Had Joe mount an outdoor TV and install Sonos rock speakers outside. He promised:
1) The outdoor TV would be mounted to outdoor fireplace
2) It would be hard wired to the router for faster streaming
3) He would work with the landscape architect to bury all cables leading out to speakers and TV
4) He would purchase all equipment, albeit at a premium price to what I could shop it for @BestBuy, in addition to charging separately for his labor.
I was not enamored by #4 knowing that I could buy an outdoor TV for $500 less and his reply was: "That's how I make my money"! Yea, assumed you made your money that's why you have your own business, but again I was paying additional labor to have it all installed.
He is allegedly a home network specialist too. Yet when he couldn't get the TV hardwire to work, he quickly pointed fingers at AT&T. Well, it must be your router, because I tested my cables and they work. So he quickly brushed that problem onto me, the customer. How about a follow-up text after the job is complete? Nope!
Last item, was the lack of coordination with the landscape architect. The speaker & his power wires were supposed to be buried alongside the electrical for the outdoor kitchen. This timing/coordination didn't happen and I the customer was told "well now we are going to have to conduit to the house and that's going to cost more labor". He even delivered the 30' of gray conduit and told me the customer to paint it brown to match the house. Nice touch, your mistake, make customer do it. How about, "sorry my mistake, I will paint those". He blamed it on the landscapers: "well looks like the buried those trenches faster then I thought". Uhh dude, I thought you were working with them so that wouldn't happen. He did not accept responsibility.
As for the final project and delivery, his work was good enough. Eventually the landscape architect pressured him to paint the remaining conduit on the house. I think his kid did the painting of the silver conduit. The painting was ok, although he should have masked the house trim so not to get excess brown paint on the white trim. The TV and Speakers work well so the final product was a success. Warm & fuzzy he is not so as long as you are not expecting that for his higher-end price point, then you will be satisfied. read more