Tim at Custom Image Pros is one of those vendors who expects his clients to respond immediately when he contacts them, but will be late on every communication and deadline that he promises. He has absolutely no credibility. Nor any respect for the job site. Nor any respect for a client asking him not to charge his credit card, then does anyway.
Details: I contacted Tim to put together three signs for our new school in Phoenix.
5/28/20: Met at the job site. He did a site walk, measured everything. Went well. He went above and beyond, climbing on the roof to measure the tower (this is important later).
He told me that he could have the signs completed by mid-July. Since it took us 12 days to approve the quote (below) end of July is now our target.
5/29/20: Quote for signs sent back. In every communication, he makes sure to build himself up. "Please do not share my work with other companies as I took several hours on all this to show my dedication to my clients."
During the next week, multiple texts, mostly voice-to-text that didn't make sense. He also wants to know what the other sign contractor's quotes are. After speaking with the Board at the next meeting:
6/11/20: Told Tim that we could handle the permitting and installation, as we were doing construction on the building over the school year. He took those off the bid.
6/12/20: Revised bid approved. No response.
6/16/20: Follow up email sent. No response.
6/29/20: Finally a response after 17 days, asks me to print the proofs in color, and scan back to him. Texts me - needs it right away. I get my color printer to work on 7/2/20 and send to him.
No word for weeks.
7/28/20: I send Tim an email asking what exact color bronze they are using for the sign since we needed to color-match the cross on the top that was going to be installed with a lift, and I told him I needed to know by the next day. No response.
7/30/20: Follow up: I needed the info the day before, and where are the signs? It's now the end of the month. He responded it was his anniversary, and couldn't respond, but he would get me the color "today" and the signs would be ready "August 7th. Or sooner." Did not follow up with the paint color.
7/31/20: I guessed the color, bought paint for the cross. Later, he sends me a text with bronze paint chips from Sherwin Williams, asking me to pick. I send him a picture of the spray paint can so they can make the signs. (haven't started)
8/7/20: Tim's third deadline - no word.
8/10/20: I send email asking for status. No word.
8/11/20: I send an email: "You're not responding again. Get me an answer." He responds same day, Tuesday, saying one of his team members was very ill, and put everything behind. "...almost have one sign complete all put together and need to paint once done shooting for Friday. Worse case I can get monument and shield by Friday to install and need to give you little wall next week."
I tell him we've missed the window for us to install. School starts, no signs on building. He agrees to install in order to salvage the project.
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I'm running out of space, but we are now at 9/8/20. To sum up the last few weeks:
He has tried to get us to pay three times, and run our card without approval, saying "I thought it would be done by then."
He has tried to install one of the three signs three times. He did not measure correctly. It is still not hung.
Has destroyed landscaping and sod in the process.
His crew has been arguing, yelling, and running over our curbs with their trucks in anger.
As of the third failed attempt at hanging our tower sign today - the main one we wanted, we have severed our relationship with him.
I've never had a more frustrating experience with any contractor of any kind in my 20+ years in a work environment. Comical, if it weren't maddening. read more