Daily Home Renovation Tips

Yesterday’s article linked to another post outlining the sequence of events which occurred while we waited for our new front door.

We were hoping and expecting that if we went and ordered the door on September 28th that we would still have it installed in time for Christmas.

Well, to make a long story short, the door finally arrived (so we are told….we did not personally see it arrive) at the big box retailer’s store on December 7th. So, it should be in a few days before it’s installed, right?

Well, we subsequently learned that once the door arrives at the retailer, they send a fax to the installer to advise of the door’s arrival and for the installer to proceed and schedule an installation date with the customer, us. You didn’t think that the big box building supply retailer had their own employees actually do the installation, did you? We did. Well they don’t. They contract the installation services out to a third party. Apparently, this is a very, very common business practice, that being the use of independent contractors to perform the services that customers purchase from the big box building supply retailer.

We also learned that the retailer’s personnel involved with installations such as exterior doors wait at (at least) three business days before they will take the time to contact the installation company to confirm that an installation date has been scheduled.

Business day 1 goes by. Nothing. Now the weekend so these day’s don’t count

Business day 2 (really day 4) goes by. Nothing.

Out of frustration I now call installation company myself. How did I know who to call? Well the retailer told me when I asked.

I reached the installation scheduling person, Paul, on the first attempt. Unfortunately by this time Paul proceeds to inform me that all of his installers are now either fully booked or on vacation between now and the end of the year!

So, the door which we initially went to the building supply retailer to order on Sept 12th, and then had to wait 2 weeks to get the measurements taken and then place the order on Sept 28th has taken so long to actually arrive at the retailer and with the additional wait time before Paul actually took action cannot be installed until after the New Year.

We now, very disappointingly, have a scheduled installation date of January 8 as the earliest possible installation, where the installer will be at our house between 8 and 10 in the morning. The installation is expected to take between 2 and 4 hours (which rarely happens we are told). That is good as I have to run to the airport and catch a flight out of town the afternoon of January 8th so I feel good that I can be at home during the entire installation and take pictures for our site’s visitors. Paul said not to worry.

I should have.

Oh, remember Crystal, the customer service representative of the retailer? She call me back I believe it was the next day to tell me about the installation date. I think she was surprised when I told her I was the one who got the date, not her company’s employees.

To continue with the next article in this series, simply select this link to Part 6 - The Installation?  .