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They suck
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

VIRGINIA -- WORST flooring experience of my life!!!! They didn't show up with the correct material, or the correct amount of material and refused to clean up after themselves. They didn't know I speak Spanish, I played dumb, but they were talking crap about me and my house. When I called and complained, I said I didn't want the same crew back to complete the job. Guess what, they sent back the same crew. I'm confident they knew I called and complained so then I got to enjoy the hugely uncomfortable feeling of having them in my home again, knowing I ratted them out. Oh, and it took four separate calls to the 800 number before I could get a supervisor on the phone. DO NOT USE EMPIRE TODAY!!!!

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Incompetent, Inconsiderate, Dishonest, Poor Workmanship
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

ORLANDO, FLORIDA -- Sales guy promised a start date (because we're already behind on our move due to a pest problem which we explained to him in detail along with the serious need to start right away). Promises a start date of 3/22 (our lease in our old house is up 4/1, again which he knew.) Part of the sales pitch that got us was that "they have such great prices because they have a warehouse full of their product waiting to be sold... blah, blah, blah... so they can start right away, and so on). Perfect for us, because we needed it ASAP.

Anyway, Thursday morning I receive a call that the ceramic tile (the one that is sitting in a warehouse in tons... just waiting to be sold and used...) is out of stock. So, now I tell them to cancel my $9000 purchase unless they can start something/anything ASAP (we bought carpet x3 rooms and tile). After multiple calls, and explaining the whole situation to everyone I got transferred to because they clearly don't communicate with each other, read their notes, or give a darn to make an effort to get thing right.

Finally I speak to another liar that promises that by Monday, they would have crews at our home (that has a garage packed with all our belongs because we can't move in until the flooring in complete) to start on BOTH. Monday rolls around and the carpeting crew calls ahead that they'll be at our home in 30 mins. Perfect and very considerate to call ahead. They install, letting me know how long it'll take. All is well with that so far, and that's the small glimpse of good that we saw from Empire Today, the three carpeting guys.

Also on Monday, I get an e-mail "confirming" that the tile installation will happen on Tuesday... um, okay. It's not like we're now five days behind from the original date the promised. Tuesday (not morning) afternoon they arrive at 2:30pm, no call ahead that they're on their way, just a call telling that they're at the property. They get there to unload their supplies... and that's it.

When I asked if they'll be ripping out the baseboard to lay the tile (at this point, I'm starting to read about the tile installation process and someone said that to install tile, baseboards will be ripped out. When I simply ask about this, one of the installation "crew" (two guys) guys tells me that to properly install tile, baseboards need to removed to lay the tile flush to the wall. My next question is "and those baseboard replacements are part of the installation, right?" To which he said no, not part of the contract. Mind you, the sales guy quoted me "with EVERYTHING INCLUDED it's $8919."

So, I now have to speak to the Empire customer (non) service, and I get Jeremy? In the customer retention department that gets the tile installation "manager?" to call me in about 15 minutes (and he keeps me on the phone while I wait for the call, because he doesn't want to lose my call in the queue. Although, I'm not sure why he couldn't just give me a call back or give me his direct line. Bill, the manager, tells me that no, baseboards don't need to be removed, but the quarter-round does, and of course I'm responsible for that, because it's not part of their installation process.

Again, how am I getting two different scenarios on tile installation from the same department??? Should've been yet another red flag! Call drops while talking to "Bill" and he calls me back. I ask him to please communicate with his crew to NOT rip out baseboards, to which he agrees to communicate to them. The "crew leaves at 4:30pm. And Bill apologizes that they ran behind on another job and couldn't get there sooner. Was there not another crew that they could contract to be there sooner???

Since this company has dropped the ball so many times with my contract? Moving along to the next day, the two tile guys (thank goodness I'm fluent in Spanish, because they have very limited English, so this wasn't an issue in our case.) get there at 9:30am, leave around 5:30pm stating that only one of them will be there for half the day as the other has a doctor appointment to get to... so now I got half a "crew."

Friday rolls around and they said they'd like to stay and work late to get work done... 4:30pm rolls around and they call to tell us that they're done for the day. I have yet to complain, because at this point you have your floors as a hostage. I don't want to complain so we can get this work done correctly and in the time frame. Later in the day, as I walked around, I noticed the foyer hallway had a row of tile (we had long tile installed, the wood-look tile installed) was made up if three pieces of a tile, instead of making it out of one long tile.

I later found out that my dad pointed it out to one of them, and they said that it was a closet so it didn't matter. So, of course I brought it up to them the next day when they arrived, Saturday. They arrived at 11:30am, we just waited around for them... because Empire figures we don't have anything else to do, like unpack, move furniture in, etc.

When I brought it up to the "lead" installer, the other guy was introduced as his assistant from the beginning, he again gave me that incompetent response by replying "Is that closet going to have a door?" (I guess he thought I was going to accept that response meaning that I just need to close the door and not look at it???) I told him that it wasn't going to stay like that and he politely said he'd fix it. He fixed it by making that last row out of two pieces now instead of three!! Wow!

Also, instead of continuing the pattern in the closets, they just put aligned rows in the closet, instead of continuing the pattern. When they left, 8pm-ish when I'm trying to get my kids ready for bed, they had me sign the form "that the job was complete."

Later, I actually looked at the form, they had re-filled the questionnaire that was meant for me, as the customer, to fill out. The one question they filled out for me, that irked me the most: Would you recommend Empire Today to friends/family? They marked "yes." Wow!!! I never got a warranty or care brochure. They did however, tell me I need to clean it in the morning with vinegar and water. So guess what I got to spend doing on Easter morning? Mopping, mopping and more mopping, doing research online on how to remove grout residue from my brand new tile and visiting Home Depot to buy products to remove this "soot" from my $9000 floors!!!

When I called them later in the afternoon, just utterly disappointed, they said they'd put a ticket in. When I inquired as to when I'd receive a response, they said it could take 2-3 days What??? I'm on a time crunch before this residue becomes permanent!!! Rep said she'd flag it as a priority call... so that's where we're at. I'm concerned that they know where I live, so my accurate review of them better be anonymous with Empire! And there's a LOT of miscellaneous, yet frustrating events that I left out for sake of time!

Company Response 04/04/2018:

Jenny, >, our goal is for our customers to have a great experience from start to finish - and we're sorry that didn't happen. Please send us your contact information to customersupport@empiretoday.com so we can help.

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Installers Walk Off Job, Calls Go Unanswered, Promises Broken!
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

SPRING, TEXAS -- We signed a digital contract for Empire Today to install new carpet on 4-13-18. We received a system generated email regarding our scheduled install date of 4-25-18. It stated the install would take place between 8am-6pm. My husband and I did everything noted in the email by removing all small breakable items and really most heavy furniture. It was in our contract the install team would move the heaviest items. On the "date of install", 4-25-18, I began to call the company letting them know that I have not received a call from the installer and that it was getting progressively late in the day.

I had to call numerous times to get any information, even then, they refused to tell me what was going on and when to expect the installers to arrive. At 1:10pm 3 guys showed up at my home. The lead installer "Chino" told me that he was just to unload our carpet and he would be back at 4pm. I reminded him that I was told our install would be a FULL day and that it being so late, that would be impossible. I had emptied my 3 children's rooms and disassembled their beds. I had moved everything in preparation for them to finish carpet install. After arguing with "Chino" that I had no place to put my kids to bed this night, he agreed to stay and complete their 3 rooms.

As I normally would, I walked through as they performed the work. I noticed they had installed the basic carpet padding throughout the room when I had paid for the "upgraded" waterproof padding. I also saw they were leaving the 13 year old padding in the closets. "Chino" tried to tell me the waterproof membrane is "visible" on some padding and "invisible" on other! I insisted he pull it up and replace with what we had paid for. I also told him that leaving the old pad is NOT acceptable!

At that point he told me that he was not given enough waterproof padding from the Empire warehouse to even finish the 3 bedrooms. He cut and laid some carpet in 2 rooms. Tack strips and padding were still exposed in my 5 year old's bedroom entrance. He did not mend the seams or complete the closets or doorways. He promised my husband and myself that he would personally call me before 8am and be at my house working by 8am to finish the job the next day! We had to agree as we had our whole house turned upside down.

Next day, 4-26-18, 8am came and went without any word from "Chino". I began calling Empire and spoke with numerous different customer service reps. Finally I just wanted this entire nightmare to end. I was given a number to "Anthony" who would have the ability to cancel the contract/ job altogether. After speaking to him at length, he said that he couldn't cancel the contract/ install since work had begun. That would come from "George" the install manager.

During our conversation I had to take my daughter to school. He asked if there was any way I would let them complete the work if the guys came and finished up that day (4-26-18). He placed me on hold to call the "install manager". Within 10 minutes "Chino" was calling me saying he was at my house. I told him I was 10 minutes away and to please wait. He said he would. I switched the call back to Anthony and told him that "Chino" was at my house and he would wait for me there! Anthony said he relayed that to the "install manager".

When I arrived back home, "Chino" was gone. I reviewed my security footage and after he hung up with me, he walked to his car, got on the phone again, loaded his tools back in the car and drove off. I pulled in my driveway minutes after he left. I called Anthony back immediately and told him what happened. I was really hoping this company would make things right after all of the things they had put my family through. They did not. I was told that "Monica" would call me...I got a call from a "Diana".

She seemed like she would be helpful at first. I told her since we were on day 2 and our carpet was still laying in my garage, we just wanted to cancel. She said, “But what if I get them back to you by 1pm and they finish today.” I just was not hopeful as we have been lied to so much by these people. At 1pm, nobody came to my house, I called Diana. She said, “I thought you wanted to cancel...if they get there in 30 minutes can they finish?” I said, “Yes but I need them to finish today.” She said, “They would!”

I rushed to my daughter's school, picked her up and rushed home. The installers showed up at 1:50pm. They didn't speak to me at all. I had to ask what happened to him not calling or showing at 8am? He said since he has a newborn baby at home, he has to take his oldest daughter to school, then go back and take care of his 2.5 year old and 1 month old baby. He said he can't get out of the house much before 9am anyway. At this point, I have zero faith in these installers, so I am periodically walking through checking on the progress.

I noticed they were talking about a problem so I went into the 3rd bedroom and noticed he shortcut my son's room by 1 inch. He wanted to do a 1 inch seam on the tack strip. My husband and I said, “Absolutely not, you must recut this room and do it right.” He said "I am not recutting this piece and getting back charged". “I will leave before I do that.” He got his tools and told his guys to load up the truck and began yelling at me in my driveway in front of my neighbors. I got Diana on the phone and let her listen to his yelling. I told her this was Empire's last chance and this installer just blew it.

My husband got the sales representative on the phone, he was no help. He lied to cover himself, just like everyone else within this company. At this point, we wanted Empire to pick up their materials and part ways amicably. We cannot get anyone from this company to return phone calls or address this issue. Everyone blames another, then when pressed, they are blaming us, the customer.

My husband talked with Meygan today, 4-27-18 and was told the contract will be cancelled and a full refund will be issued. She told him that she would send an email stating that...we have not received anything from her. Not surprising! Oh and before you post to send this in an email to customersupport@empire-today.com, I already did including our contract number.

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The Worst Customer Servicer Experience
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

TUCKER, GEORGIA -- If you want great customer service and you want to work with an honest company, I would not recommend using Empire for any type of purchase or install. We scheduled to have the carpet in our entire house replaced almost 2 weeks ago. I called Empire the Friday before the install date to confirm everything, and I was told our install had been rescheduled. No one contacted us to tell us anything. On top of that, the customer service representative was very rude. When I told him we scheduled our install almost two weeks ago, and we expected them to honor what we were told, he said, "well what do you want me to do about that". I ended up speaking to one of the managers there, Edgar, and he called the installers and told me that we were on their schedule to have our carpet installed on Saturday, like we were told. The Rep that sold us the carpet even sent me a screen shot of our order and install date. We cleared out every closet in our home, and moved everything off all tables and sat around waiting all morning for the installers to show, but they never did. I called Empire to find out what was going on, and they told me we were dropped from the schedule and there was nothing they could do about it. Everyone I spoke to had a very nonchalant attitude and treated me as if my business meant nothing to this company. I spoke to another manager, Joel, and told him what was going on, and he basically said, well all we can do for you is reschedule you, that's it. I told him I wanted my deposit back because I didn't like that fact that we scheduled this install almost two weeks ago, and Empire changed the install date twice without letting us know, and then treated me like they didn't care about the time me and my family spent preparing our home for the carpet to be installed. I had to go back and forth with Joel about getting my money back because they were not trying to issue us a refund, and I finally had to tell him that I would write a review letting everyone know how they tried to rip us off and not give us our deposit back after Empire was the one that screwed up our order. I also asked for a phone number or address to the corporate office to let someone else know about the problems we have had with this company, and Joel told me they don't have a corporate number or address and that there was no one else I could speak to. I have never been so stressed and treated so rudely from a company we were dealing with to have work done on our home. We recently had windows and doors replaced and had an amazing experience with the other companies we worked with. If you want to deal with an honest company that will respect your business and not talk down to you, find another company.

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Hardwood Flooring
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

CALERA, ALABAMA -- I thought I was making an upgrade for my house which has became a nightmare. The installers were completely rude and didn't care if anything was broken. They were too lazy to pull up the vinyl in the kitchen so they just laid the hardwood floor on top of it. Then on top of that they couldn't cut a true 45 degree angle with corner round to save their lives. Worst decision ever. At this point pull up the hard wood and take it back. I'll be happy with my vinyl floors. Please research others before you choose Empire.

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Avoid At Any And All Cost!!!
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

CINCINNATI, OHIO -- Where to begin... As a referral from a friend who used Empire and said she had no problems. So we give them a call to get an estimate for a simple 12' hallway and 12 stairs. First, you cannot get an estimate without giving them your information either over the phone or online, even if you just would like a ballpark price or a minimum cost. So, you get the scheduled visit from a very smooth-talking salesman driving a Jaguar. (Really, he was in a Jag!) And he says "No problem, we can get this, that and the other done this week". The price seemed very fair. (Cue the Jaws theme)

So 2 days later, the solo installer who has apparently no name (English is NOT his 1st language) is in your driveway leaking oil and is ready to tear out the old and install the new. But he brings the wrong carpet out to the house (which is ONLY discovered when the install manager shows up and brings you your carpet.)

So, now we get to the padding portion of the program after a vigorous amount of scrubbing up the old nails and tacks and staples that held the old stuff down for so many years. Padding gets installed, but on the stairs, he staples the front edges to the stairs instead of rolling the padding under the front edges. (The preferred method is to staple under the lip of the stairs and at the back edge surface of the stairs to keep you from feeling them when you walk, or to be even stabbed should a staple break lose and through the carpet.)

Now, it is carpet time. But here is where it gets tricky. Remember the Jag driving salesman (who, by the way, cannot be bothered calling you back from a question you called him about 2 days ago) well, apparently, according to our solo installer, made an error in his measurements using his digital laser measuring tape and we are at least 4 stairs short of the job. Now, the hallway has been put down already and we are just now figuring this out? Hmmmmm, I think either the measurements could have been off, but I am thinking our solo installer might have made improper cuttings, especially due to the amount of carpet that is still out in the driveway.

So, now WE get to call Empire customer service (because our installer says it will get done faster). But we also put in yet another call to our salesman to get something straightened out. (It has been now almost a week since he was here and have YET to receive ANY return call from him).

So we are talking to the Empire customer service who says they will expedite the call since we have tack strips exposed on the flight of stairs and not enough carpet to do it. We also get a call from the area install manager (the guy who brought out the carpet we actually ordered) and gives us grief because we need the stairs covered to protect us and our pets from landing up in the hospital from infections from the massive amount of tack strips on the stairs! Like, how dare us to demand them to fix an issue that THEY made the mistake on!!

So, finally, they decide to cover the tack strips by cutting up sections of the remaining carpet until they can return to finish the job, which will be on a Saturday. (Did I mention this was Thursday morning?) We decide to start this at 8am, both with the install manager on the phone AND the installer who is on-site and would be returning to finish his job. And we made it very well known that we had appointments to make at 10 am and after so we needed the job to start promptly at 8 am.

Now, fast forward to Saturday... And it is now 9:15 am... And nobody has called, or emailed or anything to say they are on the way. Another call to Empire customer service. And the lady who answers the phone seems concerned that this is going on. She puts us on hold to call the area install manager, who of course does not answer his phone. So she calls our original installer. She returns to the line to inform us that the carpet is not here, and that they do not know when it will get here. Really? Was anyone going to call us and let us know this tidbit of information? Apparently not.

We now head to our appointments, and on the way, we stop at our local carpet store and it is NOT Empire. We get a very sympathetic salesman who has had many occasions to fix Empire's mistakes through his 40 plus year career in the industry. Carpet number 2 coming in.

We get home to find not 1, not 2, not even 3 messages on our voicemail, but 6! This time from another supervisor who seems to be genuinely upset with how this is turning out. We call him back and explain to him what we were told, what we were doing and how dissatisfied we are with this experience. And lo and behold, a van pulls up mid-conversation with not 1, but 2 installers (not the original guy either) who have our carpet for the stairs. So, now we are between 2 carpets and a tack strip. The installers apologize repeatedly for the mix up in both conversation and work orders. They promise to take a half hour to finish the stairs and would be on their way.

So after a few minutes of discussion, we decided to allow Empire to finish the job (even though the carpet we just bought again is 2x the weight, had a fistful of warranty and will be done in 3 days) only because we have ALREADY paid for Empire to come out, and trying to get that money back would be lengthy if at all, and probably cost twice the amount of the 2nd carpet.

The install was completed as described, the installers who finished the job were excellent (and should be the beacon for the rest of their installers to follow). As for the arrogant install manager who has no people skills, the salesman who cannot be bothered once the sale is done, and the overall experience with Empire Flooring... We will not shop there again... EVER! Even if the carpet here has a warranty, we will just remove it all and start over.

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Normally, I'd wait to review but...
StarStarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 2/51

CINCINNATI, OHIO -- Where to start as we are not even finished yet... We decided to have some original carpet from our house replaced finally and decided to try Empire Carpet as a friend had just used them. The internet or phone option to get an estimate with no ability to answer questions upfront was flag #1. You need to have the estimator come out and give you numbers and answer what questions they can. But DO NOT count on them to RETURN calls when you have questions. Anyway, the estimator was nice and seemed genuine enough to make you feel comfortable. Did some calculations and measuring and gave us a fair enough price. Later that day we had several questions, and we called him back. Still waiting for the call back (that was 3 days ago).

Our installer shows up today, solo, and English was not his strong suit. He got right to work and was removing old carpet and padding layers, then removed the multitude of Staples. He then disappeared for a short while on his phone. Turns out he was given the wrong carpet for the job. Shortly, another guy shows up with the correct carpet and back to work he goes.

After a few minutes, he disappears again, but longer. Turns out the carpet is too short to finish the stairs!! He tells us we need to call customer service and see what they can do. So we call, and get told the area install manager will call us back today. So, we wait... He calls shortly and turns out he is the same guy that dropped off our carpet to the installer. We are told that we need to wait until Saturday morning before they can finish the job. After some haggling back and forth, we finally get something worked out. They will carpet the hallway only, and return to do the stairs because the carpet is kept in Detroit, and cannot get here before Saturday.

So, now we have a hallway done (and it is done very well) but we have tack strips from the 1st floor to the 2nd floor. Our request, due to our pets and ourselves, do not need a trip to the hospital for puncture wounds on the feet and need to have the strips covered up. So, the installer and the area manager talk and take what carpet is left from the hallway, and cut strips to tack up over the tack strips until they return Saturday to finish the job.

Now, will the carpet match? Different bolts and different dyes and runs and so forth. Did we even get an apology from the area manager? Nope... instead, we are treated as if WE are demanding too much of them to furnish us with what we have paid for. I also called the estimator back again and tell him we need a call back as we are having some serious issues with the install. (Still waiting for that call too.)

Now, we are not asking for anything we do not feel is reasonable or excessive. We paid to have our hallway and stairs done. We even paid for the upgraded padding (that is another story) and cannot even get a simple apology, let alone a "Hey, we feel badly how this is turning out, we would like to offer you...." Our experience thus far has been a very lackluster one at best. We will NOT use Empire Flooring Co again no matter what. Our suggestion, that you do not use them either. Again, it is not yet finished, but I had to get this out there.

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Empire Today Pet Friendly Pup Pet Urine Protection Carpet
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

MCDONOUGH, GEORGIA -- DO NOT PURCHASE PET PROOF CARPET FROM EMPIRE TODAY!!
Let me share my experience.
On 6/26 this very nice sales lady named Angela Pittman from Empire Today came to my house. She said that the Empire Today Pet Friendly Pup Pet Urine Protection Carpet I was purchasing I would be able to clean up myself and it would not leave stains or odors behind. I said are you sure? Yes, don't worry about our Empire Today Pet Friendly Pup Pet Urine Protection Carpet. I also explained that I would need a transition piece to match the rest of the flooring in the house.
On July 7th the installers from Empire Today came to my house. First words out of their mouths, “I am not sure if we have enough of the Empire Today Pet Friendly Pup Pet Urine Protection Carpet for this job” This should have been my first sign. They finished, I explained to them that they had the wrong transition piece installed. Their comment was, “You have to call the office”. I called the Empire Today office and got the run around for about a week. I figured it would just be easier to go to my local Home Depot or Lowes and get the piece myself.
I have an elderly dog as well as a young puppy and as you all know poo happens. I follow the sales ladies from Empire Today instruction and try to clean the Empire Today Pet Friendly Pup Pet Urine Protection Carpet myself. Needless to say my stairs still smell like I'm walking through urine. This is beyond disgusting.
I call the Empire Today main office. The Empire Todays main office gave me the song and dance about how they will take care of the issue with the Empire Today Pet Friendly Pup Pet Urine Protection Carpet and pass it on to the right person. I should get a call the next day. No call came. Imagine that. I called Empire Today back, they said we promise someone will call you tomorrow. Someone from Empire Today finally calls, gave me the same song and dance. It's like Empire Todays customer service is reading from a script. Yesterday I called Empire Today again, supposedly talked to a manager. He says no one is in at the local Empire Today office to take the call but someone will be calling me. At this point I schedule a sales appointment with Empire Today. It's was amazing someone from Empire Today was able to come out that same day. My thought was great Empire Today can sell me carpet, but not fix their Empire Today Pet Friendly Pup Pet Urine Protection Carpet.
Amanda from Empire Today, the nice sales lady shows up. I explain the issue I am having with Empire Today Pet Friendly Pup Pet Urine Protection Carpet to her. She did acknowledge that there was a problem. She calls her manager. With a look of utter sympathy she says you have to have this professionally cleaned before we can do anything. I said so every time my dogs have an accident on Empire Today Pet Friendly Pup Pet Urine Protection Carpet I have to call a professional? She said yes. She apologized that the Angela did not explain that to me when she sold me the Empire Today Pet Friendly Pup Pet Urine Protection Carpet, but there was nothing further she could do.
Around 6 that same evening I get a call from Michelle at Empire Today. She apologizes for all the different stories I have received from Empire Today regarding Empire Today Pet Friendly Pup Pet Urine Protection Carpet that most certainly there is something that Empire Today can do to help me. She said that all she needed to do was look up the warranty for the Empire Today Pet Friendly Pup Pet Urine Protection Carpet. Amazingly enough, she was having computer problems. She promised to send her information to me via email and I would get a return call from her the next day. I did not get an email or a return call. No surprise there. I gave it one last shot. I called and spoke to Michael got the same script again.
I would never purchase flooring of any kind that only a professional must clean. I guess Empire Today expects me to shell out $125.00 every time my dogs have an accident on their Empire Today Pet Friendly Pup Pet Urine Protection Carpet not only that, but to have to wait days and just live with the smell of dog pee for that long. Why does Empire Today bother selling Empire Today Pet Friendly Pup Pet Urine Protection Carpet when Empire Today will not stand behind their products? I don't feel like I should have to do the labor to fix Empire Todays mess. All I want is for them to take the Empire Today Pet Friendly Pup Pet Urine Protection Carpet out of my house and give a full refund.
If they sell Empire Today Pet Friendly Pup Pet Urine Protection Carpet, Empire Today should stand behind the Empire Today products.

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Evil Empire
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON -- Run - do not walk - away from the Evil Empire! Simple one day carpet install. Day one: first crew apparently unable to do the job so they just left. Salesman later told me they simply didn't want to do it. I had no idea what was going on because I don't speak Spanish and they spoke no English. None of their contractors do. They simply drove away. I hope my review will warn others about the hidden expenses and costs of contracting with Empire.

  • Lost Wages. For every day of scheduled work, be sure to include at least one other day of lost wages. Install crews walk off jobs for any number of reasons.

  • Hotel Costs. Flooring jobs require the house to be stripped down to nothing, beds dismantled, computers, TV, etc stored. Meaning when your first crew walks off the job you will have nowhere to sleep or anything else. In my case my 84 year old mother, who has cancer, was visiting with us. Instead of spending her remaining time with family I was forced to put her up in a hotel. Thanks Empire!

Other things to consider:

  • The Empire commercials on TV show clean, professional looking install crews in company uniforms. Not even close to reality! Empire contracts their work to whoever shows up in their parking lot each morning. Just like at the Home Depot. Keep your expectations very, very low.

  • Empire claims to background check their contractors, but I am highly doubtful. I spent most of day one on the phone trying to find someone - anyone - who might be able to rectify the situation. At one point I got through to the "Installation Coordinator" (name withheld) for the Seattle area. I mentioned the name of the installer and he clearly had no idea that "Hector" was even on the job. In fact, I was chastised for being racist for even calling him Hector. "His name is NOT Hector." Yeah - it is. The guy you sent out who walked off the job said his name was Hector. Empire may (or may not) know the job leaders, but I doubt they know, or even want to know, who the job leader picks up on the way to your house.

  • You WILL be expected to provide bathroom facilities to the crews they send out. This is highly unprofessional! If this doesn't bother you then no problem. On the other hand, if the idea of having strangers, who Empire doesn't even know are on the job, spending quality time alone in the most private room in your house causes you concern then you will have an issue. You can of course refuse to let them use your bathroom but the crew will likely walk off the job and the Install Coordinator will say it was justified because "you did not provide a reasonable work environment." I should add here that I was a Customer Service Manager for a water purification company for 15 years. If one of our technicians used a customer's bathroom they would be fired immediately. Install crews have plenty of opportunities to use facilities elsewhere. Again, HIGHLY unprofessional! After the second day crew of three guys had spent the day destroying my toilet I had to spend literally an hour cleaning. They used an entire roll of toilet paper and a half a box of kleenex. It was disgusting, repulsive, unprofessional, maddening... Based on this logic are customers also supposed to allow them to rummage through your fridge if they get hungry? Or maybe let them take a nap on your couch if they get sleepy?

    • Be sure to explain to your employer that the one day you requested off will likely be two days without advance warning. It's probably going to be ok. Most employers are really open minded when it comes to employees requiring an extra day off without warning. Mine wasn't. I was in serious trouble. But, I'm sure my circumstances were the exception. Your boss will be more understanding I'm sure.

    • Keep in mind that when everything blows up the morning of your install - and it will - you will need to spend the rest of the day trying to get someone at Empire to even respond. You have to remember that your case is not special. And you WILL be treated accordingly. You are one of many, many customers who were ripped off that particular day and you will have to wait your turn. And in the process you will be treated rudely, and personally insulted by folks like the Seattle area Install Coordinator. *NOTE - in fairness I must add at this point that the Seattle area Customer Service Manager - once I was able to reach her - did make an effort to help fix what was a terrible, terrible situation.

I could go on with a hundred other points, but I think you get the picture. Save yourself the nightmare. Run - do not walk - away from the Evil Empire. Seriously - just move on. You may or may not get ripped off somewhere else. But, with Empire you KNOW you will. And the stress and hassle will take at least a year off your life!

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Worst. Deceptive. Bait And Switch Company - Avoid
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA -- I called Empire Flooring for Laminate flooring. The salesman visited my home. I had already pulled up some of the carpet and padding, so he can access what was underneath. The underneath was stick on tiles stuck onto real hardware flooring. The salesman was ok, I guess. Immediately took a 100.00 deposit and I was informed that the installation would take place the next day. Well... 2 Spanish speaking guys show up, in an unmarked box van, Empire Flooring SUBCONTRACTS OUT THEIR WORK!

First, one of the installers, already had an agenda to raise the price. He was claiming OUTRAGEOUS claims. First he said the home may have had a problem with the floor. So I immediately started snapping photos. All the while, he was on the phone with some man with the company. Then the two installers, began to put a big gash in the middle of my floor. I have an 80 year relative and a dog in my home, with my new born granddaughter on her way home at my house. I decided to cancel because they said it would cost me an additional 1342.00 to lay the tongue and groove flooring.

Meanwhile the salesman had quoted me a price of 1800.00. The installers acted all concerned that there may be asbestos in my home. My home was totally rehabbed in 2012. Well, I guess to them that ploy didn't work. Now they decide to put a hole in the middle of my floor and leave! So now I was in Catch 22! It was a Saturday, and what was I to do??? So they leave and I immediately get a call from Empire, a man named Josh. He told me the installers were parked outside. Oh how convenient. So much for any concerns they had, I thought. He double talked me as he knew I was in a panic.

If these subcontractors were so concerned with any health issue, and trust me there are none in my home! They didn't bother to place a tarp or tarps on any of my furniture. In addition, I think OSHA would be very interested in investigating how subcontracted Empire Floor installers can install and use a nail gun, crow bars, hammers and nails, utilize a massive laminate floor machine cutter, all the while, with no safety shoes, protective eyewear, gloves, protective head gear, face masks, etc.!

When they walked in they claimed everything was wrong with my existing floor. Now here's the best part, I was charged 3 times for some bogus plywood, and I mean the thinnest plywood anyone could buy and double charged for the vinyl flooring in my vestibule. My house was filthy dirty and I had to have someone come and clean everything and I mean everything in my house and outside my house. I had nails, wood chips, dirt, you name it and it was there on my steps and sidewalk.

This whole procedure is a disgrace and I WOULD AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COSTS! They subcontract their work out. My neighbors actually asked me if I had hired Mexicans to do my floor. I said "No, I hired Empire Flooring". The reaction I received from my neighbors was a chuckle, apparently they knew more than I did. Empire Flooring commercials are a bunch of malarky. Do not believe those commercials. They are deceptive and have an agenda to scam and defraud the unaware public.

I am a senior citizen and I cannot believe this company actually advertises FALSE AND DECEPTIVE commercials. They do not clean anything. The real truth is they make your house absolutely filthy. They modify anything they feel like, after they damage your existing floor. And by the way, they do not leave you any instructions on how to care for your floors. My floors are scratched, creaking and I have a damage dented floor heater. The trim around the floor, no pun intended, did they cut corners!

I am thoroughly disgusted and I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY. I intend to retain an attorney and hopefully, they will be more transparent with their advertising, instead of being deceptive. If I could rate this company a negative 5, I certainly would!!

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Empire Carpet Rating:
Star Empty star Empty star Empty star Empty star
1.2 out of 5, based on 75 ratings and
131 reviews & complaints.
Contact Information:
Empire Carpet
333 Northwest Ave
Northlake, IL 60164
1-800-588-2300 (ph)
www.empirecarpet-flooring.com
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