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Empire Carpet Complaint - Pushy, Unprofessional Salesman - Carpet Estimate
Carpet Estimate - Complaint
We requested a 'free estimate' from Empire Carpet to install berber rugs in our 2nd floor bedrooms and hallway. The salesman showed up ontime and was friendly and personable at first. After he took the measurements we sat down at the kitchen table to look at samples. Before he went out to the car he asked me which kind of carpet I wanted. I said berber so he brought back a book for berber that contained 9 different colors and a book for plush (which is the complete opposite). The samples only have Empire Carpet's logo on them and not the actual manufacturer's name. In the commercials and on the web site, Empire claims they carry all of the popular brands but won't tell you which on is which.
The salesman starts writing down a bunch of numbers on a blank sheet of paper. He starts by telling me "Here is the regular price and here is the deal I'm going to give you". The regular price was around $2000 and his price was $1600. When I asked him if "His Price" was part of the 60% deal that is always advertised on the web-site, he wouldn't give me a straight answer.
This was the first quote we had seen and we weren't sure if it was fair or not so we wanted to continue with seeking other estimates. He explained to us that the process is very simple. The installers will come on the day we schedule and all we have to do is hand them our credit card before they start their work... Oh and we have to cut him a $100 deposit on the spot to secure the deal and the appointment, all before anyone does any work. Is this typical? He assured us that we would get our deposit back if we cancelled within 3 days. As soon as we said no, we're not committing today, he flipped a switch and his nice guy salesman attitude turned hostile. He started yelling "You're going to make me drive back here again to collect my deposit?!" First off all, what makes you think I'm going to call you back after that outburst. He might have had a chance with us if he didn't have a reaction like that.
So after he started talking in circles for several minutes to get us to change our mind and he realized we weren't going to, he angrily gathered up his weak samples and stuffed my estimate in his briefcase. When I asked him for a copy of my estimate he snapped at me and said "You know what the price is, it's $1588!" And then he let himself out. He then sat in his car in my driveway for another 4 minutes thinking that I was going to run out there with a check after all that.
I became obsessed with the experience and searched the internet to find that hundreds of people around the country had the same experience. How is this company rated A+ with the BBB? I've read other reviews about people who have actually used Empire and the installation quality had a lot of issues too.
I ended up going with a local flooring company and the salesman took the time to explain to me that since I'm putting carpet down for the first time (over hardwood) that I would need to shave the bottom of my closet and bedroom doors because of the padding and carpet will elevate the floor making them difficult to close. He also explained the difference of going with carpet that comes off a smaller roll which means I'd have seams that could come apart over time vs. a larger roll where I'd be paying for more due to a lot of waste. I will always stick with local small businesses in the future and will gladly pay an extra couple of hundred dollars if I have to, to know that my money is going to an honest hard working professional.
The salesman starts writing down a bunch of numbers on a blank sheet of paper. He starts by telling me "Here is the regular price and here is the deal I'm going to give you". The regular price was around $2000 and his price was $1600. When I asked him if "His Price" was part of the 60% deal that is always advertised on the web-site, he wouldn't give me a straight answer.
This was the first quote we had seen and we weren't sure if it was fair or not so we wanted to continue with seeking other estimates. He explained to us that the process is very simple. The installers will come on the day we schedule and all we have to do is hand them our credit card before they start their work... Oh and we have to cut him a $100 deposit on the spot to secure the deal and the appointment, all before anyone does any work. Is this typical? He assured us that we would get our deposit back if we cancelled within 3 days. As soon as we said no, we're not committing today, he flipped a switch and his nice guy salesman attitude turned hostile. He started yelling "You're going to make me drive back here again to collect my deposit?!" First off all, what makes you think I'm going to call you back after that outburst. He might have had a chance with us if he didn't have a reaction like that.
So after he started talking in circles for several minutes to get us to change our mind and he realized we weren't going to, he angrily gathered up his weak samples and stuffed my estimate in his briefcase. When I asked him for a copy of my estimate he snapped at me and said "You know what the price is, it's $1588!" And then he let himself out. He then sat in his car in my driveway for another 4 minutes thinking that I was going to run out there with a check after all that.
I became obsessed with the experience and searched the internet to find that hundreds of people around the country had the same experience. How is this company rated A+ with the BBB? I've read other reviews about people who have actually used Empire and the installation quality had a lot of issues too.
I ended up going with a local flooring company and the salesman took the time to explain to me that since I'm putting carpet down for the first time (over hardwood) that I would need to shave the bottom of my closet and bedroom doors because of the padding and carpet will elevate the floor making them difficult to close. He also explained the difference of going with carpet that comes off a smaller roll which means I'd have seams that could come apart over time vs. a larger roll where I'd be paying for more due to a lot of waste. I will always stick with local small businesses in the future and will gladly pay an extra couple of hundred dollars if I have to, to know that my money is going to an honest hard working professional.
Company Response:
Thank you for bringing your sales experience to our attention. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you. We are dedicated to service and satisfaction; please contact us at 800-588-2300 to assist you.
Comments:
Posted by Disaster Worker on 2010-12-20:
Good post. You are correct. Here on this site alone we've seen the same behavior cited. Glad you didn't go with them. I wonder if they actually train their salespeople to become pushy. I remember one post that said they almost had to call the police to get the salesperson out of their home.
Posted by Venice09 on 2010-12-20:
If that's what it took to get you use a local business, it was worth it. I don't think I would want to sit down alone with one of these Empire salesmen. I'd want backup.
Posted by GoLocalSmallBusiness on 2010-12-21:
I received a call from the salesman's boss to follow up on my appointment to "see what they could do to get this work done for me" and that he wanted to see if his salesman was doing his job properly and answered all of my questions. Unfortunately I was on another call so it went to my voicemail. I called back and got his voicemail. I advised him that I would not be using empire to carpet my home but I would be more than happy to provide some feedback on his salesman. I haven't heard back...
Posted by Venice09 on 2010-12-21:
You probably won't, but just in case you do hear back, let us know how it goes.
Posted by GoLocalSmallBusiness on 2011-02-08:
A month after this whole experience I have started to receive calls from this furniture and carpet cleaning company telling me that a friend or family member (funny they can't tell me who) has used their cleaning service and given me a free coupon for one free carpet cleaning or piece of furniture. I'm almost certain that Empire Carpet sold them my information. I won't dare let them step foot in my house...
Posted by face it on 2012-02-23:
Thank you for this review Golocalsmallbusiness. Your opinion and the information you provided is appreciated. I hope that everyone thinking of shopping with Empire reads this. Being a small business owner myself I am glad to see that the actions of companies like Empire do not go unnoticed by consumers.
Posted by Melissa on 2012-06-22:
Wow, I had the same experience just a few months ago, including him sitting in car and yelling about driving back. He also threatened me that if I didn't accept the offer on the spot that the price would go up a lot once he left my house. No thank you!
Posted by Nick on 2012-11-29:
This is Soooooo funny! I just had this same bull pulled on me today! No way I will buy from them ever
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