ComplaintsforHandy Harry LLC

• Initial Complaint

  08/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I asked Handy Harry to bid some home repairs that happened due to vandalism. They did, and I signed the contracts. I trusted them, as they are a small-town business.On June 30th, they came to do the repairs. When I realized how simple the repairs were, I could NOT believe how much they had charged me. It was $****** for labor to replace the siding. When it came to the window, they charged another ****** !! I removed the glass and the screen, and the subcontractor took it somewhere to get it fixed. If I would have known that was all that was involved, I could have taken them myself.I called the manager, ****. He was rude and told me that I had signed the contracts. I told him that I thought the company was honest.They were supposed to return on July 12th with my fixed glass but didnt. I had to call them twice to reschedule. I had awakened my daughter early on the 12th to accommodate them.I have called 4 times asking to speak to the owner and to see how much they paid to the company to have the glass and screen fixed. They wont answer my calls, and they wont call me back.They were quick to send me my invoices, and they sent the incorrect one the first time. I decided to provide my own siding, which took off $45. They sent me the invoice with the original charge of $45 on it. I caught the mistake and asked for a corrected invoice.I am so upset by the charges from the company. Although I did receive some insurance money, it didnt cover the entire $906.25. It also means that my homeowners insurance premium will be increased for 3 years. I have already paid them $513.96. I believe that this is more than enough for the little work that they did. It took the subcontractor about 1 hour to replace the siding!! They drove the glass to a company about 15 minutes away, and Im quite sure it didnt cost $****** to fix it.While I understand the need to make a profit, I believe I have been unfairly treated by Handy Harry.

  

  Business response

  08/05/2022

   My name is *****************, Im the Project Manager and Lead Estimator for Handy Harry LLC. I have been approved to speak on behalf of our company. I feel like Joannes complaint does not fully illustrate just how we as a company have bent over backwards for ******.

   

  We are a small business in a very small community, for over 16 years Handy Harry has worked hard to get a reputation for doing honest work at a fair price. We do all kinds of work to homes and small businesses. From full home remodels to fixing a loose doorknob. We pride ourselves in believing no job is to small or to insignificant. Many times during my time here, while looking at a project with potential customers, Ive either fixed the problem on the spot or told the homeowner how to remedy the situation free of charge. Its that small town feeling of helping your neighbors out.

   

  On 3/3/22 I did my initial visit to Joannes home. I was told that her home was vandalized by kids, and she needed 3 pieces of siding replaced and a window fixed. We were also told that the parents of the kids responsible were paying for this project. ****** was not present for this visit; I personally dont like doing home visits without the homeowner present. But it was clear that she just wanted to fix the issues and someone else was paying. If she had been present, I would have told her to take the window into Badger Glass and Id write up a bid to fix the siding. But she didnt have the common courtesy to show up for the meeting.

   

  I estimated 6 total hrs. to do the work stated above. The bid also included money for siding and to pay for our window glazing company. ****** never questioned the price of this initial bid. In the upcoming months, the bid was revised 3 times and eventually split in to 2 projects. Every revision takes time up from our office staff. Scheduling and rescheduling of projects takes time up time from our office staff. ****** felt like the vandals should pay for the siding, instead of using the siding she had at her home. So, I went over and did a color match of the siding, which took up more of my time.

   

  ****** signed both bids one on 5/21 and the other 5/10. Again, no dispute over price at all. We were 100% transparent with her as to what the price for both projects would be and what was going to be done to her home. When we split the job into 2 phases, we lowered the price, without being asked. And in all honesty when this job was split into 2 phases the cost should have gone up. Her initial quote was $1027.91, we lowered the total to $954.78. I felt like we could bring down the price some and still be fine. We completed the siding phase and she started to complain about the cost. Let me be clear, before we were finished with the whole project she started to complain about the cost. Before she got a final invoice, she was calling constantly and emailing the company. A rational person would have waited to receive the final invoice and maybe called the office to discuss.

   

  For a relatively small project, we receive the initial call, we then email out the bid, then receive a call to book the project and to schedule. We have received 18 emails from ****** since March. We have received over 25 phone calls from her. I finally wrote her an email on July 20 stating everything we had done for her and told her we were done discussing matter. We as a company did not take this matter lightly. But we could no longer answer calls or emails about this situation. We go out and bid every project we do, so the customers know exactly how much it will cost. Our bids give the homeowner details like; cost, description of work to be done , materials and any other services needed to complete the project. If I bid a project and I think it will take 8 hrs., but it takes **** hrs., we as a company must eat those 2.5 hrs. because we gave them a written bid for the cost of the project.  We try not to do Time/Material jobs because of conflicts with our people and customers.

   

   

  Other points about Joannes complaint

  • Yes, we did send her an incorrect invoice that had the siding cost included on it. Not because we were trying to get more $$$, it was because in our QuickBooks program we have 5 different estimates for the same project. Once we received her email, we got the correct one out to her.
  • She said she talked to me, and I was Rude and told her she signed a contract. I personally have never talked to ****** in person or on the phone. My only contact with her was the email that I included in this email
  • Routinely when our guys get back from a job and I go over it with them. If Im way over on hours that I bid, we will make an adjustment to the final invoice. And we would have probable done that in this case too. But when I looked at all the extra work my office had done to try and appease ******, I felt like we were justified in our price.
  • ****** didnt mention that we also rescreened her storm window free of charge. That was not on any estimate.
  • Yes, ****** did remove the storm window and have it ready for pick up, she was never asked to do that.
  • I believe she is correct we had a scheduling conflict when we were trying to finish the install of the window. We apologized and rescheduled at her earliest convenience.

   

  **** and I talked about lowering her final invoice. I feel like if I would have knocked a hundred dollars off the final ****, she would have wanted two hundred dollars off. If I took two hundred off, shed want three hundred off. I feel like ****** is taking it out on us that she must pay for what the kids did to her house. And I understand her frustration, but its not our fault at all. Through this whole process she could have looked at what was needed to fix her house, but she didnt. She could have fixed her own window ,but she didnt. She could watched a ******* video and maybe fixed her own siding, but she didnt.

   

   

  As a company we always hope our customers are happy with the services we provide. But we also know that we will never make everyone happy.

   

   

   

   

   

  Im looking forward to hearing back from you if you need anything else from me dont hesitate to ask.

   

  ****

   

  *****************

  Project Estimator  

  Handy Harry, LLC

  ************

  Make Yours A Happy Home!

  www.handyharryllc.com

   

   

   

   

   

   

  From: ***************************** <********************>
  Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2022 12:06 PM
  To: ***************** <*******************************>
  Subject: Re: FW: Final Payment

   

  Wow!! I dont feel you are transparent at all. I will be calling to speak to the owner. ******

   

  On Wed, Jul 20, 2022 at 9:29 AM ***************** <*******************************> wrote:

   

   

  From: *****************
  Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2022 8:40 AM
  To: Handy Harry <********************************>
  Subject: Final Payment

   

   

         ******,

   

    You called us to give you a bid on fixing siding and repairing a window due to damage from vandalism. We did just that, we followed your directions to the letter. Repair siding using the siding you were going to provide us, and get the glass fixed in the window.

  • Then I had to go to your home again to color match the siding because you no longer felt like the siding you processed should be used for this project, we did that.
  • Your original bid was sent to you on 3/21, then revised 4/12, then revised again 5/6 , then revised again 5/31.
  • Then your project was divided into 2 phases (siding phase and window phase) again we did that.
  • Repairing your screen was never included on any bid, we did that at no cost to you.
  • The cost of your original bid was $1,027.91. the total of last revised bid was $848.13 We lowered the price for you without being asked, even though weve revised your bid 4 xs, split a relatively small job into 2 Phases, and had to go back and complete a color match of your siding.

   

   

    On 5/21/22 you signed a home improvement contract for the siding phase

    On 5/10/22 you signed a home improvement contract for the window phase

   

  You knew exactly how much these phases were going to cost you. This was not a Time/Materials project, where you are billed at an hourly rate. Ive talked with the owner, and he is in total agreement with me about this situation. We will not be lower the amount owed us for completing this project.

  We have been transparent through this whole process, we never asked for more money than what was on the contracts, and my office staff has bent over backwards to make this project go smoothly. And we even lowered the total price once.

   

  We will not be going back and forth about this matter, going forward. Your projects are completed, youve received your invoice stating what the final payment is to be, once you are over 30 days a ****% interest will be added to your **** Per your contract

   

  Respectively ****

  
  

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