I had so hoped that my next post was going to be one of positivity and photos and I have been holding off as am a believer in “ if you don't have anything good to say don't say anything at all” but we need to share how we have been treated as customers by Home Group WA.
Last I left we had a solo brickie start 8 weeks from slab, this build was severely delayed at paperwork stage signed up nov 13 told keys nov 14, Oct 14 we were still on bricks. Good management would expect maybe not to put a solo brickie on this build and not be delayed even further. Incidentally the home group home round the corner had slab laid after ours and had roof cover and grey float whilst we were still plugging away with bricks - very frustrating. We live literally a few hundred meters from the build so my mum drives past daily, however only ever stopped once when the SS was there. Mum is very non confrontational and was always happy to see someone there working and he was doing a good job. HGWA twice told us the brickwork would be complete at the end of the week, not because we asked, just them setting there own deadlines which they never met.
Then came INCIDENT 1 !!!
I had been in Fiji for a week and dad said roof timbers were being delivered Monday and brickie would be finished. Saturday morning I took my dog for a walk and went past the block, I noticed the brickie there and he had 2 guys helping him which was a first. I said good morning and asked if he would be finishing up today. He said NO and them proceeded to rip into me. Told me he was sick of seeing my mother drive past everyday and he had told HG to keep the owners away from the site! WTF? We never go to site when he was there, only once when my mum saw the SS. I was shocked at how he spoke to me and told him my mum had to drive past as we lived here and don't people do that all the time when they are excited by their build! I told him we had no issue with him at all he was doing a good job just disappointed in HGWA timeline and their choice to put a one man team on an already severely delayed build. Brickwork took 7 weeks. He was incredibly rude and his anger was unjustified. I really won't have anyone being so negative about my mother.
This incident lasted all of 3 mins and I continued walking the dog in disbelief.
I emailed the CLO, a joint decision my folks and I made. At first I got an apology on his behalf but she was quick to point out they were on schedule - really??? and I shouldn’t talk to tradies.
Then came INCIDENT 2! The next day my parents got a letter in the post from HGWA stating " Inteference of Site" by owners/daughter and it went on to quote clauses from the contract saying we may not be on site etc etc. it was the most aggressive letter we have ever received. We felt like criminals who had done something illegal. My mother and father were shattered and quite frankly it brought both my mother and I to tears by its harshness. I was dumbfounded. Is this customer service?? I have just built with Dale Alcock as most of you know had a wholly positive build with fantastic CLO/SS relationship. Actually the DAH CLO mentioned she wished all customers were as understanding as me!!
This is a whole different ball game!
We were stunned all weekend and my poor dad said to me "I prayed about it last night and we need to reply but I can't handle this negativity surrounding this build constantly.”
My mum emailed the Construction Manager who the letter was from saying she was shattered to receive this letter. The reply from Home group was that builder told a different story and said he had to pack up and leave site he couldn’t continue working. Seriously, what possibly in a 3 min conversation could have led to him to saying that? He was clearly making it up as a few hours later they were all still there laying bricks. However Home Group didn't consider this may be a tradie with an agenda looking for an extension to his deadline. No, they chose to be very heavy handed with us and further alienate an already disappointed client desperate for some positivity.
So that was 3 weeks ago.
We had started to smile again and even though there had been virtually no communication from HG we didnt care because it was clear they were delivering. ☺ Tradies every few days, great progress. ☺ Of course mum no longer drives past, she takes another road so they don't see her, she's too scared it will upset someone.
Anyhow Happy Days, starting to allow ourselves to get excited again. When the CLO called yesterday to say roof cover had completed dad asked her to pass on a big thanks to SS at the great progress. What difference a day can make. We had to phone and ask a question today. Big mistake, don’t bother HGWA as clients are clearly a burden in the process.
Let's call today ICING on the CAKE!
We have found our CLO quite condescending in her tone and very eager to express the inflexibility of HGWA. Once before mom had asked for change to splashback but mum put up no argument when flatly denied.
So today the question was:
“Um, we noticed the electrician has put the dining light pendant too close to the kitchen Island and not as per plan, please could we request it is moved slightly to the left.”
Reply said : We cannot make any changes, blah blah blah.
Mum said “ We re not requesting a change just need it to be moved because its not as per plan. Please could you ask the SS.
Reply: I will ask but I expect the answer to be no AS I SAID BEFORE it is to the electrician’s discretion where to put it etc etc
Customer service, approachable builder……… ☹
Someone earlier was asking about recommendations and whether DAH was worth the ‘extra” to other builders. In my experience a hundred times over. You may get same pool of tradies and even have similar finishes but throughout my build I had TRUST in DAH. Not once did I question their customer service.I believed they were trying to do the best thing for me as a customer. When issues happened ,which every build has no matter how much money you spend, they always tried to do the best for all parties. We were made to feel important.
HGWA has made us feel unwelcome and a burden in THEIR build.
I truly am sorry to have posted such negativity as most of you who have read my DAH build thread has seen what my personality is truly like however I cannot stand to see how upsetting this build has been for my folks and myself. I would like to add our HGWA Sales consultant was fantastic and helpful and the HGWA pre-start employees gave excellent service but that’s where it ended.