tile overage, we realized the first invoice had included the amount of a tile estimate--we never used that tile.  Repeatedly, we have contacted Emily to ask her for a detail accounting of our project.  In an email on 8/18/2014, she communicated she would get a final invoice to address the overpayment.  To date, Emily has not responded to us, even though we have repeatedly emailed and texted her.  We even tried calling the sales person to ask him to have her respond to us.   Originally, we had planned to remodel our kitchen as well.  We decided to see how they did on a small project first.  Needless to say, we will not be using them for the kitchen project.  On our walk-thru we communicated our dissatisfaction with how our job went; the response was they lost a few key people.  We should not have to pay the price for that.  As far as the final results, the job was acceptable.  The quality of work probably would have been done to a higher standard if Chad would have been available.  They disrupted our lives to the point we just wanted them gone. <br />

The job was done very well for the most part. The cabinet work met all our expectations and obtained the color that we wanted. The granite counter top was done perfectly. Emily kept us informed everyday of what to expect the next day which was appreciated. We only had one issue with the fireplace stacked stone job but SHI corrected that issue to our satisfaction. While the granite work was very impressive and probably one of the more difficult of all the work we had done, the painter who repaired the textured walls and painted the areas impacted by all the work did an Excellent job. <br />

I think they are awesome! They are extremely professional and very timely. I got a call every evening from the manager of when they would be there the next day and what work would be done. The work they provided was excellent. MJ, Micky, and Emily showed wonderful professionalism. Micky provided a very detailed bid and list and they lived up to every one of the items. I would recommend them without hesitation.

I had a terrible experience with them. It was the worst, and they were unbelievably bad. They misrepresented who the owner was. They took the job that was supposed to last two months and now they've stretched it out to over a year. They're non-responsive. They're constantly having to redo things, because they don't do it right the first time. And then somehow, everything ends up being our fault. What they have finished looks good. I would absolutely not use them in the future.

This company is beyond words fantastic!  They were prompt and efficient.  When I had severe problems with the touch-faucet, they helped me get a refund and when I replaced the faucet with a non-touch one, even though it's about a year later, they came to install the new faucet.  I cannot say enough good things about this company and I would use them again in a heart beat. <br />

We put them in and the result was amazing.  Also they were courteous and helpful through every step of the process. I highly recommend this company to anyone wanting to upgrade or improve their residence.  My thanks to MJ and his staff for a job well done. <br />

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They did exactly what they promised they would do; it was a job well done. I was pleased with their service.

It went great! The cabinets look brand new. I purchased hardware which they added to them. The cabinets are a gorgeous color. You can't really tell that they are old ones given a tremendous facelift. You would think they are brand new. It was money well spent. I appreciate Signature guiding me to the most economical way to meet my needs rather than selling me something I didn't need. <br />

A quote was provided for the work to be performed quickly after all measurements and evaluations were made.  After the initial quote, we added a couple more requirements which were readily accepted and scheduled.  As a result of the demolition of the original cabinet, it was necessary to repair the dry-wall and texture it to meet the texture of the adjacent wall.  This also required adding "popcorn" to the soffett at that area as well as painting the wall and the ceiling to match the adjacent areas.  Electrical outlets had to be relocated as well as the cable-input port.   <br /> My wife and I went to the yard to select the granite that would be used.  The newly remodeled cabinet was brought in and installed. Later the granite was brought in and installed.  The end result of this new "console" looking cabinet was beautiful. <br /> The sliding drawers for the kitchen were constructed and installed in our kitchen.  We had debated doing this work for several years finally deciding to have this work done.  The drawers are very well made and sturdy.  They are working very well. <br /> The new glass-front cabinet in our dining area (part of our great room) was perfectly matched to the area where it is located.  The stain on the wood matching the other, built-in cabinets in the room (these cabinets are 25-years old).  The cabinet also serves as weight-bearing for granite previously installed in the pass-through between the kitchen and the dining area.  The shelving is adjustable.  The cabinet looks like it has been there since the room was built in 1988. <br /> All men and women who worked on the project -- demolition, dry wall, "popcorn," painting, electrical, installation of the remodeled cabinet, the newly constructed cabinet, the granite top, and the kitchen drawer construction and installion-- were all very professional.  They were patient with my wife and I, explaining all the work they were doing,  They were all respectful of our home and property, providing protection to our wood floors, and making sure all work areas were carefully cleaned up. <br /> It was a pleasure to work with this company and with the crews that were sent to our house to work on this project. <br /> <br />

Excellent service and I would highly recommend them.  They were very kind and professional.  Everyone was eager to help.  They finished 2 weeks ahead of schedule and on budget.  I really appreciated the skilled craftsmanship of the employees.  They have a master plumber who worked with some faucets that I had previously purchased.  I was told they wouldn't work but he went above and beyond to make them work.  He wanted to make me happy.

The overall quality of work was acceptable, but midway through our kitchen renovation our project manager simply "checked out" and the project timeline seemed to fall to pieces. The kitchen was not usable and the project stalled. Once it become clear that we would not stop calling their office to get a better estimate of the timeline to complete the project the activity picked up again and most of the "undone" work was completed in a half-day. This was quite frustrating because our kitchen would have been usable during the delay if Signature had made this effort before the delay and before we raised such a "stink" about it. A simple note that the project would be delayed and an effort to get as much done as possible before the delay would have been appreciated. Instead we felt like we were project managing the effort and schedule through repeated emails to their office personnel.  <br /> The delay was frustrating and the overall communication from Signature throughout the project was poor, inconsistent and when we were lucky enough to speak to their office their staff had the tenor of annoyed customer service representatives. When the project was nearly complete I was asked to inspect the kitchen and prepare a "punch list" of items that needed to be addressed by Signature the following week during a final walk-through. During that inspection I noticed a sizable scratch and dent on our refrigerator. I raised this issue during the "punch list" review and received an email later in the day, which is copied below. The tone of this note says it all - it begins by alleging that I was tardy in reporting the issue and then suggests that the damage did not occur during the project. No where in the note is a simple apology or even an offer of a de minimus credit on the overall project, which cost nearly $20,000. <br /> Based on my experience I can't recommend Signature. If this is how they handle a small issue such as a scratch on a refrigerator, I would hate to see their behavior if something significant went wrong.  <br /> "We are not going to be able to take responsibility for the fridge damage. Simply put, this was only brought to our attention today and we've been out of the house since last Monday, I think this might have come up before today. It is in our signed disclaimer that we are not responsible for any damage to new or existing appliances. We reviewed the before photos of the fridge and there was a picture hanging over the scratched area so we have no proof if even indeed it occurred during the reno."   <br /> - Sent by Signature Home Improvements on 11/26/2013 <br /> <br />

This company is truly customer-sensitive.  Their patience with me as a first-time remodeler was awesome.  All members of their team got to know me.   <br /> <br /> The products they recommended work well--new composite sink, touch-sensitive faucets, and disposal.  The granite I purchased is truly breathtaking.  I love my new kitchen!   <br /> <br /> If I remodel my bathrooms, I will definitely use them.

Everything turned out fine. I was impressed with the quality of their workmanship. The crew was close to a dozen people. The work was not completed in the time frame we discussed but they were responsive to our concerns. I would recommend their service.

They did a fantastic job. It was a fairly small job so it was one person at a time working but we worked with three different technicians. They completed the job in a reasonable time frame. They were quick, efficient and did exactly what we wanted them to do. They were always quick to answer or return any phone calls.

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I had an appointment with MJ but the office staff called and told me that Emily would be coming. She arrived on time and listened to my want-list and took my magazine clippings and told me that she would give me an estimate in 10 day, which she did. Their cabinet designer came to take measurements and provided drawings and answered everyone of my million questions. The remodel was not what I expected as I had heard of horror stories about living in a house while it is being demolished but the crew was very courteous and respectful of our home and the office called every evening to give us the schedule for the next day. The woman that emailed me about my selections was always available and kept impeccable notes so that really helped when I forgot what tile I ordered. During the entire project, Chad, the field manager, kept an eye on the progress and made a couple of slight adjustments to accommodate my changing mind. All in all, we are very happy that we chose Signature and will do so again next year for our guest bathroom. <br />

We cannot recommend Signature for a variety of reasons: <br /> 1. We had to initiate every call for follow up. We started the process at the end of March and gave up in July, 2013. We would request drawings/elevations and they would promise they would be ready in a few days. After a week we would finally call and get put off again. We finally got all the drawings in July AFTER we requested our initial payment back. <br /> 2. At one point I asked when each payment would be due; so we would know what would be accomplished at each point before we paid. I expected a flow chart or spread sheet that showed timelines and completions. What I got was a "pre-start job checklist" that asked what appliances we were going to choose. I was so surprised and upset I sent an example spread sheet - all filled in - and was told: "Oh, yeah. We have that and yours won't be ready till next week." That's when I knew they didn't have much of an idea of what they were doing. <br /> 3. Towards the end we were talking with Emily, the owner. (Emily doesn't listen very well and must be interrupted if you want to get a word in.) She said there is never a charge for drawings and permitting with the city - and yet - we were charged $2500 for Permitting - it's in an email from Mickey on 6/19/13. <br /> 4. In retrospect our referral visit was only ok, we were told everything took longer than expected and some of the subs seemed to have issues - although she was happy overall. Coupled with the delays and lack of responsiveness we had already witnessed we didn't see how this could turn out to be a quality kitchen.    <br /> Overall four months of missed promises and poor project management - and we were just trying to get the drawings and elevations done. We couldn't imagine how trying the rest of the project might be and cancelled. That's when we met Emily and knew we had made the right decision. Her defensiveness and lack of listening skills made every conversation a challenge. And, she didn't make cancelation easy (it's not Costco) and continued to be late on her promises for our partial return of the initial payment - even though in our opinion - very little actual work had been accomplished. <br /> <br /> <br />

<strong>Summary</strong>:  <br /> At no point did  anyone, aside from the project manager, have a firm grasp on what my project entailed.  The office staff does not acknowledge problems, but instead minimizes them, which can be irritating.  For example, after multiple failures to complete a project it is perhaps not a good idea to tell a client "good news, only two more issues to go."  <br /> Unless you live next door to SHI don't count on the office staff when they tell you the crew will be there at 8:00 am, just go ahead with your plans for the morning.  I found it helpful to simply ask the crew to give me a call when they were knew what time they would be there.  They were great about that and very accurate. <br /> Do expect the office to call right before the end of business to ask if you can be free the next day.  This is difficult if you have clients of your own.  Do expect them to call you at the end of business to tell you they can't be there the next day as scheduled.  This is also difficult when you have clients of your own.  Clients get justifiably irritated when you try to move them back onto your calendar.  <br /> Don't expect all the necessary people to be present for your project.  In fact, they may not even be aware a person is a necessary party.  <br /> <strong><br /> Prior to project:</strong> <br /> I contacted SHI in late August 2012 through Angie's List.  An appointment was set up for September 17, 2012 at 1:30.  Mickey arrived on time at my home.  We went over what I wanted done.  He gave me a verbal estimate that landed in the middle of two I had received from other companies.  We decided to go with SHI due predominantly to the reviews on Angie's List.  And, I also liked the idea of there being a project manager that was assigned to your job.  Mickey was getting married that weekend and was unavailable to get a written estimate to me, but Emily (one of the owners) put one together and I received that on October 1, 2012.  I accepted the estimate and a meeting was set for October 10, 2012 to go over the contract with Mickey at my home.  <br /> At the October 10, 2012 meeting Mickey explained they were busy and that mid-December would be the time frame for my job.  I signed the contract and gave Mickey the down payment. <br /> A meeting was set up with the designer/project manager for October 24, 2012.  Chad arrive on time. I had an actual photo of the built-ins I wanted made, so the meeting didn't take long.  The empty alcoves were very deep and I didn't want the built-ins pushed all the way back, so if anything took time it was deciding how deep I wanted the cabinets to be placed in the alcoves.  We discussed the need for electrical work for the puck lighting in the cabinet tops and that outlets would need to be pulled forward into the lower portion of the cabinets. <br /> I gave Chad a sample of the paint color I wanted the cabinets to be. The sample was in a small unmarked can and was given to me for touch ups by the company that made our shutters the year prior.  When I opened the can, there was a little rust around the ring but the paint color looked fine.  I asked if he thought that was okay, (I had a whole gallon that had been color matched to the sample about 2 months prior to our meeting and would have happily opened that) Chad thought it was fine and quite frankly, so did I.  <br /> Chad asked me to email the photo of the cabinets to him and I did so before he left.  I was told I should receive a drawing of the cabinets in about two weeks for approval. I emailed a couple of times starting around November 17, 2012, because I had not received the drawing and had no idea how long it took to build these things.  I wanted to make sure we would on target for a mid Dec. install.  I received the drawing on December 3, 2012.  <br /> <strong>The project:</strong> <br /> In general the project took too long.  The end of August to mid May for two built ins and kitchen floor removal/wood install is too long. The narrative below will explain why, at least with regard to the first phase.  After that, I had to put off the floors off for a bit due to my work schedule.  Additional delays were due to the floors not being installed properly. <br /> We were scheduled for installation right before the holidays.  The morning of installation someone from the office called to inform me they would be there by 10:00am.  I asked how long they estimated for installation.  She read through some notes and said 2 to 3 hrs.  I noticed she had not accounted for the time for the electrician to do the necessary wiring prior to the built ins being installed and she said "oh, yeah the electrician."  10:00 am comes and goes.  I call and am assured they will be there soon, unless I would prefer they come after lunch time.  I let her know I preferred they get here as soon as possible.  Around 12:30pm an electrician shows up.  He has no idea what he is supposed to be doing and was pulled off another job to come to my house.  He calls the office for information.  He says he has to run to Home Depot to buy the 2 puck lights.  I told him he would need four, two in each alcove.  He said the office said 2 total.  I pull out the contract and show him the description of work.  He is clearly annoyed with the office and heads off to home depot.  He does the wiring and deals with the outlets to be pulled forward into the lower portion of the cabinets. <br /> 2:30 the crew arrives.  They pull the built-ins into the house, and they are the wrong color.  One of the crew tried to convince me it was just the lighting.  Back they go.  There was much debate about who was to blame for the color not being right.  In any event, they have changed their policy and when a wet sample is provided, a dry sample must be provided as well, so hopefully that will not happen again.  I agreed to pay for the actual cost of the paint for the second painting.  I regret that now in light of future events. <br /> 2nd try: After the holidays:  One guy, Charles, shows up.  These units are huge.  I watched as he nearly went into cardiac arrest getting them inside. The color is perfect.  But the arch in the top of one has popped away from the rest of the unit and upon inspecting the bottom of the units I notice the recessed kick plates which were part of the design are missing.  The backs of the units were basically two pieces of plywood and wobbled about.  I had assumed at the last failed install that the carpenter would be doing something to support the back on site, but wary, I decided to clear this up as well.  He said he wasn't told to do anything.  He and I sat down and went over everything.  He called the office and sent photos of the issue with the arch.  He also told them the repairs would need to be made at SHI and he would need an electrician for the installation anyway. They apparently disagreed until it became obvious they thought the units would be pushed all the way back into the alcove's back wall for support and all that would be needed was a hole to reach the outlets.  (This was made more amusing to me as I looked at the outlets dangling from my wall from the first attempt at installation where they had been pulled forward for placement in the units.)  I now wanted to scream. <br /> Dale, the electrician shows up.  I told him I didn't know why they had him rush over as the units had to go back.  He informs me they told him to "hightail it over here." I called the office and was informed they were trying to decide what to do, but Emily was in a meeting.  I knew they had to go back and wasn't willing to give up an afternoon worth of work when I knew they had to go back.  So, back the units went. I was informed by Emily the reason for the misunderstandi

They were in my house for two months. They have a new owner and they weren't very good. It wasn't an "A" by any means, so for them to say that they've had an "A" rating since 2000 and whatever is not accurate. A lot of the reviews will say that too. We stayed within price and it wasn't like they overcharged me, so that wasn't bad. It was their quality. They completely messed up my wood floors, so they have to be redone. They made various mistakes and I thank god I stayed home because I was able to catch it. They took a lot longer. He tried working with me, but they're not very competent or organized, so some things were good and other things were not. I didn't get the right size styled doors. They started painting my kitchen the wrong color and delivered the wrong tile for the backsplash. They were quite incompetent. It was just lack of organization which was the major thing. If you're doing this type of project and you're somebody who works that depends on letting these people in your house to take care of the job there would've been three major mistakes if I wasn't home. They have some good workers there, but the lack of organization could cost thousands of dollars to someone. They have the quality of workers there, but too many jobs at once and that's where the confusion begins. They initially showed up on time and the guy who did the pricing was very nice. One crew unfortunately ruined it for many. It's to the point where you know if you let them come back to fix the sink they're not competent of it and would create a bigger next. They left and there are scratches everywhere on my wood floors. They tried to fix it, but they made it worse and put the wrong finish on it. At the end they finally told me that they could give me a $500 credit, but they made it very clear that they were doing me a huge favor. It was just a $500 credit which was nothing because the floors will cost about $3000. They just said they weren't responsible in part of the contract. The guys who did the granite did a good job. The guys who came out to fix the mistakes of the painters did a good job, so you can tell a couple of the guys know what they're doing. It was their scheduling of when to bring a plumber or an electrician and this and that because they're not organized, so it was just not very good overall. They have potential and I can see why they were an "A", but the new owners are not carrying that at all.

Took a while to get all the materials in place, but then it was super.  Each of their staff was very competent, friendly and willing to work hard.  They were excellent, especially with the preparation of the granite. Seams were minimal and blended well. <br />