The work was incredibly slow with very little explanation of timeline…read more
Originally, we were told it would be a three day job and we explained we were on a timeline. The crew worked varied hours (as little as one hour one day) with little communication about what was done. The whole project took over a week to complete.
The owner came to the house and measured everything to get a quote. We were told the crew would start the job on December 3rd (originally 11/25th). They arrived unprepared, without materials, and to measure again. They were aware that the job was moving forward so they could have measured before 12/3, but made no effort to prepare for the work. The owner said they had to proof the chimney (however, we were told that the actual work would have begun on 12/3 since the measurements were already taken and documented on the original quote). More than weather appeared to have impacted the job's completion. A lack of planning around the weather appeared to have impacted the job.
A metal flashing was installed as a barrier in my young daughter's room. It was not cut to size, had sharp edges that could have cut her, and was done with exceptionally poor craftsmanship expected of an apprentice, at best. We requested it removed and done properly. The flashing was removed and, in the process of removing it, damaged the chimney. They did not repair the damage they caused leaving holes in the chimney where they screwed in multiple masonry screws. More about this later.
At one point we did speak to the craftsman about the flashing and the speech was incoherent, circular, and jumbled making it difficult to understand what was said. At one point in the job, our router and blink cameras (inside and outside the house) were unplugged and disabled while they were working in our house without us present. I had to call the office to have them call the crew to plug them back in as we use them to see that our kid gets off the bus and safely home.
After that conversation due to concerns about the crew, the timeframe, and work , multiple attempts were made to contact the owner. Office staff fielded the calls and told us to write down our concerns and share them with the owner. Finally, on the last day of the job, the owner arrived unannounced at our house while my wife was home. He did not call nor return any phone calls. When we did speak to him, he was rude, condescending, and told us he didn't return our phone calls because he was away. He is the principal operator and owner and, according to his office staff, inaccessible as the primary and only decision maker. Never once during our phone calls were we informed the owner was inaccessible because he was away and not taking phone calls related to HIS BUSINESS.
When he did arrive in the final day he dismissed our concerns, interrupted us multiple times (at one point telling us to hurry up because he knew what I was going to say - even before I said it) and refused to fix the damage done when taking off the flashing because "it was not in the contract". When I criticized his dismissiveness of our concerns and lack of accessibility as owner of the company, he engaged in ad hominem attacks against me by calling me a bully (using a definition of bullying he created) while referencing his grandson's school project on bullying.
The only thing that was done in a timely fashion was cashing the check I wrote them for services. Even the invoice documenting payment took two days.
I would encourage people looking for quality customer service, good communication, reliable work, valid timelines, and an invested owner that is accessible to cast a wide net before settling on Swift.
All that being said, they do a good job sweeping/cleaning chimneys so there's that.
