I've hesitated to express my disappointment with Kirk's services, but upon discovering that others have faced similar, if not worse, challenges, I feel compelled to share my experience. After a year of collaboration, I reluctantly decided to part ways with Kirk. My engagement with him primarily focused on his design expertise, which fortunately did not extend beyond that scope.
In December 2020, I initially reached out to Kirk for guidance in designing my pool and backyard. Despite promises of a one to two-month turnaround, the design did not materialize until May 2021. Despite this delay, I accepted his design and instructed him to proceed. I believed he was obtaining bids covering various finishes, options, and costs for the entire project so I could make informed decisions. Unfortunately, this was far from reality.
It wasn't until the end of September 2021 that I finally met with Kirk's builder for the long-awaited proposals. This was nine months after my initial contact with him and five months after accepting his design. To my dismay, I discovered Kirk had only recently provided the builder with my information and instructed him to propose only for building the pool, neglecting other essential elements such as hardscape, landscape, lighting, BBQ, and fire pit bids.
When confronted about the lack of a comprehensive proposal, he tried to shift blame onto me for not understanding his "Bianchi Process." Yet he admitted that nobody reads his process documents because they're too complicated. Additionally, it became clear he wasn't following his own process by jumping from Phase I (design) to Phase IV (pool excavation). Consequently, I waited five months just for a pool proposal. During this wait, when I thought he had abandoned the project, I obtained a bid from Shasta to build my pool in just over a day--a process that took Kirk five months.
Kirk faced serious medical issues towards the end of our relationship. However, these issues cannot justify his poor communication skills and inaction, especially considering they arose several months after I engaged his services. Despite being aware of his health challenges, as well as apparent shifts in his life priorities, and enduring months of frustration, I still hoped to collaborate with him, believing I required his expertise and contacts. This proved to be a mistaken belief. Ultimately, I proceeded without him, a decision that brought immediate and immense relief.
The final straw occurred when Kirk proposed a month-long wait for him to assist in selecting travertine, a task I completed swiftly on my own the following day. This underscored the necessity of tying Kirk's compensation to tangible performance metrics. When this was suggested, he quickly opted to part ways. This was the only instance I recall Kirk taking swift action.
Kirk's design, though impressive at first, became a financial burden, surpassing the agreed-upon budget by over double. This issue underscores a significant flaw in his process, possibly leading clients to underestimate costs. Looking back, Kirk's assurance of "a thousand ways value engineering can keep costs down" rings hollow, as no amount of cost-cutting could salvage the budget without major design compromises.
By sharing this review, I aim to shed light on the potential challenges of working with Kirk. While he certainly possesses skills and expertise, the ordeal he put me through is something nobody should have to endure. read more