Day 102 - Friday
Backsplash was still not up although kitchen was ready more than a month ago. The relative must have sat on it as usual, everything is stuck at his end. I finally got a call from a Binson guy (just found out that he’s the project coordinator from the relative’s company) on Friday, asking if they could come and install backsplash later that evening. The husband got him to contact me directly since he was travelling. I told him that I’ll be available from 6pm onwards, and he requested for a later timing – between 9-10pm. Although it was a tad late, I agreed, since I really did not want to drag this any longer. Binson asked for my permission to give the backsplash guy (Ah liang) my phone number, and I obviously agreed, so that he could contact me if anything crops up.
So there I was, waiting alone at our home on a Friday night till almost 11pm and there was still no sign of my backsplash guy, no calls from Binson nor Ah Liang. I tried to call Binson up, but his phone was off. The husband landed at 10pm and asked me to go home when I told him what happened. We have not moved in and it was getting really late.
Ah liang finally called me at around 11pm, telling me that he’s at Balestier. It was way too late by the time he arrives, and I asked him to arrange for Saturday installation. He wasn’t able to give me a timing and told me that he will call me again to ‘let me know tomorrow’. It’s as if my life and schedule revolved around these people. I told him that I’ll be available from 3pm onwards, and he could come anytime after that, but give me a call first.
Day 103 - Saturday
Ah liang gave me a call at 10am, telling me that he can come now, arriving at about 11am. I already had something on and again told him after 3pm. We waited all till 630pm till he finally called and told us that he can’t make it today. He didn’t have any evening slots the week ahead too, and promised to come at 10-11am on Monday. I made him double-confirm that and had to get my parents to come over to wait for him since both of us were obviously working.
Day 105 - Monday
I was at a meeting, till my dad told me that ah liang was still not here when it’s already past 11am. I asked my dad to call ah liang directly since I wasn’t able to, and the husband did not reply to my message. Ah liang told my dad after lunch at around 2pm. The husband later got the message and called Binson. Binson told my husband that I wanted to liaise with ah liang directly and he was not in the loop. Basically, he does not know what happened and the flippant attitude was like it’s none of his business.
I was so angry!
This Binson simply arranged this and did not follow up, not knowing that the backsplash was not done. Now, he’s putting words into my mouth saying that I wanted to liaise directly (I said no such thing), shrinking all responsibility. He told the husband that ah liang will come at 1pm.
So, ah liang says 2pm, Binson says 1pm. I called this Binson up, wanting to confirm the timing and confront him on the point that I wanted to liaise with ah liang directly. And when I told him that his guy did not come on Friday night, asking him if he told my husband that I wanted to liaise directly with ah liang, he hung up on me. I was so pissed and tried to call him again. After several attempts, he finally answered and told me that if I wanted to talk to him, talk to him properly. I continued, telling him that I did not say I wanted to liaise with ah liang directly, he hung up again! And refused to pick up my call anymore.
I was so **** angry.
This Binson was so rude and simply shrunk all responsibility by saying I wanted to liaise with ah liang directly. What sort of customer-facing person would have such attitude and have the nerve to hang up on disgruntled customers when his guy did not turn up as scheduled on 3 different days. Then, refused to even confirm timing nor apologize and simply shrink all responsibility, like it’s not his problem. No apology, no explanation, simply hang up and tell you that he will only talk to you if you ‘talk to him properly’. I was seriously fuming mad. He’s a project coordinator, and did not even do his job and have the nerve to have such attitude.
It’s already bad enough to stand us up 2 days in a row, and another to not turn up when I had to ask my parents to help and waste their time like that. I called Ah liang up again, and luckily he had the basic manners to apologize and explain himself. Even the sub-contractor had better manners than the project coordinator from a huge ID firm. Having said that, our backsplash is not white as we requested, and the silicon was not done properly, there’re visible gaps/holes, probably a job done hurriedly.
Something is very wrong with this relative’s company. Apart from poor workmanship, extensive delays, everyone is complaining about the bad service and staff refusing to pick up calls nor account for anything after the contract is signed. The communication between customers’ specifications and sub-contractors or carpenters is non-existent resulting in wrong works everywhere. It’s honestly appalling and the most frustrating thing is their attitude – not apologetic and still arrogant and rude which makes everything unbearably frustrating. Bad reviews from disgruntled customers are spurting in the cyberspace and forums, and our experience was exactly similar despite being relatives.
I suppose that given the relative’s attitude and poor management, his employees are embolden to act the same way towards customers too. After going through this nightmare for the past 3 months, I really do not wish that anyone has to go through this. I see no merit in engaging their services, and no one part of our experience was even bearable nor acceptable. We had no choice but to appease the MIL, but everyone else have and can make the choice.
Nobody deserves such bad service and quality. Nobody!
Day 106 - Tuesday
MIL sent us an email, saying that we 'resort to tactics' as we got the sinks to be installed not knowing that our solid top was not granite..she also claimed that our tiler should have done the granite as granite is cut by the same cutter..this is despite the fact that she made us choose them because 'she wants the best for us'..yet when it's apparent that workmanship was so poor with such bad attitudes and delays, we were blamed for being fussy and unreasonable among many other things. I can't comprehend why, and this was my response:
(1) Right from the start, we wanted granite. We have included it in the contract, just so that things are clear and there will not be disputes as such later on. We have also communicated this through email, sms, face-to-face discussions and reconfirmed this with the carpenter, knowing that they were extremely prone to errors. We have done everything within our means to remind and reconfirm our requirements.
(2) I'm not sure where you get the information that tilers cut granite. Have you seen the cutter that tilers use? Have you seen how thick granite is? People choose granite because it's hard and scratch resistant. It is not possible to cut it using the tilers cutters. Which brings us back to the point that we only wanted one contractor to complete all works to avoid such issues. Anyone would agree that granite is part of carpentry and should be done by the carpenter side.
(3) As from point (1), everything was communicated right from the start. It's not reasonable to accuse us of ' resort to using tactics since we have made it very clear right from the start. If it was not possible, they should not have signed the contract and informed us during our discussions or communications. We did 'look out for one another' by relaying our requirements again and again throughout, by sending reminder emails and sms even though it should be something very straightforward.
(4) The only reason why we went ahead to fix taps and basins was because we did not know that it was solid top and not granite. We only suspected that ours was not granite when we visited our neighbor's house and realized that their black galaxy granite was so shiny with beautiful grains. It was then that we started getting neighbors and other contractors over to confirm that it was not granite before confronting Yuri and Uncle Simon.
(5) I do not know Binson personally, and neither would any of the other customers he liaises with. Anyone can appear to be jovial in front of their boss to protect his rice bowl. However, how does he handle his customers behind your backs is something which you do not get to experience first hand. Whatever it is, it is extremely rude to hang up on your customer and tell them rudely that 'If you want to talk to me, talk to me properly' and hang up yet again. I agree that things like this can happen, but customers are bound to be disgruntled when they wait for 3 different days and still nobody shows up. Backsplash was ready to be up a month ago. I had to get my parents to go down and wait to accommodate their time since I do not wish to drag
things any further. The least he could do was to apologize to a disgruntled customer instead of hanging up twice with such attitude and refusing to answer further calls nor confirm timing. Even the installer Ah Liang had the basic manners to apologize. It seems like such customer service is condoned and accepted. There is bound to be pressure especially when all their jobs are delayed and there are so many disgruntled customers. Does he do the same to other disgruntled customers when there are delays and issues? Is such a person suitable to be a project coordinator when things were not coordinated and he hangs up on customers instead of apologizing?
I agree and understand that everyone makes mistakes. However, the most important thing is to admit the mistake, accept the consequences, apologize and learn from them. We are not unreasonable people, yet it's really frustrating that we receive such treatment and getting the blame for the mistakes they have made. They initially admitted to the mistake and agreed to change it for us, but now you're saying that my contractor was supposed to do it?
I was asked if I thought that his company was shit and useless when we went down that day. My answer is simple - ask your customers and measure your own performance. How many customers are happy? How many jobs are completed on time? How many customers requirements were met? How many customers call to complain? If anyone refuse to see and admit the truth, nobody can make them.
It's pointless (and very disappointing) for us to continue insisting and trying prove what we wanted and end up having the tables turned and getting blamed for 'using tactics'. I will take it as a lesson learnt and move on, and I hope that we will not have to go to such situations again.
Day 113
After several email correspondence between us and MIL/relative, they are still pushing the blame on the solid top (instead of granite). And it seems like MIL thinks I'm at fault for 'scolding' the Binson guy who coordinated our backsplash but did not show up on 3 different occasions. It seems like this Binson guy has resigned.
Today, the backsplash guy Ah Liang called me and said that someone from relative company got him to arrange a time with me on this Saturday because my backsplash color was wrong and he will dismantle it to change. I arranged it at 3pm this Saturday.
Then, it seems like MIL will be coming down and she's saying that backsplash cannot be white unless crystal glass is used which costs more. According to her, backsplash guy will be coming to talk and she will iron things out with him - not change it as I've been told.
I've checked around and it seems possible if they use transparent glass and spray it white. They have all sorts of excuse for every mistake they make. If white was not possible, why didn't they tell us beforehand?! If it's not possible, we should have been informed and decide if we wanted to top up to have a white backsplash correct?
Day 114
Called the backsplash guy just to confirm my understanding of what's going to happen on Saturday. It was the guy doing measurement who answered instead of installer. Installer simply said wrong color, coming to dismantle while this measurement guy said that they delivered according to that the relative ordered and it is greenish glass sprayed white. He will bring samples over and said that the pure white one which we requested for is more expensive. Honestly, I do not care since that was what we requested for and should be delivered as nothing was raised to us before.
The shocking thing is, the backsplash guy said that he will not be doing anything till the relative's company pays him. He's a new supplier, and it's only his 3rd month working with them. He only got paid the first month and partially the second month. Afterwhich the relative went MIA. He had no choice but to visit his showroom and realize that many other customers and suppliers are also waiting for the relative who refused to picked up calls.
The whole world is looking for the relative and no supplier is willing to take up his jobs now. He will only come to let them know that he has delivered accordingly. I told him it's pointless showing me samples, since I will simply choose the white one like what I requested originally. It's pointless to come if he's not going to change it.
He also said that many other customers' homes were worse than mine, he kept getting scolded. Some asked him why is he here, they have called the police. Some showed him the bad workmanship saying that bangalas did everything and they weren't satisfied with any single piece of carpentry. Some of them started way before me, which is already more than 3 months. Basically, all jobs under them are screwed and he has went into hiding and simply not contactable. The binson guy is biting all the bullets while his boss refuses to answer calls. Perhaps that's why he was so rude and hung up on me, and the MIL/relative is so protective of him..
I can't be sure if everything he said was true, but there are indeed many complaints online and everyone is suffering from the same extended delays, poor workmanship, wrong specifications.
I still can't believe that MIL is still on his side and blaming us without admitting to any fault when things have come to this stage. It's obviously his problem when everyone is suffering the same problems while he point fingers at everyone else but himself. The amazing thing is, it seems like he has changed a company name and moving his showroom. Suing him is probably useless since there's only an empty shell left, but Singapore is so small, where can you hide?
Karma will find its way.
If you have relatives like that, who needs enemies?
Backsplash was still not up although kitchen was ready more than a month ago. The relative must have sat on it as usual, everything is stuck at his end. I finally got a call from a Binson guy (just found out that he’s the project coordinator from the relative’s company) on Friday, asking if they could come and install backsplash later that evening. The husband got him to contact me directly since he was travelling. I told him that I’ll be available from 6pm onwards, and he requested for a later timing – between 9-10pm. Although it was a tad late, I agreed, since I really did not want to drag this any longer. Binson asked for my permission to give the backsplash guy (Ah liang) my phone number, and I obviously agreed, so that he could contact me if anything crops up.
So there I was, waiting alone at our home on a Friday night till almost 11pm and there was still no sign of my backsplash guy, no calls from Binson nor Ah Liang. I tried to call Binson up, but his phone was off. The husband landed at 10pm and asked me to go home when I told him what happened. We have not moved in and it was getting really late.
Ah liang finally called me at around 11pm, telling me that he’s at Balestier. It was way too late by the time he arrives, and I asked him to arrange for Saturday installation. He wasn’t able to give me a timing and told me that he will call me again to ‘let me know tomorrow’. It’s as if my life and schedule revolved around these people. I told him that I’ll be available from 3pm onwards, and he could come anytime after that, but give me a call first.
Day 103 - Saturday
Ah liang gave me a call at 10am, telling me that he can come now, arriving at about 11am. I already had something on and again told him after 3pm. We waited all till 630pm till he finally called and told us that he can’t make it today. He didn’t have any evening slots the week ahead too, and promised to come at 10-11am on Monday. I made him double-confirm that and had to get my parents to come over to wait for him since both of us were obviously working.
Day 105 - Monday
I was at a meeting, till my dad told me that ah liang was still not here when it’s already past 11am. I asked my dad to call ah liang directly since I wasn’t able to, and the husband did not reply to my message. Ah liang told my dad after lunch at around 2pm. The husband later got the message and called Binson. Binson told my husband that I wanted to liaise with ah liang directly and he was not in the loop. Basically, he does not know what happened and the flippant attitude was like it’s none of his business.
I was so angry!
This Binson simply arranged this and did not follow up, not knowing that the backsplash was not done. Now, he’s putting words into my mouth saying that I wanted to liaise directly (I said no such thing), shrinking all responsibility. He told the husband that ah liang will come at 1pm.So, ah liang says 2pm, Binson says 1pm. I called this Binson up, wanting to confirm the timing and confront him on the point that I wanted to liaise with ah liang directly. And when I told him that his guy did not come on Friday night, asking him if he told my husband that I wanted to liaise directly with ah liang, he hung up on me. I was so pissed and tried to call him again. After several attempts, he finally answered and told me that if I wanted to talk to him, talk to him properly. I continued, telling him that I did not say I wanted to liaise with ah liang directly, he hung up again! And refused to pick up my call anymore.
I was so **** angry.
This Binson was so rude and simply shrunk all responsibility by saying I wanted to liaise with ah liang directly. What sort of customer-facing person would have such attitude and have the nerve to hang up on disgruntled customers when his guy did not turn up as scheduled on 3 different days. Then, refused to even confirm timing nor apologize and simply shrink all responsibility, like it’s not his problem. No apology, no explanation, simply hang up and tell you that he will only talk to you if you ‘talk to him properly’. I was seriously fuming mad. He’s a project coordinator, and did not even do his job and have the nerve to have such attitude.
It’s already bad enough to stand us up 2 days in a row, and another to not turn up when I had to ask my parents to help and waste their time like that. I called Ah liang up again, and luckily he had the basic manners to apologize and explain himself. Even the sub-contractor had better manners than the project coordinator from a huge ID firm. Having said that, our backsplash is not white as we requested, and the silicon was not done properly, there’re visible gaps/holes, probably a job done hurriedly.
Something is very wrong with this relative’s company. Apart from poor workmanship, extensive delays, everyone is complaining about the bad service and staff refusing to pick up calls nor account for anything after the contract is signed. The communication between customers’ specifications and sub-contractors or carpenters is non-existent resulting in wrong works everywhere. It’s honestly appalling and the most frustrating thing is their attitude – not apologetic and still arrogant and rude which makes everything unbearably frustrating. Bad reviews from disgruntled customers are spurting in the cyberspace and forums, and our experience was exactly similar despite being relatives.
I suppose that given the relative’s attitude and poor management, his employees are embolden to act the same way towards customers too. After going through this nightmare for the past 3 months, I really do not wish that anyone has to go through this. I see no merit in engaging their services, and no one part of our experience was even bearable nor acceptable. We had no choice but to appease the MIL, but everyone else have and can make the choice.
Nobody deserves such bad service and quality. Nobody!
Day 106 - Tuesday
MIL sent us an email, saying that we 'resort to tactics' as we got the sinks to be installed not knowing that our solid top was not granite..she also claimed that our tiler should have done the granite as granite is cut by the same cutter..this is despite the fact that she made us choose them because 'she wants the best for us'..yet when it's apparent that workmanship was so poor with such bad attitudes and delays, we were blamed for being fussy and unreasonable among many other things. I can't comprehend why, and this was my response:
(1) Right from the start, we wanted granite. We have included it in the contract, just so that things are clear and there will not be disputes as such later on. We have also communicated this through email, sms, face-to-face discussions and reconfirmed this with the carpenter, knowing that they were extremely prone to errors. We have done everything within our means to remind and reconfirm our requirements.
(2) I'm not sure where you get the information that tilers cut granite. Have you seen the cutter that tilers use? Have you seen how thick granite is? People choose granite because it's hard and scratch resistant. It is not possible to cut it using the tilers cutters. Which brings us back to the point that we only wanted one contractor to complete all works to avoid such issues. Anyone would agree that granite is part of carpentry and should be done by the carpenter side.
(3) As from point (1), everything was communicated right from the start. It's not reasonable to accuse us of ' resort to using tactics since we have made it very clear right from the start. If it was not possible, they should not have signed the contract and informed us during our discussions or communications. We did 'look out for one another' by relaying our requirements again and again throughout, by sending reminder emails and sms even though it should be something very straightforward.
(4) The only reason why we went ahead to fix taps and basins was because we did not know that it was solid top and not granite. We only suspected that ours was not granite when we visited our neighbor's house and realized that their black galaxy granite was so shiny with beautiful grains. It was then that we started getting neighbors and other contractors over to confirm that it was not granite before confronting Yuri and Uncle Simon.
(5) I do not know Binson personally, and neither would any of the other customers he liaises with. Anyone can appear to be jovial in front of their boss to protect his rice bowl. However, how does he handle his customers behind your backs is something which you do not get to experience first hand. Whatever it is, it is extremely rude to hang up on your customer and tell them rudely that 'If you want to talk to me, talk to me properly' and hang up yet again. I agree that things like this can happen, but customers are bound to be disgruntled when they wait for 3 different days and still nobody shows up. Backsplash was ready to be up a month ago. I had to get my parents to go down and wait to accommodate their time since I do not wish to drag
things any further. The least he could do was to apologize to a disgruntled customer instead of hanging up twice with such attitude and refusing to answer further calls nor confirm timing. Even the installer Ah Liang had the basic manners to apologize. It seems like such customer service is condoned and accepted. There is bound to be pressure especially when all their jobs are delayed and there are so many disgruntled customers. Does he do the same to other disgruntled customers when there are delays and issues? Is such a person suitable to be a project coordinator when things were not coordinated and he hangs up on customers instead of apologizing?
I agree and understand that everyone makes mistakes. However, the most important thing is to admit the mistake, accept the consequences, apologize and learn from them. We are not unreasonable people, yet it's really frustrating that we receive such treatment and getting the blame for the mistakes they have made. They initially admitted to the mistake and agreed to change it for us, but now you're saying that my contractor was supposed to do it?
I was asked if I thought that his company was shit and useless when we went down that day. My answer is simple - ask your customers and measure your own performance. How many customers are happy? How many jobs are completed on time? How many customers requirements were met? How many customers call to complain? If anyone refuse to see and admit the truth, nobody can make them.
It's pointless (and very disappointing) for us to continue insisting and trying prove what we wanted and end up having the tables turned and getting blamed for 'using tactics'. I will take it as a lesson learnt and move on, and I hope that we will not have to go to such situations again.
Day 113
After several email correspondence between us and MIL/relative, they are still pushing the blame on the solid top (instead of granite). And it seems like MIL thinks I'm at fault for 'scolding' the Binson guy who coordinated our backsplash but did not show up on 3 different occasions.
It seems like this Binson guy has resigned.Today, the backsplash guy Ah Liang called me and said that someone from relative company got him to arrange a time with me on this Saturday because my backsplash color was wrong and he will dismantle it to change. I arranged it at 3pm this Saturday.
Then, it seems like MIL will be coming down and she's saying that backsplash cannot be white unless crystal glass is used which costs more. According to her, backsplash guy will be coming to talk and she will iron things out with him - not change it as I've been told.
I've checked around and it seems possible if they use transparent glass and spray it white. They have all sorts of excuse for every mistake they make. If white was not possible, why didn't they tell us beforehand?! If it's not possible, we should have been informed and decide if we wanted to top up to have a white backsplash correct?
Day 114
Called the backsplash guy just to confirm my understanding of what's going to happen on Saturday. It was the guy doing measurement who answered instead of installer. Installer simply said wrong color, coming to dismantle while this measurement guy said that they delivered according to that the relative ordered and it is greenish glass sprayed white. He will bring samples over and said that the pure white one which we requested for is more expensive. Honestly, I do not care since that was what we requested for and should be delivered as nothing was raised to us before.
The shocking thing is, the backsplash guy said that he will not be doing anything till the relative's company pays him. He's a new supplier, and it's only his 3rd month working with them. He only got paid the first month and partially the second month. Afterwhich the relative went MIA. He had no choice but to visit his showroom and realize that many other customers and suppliers are also waiting for the relative who refused to picked up calls.
The whole world is looking for the relative and no supplier is willing to take up his jobs now. He will only come to let them know that he has delivered accordingly. I told him it's pointless showing me samples, since I will simply choose the white one like what I requested originally. It's pointless to come if he's not going to change it.He also said that many other customers' homes were worse than mine, he kept getting scolded. Some asked him why is he here, they have called the police. Some showed him the bad workmanship saying that bangalas did everything and they weren't satisfied with any single piece of carpentry. Some of them started way before me, which is already more than 3 months. Basically, all jobs under them are screwed and he has went into hiding and simply not contactable. The binson guy is biting all the bullets while his boss refuses to answer calls. Perhaps that's why he was so rude and hung up on me, and the MIL/relative is so protective of him..
I can't be sure if everything he said was true, but there are indeed many complaints online and everyone is suffering from the same extended delays, poor workmanship, wrong specifications.
I still can't believe that MIL is still on his side and blaming us without admitting to any fault when things have come to this stage. It's obviously his problem when everyone is suffering the same problems while he point fingers at everyone else but himself.
The amazing thing is, it seems like he has changed a company name and moving his showroom. Suing him is probably useless since there's only an empty shell left, but Singapore is so small, where can you hide?Karma will find its way.
If you have relatives like that, who needs enemies?
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