Now I know why you call it... Yelp!…read more
Ouch, as I'm reading other reviews, I'm seeing that, despite some positive, if vague, ones in 2018-2019, there some really terrible ones.
My original experience with Artistic Illumination had some lows but ended on an extreme high note. On the low-side, it initially took weeks just to hear back from them to schedule a walk-through appointment for outdoor lighting repair scheduled. But in light of the pandemic, this is very easily forgiven. When a walk-through was eventually scheduled, Carlos arrived on time and he was great! In the walkthrough, he listened, gave occasional recommendations about how-to and costs. He gave me lots of confidence, so I went ahead and ordered the repairs, which Carlos, again, carried out with courtesy and speed. As a result, I put this firm into my tickler for additional lighting work...
Unfortunately, my recent encounter with Teri, the firm's business coordinator, has begun poorly...
I am looking for another set of LED uplights to be installed, so I entered another request for quote with them. I did get a courtesy 'thank you for requesting a quote' message, a nice touch, but the actual quote did take several days. Again, not a deal-killer.
When the quote arrived today, however, it looked high while also lacking much detail; this time it was quoted with materials and labor baked into a simple 'per unit' cost. I courteously (you'll have to trust me there) responded as such, while adding specifics about various brands or models, that might mitigate the price. Teri's response skipped over my questions about choices of brand or model, and was mostly a complaint about CA taxes.
I responded, again courteously, asking how they arrived at the unit price ($265 / unit, obviously materials 'n labor). Teri's response was 'materials and labor'. So, I reiterated my question about choices of brands or models. Teri's new response was sarcastic, that "We do not install substandard material". Darn, I was hoping to get some substandard material. But she also inquired 'what kind of detail to I want'. At this point, her responses looked a lot like a person with other concerns on her mind, perhaps responding from her phone while distracted, or just distraught (about taxes, increased costs of doing business, or more likely frustrated with inquiries about pricing.
I assumed that she did not read my entire messages, so because she was asking, I responded again to re-state my question about cost-breakdown (material vs. labor). Teri declined any specifics, and instead said she'll have Mark "spell it out for me' when returns... ...we don't negotiate' Noting the 'your-a-cheap-moron' insult in her last comment, I am here writing this review. So, whether or not Mark or somebody besides Teri follow up with me, I saw little value in wasting time and words today with Teri.
Anyway, unless and until I hear from Mark, Carlos, or another decision-maker who is ready to demonstrate more courtesy and respect, I will not hire Artistic Illumination again.
The above email trail might simply be the result of frayed nerves and is therefore easily salvage-able. Of course, that includes me revisiting this review after getting this service request back on track and completed. Regardless, I think that Artistic Illumination will do well to improve their front-office experience in today's connected world.