Closets by Design Of Chicagoland

Ms. [redacted]
Once again, the company has a contract that you signed.  If the roles were reversed, you would demand that Closets by Design abide by every part of that contract.  It is disappointing that while you disparage the company in your original complaint that you do not acknowledge that the company has the full right to hold you to the contract you signed.  It is not unreasonable to expect that if the company makes an exception for you, while not making this exception for others, that this is considered good customer service. 
According to your correspondence with the company, we are forcing you to “bear false witness” in saying that making an exception for you, and you alone is not good customer service.  We disagree.  Therefore we will pursue other avenues to keep you to the contract you signed.

Complaint: 11936720
I am rejecting this response because:Clearly, your company doesn't communicate very well since I am currently corresponding with Corinne the past few days regarding having someone come out to my house. I have asked on several occasions what would be different this time since a manager was already sent out to the house months ago. What came out of that "nspection" was him agreeing that the deco drawers and moulding were different shades of white than the rest of my closet but he said there was nothing that could be done. So, I've asked Corinne what would be different this time coming into my home for a 2nd time. She is clearly struggling with an answer because her first response was that a manager had to come. However, I have an email that Scott was a manager who came to the house. What can you look at the 2nd time that didn't happen the first time? I've already taken time off of work for the first visit so I'd like to understand what would be different this time before I continue to waste my time. Do you want to come so you can say you came and still not offer anything like last time? That's just not acceptable. Please tell me how it will be different.I've also asked you as well as Corinne several times to comment on the fact that CBD proactively called me to solicit a good review on Yelp for $200... and yet no one seems to want to address it. Perhaps you are embarrassed that you have to pay for good reviews? Again, there has still not been a single apology for your lack of customer service or any offer of any compensation whatsoever regarding the fact that you put deco drawers and moulding in my closet that is a different shade of white than the rest of my closet. So, yes I have been communicating with her and no... there still is no resolution. In fact, my questions still have not been answered. So again, I am rejecting your response. 
Sincerely,
Debra [redacted]

Ms. [redacted], It is unfortunate you feel this way.  We have a phone log of all phone calls in and out of our facility and can show you we have made every effort to contact you to resolve this to the best of our ability. Please email my customer service manager at:  [redacted] She will be more than happy to set up a time for us to come out and inspect the deco, to see if there is something that can be done.  You can also call my VP of Sales and Operations, Mr. Ed [redacted], at:  [redacted], since it seems as if we are continuously unable to get in contact with you.  Our goal is to have happy customers.  We want you to be a happy customer.  We will try to exhaust all possible avenues to make sure the product in your house is one that you are happy with.  Please call or email the above info so that we may get someone out to inspect the deco.

Ms. [redacted]Once again, the company has a contract that you signed.  If the roles were reversed, you would demand that Closets by Design abide by every part of that contract.  It is disappointing that while you disparage the company in your original complaint that you do not acknowledge that the company has the full right to hold you to the contract you signed.  It is not unreasonable to expect that if the company makes an exception for you, while not making this exception for others, that this is considered good customer service.  According to your correspondence with the company, we are forcing you to “bear false witness” in saying that making an exception for you, and you alone is not good customer service.  We disagree.  Therefore we will pursue other avenues to keep you to the contract you signed.

Ms. [redacted] Our representative was at your house this past weekend, on March 18th.  My understanding was that all issues were handled according to the husband's specifications.  One hole was not repaired at the request of the client.  We do our best to try to minimize the number of imperfections to the wall when we install but sometimes they are unavoidable.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and will strive to improve our systems in the future. Brian [redacted]President

Ms. [redacted] Thank you for your business.   Since receiving this message, we have tried to contact you twice regarding your concerns and have not gotten a call back.  Prior to this, we did talk with you on the 21st of December, twice on the 28th of December and once more on...

December 30th, at which time it was our impression that the matter was settled, as you refused to allow us to put in a FREE accent top shelf.Regarding the small dings in the wall, it is difficult to install a Murphy Wall Bed without making those minor dings.  This is the reason why it is clearly stated in our contract that we are not responsible for those minor dings.  That being stated, we would be more than happy to reimburse you for the materials cost for those repairs.  We would like to do everything we can to make you happy.  Please allow us the opportunity to come out and make any repairs to the unit.  Please call my customer service manager, Corinne at:  [redacted] to come up with a date and time that works best for you.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2014/11/11) */
Closets by Design has been in business for over 32 years. In that entire time we have been using the same exact material and the same sales presentation. Our designers (and was no different in this case) walk into the client's home with...

wood-laminate samples, a mini closet and a brochure that is 80 pages long. The mini closet is a 1/8 scale replica of an end product of what any customer who buys a closet gets.
In the case of this client, we spent 3 hours on 2 occasions with them to confirm both design and material selection. We have signatures on both the design and the contract. Closets by Design apologizes for this client's misunderstanding but we have done everything in our power to make sure the client understands what they are buying. Both during and after installation we communicated with this client no less than 6 times in an effort to provide the best customer service.
Closets by Design installs over 5000 spaces per year in Chicagoland alone and we get this complaint once or twice per year. This validates our education and sales process to our clientele.
At first the client complained to us that the material was cheap and that she preferred the woodgrain color to the white because it was "real wood". The client even stated that it "smelled like real wood". This is not true because ALL of our material is laminated wood, regardless of color. When we offered to replace the unit with the color she said she liked, the complaint then changed from complaints about the color and to complaints about the design.
To both the trained and untrained eye, the designs and material construction are clearly different. We have provided this client with a superior product that can be seen both in pictures and in person.
Once again, since the client said they preferred the woodgrain color, we offered to replace the closet done in white with the woodgrain colorat no cost to the client, and with NO legal reason on our partonly to provide excellent customer service to this client. We installed the closets according to the contract and designs signed off by the client.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 10, 2014/11/12) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Closets by Designs claims that Ms. [redacted] was made aware of the building materials to be used in the closets. That is totally incorrect. Designer [redacted] did NOT bring any wood laminate samples or a mini closet to the meeting. Ms. [redacted] had a friend with her at the consultation who will testify to that. Closets by Design designer [redacted] was CLEARLY told at the first meeting that Ms. [redacted] did not want closets made of white laminated particle board with drilled holes like were in her existing closets. Since the designer is the expert, Ms. [redacted] relied on her designs and advice to sign a contract believing that she was not receiving closets that would look almost exactly like her existing closets. Ms. [redacted] was shown a brochure with pictures of beautiful closets that looked like built in furniture and that is what she thought she would be receiving.
Ms. [redacted] turned down the offer by Closets by Design to change the closet to wood grain materials because she did not want to have to remove everything again and go through the inconvenience of having the closets torn out and rebuilt again. Plus the wood grain would still not be real wood. Ms. [redacted] feels the closets are barely worth half the price, but since she has paid half already she is willing to settle for that. Ms. [redacted] has filed a dispute with [redacted] for the charge for the final installment payment for the closets and included pictures in the package showing how the old drawers looked exactly like the new drawers and the new closets looked almost exactly like the old ones. Just because Closets by Design has other clients who are satisfied with their work does not mitigate Ms. [redacted]'s complaint.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 16, 2014/12/16) */
Closets by Design has put its best foot forward in trying to resolve any misunderstandings with this client. Whenever we came up with a solution to solve her complaint, her complaint changed to something else. It seems as if the only thing that [redacted] placate this client is for her to get her money back. This is in direct conflict with the fact that she signed a contract, we performed the work and she is currently using the product.
Our designer performed her responsibility well by meeting with this client twice. The first time our designer met with Ms. [redacted] for nearly two hours, going over Ms. [redacted]'s needs and wants. The second time our designer met with Ms. [redacted] for about 45 minutes to go over details. During these meetings all questions were asked and regardless of what has been written (clearly not by Ms. [redacted]), color samples and a mini closet were shown.
Once again Ms. [redacted] was happy with the woodgrain closet that she did buy. However, when we offered to completely redo the other closet in a woodgrain (at no cost to her, in the spirit of excellent customer service), the complaint changed to the fact that it "would be inconvenient" for her. We feel that is a minor inconvenience for the fact that she would receive an entirely new closet.
Closets by Design has tried to resolve this situation amicably with this client. If money back is the only resolution she is looking for, we will be unable to accommodate her unreasonable request.
Closets by Design hopes that Ms. [redacted] continues to enjoy her new closet.

Ms. [redacted]Thank you for your purchase from Closets by Design.  Occasionally there is a disconnect between our designer and
the customer regarding “putting down money to hold the price”.  Our contract, according to Illinois law
clearly states that there is a three-day right to cancel...

any contract for any
reason.  After that point, the money no
longer is refundable due to costs incurred by the company (money paid to the
designer, fixed costs, etc).  We will
allow a client to use any monies given towards any future project regardless of
when that may be—even if it several years down the road and typically at the
same cost of when they bought it, even if prices have gone up.Your statement, as rude as it may have been stated, is
accurate and pertains to any company similar to Closets by Design—do not sign a
contract unless you are sure you want to buy.  To think there are no costs involved to the company is not realistic,
which is the reason for the 3 day right to cancel by law—to protect the
consumer and the corporation.Even though you signed a contract and that you are treating
the company unfairly and unprofessionally, we will refund you your 20% down as
a show of good faith and good customer service if you write back to show that we have made this exception
in your favor and how good our customer service really is.

I originally bought over $12k worth of product from Closets By Design. The product I bought was cabinets and garage flooring. Their saleswoman had a great sales pitch, they said everything had a lifetime warranty and that the product could be re-installed at a new location if we ever moved. Well the time came a few years later, and we moved, they came and re-installed the cabinets and flooring with no problem, but the garage flooring started buckling a few months later, so I called and they said they would be out to inspect it, they never called us back. I had to constantly call them for over a year until they finally came out, and the service guy said they would definitely come back and repair it, that never happened! So I repeatedly called them back, again they said they would fix it, but then they finally called back and said that because the flooring had been re-installed it voided the warranty, there wasn't anything on the receipt that I had signed to this effect, I was given a partial refund for the re-install of the flooring, but I paid over $5k for this product and it is garbage, so now I am left with a product that looks like crap. Closets BY Design of [redacted], Illinois has a great before the sale attitude, but the after sales attitude is terrible and because of this I will never buy from this Closets By Design again!

The installation as planned and signed off on by the client has been completed.  The client asked for backing to be added after the fact to hide blemishes on her wall.  We offered her a below-cost rate to do so in an email that went out on July 23 and again on July 25.  The client did...

not respond to the affirmative that she wanted the backing.  We called the client on August 2nd and now, after 5 months client has found additional things that she wanted taken care of.  We have gone back and forth several times to help the client and since putting in two phone calls on the 16th and 17th of August, have not heard from the client. We are willing to put the backing in at no cost and fix any errors.  We simply need to hear back from the client as to when we can make this happen.

Ms. [redacted], At this point Closets by Design has exhausted all avenues to help service you.  If you were to allow my Customer Service Manager to inspect the work and if the coloring was something that could not be improved upon, we would be able to talk about remedies for you.    By refusing to let us inspect the work with the proper personnel, you are not giving us a chance to rectify the situation.  If you change your mind and would like us to come out, please do not hesitate to contact Corinne, our Customer Service Manager at:  630-501-0190.Best Regards

Ms. [redacted]
Thank you for your purchase from Closets by Design. 
Occasionally there is a disconnect between our designer and
the customer regarding “putting down money to hold the price”.  Our contract, according to Illinois law
clearly states that there is a three-day...

right to cancel any contract for any
reason.  After that point, the money no
longer is refundable due to costs incurred by the company (money paid to the
designer, fixed costs, etc).  We will
allow a client to use any monies given towards any future project regardless of
when that may be—even if it several years down the road and typically at the
same cost of when they bought it, even if prices have gone up.Your statement, as rude as it may have been stated, is
accurate and pertains to any company similar to Closets by Design—do not sign a
contract unless you are sure you want to buy.  To think there are no costs involved to the company is not realistic,
which is the reason for the 3 day right to cancel by law—to protect the
consumer and the corporation.
Even though you signed a contract and that you are treating
the company unfairly and unprofessionally, we will refund you your 20% down as
a show of good faith and good customer service if you write back to show that we have made this exception
in your favor and how good our customer service really is.

Business Response /* (1000, 20, 2014/10/27) */
We have attempted to contact the client regarding this dispute. The last voicemail that was left for the client was on October 17th. We will be contacting them again today, October 27th, to set up a time to have a Senior Designer go to their...

home to see what we can do for them. Once this is accomplished we will update this response.

Mr. [redacted], Closets by Design appreciates your business and apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused you.  It is our intention to give every customer as much attention and the best product. As you are aware, we were in contact with you directly after the initial date of...

installation to communicate with you that we will be there to service your unit, even offering you the next day.  At no time did we refuse to complete your job as you stated. According to our records, we were there on the 3rd, unfortunately later than expected, to service your unit.  We did finish it according to your expectations.  Hopefully that, combined with the $100 gift card given to you, will help mitigate our lack of timeliness on the 3rd. We look forward to working with you in the future.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:(1) Closests by Design knew that we were rejecting their offer for adding a top shelf because (a) they never showed us what it would look like, (b) never answered questions (before the installation date) about how it would add to the dimensions and if it would work in the space, (c) when they did talk to us about the top shelf (again, well after they said they would) they listened to us explain our concerns about why we did not want that add-on feature in the first place and would prefer the piece of the furniture be replaced, and (d) were told the day it was supposed to be installed (which was the soonest they contacted me) that we would rather receive reimbursement if they were unable to fix the shelf. (2) I spoke to Corinne at Closests by Design on 3/3. I returned her initial call 2 or 3 times within a couple days of receiving her call and left messages, but she did not respond until I emailed her to schedule a time to talk the following week. When we spoke,  I was told that she would call me back on 3/5 about replacing the piece of the bed that was damaged during installation and to see what she could do about damage to our walls. She has yet to call back or leave a message, though I have directly emailed her about this because in the past voice messages have gone unanswered.(3) The damage to our walls is not minor, and combined with the damage to the furniture itself, and the installation of different pieces of the bed seems to be evidence of careless installation. Closets by Design was told in December and again in March that we expected a partial  
Sincerely,
Tabitha [redacted]

They designed a bookcase. In the end, they can't make the bookcase look the way I want it to look. I want my money back. They have refused. They can deliver what I want yet still want to keep my monies.

I want to express that I have never worked with a company that is so unprofessional. On May 18th, I took the day off of work to meet with my installers. Two gentlemen arrived promptly. Immediately, they were missing pieces from the closet so one was left working and the other went back to the company to pick up what was needed. After about 8 hours worth of work- they realized that the measurements were wrong. The installer wanted to "improvise" how the closet should look instead of getting the correct measurements and sticking to the drawing! I quickly realized that the workers were looking to just get the job done versus doing a good job! Once this day was over- they decided that they needed to come back again to complete the job. I took the next day off of work. Only one of the workers returned. He had no problem speaking badly of the work that was done the day before and the co-worker he was with. He even mentioned that this company is not giving him the opportunity as they should because of the experience he has. After another day's worth of work- he realized that there were still pieces missing and needed to return. Looking at the closet, you can see many chips on the boards and many imperfections. When brought to his attention he said that I there is a rib they put against it and that it is "hardly noticeable"! As if- I should be okay with all the chips. I spoke with Corrine and explained my unhappiness with the work and workers and she made another appointment for June 3rd. She promised to send her best installer. On June 3rd- a Senior installer came to my home. As we walked around the closet he noticed all that I noticed and was extremely disappointed of the work quality that was done. He marked more then half of the panels to be replaced and we had to make another appointment. On June 17th, to my surprise I was sent the very first installer that left all the chipped panels and wanted me to sacrifice my closet to make his job easier.

This company was contracted to install a bench and shelving units in our laundry mud room area. Full payment has been made to the company and it refuses to complete the job after it was started in Saturday, May 19th.. The initial installer cut the top portion of the bench top short by over 1 inch. That installer promised that he would recut it and be back on Monday, May 22nd. The installer also installed the wrong color caps (tan) to fill in screw holes for a white board which holds the hooks. Also, the installer drilled two holes in error in the wall and just filled them with putty but failed to reprint them. The baseboard cut where the unit meets the wall also has a gap and needs to be caulked. There was a no show by the installer to fix the issues on 5/22. After at least 10 calls with multiple employees I was able to schedule an appointment for Saturday, June 3rd from noon to 2pm window. The company never showed up. I called them and was told that they have no way of knowing how far behind they are and that someone wouldn't be out until 3:30pm. I explained that we have waited all afternoon for them and that it was unacceptable. The new installer (Amos) called me and said that he would have to go to the shop and cut the new piece! This should have been done long ago after the initial notice on 5/20. He also said that he would call me and make sure he had all the information for all that was needed. He said the original installer had been fired. Amos called back and I explained everything again to this company. He said he was on the way to the shop and would call me before he leaves to come over at 3:30pm. It is after 5pm today and I have received another no show. I feel that my money should be refunded so that I can hire a competent company to finish the work.