Empire Today was founded in 1959 by Seymour Cohen, originally as Empire Plastic Covers, in Chicago, Illinois. By 1965, the company had expanded its services to include cleaning and installing carpets and drapes. The name was then changed to Empire Home Services. In 2003, the company was sold and it changed its name to Empire Today.
The company operates a chain of flooring and drapery service, which includes the installation of carpet, hardwood flooring, and window treatments. Floor Covering Weekly has named Empire their #1 or #2 seller of flooring and home improvement services between 2007 and 2010. The company has more than 75 locations and has served more than 1 million customers.
In 2011, Empire Today implemented a carpet and padding recycling program to minimize the environmental impact of their day-to-day operations.
In November 2016, the company announced that they had been acquired by H.I.G. Capital, a private equity company.
In December 2019, the Better Business Bureau awarded Empire Today with its 2019 Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics.
Empire Today is best known for their in-home service, including measurements, and next day installation, as well as a simple, but catchy jingle in television commercials. The company has headquarters located in Northlake, Illinois.
Empire TodayEmpire Today was founded in 1959 by Seymour Cohen, originally as Empire Plastic Covers, in Chicago, Illinois. By 1965, the company had expanded its services to include cleaning and installing carpets and drapes. The name was then changed to Empire Home Services. In 2003, the company was sold and it changed its name to Empire Today.
History
The company operates a chain of flooring and drapery service, which includes the installation of carpet, hardwood flooring, and window treatments. Floor Covering Weekly has named Empire their #1 or #2 seller of flooring and home improvement services between 2007 and 2010. The company has more than 75 locations and has served more than 1 million customers.
In 2011, Empire Today implemented a carpet and padding recycling program to minimize the environmental impact of their day-to-day operations.
In November 2016, the company announced that they had been acquired by H.I.G. Capital, a private equity company.
In December 2019, the Better Business Bureau awarded Empire Today with its 2019 Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics.
Empire Today is best known for their in-home service, including measurements, and next day installation, as well as a simple, but catchy jingle in television commercials. The company has headquarters located in Northlake, Illinois.
Patricia Brown says
Wow, the sales representative was a great guy, did his measurements and everything picked carpet and flooring before he left. The carpet came first and I have nothing but good things to say about the carpet, LOVE IT. The flooring is a different reaction completely. Love the coloring of the vinyl flooring but the floor board molding is wacked. My flooring is brown and they put white molding on it and put the molding over my existing molding which looks ridiculous. My corners are not straight and Raymond has the edacity to say “you didn’t specify your color and they don’t take off existing molding.” When a floor is laid I thought that everything would be right, brown floor, brown molding. It looks ridiculous having a molding that stands an inch high with molding that is 1/2 inch high stuck on top of it.
Never again,
Pat
Lillian Evelyn says
I’ve had my floors for about 3 years, some of them have lifted of the vinyl, the borders are chipping I called empire was told they no longer carry my specific floor and that I would have to pay 155$ to have someone come out since the warranty expired to try and match and repair the floors. They have product in the warehouse that they can send and I can do the repair but NO I HAVE TO PAY FOR A DISCONTINUED PRODUCT Never again
Suzanne Adams says
I am beyond upset with Empire Today. We paid $23,000 for our first floor with LVF, and I have tried for three months for anyone to come to our home to inspect the horrible installation. I have two claim numbers, and everyone said they would get back to me in 1-3 business days. I have never received a phone call or email about the LVF lifting. This flooring is only one year old. They are the worst,
Michelle Brooks says
I had an install in February that is a disaster. My carpeted and tile floors were level, but since Empire Today installed laminate flooring the floors are uneven. I can not get anyone from LA customer service to contact me. I have a warranty call going on and was told they need to remove the flooring and level the floors with cement which will cost me additional money. I have been emailing and leaving Frank Amato messages for month and no response from him. I want this to be fixed properly and I may need to charge you additional money since I had new baseboards installed because what Empire today installed was a joke. A 6 year old could have done a better job.
Alanda Johnson says
PLEASE help. I have tried to address my concerns through your normal grievance process to no avail. We consulted with Daryl Reed about replacing our existing 10×10 kitchen floor. We wanted a waterproof product to match our existing laminate floors. We selected a sample that looked like our existing floor. A week before the scheduled installation, I asked Darryl to come out one more time to ensure it would match our existing floors. Per Daryl, “it’s almost identical”. As you can see from this photo, not only were the floors installed in the wrong direction (they should have parallel to the existing floor) the color is not even close.
I immediately sent this picture to Darryl Reed and he told me it would be addressed and that someone would have to be sent back out to make sure they were going in the right direction and address the mismatched color. The installers insisted it was a match. They also took a picture then left and told me I had to address this with Empire. No one called me back that day. I called the following day and was told I have to open a claim; I opened claim 1-6486186272. I was advised Cynthia Bibey would be handling my claim. I call every other day and left a message for Cynthia. Finally, after two weeks, she calls me on 10/13 to tell me the floor can be replace at my expense. I ask for this matter be to escalated further. She said another manager would call me back and would let me know what Empire Today will charge me to replace the floor that was installed.
image.png
It’s been several years since we have had any upgrades done on our home. Upgrades are expensive; so, as a family of six we have to prioritize our income with our children first. $2800 may not be a lot of money for a major corporation like Empire Today but it is a lot of money for us. This project had been a combination of errors and Empire should correct them by replacing the floors with some that match and are installed in the correct direction. How could the only solution be for us to end up paying $5600 when everything is said and done. Considering the combination of errors on this project on past projects, I am asking for your company to finally do right by our family and replace my kitchen floors.
My experience with Empire has not been good. My last few interactions with the previous sales person and floor installation were awful. My first experience with Empire was getting a quote for new laminate floors and the salesperson would not return my calls to answer my question so that we can schedule an installation and I ended up going with another company. I tried again when I needed carpet for my upstairs. Like this time, everything the sales person promised did not come to fruition. She said that a crew of people would come to install my carpet and the furniture would be moved by them on the day of installation. Only one installer showed up at my house to move furniture and install carpet in four bedrooms and on my stairs. I had to call my husband home from work and other friends and family to come over to move furniture so that the carpet could be installed. Throughout the day I called the Empire Sales consultant constantly, for assistance. she would not return my calls. This time I needed floors installed in my kitchen and I asked for a different sales person. Their sales person that came to consult on my project Darryl Reed said that he was a trainer for the area and he would ensure that my perception of Empire Today will be a good one because he will make sure that all of the issues I’ve had in the past will not happen again. I let him know that the scope of this project was to install waterproof floors in my kitchen that match my existing laminate floors. He showed me several samples and we settled on a color that appeared to match my floors. Darryl was friendly and very reassuring however before the installation date I did call him back to my house to see the sample one again to confirm and match my floors. Darryl laid the sample on my floors and said it’s just about an exact match. Again, the date of installation was a fiasco. As I took off work and waited for the installer, no one showed up. When I called the toll-free number, they said that they would call me back with my new installation date because no one was assigned my installation. They did not call back. The next day someone showed up at my house unexpectedly stating they were there to install my floors. I brought in a ton of materials and left them on my living room floors. They had asked if I was replacing the floor in the whole downstairs. I told them no, only my kitchen. They said they had enough baseboard to cover my whole downstairs. That was the first red flag. Interestingly enough I was only doing my kitchen which is about 10 x 10 and there were three installers. When I was doing my whole upstairs and stairs and pie only sent one person. When I went downstairs to check on the process one of the installers was sitting on my front porch and the others were gone. When I asked what was going on he said he had to go to Home Depot and get tarps to cover my appliances because of the dust. About an hour later the others returned and they started to remove the existing floors. One of the installers said that there were more layers on my floor than they expected and he was going to call the install manager to consult with me about the additional fees I would incur in the meantime they were going to lunch. This was my second red flag. The install manager called me and said that I would have to pay an additional $600 because there were multiple layers of floor both tile and vinyl that they had to remove before they can install my new vinyl floors. I reminded him that this was all discussed with Darrell the sales person who also pointed that out and said that it was included in the demolition. The installers returned and said that they I would have to pay $800 before they can proceed. I refused and asked them to call the install manager because this was all discussed when I receive my quote for the job. They said they work things out and they were perceived but they were not going to finish today as promised. They said they will return the next day at 8:30 AM. They returned closer to 10am. When they were almost done, I came to check on their progress and noticed the floors were completely different from my existing floor and they were going in the wrong direction I pointed this out to them and they insisted it was correct and the floors matched my existing floors. The sales person Darryl told me that the floors were about an exact match and that the floors will be installed the same direction as my existing floors as you can see, they’re perpendicular to my existing floors and there’s a major contrast in the colors. One a mocha and one more a redwood. The installers were not willing to discuss the installation and told me I had to call my contact at Empire. As I mentioned earlier, I immediately called Darryl, sent him a picture of the floors and told him that this is not what I ordered and he told me that the install manager would call me back so this can be resolved.
Empire’s solution for me to buy new floors from Empire in order to correct this matter is not an acceptable resolution. I relied on Sales trainer Daryl Reed’s expertise and had him at my house to consult on the project not once but twice. I made it clear what my expectations were and those expectations were not met. Darryl also assured me Empire would correct this, the customer service manager, Cynthia has another plan. She wants me to purchase new floors and we cannot afford that nor should we have to. This may seem like a minor project for you but we have to do one project at a time because that’s all we can afford. We are the type of family that does our own painting and as much as we can do on our own before we hire someone else because that’s all we can afford. We cannot afford to throw $2800 out the window on something that was clearly a miscommunication with the Empire Training Salesman and the installation team. I don’t know if the boxes were mislabeled. However, the flooring that the sales person considered was nearly an exact match to my existing floors was not the materials installers brought to my home and installed. I am appalled that it took two weeks for Cynthia, the customer service manager to call me back with such disappointing news. Especially considering my experience, for the third time, with Empire has been disappointing and not one that you would expect from a reputable major corporation. My experiences made me feel like I’ve purchased cheap floors from the back of a van or someone selling something on the street. Please look at the picture I sent you and tell me that would be something that you’d be proud to have in your home. As the holidays approach I am concerned about not having the situation resolved and risking having my family come over to see the mess Empire Today has made of my kitchen floors. The floor is atrocious and I would like them out of my house immediately. I would rather have a concrete slab in my kitchen than have these floors that are such a major contrast from the other floors in my house. I’m embarrassed and saddened when I walk into my kitchen in its current state. I am a homeowner and I take pride in my home so these floors must go. I don’t feel like this is my error, if you will not replace the floors then please remove them from my home and credit my account so that I can start all over with a company that’s willing to install the floors as I asked. please give me a call so we can discuss this further
Patricia Gearhart says
My luxury vinyl floors keep pulling away from the wall. I can see concrete between the base board and the flooring. I have tried to get this resolved since Jan. The floors were installed in Dec. They were supposed to be repaired Sept. 27th but no one showed up or called. They were supposed to come out today. I called at 5:35pm and was told the installer was broke down on the side of the road. Again no call to let me know. I don’t know what I have to do to get my flooring fixed. The last time it was inspected I was told they cut the boards to short. For $14,000 I expect better.
Susan says
Unfortunately we are going through the same thing with Cynthia. No response and no call back. Their company put in the floors and did a crappy job and sent someone the same company to confirm it. It’s been 2 weeks and no response. Such a waste of time not to mention the work needs to be redone because it wasn’t done correctly to begin with.
Natasha Young says
Good morning,
I received your message this morning as well as called and spoke to Victor (#2598).
I am under the impression that Empire is NOT in the business of providing solutions to customers, but rather prey on them to collect 25% restocking fee.
Victor talked over me and proceeded to tell me what Empire does NOT do. Empire does NOT provide refunds. Empire does NOT have any supervisors higher than him to talk to. Empire does NOT allow free cancellations after the 30 days.
What I have realized is that:
Empire does NOT empathize with customers.
Empire does NOT consider Win-Win solutions if not for Empire’s best interest.
In the Contract (1-6404460195), page 4 of 11
“Delay/Unknown Conditions: I understand that if Empire determines within 30 days of the date of this Agreement cannot perform the work according to Empire’s normal professional standards, then Empire can cancel this agreement, notify me in writing of the cancellation, and return my money. I understand that some of the things that could cause Empire to cancel this Agreement would be incorrect pricing, unforeseen structural defects, or unknow pre-existing conditions to my property.”
So in essence, my initial contract could have been cancelled by Empire. A new contract (with updated pricing to include the extra $600) could have been created and that would be a Win-Win for everyone. Empire earns $4000 instead of the $3400and I get my project done.
Instead, I was only quoted company babble, offered (of the $1500 deposit I put down on a $3400 job) $649.07 to be refunded.
Essentially, Empire would rather lose a potential customer and referrals over $850 instead of solving the problem that would cost EMPIRE NOTHING!
I tried being polite and understand, but obviously you do not care.
Thanks Empire.
Matt Streid says
We should have listened to all of the negative reviews online and steered clear of this company. A friend of ours had a good experience so we decided to purchase our new Vinyl flooring in the summer of 2018, and it has been a nightmare ever since. The sales person assured us that they never use third party vendors for installation (which proved to be untrue when the installer came with his underage son to complete the work). The sales person also went into full detail about the warranty and how easy it was for things to be fixed if anything went wrong (which has happened on several occasions now). The flooring was not installed properly and has needed repair multiple times. Despite advising them of our issues with the original installer, they still sent the same installer to re-do the flooring when it needed to be repaired. As of today, January 19, 2022, we have a cracked stair and the vinyl is lifting in multiple spots. The first customer service representative put in a service request and then we received a call saying this flooring is not carried anymore and therefore, not under warranty. Maybe it is not carried anymore because it is defective but Empire has refused to stand by their product and warranty at this point. This business should be avoided at all costs as their sales people will promise you the world and then they fail to deliver time after time.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Matt, we sincerely regret to hear that your flooring is not meeting your expectations. We’ve located your order, and will be in touch with you shortly to discuss your concerns.
Jonnell Ashley says
I’m dealing with a similar situation right now! There was an incomplete job done in my bathroom and storage closet. There we no corking or wall boarders placed in these areas. The bathroom only needs corking on one side. This job was done in October 2021 and it still is not complete?! They have promised to come out several times and have not arrived. I have taken several days off work and no one showed? I was also lied on by the installers claiming they came to my home and no one answered the door which was a lie. My wife and I were home all day and have the Ring doorbell footage to prove it. We even called customer service around 4:30pm and were told the installer would call when he was on his way and he never came? I was then given a $50 missed appointment reward only for them to not show up again on another date. I had an issue with my carpet and those gentleman showed up which made me happy. But I put in a ticket to have some of my money returned for all of my frustration and their lack of excellence; only to be told by the manager she doesn’t need my verification number because it’s not in her system. I told her I have the verification verification number but she refused my request. Now I have left 2 messages on their machine since they failed to arrive again on March 11, 2022 and no one has returned my call??? What can I do? I put a positive review about Empire on social media and I also referred 2 other friends who used your services. But this is now turning into a nightmare. After spending 15,000 dollars which is a lot of money to me. You would expect to get your job complete right? What can I do?
Jonnell Ashley says
I’m dealing with a similar situation right now! There was an incomplete job done in my bathroom and storage closet. There we no corking or wall boarders placed in these areas. The bathroom only needs corking on one side. This job was done in October 2021 and it still is not complete?! They have promised to come out several times and have not arrived. I have taken several days off work and no one showed? I was also lied on by the installers claiming they came to my home and no one answered the door which was a lie. My wife and I were home all day and have the Ring doorbell footage to prove it. We even called customer service around 4:30pm and were told the installer would call when he was on his way and he never came? I was then given a $50 missed appointment reward only for them to not show up again on another date. I had an issue with my carpet and those gentleman showed up which made me happy. But I put in a ticket to have some of my money returned for all of my frustration and their lack of excellence; only to be told by the manager she doesn’t need my verification number because it’s not in her system. I told her I have the verification verification number but she refused my request. Now I have left 2 messages on their machine since they failed to arrive again on March 11, 2022 and no one has returned my call??? What can I do? I put a positive review about Empire on social media and I also referred 2 other friends who used your services. But this is now turning into a nightmare. After spending 15,000 dollars which is a lot of money to me. You would expect to get your job complete right? What can I do?
Crystal Johnson says
Hello,
I am still waiting on my installers today. This will be my second appointment to fix the first 6/13/2022. The first vinyl was out of stock and no one bothered to notify me until installation day. The carpet was damaged so I am missing flooring in one bedroom. Mind you this is a rental and not being complete is costing my money. It is already 5:30 pm EST Macon, Georgia time. The only reason I went with Empire because they promised a close installation date. I am trying to keep hope after reading these other complaints that my items arrive today 6/28/22
Chad Thomas says
I have been trying to reach Empire/Luna about my flooring to no avail. I called the local Baltimore office, sales rep, etc to get my flooring completed. The workers shows up and only did half of the work. They left my stairs uncovered after ripping up the carpet meanwhile charging me full price. I need my money back asap! This is unacceptable service. Someone need to contact me asap.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Chad, we’re disappointed to hear this. We’d like to look into this further but we’re having trouble locating the correct account. Please contact us at customersupport@ empire-today.com so we can follow up with you. Thank you.
Ellen Castrillon says
I purchased high quality vinyl flooring and the extended warranty. I have called and written the extended warranty department to replace some scratched tiles. Mike seemed helpful, but never got back to me on the status. I found out from Kathleen (who handles the NY area) that my claim was denied. Kathleen then told me that I was covered under the warranty. I continued to make phone calls and have been unsuccessful. It’s like they dropped off the face of the earth. I put in a complaint to the Better Business Bureau and still not response from the company. All I need is some tiles replaced. I have never experienced this kind of incompetence from a company. I paid my whole bill immediately and I cannot get a few tiles replaced. The company replies when you leave a complaint, but then they do NOTHING. I would never recommend this company to anyone.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Ellen, we take your concerns seriously and sincerely apologize for your experience. We’ve located your order and will be in touch with you soon.
Candy says
Plain and simple I need my MONEY back from this company ASAP.
They sold me a job in August, 2021. I called to schedule the appointment waited, waited and waited no one showed up not just once but twice. I immediately cancel the order and requested my $1000 deposit.I made 10 calls to request my money. It is now October, 2021 and the excuses continue we mailed you a check wait 10 days, after ten days no check, we will issue you a new check wait 10 days, still no check. Today’s excuse one is available from the accounting department to provide an update. This is the “WORST” company. I will keep calling every day because I need by money to pay bills and help put food on my table. This the the priority now. In these COVID times no one should be scamming people out of hard earned money especially a big company. The big boss get to enjoy their fat paychecks but cannot give the small person back their money. This is shameful. I am 100% certain that nothing will come out of this notice from the boss. Hopefully, it sends a message to anyone trying to do business with this company.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Candy, Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We’d like to assist further, but we can’t locate your account. Please send an email to customersupport@ empiretoday.com with your contact information, and we’ll get in touch with you ASAP.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support
Steve Johnson says
CEO Keith Weinberger,
I am a military veteran and this recent experience with Empire Today has cause both my wife and I a lot of stress. WE NEED HELP!!!! Our original order was placed on 6/28. On this date we selected two dates (August 9 and 11), one date for the hallway/bathroom and the other for the stairs.
On August 9 the installers came which happened to be the same installers that did work on our entryway in 2017. Before he started, he wanted to confirm the order. I stated that we were having the same flooring in our entryway installed in our hallway/bathroom. The stairs would have a wood plank. He stated he only had the order for the hallway/bathroom. However, the order he has does not match what is currently in the entryway. He then proceeded to bring a square of the flooring so I could see to compare it. Sure, enough it was not the same. Then he asked to see the area where the flooring would go. We walked to the hallway and bathroom. Immediately without measuring he stated he didn’t have enough flooring. He then proceeded to measure the space to confirm if he had enough flooring. It turns out he needed 1-2 more boxes. As result, no work was started that day. He told me he would report the issue but I needed to call and get this appointment rescheduled. The following day I received a voicemail from the company asking me how my installation went? I called back, no answer so I left a message. I called customer service and waited an hour before I hung up and finally went online. Two representatives attempted to reach the market managers without success and left information for them to follow up with me.
August 11th was a no show for the stair’s installation.
I then received a call back two days later again asking how the install went. Obviously, no one listens to voice messages. After some discussion, I was given an all-day appointment on 8/23 for which no one showed or called.
On 8/23, I contacted Empire Today and nobody could provide information on the status of the appointment. The next day I received another phone call asking “How did the installation go?” So once again we schedule another all-day appointment on 8/31. The installers came and did a partial installation of the wrong product, wrong grout, and never finished work on the hallway/bathroom (unfinished edges etc). The toilet is in the shower and half the floor has no flooring at all. I have a bathroom that is unusable right now. The stairs were started and then the carpet was replaced because they determined they didn’t have everything needed to do the job. As a result, the first two steps no longer have any padding underneath. We have no follow up appointments to fix any of these areas. In addition, we had a language barrier that in no way helped us to communicate the issues.
Obviously, the correct product was never ordered and the new measurements were ignored. Amazingly this time we have received no follow up call yet. In fact, we haven’t been able to get a hold of anyone on the phone. On 9/1, I opened two tickets via chat but have yet to get a call back 1-5537463145 and 1-5537462809.
In 2017, Empire Today did a wonderful job on my entryway with no issues. This installation has been a disappointment and a nightmare.
As of this writing, I haven’t received a call back regarding the installation or regarding the tickets opened.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Steve, we’d like to address your concern, but we’re having trouble locating the correct account. Please contact us at customersupport@
empire-today.com so we may provide further assistance.
Thank you,
– ET Customer Support
Crystal Lehman says
We purchased 23k of luxury plank in December last year.
All the transition strips are peeling off already and our stairs have nails sticking out of them.
We emailed, called and chatted and have had multiple tickets open. They were supposed to come look at today and we didn’t get a call and no one showed up.
Ready to start filing complaints as well considering the bails have cut our dogs, children and my feet. Ridiculous they do t stand behind their promises and warranties.
Crystal Lehman says
Still no resolution on this. Buyer beware. Literally gave us subpar product and refuse to respond now that there are issues.
Walter Jones says
To: CEO Keith Weinberger,
I purchased vinyl flooring a little over a week ago and was given a 7/20 install date. Well 7/20 has come and gone and no installation team has showed up to do the install, have not called nor can you get in touch with them. I called customer service and have endured a lifetime on hold only to get a rep that is not at all helpful. They do not listen, place you back on hold or cold transfer you to another department only to be hold again for a long period of time and you get a voicemail. I was given a reference number of #1-542 927 XXXX and advised I would receive a call from an installation manager. Again, two days have passed and no call at all. I tried reaching out to the sales man that sold me the flooring to no avail.
At this stage I do not wish to do business with Empire Flooring and want to cancel. Please advise further or my next steps will be to file a BBB complaint and a complaint with the Federal Consumer Protection Agency!
Empire Today, LLC. says
Dear customer, we want to help, but are having trouble locating the account. Please email us at customersupport@ empire-today.com with your concerns and the contact information.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support
Kendall Brown says
Hello, I can relate to your experience. Empire is incompetent. A sales rep came out to our property the 3rd week of June as we wanted our stairs down in hardwood to matxh our 3rd fl that was done by Empire in April 2021. We were given an installation date scheduled for 2 days later as someone cancelled at last minute. They say of installation no one called or arrived. We called to check status and was told they needed to order the stub nose for the stairs and it would take a few weeks. Weeks past we get a call on July 24th to confirm installation for July 29th. Meanwhile we put in a change order on Monday July 25 adding a first floor and bathroom for the same product and was told and confirmed on July 26 it could be done on the same day as our stairs job on July 29th. Installers arrive at 9am, we review the product and work order and the incorrect product was ordered/sent. It waa stressful trying to get in contact with someone to try to see if it could be quickly rectified as it was clear that the installers did not have a job afterwards as in the van was product for my job only. Long story short it’s been a disaster. I have now been given an installation date for 8.3.21 by a Sales Rep. Meanwhile none of the messages I left for alleged management in Installation or Sales have returned my call. I filed a complaint with the FTC/Consumer Protection Bureau. Next is the Better Business Bureau. It’s sad because my job technically should have been done in June as the product was available in stock but the installation team reviewed and stocked the wrong product and did not review my original contract that would reflect what was installed in the prior job in April 2021.
Anon ymous says
Email: Kweinberger@ empiretoday.com
Cell: 312-550-XXXX
Paul Carter, COO – Cell: 847-877-XXXX
Peter Korda, EVP, Customer Delivery
Email: PKorda@ empiretoday.com
Cell: 614-439-XXXX
Shelia says
This was my first and last time dealing with Empire Today and will never recommend their services to anyone . I spoke with sales representative, Stephen Surovec on June 14th which he went to my mother house in NC to do the evaluation on cost of bathroom to lay down the flooring. He emailed me the different colors of vinyl flooring which I chose a color and it was agreed that would be the color. Upon that he had a contract which he had my 81 year old mother who has Parkinson to sign the contract and not knowing he changed the color of the floor on the contract which my mother never knew the color which was agreed on. Installation was scheduled for July 5th but received phone call saying they did not have the material yet which scheduling was done on July 6th. The installer was there and balance had to be paid which my husband was going to pay it over the phone which we leave in another state but he was waiting for the supervisor of Empire to call to pay balance which was told they were not going to install the floor until payment was made . Upon my husband still waiting for her to call , installer installed the floor to find out, it was the wrong color he installed. I called and spoke with sales rep letting him know, installer put down the wrong color which was told he will schedule another appt for them to correct it because it was a mistake and he will call me back to let me know what day appt will be. Well that never happened so I had to call him back and was told to call Nina in customer service. I called her but customer service had a 82 minute hold. I kept calling back no answer and she did call back after I spoke with someone and she told me I have to pay extra money for them to put done the correct floor. Why should I pay extra for a mistake your company made. She did not want to hear anything I had to say and she hung up the phone . Their service is awful. Will never deal with them again. Very unprofessional and no honesty. A very bad experience I had and they took advantage of the elderly, my mom, she not knowing the contract for the color of the floor was changed . I’m a very honest person but they are not a good company .
Anon ymous says
Email: Kweinberger@ empiretoday.com
Cell: 312-550-XXXX
Paul Carter, COO – Cell: 847-877-XXXX
Peter Korda, EVP, Customer Delivery
Email: PKorda@ empiretoday.com
Cell: 614-439-XXXX
Patricia Facquet says
Ordered special order carpet for the staircase on 05/07/2021.
1st instaliation date 06/14/2021 – No show – received a phone call stating “the carpet missed the truck”. Rescheduled delivery for 06/24/2021.
06/24/2021 10 AM – I am sorry we have to reschedule – “the carpet missed the truck”. Rescheduled delivery for 07/05/2021.
07/05/2021 – 09:45 AM – I am sorry we have to reschedule – “the carpet missed the truck”. Rescheduled delivery for 07/13/2021. I asked for a complete refund. The Customer Service delivery operator said that you have 2 computer systems that do not communicate with each other.
Horrible experience this time not with previous instaliations. Had to take off of work 4 times to accomidate the scheduling window.
What is going to be done about this???
R. Keller says
Because I used your company years ago on another property that I owned and had a good experience, I didn’t think twice to call Empire again for new flooring.
Your sales person Adam was great HOWEVER everything that happened after he placed my order of over $8000.00 worth of flooring has been a nightmare.
My order was placed on May 21, 2021 for an installation of LVP and carpeting on June 5th. On the morning of the install day I received a call that the installer had a family emergency and had to cancel. We rescheduled for the following week June 12th. On that day (June 12) no called and no one showed up. I then asked for the order to be cancelled but had to wait for someone to call me to cancel the order on the next business day June 14th.
When I was called by Linda from the cancellation department she asked if she could try and make things right and I agreed because I had already invested so much time and just wanted to get it done. When she called me back she offered to schedule 2 installations because she felt that the problem was that I was having 2 types of flooring done on the same day so we split it into 2 days, June 23rd for LVP and June 30th for carpeting. NO ONE CALLED OR SHOWED UP on June 23rd.
I called Linda at 10:30 am on June 23rd to tell her no one called or came and she called the manager who then said the installer was “sick”. That doesn’t justify NOT calling me to tell say no one was going to show up yet again! Linda rescheduled for June 25th and NO ONE CALLED OR SHOWED UP AGAIN!
Today is June 25th. I called at 10 am when I hadn’t heard from anyone and was told by Luis the installation manager that my whole order of LVP and carpet was rescheduled for June 30th and was never changed to today and that there was nothing he could do about it after her assured Linda Shaw that I would be first priority TODAY since no one showed on Wednesday.
I called your cancellation department again this morning and because Linda wasn’t in, I spoke to someone named Dee who is not familiar with my case but said she would look into it but I am not optimistic that she will get someone here today as promised.
How can a national company like yours treat a customer this way!? I have been a home owner for over 16 years and I have NEVER had a company just not show up and not even have the decency to even call???
I will most certainly be cancelling my entire order because I have absolutely no faith that your people will fulfill my order and I will be sure to notify the BBB to report this horrible experience so others will know to look elsewhere if they actually want to get a job done.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you make some changes so that no one else has to go through what I did.
Nancy Gallagher says
I live in Orlando, Florida and have had the single worst experience I’ve ever encountered with Empire. Most importantly, they are trying to charge me almost $2,000 for a service that was not performed. There were delays, damaged furniture, incorrect information imparted, poor quality products, installers that had to communicate through a phone app due to their inability to understand English, just to name a few. When they first showed up with the wrong floor, it took three days to get someone on the phone who could figure the situation out – and this was just the beginning. This is the most poorly run company I have EVER come across – I have left five messages this morning alone with no response. Once the work was done, redone, and basically acceptable they offered me $300 for my “inconvenience” when they’re trying to charge me almost $2000 over my original quote. I will never use this company again!
Empire Today, LLC. says
Nancy, thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We apologize for your experience, and will be in touch with you shortly to start working on a resolution.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support
TB says
SAME HERE! Never again!
Empire Today, LLC. says
Nancy, we’re sorry to hear this has happened. We want to help, but we’re having difficulty locating your account. Please email the installation address to us at customersupport@ empire-today.com so we can provide further assistance.
-ET Customer Support
Reginald Lavalais says
I recently bought flooring from the Empire Today salesmen Justin. I was sold a warranty I didn’t need for the flooring I was sold and I was told that I needed a completely new luon floor before putting what I thought would be tile down which was an upcharge. When the flooring guys came they stated I didn’t need that whatsoever. I feel I was misled and I know I was overcharged. I assumed the manager would assist upon calling me, but I haven’t heard from her again after a week now. All I ask is a credit be issued and the problem be resolved. I had such a positive experience years ago with my first flooring, but this has been a headache to say the least. Please assist.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Reginald, thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We sincerely apologize for your experience and will be in touch with you soon to discuss your concerns.
Kathy Mathews says
On April 28, my husband and I got a quote from Lauren Noble with Empire Today on new flooring for our master bedroom. We signed the contract and paid in full. Lauren scheduled us for May 11. We got a confirmation call a few days before and we were very excited to get the project rolling!!! May 10, the evening before our scheduled appointment I received a message, saying that they don’t have anyone to send out the next day and to call to reschedule. I called back immediately and the guy’s voicemail was full. Sent him a text and got no response. Called customer service and was told there was nothing that could be done. The guy had taken it upon himself to reschedule to a date that did not work for us. I canceled the contract and got my money back. After MUCH deliberation, my husband decided to give Empire Today another chance so we renewed the contract and set the date for today, 6/10. Once again the day before we received a call saying they don’t have the material we ordered in stock (ordered back in April) and that we would have to reschedule to mid-July. I filed a complaint with the BBB back in May and got a canned response from Empire Today, saying someone would be contacting me. Crickets. Heard nothing. Our salesperson, Lauren Noble has not returned by message. This company does a lot of talking about “taking complaints seriously” but I’ve seen no evidence of that to date. I have a very low opinion of the company and their customer service department, and it’s getting lower by the day. Worst company ever.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Kathy, we take our concerns seriously and sincerely apologize for your experience. We’ve located your order and will be in touch with you shortly to learn more.
Thank you,
– ET Customer Support
Jay G Standish says
Empire could NOT spell PROFESSIONAL COURTESY if someone laid it out in all caps. Horrid service. My advice is to stay away from Empire. Scheduled 5/18. No show, no call. Told they started a ‘ticket’. I called again on 5/19 as we had heard nothing. After the difficult and time-consuming process to actually talk to someone, got bounced around because no one had answers, was told Julio closed the ticket as resolved. NO reschedule or any contact to justify that. FINALLY got to a manager Sheri (sp?). Had the wrong name on the order. Tried to place situational justification for the mismanagement and still no answers. After numerous calls said the best THEY could do was to schedule for June 9. SERIOUSLY! THREE WEEKS because of Empire’s screw ups. After having to heavily negotiate a better date, got scheduled for 6/3. 6/3 comes, no show and no call. Again, bounced around and call center reports the installer had the wrong materials. They had to cancel. No one bothered to call. Sheri confirmed, did not have any answers. FINALLY talked to a supposed director, Nick Martin. Typical salesman. Made all kinds of commitments with no follow-through. Promised to personally confirm the install was on track the day before 6/9. No call. Promised to call the morning of 6/9 to confirm the correct materials were loaded on the truck. No call. I had to call. Not loaded. Said he would call me once truck was loaded and in route. The installer called. Not Mr. Martin as he committed. Nothing in the contract about final payment. Would not start until final payment was issued. Would not start until the office confirmed the check cleared. I guess we must hope the job is done right the first time.
COMPLETE LACK OF PROFESSIONAL COURTESY. EXCUSES AND DIVERSIONS. INCOMPETENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND MANAGEMENT. STAY AWAY!
Empire Today, LLC. says
Jay, we’re sorry you had this experience. We’ve found your account and we’ll contact you tomorrow to discuss things further.
Thank you,
– ET Customer Support
Angelita Soza says
For those folks that are experiencing awful customer service/product from this company all of hundreds of thousands of not millions of dollars. There has to be a way to make a bigger statement so that this company changes their policies and customer service strategies. Class action lawsuit sounds about the right direction. If anyone else is interested, please contact me directly: casoza0722@ outlook.com.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Angelica, thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We do apologize for the lack of follow-up. We’ll be sure to reach out to you tomorrow to provide an update.
– ET Customer Support
Sherry Strang says
I am on “the apparent “ lists of thousands of disgruntled ( Justifiably) so who have been kicked to the curb. If you are starting a class action lawsuit I am in. Sherry Strang contact me. The so called “contractor “ who tried to put in a wood staircase, left nails up on the wood. Took pics, 19 attempts to speak to someone. NO SOLUTION. 4/days ago a friends 6 year old cut his foot on one of the nails. Opps! Time to call a LAWYER. Msturtle44@ att.net
Angelita Soza says
Hello Mr. Weinburger, I am writing in to inform you of what a awful experience I am having with your company out of Phoenix Az. I have been more than patient with this whole process and now would like to get the attention of someone who will actually respond prior to seeking legal action to give your company one final chance to correct my issue. It started in June 2020, yes over a year that I have been back and forth your company with no resolution. I have all of the documentation of when I have contacted the office only to find out that my case had “been closed” multiple times with no communication from anyone. The flooring through out my home that your company installed needs to be replaced per your inspectors that came out to verify back in March 2021. I also have pictures of the quality of work, or lack there of I should say. I really had high hopes in getting the job done right, especially due to high cost in comparison to the market at that time last June. Also, I will be contacting the BBB to file a formal complaint for this company along with the contractor Agape Construction that you sent to my house to do the initial install.
I really hope I get a response from you or someone on your leaders team that take your company name seriously because the folks you have in you satellite offices obviously do not. I will also be contacting our local news station to inform other folks of what kind of experience I have had with your company.
Feel free to contact me at any time.
Kevin Kelly says
I will never recommend or do business with Empire again! When I spoke to your sales person on 05/01/2021, he made a contract to have an installation done for 05/17/2021 and assured me the job would only take a few hours. Fast forward and I was advised Empire had moved the date to 05/19/2021, without any prior notice and bearing in mind I had already paid a deposit. After constantly going back and forth calling Empire, they finally were able to send someone to to do the job for the original contracted date. The day of installation I was advised the they could only do 3/4 rooms, due to them not having the proper tools or personnel to remove tile! they advised they would call their supervisor but left without any notice and just left my residence with supplies still in my garage! I had paid in full at this point without a job being completed. I had to constantly call Empire only for me to work around their schedule, sleep in my living room for a week, and have a tile removal person do a mediocre job. I still had to wait for Empire to send carpet installers on 05/22/2021 (one week later) only for them to tell me they couldn’t even do the job cause the tile removal was done improperly and my house was completely covered in dust! I had to wash and replace a lot of personal items due to that. Finally 05/24/2021 the same installers came and finished the contractual agreement I paid for in full. I have attempted to call, email and live chat Empire only for them pass me off to other departments in their business without any resolution! Completely gross and negligent customer service.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Kevin, we take your concerns seriously and sincerely apologize for your experience. We’ve located your order and will be in touch with you soon.
– ET Customer Support
Darrell Wynn says
Oh, my goodness. I really should have checked this site before dealing with your company.
When they were due to lay my floor, I had to keep calling and calling to get someone to come out.
When they did get there they did not have enough material to complete the job.
This was on a Friday, therefore they said they would be back Monday at 3pm. At 4pm I was calling empire, I was told we may have to order the rest of the flooring, my response you need to go to menards or homedepot. so maybe 2hrs later they showed up.
I was told this is a interest free job if paid within a year, but as of now I have not received a bill.
I called empire, and they said you should see a bill in the next 30days, my thought that will mean it has to be paid in 11months, she said yes, because the year interest free starts the day of instillation.
I am planning on contacting the better bureau, because I feel that the company is misleading, fraudulent.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Darrell, this is not the experience that we wish for our customers. We take your concerns seriously and will be in touch with you shortly to start working on a resolution.
Natasha M says
I completely agree! I should have researched more myself because I definitely would not have gone through with this company either. My job was supposed to be done Monday and of course no call, no show. Then you can never contact anyone in your actual area it’s just customer service in another state who says they file the issue and someone will contact you which is a joke. I was told my job will be done this Saturday but I’m not holding my breath. I was also told I would get a discount for having to reschedule but it was nothing compared to the amount I put down upfront to lower the cost of the job overall. I was told I’ll get a call to discuss this further but again won’t hold my breath. I’ll definitely be calling BBB myself if I hear from no one again and my job isn’t done Saturday.
Steven Nichols says
All I know is that Empire Does Not care. I have been disconnected and had a chat ended because it is being handled locally.
Who do you have to talk to just to get your peoe to finish a job and pay for damage to furniture?
Dwayne Tazzetto says
I scheduled for my appointment to take place on Wednesday April 28th 2021. Installers came and said the measurements taken were off for all three rooms being completed. By 84 Sq ft! They did not have the material so said they will come back the next day. The next day I confirmed someone will come but nobody came. I have 4 ticket numbers waiting to be responded to. I am on day 3 of no floors, my house has been dismantled from prepping 3 rooms and I don’t know what to do. Please help make this right.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Dwayne, we apologize for your experience, and understand that we’ve spoken to your in regards to your concerns. If you continue to have questions and/or concerns please contact us at customersupport@ empire-today.com.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support
Angela Lee says
I felt like I wrote what you did. It has been two months since our flooring was installed with two remaining items to be completed. I have spoken with four different people and we just get the runaround. If I don’t hear anything but the middle of next week, I am filing a complaint with our AG’s office, BBB, and going to small claims. It sucks to have floor board in my daughter’s room because they didn’t bring enough to finish her room. I paid for it, did not finance it, and really you had to pay the second half before the installation was complete. And they broke a piece in another one, and still waiting on that.
Mary Ann Senatore says
I wish I saw this website before we replaced 3 rooms.
Our daughter is disabled. Her floor is literally falling apart. Customer service could care less. I’m worried she could fall or get hurt. Empire refuses to help, inspect or replace. Don’t use Empire. Aside from having a disabled child, I noe have uncaring Empire heart ache and a truly defective product.
Christopher Velasquez says
I made an appointment with Empire flooring (received a confirmation notice), took time out of my day and no one showed up. I called customer service who apologized, assuring me someone will be calling me in 24-48 hours about it. Its now 3 days later and no callback. I called customer service again who is telling me the same thing but this time that I will be contacted in 24 hours?! Reference numbers 1-5203347463 and 1-5212741524.
This isn’t exactly giving me a good feeling in wanting to work with you guys?! Can someone please call me!! Is it too much to ask for someone to keep an appointment that has been confirmed?!
Empire Today says
Christopher, it’s disappointing to hear about the issues you had with your installation appointment. We know your time is valuable and would like to make this right. We’ll follow back with you to work with you towards a resolution.
Sohail Koujalgi says
Hello,
I had a horrible experience with the Empire Today sales team. The empire today representative was a big liar and fraud. He told us that empire today will offer a 12 month 0% interest finance . He also calculated the monthly payment I need to make. Based on that we decided to go ahead with the contract. But after few weeks I received a credit card and statement from Wells Fargo for $8000.00. He never mentioned anything about this credit card. This is an acts of cheating and fraud. Very disappointed and frustrated.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Sohail, we understand your frustration and will be in touch with you shortly to start working on a resolution.
Carrie C. says
Worst customer service ever!!! We had schedule an appointment to have someone come out to do an estimate last Friday 3/12/2021 between 5pm and 7pm. The had called and left a message saying they had a huge scheduling conflict and needed to reschedule and asked me to call back. When I called back the number they had left the voicemail was full. When they finally called back, the manager told me there wasn’t actually a scheduling conflict he just didn’t have anyone to come out and he had shut his phone off because it time for him to go home. Seems to me that he should have come and done it himself. He then asked what time was good for us to reschedule this week. We told him Tuesday 3/16/2021 between 4pm and 6pm. He said that was perfect and someone would be there. At 3pm on Tuesday, I called to confirm because I had not heard anything and he said that the only message in the system was the one from last Friday stating that he had left a message on my machine stating there was a scheduling conflict. I explained that we had talked and agreed someone would be out today. He put me on hold and called the manager and then came back on the line and stated that again no one would be out. He told me that the manager would call me to once again reschedule. I have still not received a call and when I attempted to call him it went to his voicemail which is still full and can’t take messages. Worst customer service EVER!!!!!!!
Empire Today, LLC. says
Carrie, this is not the experience that we wish for our customers and we sincerely apologize for your experience. We’ve locate your order and will be in touch with you soon to discuss your experience.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support
Karla says
This complaint is about LUNA your sister company, however, everyone I’ve spoken to has introduced themselves as an EMPIRE employee except my sales person. I recently purchased floors from LUNA on 1/7/21 and the installation process was supposed to happen 1/14/21 and was supposed to be completed within that weekend. As it turns out the installation started and not finished because there was not enough product at the warehouse. I moved things around in my calendar and scheduled yet another appointment for 1/23/21. On 1/23/21 the installer showed up and was only given product for 4 stairs at LUNA’s warehouse per the sales order, when in reality I have 13 stairs and a hallway that still needs to be completed. (This was paid for) The installer called LUNA and did not receive an update until 12:20pm and only because I had then stepped in to talk to Customer Service and called and texted my sales rep.(No answer or call back from sales rep) I was then connected with an area manager Mike, who was very helpful at first and then after Sunday I have not heard from him. I’ve called and texted as he stated he would resolve the issue for me and had contacted LUNA internally to get the problem resolved. He is also now ignoring my calls. Additionally I had to pay $613 extra for plywood that my service rep never quoted me on or explained that it may be needed. The job has not been completed.
Luna says
Karla, we regret to hear this and would like to further assist you. Please email your concerns and account information to care@ luna.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
Salanna Holmes says
I wish I would have seen the reviews before I spent so much money. I tried to ask the local customer service rep but she doesn’t seem interested or care at how bad this experience has been for me. I have to basically have 2 installments b/c they didn’t either order or (they said item on back order) but no one told me until hours into my installation. They give me a small credit but I spent over 10 thousand on this and the lack of and experience is just unacceptable. I want to hear from someone who cares and will make this better, it won’t be right b/c the damage is done. Worst experience of my life, truly.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Salanna, we take matters such as these very seriously and sincerely apologize for your experience. We’ve located your order and will be in touch with you shortly to further address your concerns.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support
LeeAnn Farmer says
I was supposed to have flooring installation today November 17th, and guess what….NO contact from Empire. I used the chat function and was told yesterday, Nov. 16 that they had to push the installation to Dec 1st, due to the office being closed due to COVID. Again, I HAD TO CONTACT THEM. I told the chat agent that was unacceptable, and I wanted to speak to a supervisor. Then she magically was able to get a person in the Elizabeth City, NC office and now my installation is 11/24 – right before Thanksgiving. I have not had an in person phone call from the Elizabeth City location yet. This is now my FIFTH REQUEST for a supervisor at the Elizabeth City location to contact me. No wonder the Empire Today reviews are crappy. Their sales people are wonderful, but that is where it ends. They should have contacted me by phone if there was an issue no later than Friday 11/13.
I had to make child care arrangements today for the installation, and still NO CONTACT from them. It is 10:27 am on the day the floors were supposed to be installed, no communication, and no technicians are here.
I want a phone call from Empire. Since they were a no call, no show they are in breach of contract.
Empire Today, LLC. says
LeeAnn, this is not the experience that we wish for our customers, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We take your concerns seriously, and will be in touch with you shortly to start working on a resolution.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support
Laurie Yamashiro says
So extremely frustrated and disappointed!! Had salesperson out back in October he was nice and we ordered Tile and Carpet from him to be installed a month later, on the same day a “combo” crew was what the salesperson said he would note on the account for install. We received emails and phone calls to confirm the same day for both installs November 11th which we confirmed. The day before the installs were supposed to happen received a call and told that they could not do both on same day I would have to reschedule 1 of the installs. This is a weekend cabin and had not planned on being up there 2 weekdays in row but adjusted schedule to accommodate. Tile installers came up 1st and told us they could not install over the hardwood that we would need to pay an additional $370 (roughly 1/4 of total install quoted price all together) to have them install plywood on top of hardwood and then install tile. To be clear the areas in need of tile/ plywood Are less then 70sq ft. We asked for office to call to discuss because we inquired with salesperson specifically about installing over the hardwood when he came to sell. He said “not a problem installers will 1st do a self leveling epoxy on the floors then will install tile on that”. I have called everyday multiple times (except Saturday and Sunday) asking for a call back, and have been told someone would call every time and NOT 1 person has called In 6 days now. . Have been told 2x now that they have escalated the call to someone and still no call then told that because I REFUSED the additional cost the ticket has been closed. To be clear I DID NOT refuse anything because I have not been able to discuss the issue with anyone and have asked for someone to call back to discuss. How is that for customer service??
Empire Today, LLC. says
Laurie, we want to be able to address your concerns as quickly as possible but we cannot locate your account. Please send us your contact information to customersupport@ empire-today.com so that we can follow up with you.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support
Barry Webber says
We have been loyal Empire Today customers for over fifteen years, having purchased flooring for our homes and rental property. Our past experiences were all good and we expected the same when we called about having laminate flooring installed in our Master Bedroom. Unfortunately, this experience went very poorly and we are extremely disappointed with how we were treated. When the sales person came to our home we explained that we wanted the same flooring that you had installed three years ago in the home office which is adjacent to the bedroom. It is Ground Nutmeg Hickory, made by Mohawk. She measured the bedroom and closets and quoted a price of $4,400.00 for 344 square feet of flooring. I told her that was not acceptable and she left. The next day I received a call from someone who identified himself as a “manager” an asked what the problem was. I told him that the estimated price of $4,400.00 was totally unacceptable. He then asked what I was willing to pay? He knew the dimensions of the room, with closets and the product I wanted. I told him I would pay one half of that. He asked if I would pay the $2,200.00 and go forward with the purchase. I told him that would be acceptable. He said that the sales person would come to my home the next day between 11:00 am and 1:00pm to write up the order. He said they would require a 25% deposit at the time of contracting. I advised him that would be acceptable. When the sales person arrived, it was a different person. She was not aware of the product we wanted and was unaware that I had been given a price by the manager. She asked what the manager had agreed to. She then got on her phone and was making calls. After some delay, she advised us that the product we chose would cost $4,400.00 because of some action by the manufacturer. Needless to say, I was not happy about the agreement with the “Manager” meaning nothing. She then put the local manager on the speaker and let me speak with him directly. He is Angel Ocanas. Mr. Ocanas listened to what had happened and said he was sorry that the manager who called me had made a mistake. He acknowledged that he had my past purchasing record and that a mistake had been made, but said there was nothing he could do. It seems incomprehensible to me that nothing can be done. I ran a business for over forty years and if one of my employees made a mistake, I did whatever I had to do to make it right. Sometimes it cost me money, but that is a cost of doing business. I am sorry that Empire Today does not follow the same philosophy. It took years for your company to build a solid and good reputation with me and my wife. Those years of good service have been destroyed in a matter of two days. I thought you should know this.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Barry, we’re sorry to hear this has happened! Please email your account and contact information to us at customersupport@ empire-today.com so we can provide further assistance.
Imelda says
My appointment time was for today between 9-11am. I was on my way home to meet up with the sales representative, once I arrived a car was blocking my driveway. I had to honk at the person to get back in their car so they can allow me to drive in. The person that was purposely and carelessly blocking my driveway was A Empire today sales representative (unbelievable that happened) Strike 1. The sales representative was complaining to me how she had to drive over 1 hour just to get to my house Strike 2. Just before she was going to talk about the prices she requested to use my restroom, which she did unfortunately Strike 3 Deal breaker No deal. Since I was already dissatisfied with the sales representative I requested her to email me a Estimate but she started complaining about how it took her 1 hour to get to my home and she doesn’t want to go to make another trip back to my house (Very unprofessional). I don’t like the fact that when I called to schedule an appointment for the carpet estimate I was asked if anyone in the household is sick due to the Covid and keeping everyone safe. Yet the lady used my restroom hopefully she doesn’t have Covid since I was unable to ask her the same questions I was asked in regards to Covid-19. The fact that the lady used my restroom got me in a panic that I had to immediately deep clean my restroom just in case. Knowing the fact that Toilet paper,Lysol Sprays, lysol wipes, and alcohol are extremely hard to find and get a hold of, I ended up using all I had left just because the lady didn’t use the restroom before coming to my house. I have a 2 year old, 3 year old, 11 year old, 15 year old, and my mother in law which has Cancer that live in my home that this lady could have possibly put them and myself in a risk of safety to our health. I will not do business with Empire because if I choose to accept business who knows maybe the carpet installers might also want to use my restroom, maybe auditors might want to come take a look at the job and want to use my restroom,maybe the supervisor might want to also come to use my restroom.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Imelda, we take your concerns seriously, and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We’ll be reviewing your concerns and will be in touch with you soon.
Tim J says
Just a horrible experience all the way around. Their Atlanta office is trying to run the clock out on fixing my unprofessional installation. I have tried countless calls and emails to get help and none given. I need corporate to contact me ASAP. I need my floors fixed or my money back. A very bad experience, I will report more in detail if corporate fails to contact me.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Dear Tim, we regret to hear that your installation did not go as planned, and we’d like to follow up with you. Please email your contact and account information to customersupport@ empire-today.com for further assistance. We look forward to further assisting you.
Lolita Smtih says
I was referred to EMPIRE by a friend. I had an estimate done and was told one price by the service representative presented with a limited amount of swatches-standard. when the installers came out they recommended a different type of flooring-and dispatched the representative to update-he continued to tack on more charges but didn’t want to show me options I choose on line stating they would be more-after that I still decided to do the install. As at the first meeting they totally tore up my floor– The installers came out a second time first time 3 this time only one stating he only had an order for one floor. I call and ask for a call back to resolve my order and the next thing I know I get a order that they are coming out the next day upon calling no one know of the previous calls and the SUPERVISOR Roniesto in the service department was so rude, threatening to hang up on me because I am stating a concern over the back and forth missed communication. Did I mention that I first told him that I wanted to cancel the scheduled appointment due to working and make another one at the beginning of the conversation and when I went through the whole story he stated he didn’t know what I wanted??? Really I asked to speak to his supervisor he stated he was it!! Worst service ever and I am not even sure if my order is cancelled but I am left with a tore up floor!!!! In addition to leaving the comment hear-checking with their corporate office again. I am writing every outlet I know==You had the wrong information and now I pay with a patchy floor I feel like I dodged a bullet, but I am so disappointed!!!
Empire Today, LLC. says
Lolita, we take your concerns seriously and sincerely apologize for your experience. We’d like to follow up with you, but are unable to locate your account. Please email your account and contact information to customersupport@ empire-today.com for further assistance.
KATHLEEN DICKENS says
Less than 1 year ago, we had carpet installed in several rooms of our home by Empire. It never crossed my mind to contact any other vendor as I had used Empire before which resulted in a positive experience. Unfortunately, that has not been the case this time.
Several months after the carpet was installed, I noticed that it was matting and flattened. The unmatted areas were in rooms we rarely used.
In November 2019 (the carpet was 5 months old) we had the carpet professionally cleaned hoping that would erase the matting. It did not.
In March 2020, I contacted the warranty department of Empire. I spoke with Rosemary (last name unknown). She immediately stated the problem was probably in “high traffic areas.” I responded that there was one relatively high traffic area (a hallway) but the master bedroom and master closet were definitely NOT high traffic.
We were scheduled to have the carpet inspected in March but due to Corona virus, the inspection didn’t occur until May 2020. The “inspector” seemed unsure of himself as though he wasn’t sure what he was doing. He stated “Ms. Rosemary” sent him to take some pictures. I walked through the house as the inspector took photos with his cell phone. He too used the exact phrase “high traffic areas.” Again, I pointed out that only 4 adults lived in the home and that only two of them periodically entered the master bedroom and closet.
After waiting two weeks for the inspection results, we contacted Rosemary. She stated the “inspector” who came out to the house wrote the report and the decision was the matted carpet was not covered by the warranty because it was HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS! I conceded without argument that the hall in our home was frequently traveled by the four residents. However, the master bedroom and closet occupied by two elderly adults was far from high traffic. At this point she said the inspector was not specific about each room. So apparently, one high traffic hall means the entire house is high traffic.
Per the warranty, the carpet is covered if there is normal and reasonable use. The warranty goes on to detail exceptions, none of which were applicable to us (e.g., building settlement, removal, fire, flood, acts of God, etc.). The warranty requires us to “provide reasonable maintenance.” The carpet was less than six months when we had it professionally cleaned. I can provide the name of the company and the date of the cleaning. The carpet has not been cleaned a second time as we filed our complaint with Empire in March 2020. We didn’t want the condition of the carpet to be temporarily masked by a cleaning. Plus, no one realized the actual “inspection” wouldn’t occur until May 2020.
The warranty does not use the words HIGH TRAFFIC AREA. The warranty requires “normal and reasonable use…” and we meet that criteria. The carpet in the two rooms that are rarely entered (our guest room and our piano room) is still in good condition. So apparently, the carpet maintains its’ condition as long as it isn’t walked on. In other words, per Rosemary and the “inspector,” walking on the carpet is not “normal and reasonable” use.
Rosemary brought up the issue of pet stains on the carpet. The only place there are any pet stains is in the hall. We recently had a professional cleaning company in to provide an estimate for cleaning. The company owner used an ultraviolet light to show us pet stains where the dog urine had crystalized. The pet stains were primarily located in the hall. There was one spot in the piano room. There were no pet stains in the master bedroom or closet.
We financed this carpet and still owe over $1500.00. It is frustrating to pay every month for carpet that appears to be several years old, not less than one year old.
We are not going away quietly. A copy of this letter will be sent to various Empire addresses, the BBB and anyone else I can think of. Empire obviously supplied us with a defective product. It is the responsibility of Empire, based on their own warranty, to replace the carpet or provide reimbursement.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Kathleen, we take your concerns seriously and sincerely apologize for your experience. We’d like to follow up with you, but are unable to locate your account. Please email your account and contact information to customersupport@ empire-today.com for further assistance.
Sandy Gomez says
WORST COMPANY! PLEASE DO NOT GET YOUR FLORRING DONE THROUGH EMPIRE. THEY STOLE $300 FROM MY ACCOUNT AND HAVE NOT REFUNDED ME. I had an appointment on March 21, 2020 to install carpet, the installers came and were installing the carpet, I notice that it was the wrong carpet and not only that the carpet was torn. I then called empire and cancelled my order. Empire advised me that they would refund me the down payment I put down of $300 within 5 to 7 days. I called back within the 10th day and no refund. They advised me it would take 15 days, it has been over 15 days and I called again today and now they are saying 30 days. I am not sure what kind of business they are running but I have contacted the BBB and also filed a small claims law suit against them.
ET Customer Support says
Sandy, we take your concerns seriously, and would like to follow up with you ASAP. Please email your account and contact information to customersupport@ empire-today.com. Be sure to mention HQ in the subject line for further assistance.
William Moughon says
Yesterday was suppose to be my install day for my carpet. I say suppose to be, because it never happened. I received a call at 7:30 stating that I was the second installation of the morning an to expect a call from the installer prior to arrival. At 10:30, I received a call from customer service asking if they had begun installing my carpet. I explained nobody was at my house and I hadn’t heard from the installer. She offered to reach out to the installer and get an ETA. She was unable to get in contact with the installer, but informed me that they would contact me shortly. She also stated that I was the second install of the morning and they should arrive soon. At 3:00 pm, still with no information, I call Empire and they again attempt to reach the installer to no avail. This time I was informed that the person who schedules the installations would reach out to me within 5 minutes. At 4:00, having still received no calls from anyone, I again reach out to Empire and explain my frustration. They offer to reach out to the installer again, but as that had no success previously, I declined to be put on hold for another 10 minutes. Finally, at 4:40 pm the installer calls me stating he will be arriving in 15-20 minutes. at 5:20 he finally arrives with the wrong carpet. Beyond frustrated at this point, I call Empire and everyone that can do anything to remedy the situation has long since gone home for the day. I receive a call the next morning with a half-hearted apology stating, “Oops, we are sorry. We switched your carpet with another customer.” I am out 2 days of work and $250 I have paid thus far and have no carpet and no end to this perpetual drama in sight.
As a side note, I might be able to forgive this, if this wasn’t exactly what happened on the day they came to take measurements for the carpet. Received a 7:30 am call stating they would be at my house in 1-2 hours for them to arrive after 5 pm.
Salena Catron says
WE had a consultant from empire come out on January 8, 2020 – Her name was Lana Valtine – 239-246-XXXX.
Let me tell you how the day went. We scheduled an appt from 9-11 – she came out and visited with my husband. At first glance, my husband said, she came to the door holding her shoes. Okay – that sounds great but she was barefoot in my house, which seemed weird anyway, but overlooking this, she began talking to my husband. He said, he first told her I had a list of the flooring I liked and she stated, she could come back so she could talk to me about this. She began talking to my husband about how she is single, lives alone, she is from Russia and where she lives, she stated she has a ceiling fan in her kitchen but wanted the can lights. She said she did not know how to put those in. He said when she started talking about that he told her the rooms we are looking to put flooring in are the bedroom and bath. He took her in there and she commented on the carpet then sat on my bed while they discussed the floors – What the heck!!! Seriously!!! 45 minutes she was here, she took no measurements and really didn’t talk about flooring at all, he basically knew everything about her in the 45 minutes she was here and nothing about the flooring cost or anything – Why come – my husband had all of the information she needed. I had no idea about this until later after she came to the house to speak with me – had I known I would not have let her in. This is rude and inconsiderate – You might need to speak with your staff and give them some tips on what is appropriate and what is not appropriate to talk about and definitely about sitting on peoples beds… just RUDE!
Customer Support says
Dear Salena, we strive to leave a positive impression during our in-home consultations, and we regret to hear that this was not the case. We take your concerns seriously, and will be in touch with you shortly to learn more.
Marilyn Noval says
I am reading the posts here with great interest. I, too am having major issues with Empire. We had a laminate floor installed 11 months ago. It began making a snapping noise about 6 months ago. We contacted customer service in October and have gotten nothing but the run around since. It is nearly impossible to reach the same person twice and when you do finally get someone they are not truthful with you. I was told twice that an installer would be out to my house to repair the floor and both times it was a no show. As I type this I am waiting for someone to call me back to explain why. I WILL NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY AGAIN!!! I have filed a complaint with the Florida State Attorney General’s Office, I will be taking to social media today to report my experience, I may contact my local news media and if necessary my lawyer. This is an outrage and I cannot believe what Empire has done to us! Beware…once they get your money, you are done!!
Empire Today, LLC. says
Marilyn, we understand your frustration, and sincerely regret to hear that laminate floor is not meeting your expectations We’ve located your account and will be in touch with you shortly.
Pamela Herman says
I will never do business with this company again! After a good experience installing new carpet on our stairs and in our den, we decided to order for our MBR and Guest Room. Huge mistake. First, the wrong carpet was ordered and installed. The old carpet was ripped up before the installers asked us to check the new carpet so we had no choice but to proceed. To add insult to injury, the installers asked if they could use my Master Bath commode and I said no, please use the powder room. After they left, I saw they had not only used the commode room but had left urine in the toilet and on the floor!
When I contacted my salesman to tell him all that had transpired , he admitted he ordered the wrong carpet but only got approval to redo the MBR. No response to his disgusting installers. We agreed to accept only the redo of the MBR because we were sick of dealing with Empire.
So after another 3’week wait, Empire came out last Thursday, ripped out the incorrect carpet, unrolled the correct carpet and it was torn. So now we had no carpet in our MBR. Our salesman and customer service could have cared less. They actually said oh, well it will take 3 weeks to get the custom order in again. When I asked what I’m supposed to do with a torn up MBR for 3’weeks they said “I don’t know.” I told them don’t bother. We were done with Empire.
The installers just left and left my furniture sitting in the living room. So I told my salesman I wanted a team of people to move my furniture back into the bedroom and crickets. Nothing. I had to hire people to move it out of the way.
Then I sent him an email saying I wanted my money back and he replied “I’ll forward your request.” That’s it.
Not one person apologized. Not one person said to me “how can we make this right.” It is now 5 days later and I had to call customer service again to find out the status of my refund. NO APOLOGY again. No interest in compensating me for their screw up. Nothing. I hope someone reading this will respond to me because the people I’ve dealt with here in Phoenix could care less.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Pamela, we regret to hear about your experience, and assure you that we take your concerns seriously. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss your concerns.
Jeanette Cummings says
I will never do business with Empire again. I had a problem with the installer. I’ve made a total of 10 calls regarding the matter. They transferred me to one person after another, with someone will get back within one to business days with no results this has been on going for 3 weeks.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Jeanette, this is not the experience that we wish for our customers, and we sincerely apologize for the lack of follow up that you’ve received. We take your concerns seriously, and will be in touch with you shortly to learn more.
Greg Wilt says
We just recently had vinyl flooring installed in our home for about 3k. We have had problems with professional service from the get go.
Empire reps say they will call, but as always nobody calls.
There are scratches from installation on our floor- ( but empire not taking ownership)
Trim work never really butted up properly and nails coming out as well and we are still waiting for techs ( who were supposed to call Monday and its Thursday now and no phone call yet).
Flooring/ trim trash and nails were left in driveway.
Very unprofessional from the get go. The only true attention I received was when you wanted my business.
I couldn’t be more dissatisfied and my experience has left nothing but a sour taste in my mouth.
I am seriously considering legal action if someone who is truly in charge of this outfit doesn’t contact me and resolve this problem to my satisfaction.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Greg, we understand your frustration, and sincerely regret to hear that your experience was not what you expected. We take your concerns seriously, and will be in touch with you soon to learn more.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Care
Greg Wilt says
Please contact me as soon as possible.
Lorraine Miller says
I had carpet installed at my home on May 6 2019. 3 months later I contacted the Philadelphia Region office to discuss my complaint of the carpet coloring fading and looks like it has been in the house for years and it looks very worn and as of my initial phone call been in for 3 months. they sent someone out to look at it and there was a language barrier between us and the people that came out. I called back and discussed this with the Philadelphia Region office again and they said they would send someone out again to do moisture and soil testing and they also said they would send someone that was bilingual and they sent the same 3 people out again and they did no testing and wanted us to fill out the same form as before. This is unacceptable and has been going on since August 6 2019. The only recourse I have now is to contact my attorney to have this rectified.
empire today says
Lorraine, Thanks for bringing this to our attention. The situation you’ve described is not what we expect to happen. We’ll be reaching out to you to work with you on a resolution.
Esther Rowitz says
Please be advised that the company has provided us, not with excellent service, but with incompetence since mid-July, at which time we ordered/are presently paying for five sets of blinds. We have had nothing but aggravation, and are still without two sets of blinds.
A brief chronology: three, not five sets (as ordered) were delivered, one of which was incorrect, one which had been lost and one which had never been ordered-somehow, the order had been lost. After many phone calls, e-mails and a considerable expenditure of time, we thought it had all been sorted out. A new (re)order was placed, and it was promised that it would be expedited.
Yesterday, (Oct. 1) the installer came and guess what? One set of vertical blinds was installed, but there was another major glitch-he had the new valence for the incorrect blinds, but not the blinds; he also had the missing vertical blinds, but not the valence, tracks, cords and other equipment. So, once again another (re)order-the third-has been placed for the same two incorrect/incomplete sets of blinds.
As you may imagine, I am tired of being understanding, patient, and tolerant of unsatisfactory service, and am not interested in talking any more with very nice but ineffectual personnel, whose good intentions never achieve realization. Your advertising and reputation are misleading. Had I known that doing business with your company was going to be fraught with such difficulty, it would not have been “Empire Today;” it would have been “Empire NEVER!”
Is there anything that can e done to bring appropriate closure to this situation? you need to be cognizant of the circumstances and perhaps concerned that this cannot possibly be the only instance of its kind.
Sincerely,
Toni (Mrs. L.) Rowitz
empire today says
Toni, it’s disappointing to hear about the issues you had with your installation appointment. We know your time is valuable and would like to make this right. We’ll follow back with you to work with you towards a resolution.
Paul Henkel says
How do you not have managers woking on Saturday? No way to run. A business
Paul Henkel says
I had an appointment for 9/21 at 1pm. I received a call at 12:58 and they cancelled. When I asked to speak to a supervisor they hung up on me. My salesperson that cancelled is Jerry ID4B2. How do you run a business like like? I have used in the past and never had a problem? I need someone to call me at 908-233-XXXX
Empire Today, LLC. says
Paul, we know your time is valuable, and we sincerely apologize for your missed appointment. We understand that we’ve spoken to you in regards to your concerns, and were able to reschedule your appointment. We’ll continue to follow up with you to ensure that your installation gets completed as scheduled. Thank you for your feedback.
Jax says
Hello Folks –
Let me tell you a tale about being contracted to Empire Today. As a customer, you may feel ripped off or used, abused and tossed away. As an employee, it’s even worse than that. I worked for them for almost 18 months and made approximately 1.80/per hour (or less) . I was expected to work at their whim and drive hundreds of miles a day with no gas allowance or time allowances. There were many days I was scheduled to drive 1-2 hours for 2 hour appointment and turn around and drive another hour or two for another appointment. I never knew from one day to the next where I might be sent or when. Plenty of times I was double or triple booked and then left to face the wrath of the customer when I showed up late. And, I was not allowed to state why I was late. It was all about Empire was wonderful and the labor force was awful. I often was left to work 18-20 days in a row, with appointments scheduled from 9 am to 7 pm with no room for lunch, restroom breaks or even a stop for hydration.
The final straw came when my ‘manager’ told an office staff person that she was more valuable than any sales person and would not be held accountable for the way she spoke to sales reps, installers and customers, giving her license to use abusive language and tones to whomever she wished. She was also allowed to discriminate based on gender, nationality and whatever other criteria she wanted to.
I have tried to reach out to corporate HR and other company representatives, with no return calls. Honestly, this is my last attempt to try and reach them. Seems that they might actually read some of this.
I have taped conversations with my manager stating that he is aware and agreeable with her and her tactics. I am in the process of obtaining a lawyer and filing complaints with the state and the Federal EEOC offices. In the meantime, please try to remember that whatever Empire puts you through, their contracted sales and installation employees bear the brunt of this flying circus. And oh, btw, as an owl on the eyeglasses commercial states “you paid too much.”
Empire Today, LLC. says
Jax, we assure you that we take your concerns very seriously, and regret to hear that you’ve been unable to speak with a member of our HR team. You may contact Erica Sanchez, Employee Relations manager via email at esanchez@ empire-today.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you!
Beckaa says
Horrible, horrible, horrible! We only used them, because we were new to the area and didn’t know any area flooring companies. The salesman was very nice, however Installation and customer service doesn’t know what the F they doing. Totally unprofessional, the installer knew exactly what she was doing when she installed a broken piece of LVP now to get them back to fix it a horror show. Don’t use them if you don’t want to be totally aggravated!!!
Empire Today, LLC. says
Beckaa, we want to discuss this further, but are having trouble locating the correct account. Please email us at customersupport@ empiretoday.com with both your contact and account information for further assistance.
Alison Douglas says
I’m certainly glad I read all these complaints. I have one of my own but luckily I’ve read these and will not be using Empire. I called for an installation quote and had one scheduled for August 31st between 3 and 5. At 3:30, I got a call that the installer had car trouble and we would need to reschedule. We rescheduled for September 10th between 5 and 7. I got a phone call that morning “I have bad news, we aren’t going to be able to come out today”. So we rescheduled again for September 13th between 7 and 9. At 8:30, I called to find out where the installer was. The first time I called, I was put on hold why they tried to find the guy- and then they hung up. I called back and was told the appointment had been cancelled. Oh no, it hadn’t and as a matter of fact, I had received and automated reminder call at 3:30 that day. (I see this is a trend after reading the complaints). I asked to speak to a supervisor, who was polite and assured me someone would call me back Monday morning. I actually received a call Saturday to schedule for tonight between 7 and 9. This morning I got the same guy telling me he had bad news…. I told him I’ve heard that line before and I’m pretty sure it was you that said it and explained my frustration with the whole thing. He told me that the Richmond, VA area is understaffed and literally told me “It sounds like we don’t want your business.”. I replied it would appear that way. His tone inferred he was waiting for me to say never mind, I’ll find another company. He told me he’d have the contractor contact me directly to schedule a time. Guess what, I’m going to tell him I have some bad news……
Empire Today, LLC. says
Allison, we disliked missed appointments as much as you do, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We take your concerns seriously and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to make things right.
Kiara Green says
My vinyl install was scheduled on August 30 and I got a call the day before that I couldn’t get them installed. I was told that I would have to reschedule for the 31st and that they would call the morning of to confirm. They show up, not one person speaks English and we can communicate with each other. I waited 9 days because they stated that the floor needed to dry to get my cabinets installed. Well the floors weren’t dry and when the smallest of anything moved across the floor it would peel and scuff up. The job was not done properly or the vinyl is cheaply made. Either way I have been calling with no return call to get my flooring fixed and every time I call they say well you will get a call in 24 business hours from this call. So basically my time to receive a call back starts over every time I call. It’s ridiculous! I will never use Empire again..
Empire Today, LLC. says
Kiara, we know delays can be frustrating, and we sincerely apologize for your experience. We take your concerns seriously and will be in touch with you soon.
Renee Gates says
My saga started 8/22/19 and as of today, 9/9/19 it is not even close to being resolved as it related to installing laminate in our home. Install date was 8/22/19 in the morning. We boarded the dog and each took half a day off work without pay to await installation. After many, many phone calls and some mis-truths, the contractor showed up near 6pm and spent until 11:30pm disrupting our neighbors with their table saw in the driveway, made our dog crazy and disrupted our rest time. The next morning we checked the floor and there were some broken planks and they installed the laminate over problematic subflooring issues that were pointed out to the sales person and the contractor. I contacted Empire and was told they would rectify the situation on Saturday of the Labor Day weekend. We cancelled our plans for the weekend and stayed home all day Saturday, all day Sunday and the installer finally showed up Monday morning. His assessment was that the flooring couldn’t be fixed because of a cracked foundation. We have a raised foundation of wood, not concrete, therefore his assessment was inaccurate and no work was done. After several phone calls and text messages with the Installation Manager the communication has now ceased. I wrote a letter to the Executive Vice President, Customer Delivery and look forward to hearing from him. This has been such a fiasco and it is still not resolved 19 days later. This is a travesty.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Dear Renee, we regret to hear that your experience was not what you expected. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to further address your concerns.
Thank you for your patience,
-ET Customer Support
AJ says
I have had two great experiences working with Empire. They installed our blinds and rugs with little or no problems. My experience with getting wood floors has been a huge disappointment. For starters, the rep they sent to my house was supposed to arrive between 3-5 pm on August 29, 2019 and she was 30 minute late. I took off work 3 hours to make sure I was at home and she still couldn’t get there on time. When she arrived, I told her that I wanted Brazilian Cherry flooring to match the wood in other parts of the house. She told me that you did not sell it in hardwood and referred me to your competitors, Lumber Liquidators and the Floor Store. She was there for no longer than 15 minutes and acted as if she was disinterested in discussing my issue. She even told me that you did not carry any wood similar in color to my selection. It was if she did not want to help me based on her own implicit biases and assumed that I could not afford it.
Once she left, I looked at your webpage and saw that you did carry the product I was looking for. I placed a couple of calls to your customer service line to complain and I was told I would hear from the manager by the close of business on Friday. Around 3:45, I called your customer service line, since no one had called me by that time, and I was told that I will not get a phone call until Tuesday since it was Labor Day weekend.
It is now September 4, 2019 around 5pm and I still have not heard from a manager. Pooja contacted me Friday evening around 7pm. When I tried to call her back on several occasions, her phone was not accepting messages. I had two managers in your call center contact her on September 3 and September 4, respectively, and they were unable to leave a message. They told me that my complaint was escalated but apparently that means nothing because no one has called me as of to date.
You did send out Markell yesterday to help me with my selection and he was a breath of fresh air. He accommodated my request, sent me the quote this morning and followed up with me. He was an exceptional young man who went out of his way to assist me. There are plenty of companies where I can spend my hard earned dollars and not be subjected to the level of disrespect and poor customer service that your company has shown me.
Empire Today, LLC. says
AJ, this is not the experience that we wish for our customers, and we assure you that we take your concerns seriously. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss a resolution.
Kevin Landry says
Where do I begin? Let’s start with the positive I guess, the kitchen and dinning room floors looks great in our home, unfortunately everything else has been a FAIL! This process started this past winter. First the crew brought wrong quarter round. The issue was resolved when they came a week or so later with correct quarter round, except it wasn’t. A few weeks later I notice quarter round was coming off, so I called Empire and they assured me that it would be no issues. Wait, let’s back up to their customer service people who cannot seem to follow simple instructions. I told both my sales guy, and Evan (Guy I have been speaking to over the phone about my issues) to please leave notes for the customer service people to not call me until after 2:30 pm. What happens? Of course I get phone calls in the morning. When I don’t answer, this person just keeps calling me back to back. ?♂️ Back to the installation issues. So someone comes back to my home to fix the quarter round around my walls. Of course there were more issues with quarter round. It started coming off of my island. So again I speak to Evan, who has been nice, and schedule another appointment. Two guys come to my home, fix the quarter round, and then leaves, now admittedly I was busy myself doing somethings and just signed the paper that stated they were done. I mean they were only renailing some thin pieces of wood back to my island. What could go wrong right? Wrong! I walked into my kitchen only to see that these people broke the tile that was also on my island, and tried to hide it with some ugly ass glue. I immediacy called Evan and now this issue had to be fixed, which it was. Let’s fast forward to a few months later. In August I called Even because I notice that my floor near my refrigerator was separating. He apologized and we made an appointment which I ultimately had to cancel due to some other work we were having done. Eventually we rescheduled the work and about a week or so ago someone came in to fix the floor issue. The guy told me this happens from time to time and he just needed to put glue into it to fix it. Next thing I know they are moving my refrigerator and he has a hammer and chisel to the trim on my wall trying to get it off (Which they broke by the way. I didn’t even complain about that because of the bigger issue) they broke my water line going to my refrigerator. They literally left with water going everywhere. Turning the water off didn’t just stop they leak. I had to call a plumber and have them come fix the $480.00 damages that were made. I spoken to a Nathan who told me to email them the bill and a check would be sent out. Today I get a call from my wife. She informed me that the refund went back on the card that we have now paid off. I don’t know about anyone else, but having to pay almost $500.00 dollars out of their account that was unexpected isn’t something that is ok. We would have just left it on the card but we were told that a check would be sent out. Now I have a credit instead of the money back. So this morning I called and spoke to Brian. I explained my frustration again and how much of a nightmare this has all been. He tells me this. “Normally a check is issued but it look like someone hit the wrong button in your case. Oops!” He then tells me that “Because of all the issues we had he believes it’s best that we part ways.” Part ways? My floor that we paid almost 10k for is still under warranty, and he is telling me they are parting ways with me because of their mess ups? Are you kidding me?!? Well let me explain to you how I part ways with a company that wants to pull stuff like this. From all of the complaints I have read just Empire obviously has issues with their guys breaking stuff, doing sloppy work, etc. It’s just not me. I will be calling my local media and telling them our story. If I have to pay myself, and buy an add to advertise about what has happen with Empire I will. I will email everyone that I know. I will ask them to email everyone they know. I will post to every social media site I can. Yes, it’s only “Facebook” but I have over 2000 people that I have on my news feed alone that I can vent too, tell them my story, and ask that they all share it and for them to NEVER use Empire. Part ways when I suppose to have a warranty on 10k dollars worth of flooring? I’m beyond pissed! I know I’m just a customer who spent pennies in the eyes of this mega company, which I was basically told this to by Brian when he said they “do thousands of installs per day so it wasn’t a big deal that they part ways with me.” I bet most people can relate and will agree 10k isn’t pennies, and most people will not want to deal with this nightmare. 866-588-
Empire Today, LLC. says
Kevin, thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to learn more, and start working on a resolution.
Kevin Landry says
You are going to contact me huh? Itd been 3 days and I haven’t heard back from anyone about this issue.
Kevin Landry says
Where do I begin? Let’s start with the positive I guess, the kitchen and dinning room floors looks great in our home, unfortunately everything else has been a FAIL! This process started this past winter. First the crew brought wrong quarter round. The issue was resolved when they came a week or so later with correct quarter round, except it wasn’t. A few weeks later I notice quarter round was coming off, so I called Empire and they assured me that it would be no issues. Wait, let’s back up to their customer service people who cannot seem to follow simple instructions. I told both my sales guy, and Evan (Guy I have been speaking to over the phone about my issues) to please leave notes for the customer service people to not call me until after 2:30 pm. What happens? Of course I get phone calls in the morning. When I don’t answer, this person just keeps calling me back to back. ?♂️ Back to the installation issues. So someone comes back to my home to fix the quarter round around my walls. Of course there were more issues with quarter round. It started coming off of my island. So again I speak to Evan, who has been nice, and schedule another appointment. Two guys come to my home, fix the quarter round, and then leaves, now admittedly I was busy myself doing somethings and just signed the paper that stated they were done. I mean they were only renailing some thin pieces of wood back to my island. What could go wrong right? Wrong! I walked into my kitchen only to see that these people broke the tile that was also on my island, and tried to hide it with some ugly ass glue. I immediacy called Evan and now this issue had to be fixed, which it was. Let’s fast forward to a few months later. In August I called Even because I notice that my floor near my refrigerator was separating. He apologized and we made an appointment which I ultimately had to cancel due to some other work we were having done. Eventually we rescheduled the work and about a week or so ago someone came in to fix the floor issue. The guy told me this happens from time to time and he just needed to put glue into it to fix it. Next thing I know they are moving my refrigerator and he has a hammer and chisel to the trim on my wall trying to get it off (Which they broke by the way. I didn’t even complain about that because of the bigger issue) they broke my water line going to my refrigerator. They literally left with water going everywhere. Turning the water off didn’t just stop they leak. I had to call a plumber and have them come fix the $480.00 damages that were made. I spoken to a Nathan who told me to email them the bill and a check would be sent out. Today I get a call from my wife. She informed me that the refund went back on the card that we have now paid off. I don’t know about anyone else, but having to pay almost $500.00 dollars out of their account that was unexpected isn’t something that is ok. We would have just left it on the card but we were told that a check would be sent out. Now I have a credit instead of the money back. So this morning I called and spoke to Brian. I explained my frustration again and how much of a nightmare this has all been. He tells me this. “Normally a check is issued but it look like someone hit the wrong button in your case. Oops!” He then tells me that “Because of all the issues we had he believes it’s best that we part ways.” Part ways? My floor that we paid almost 10k for is still under warranty, and he is telling me they are parting ways with me because of their mess ups? Are you kidding me?!? Well let me explain to you how I part ways with a company that wants to pull stuff like this. From all of the complaints I have read just Empire obviously has issues with their guys breaking stuff, doing sloppy work, etc. It’s just not me. I will be calling my local media and telling them our story. If I have to pay myself, and buy an add to advertise about what has happen with Empire I will. I will email everyone that I know. I will ask them to email everyone they know. I will post to every social media site I can. Yes, it’s only “Facebook” but I have over 2000 people that I have on my news feed alone that I can vent too, tell them my story, and ask that they all share it and for them to NEVER use Empire. Part ways when I suppose to have a warranty on 10k dollars worth of flooring? I’m beyond pissed! I know I’m just a customer who spent pennies in the eyes of this mega company, which I was basically told this to by Brian when he said they “do thousands of installs per day so it wasn’t a big deal that they part ways with me.” I bet most people can relate and will agree 10k isn’t pennies, and most people will not want to deal with this nightmare. 866-588-2339 is the number Brian was contacted at. He is the manager of the local branch here in MN.
Alfred Jurison says
There are many reasons we canceled the hardwood installation at our home (12938 Morning Dew Dr. Woodbridge VA). 1. The estimator, contract writer, installers and warehouse did not coordinate to ensure a timely installation.
2. We had to continually contact the estimator to get the contract, He said the office emailed it but we never got it. We requested it multiple times and finally got it. 3. Prior to receiving the contract we had scheduled the floor installation for Monday (12 August). We called that morning to give Empire our cell # as we had to disconnect the landline. When we called, Empire said they were not going to install today, as the material was not available. Now why would the scheduler, installers and the warehouse not talk to each other? We had taken all the pictures down, emptied the entire first floor of items just to be told the day of the installation it was not happening. Why did not Empire not call us to say the appointment was cancelled. They then said they would notify us when the material was available and schedule a new date.
4. In the meantime we received the contract and it was incorrect. The price showed $18,264 whereas it did not reflect the military discount and should have $16,842 as the correct amount. When we asked about it they said the discount was on another paper and not to worry about. Well, we wanted the correct amount shown, but Empire continued to state the discount would be applied via the discount paper.
5. The contract had rooms that are not in our house such as a den. Furthermore, the contract did not list the living room, pantry, pantry hallway, hallway, nor the hallway closet. This is just plan sloppy work. It is obvious the estimator and the contract writer did not communicate.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Alfred, we’re disappointed to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations, and understand that your order has been cancelled per your request. If you continue to have questions and/or concerns please contact us at customersupport@ empire-today.com. Thank you!
Stacy says
Your carpet installers were asked to please be careful of the walls we just painted. They not only damage the wall but didn’t tell us tried to repair it with the wrong product and paint it over with the wrong paint. I filed a complaint and haven’t heard anything back. Our sales person said he would be the project manager he never showed up the day of the install he never even bothered to ask us how it went and when I called him he confuse me with another customer. We pay thousands of dollars for this carpet install you need to make this right
Empire Today, LLC. says
Stacy, your concerns are important to us, and we’d like to further discuss your installation experience. Unfortunately, we’re unable to locate your account with the information provided. Please emails at customersupport@ empire-today.com with both your contact and account information. We look forward to further assisting you.
Ty L. says
Where do I even begin…. absolutely love my floors, however when the installers were moving the furniture back in place, a small nick was made. I called immediately when I saw it, and was told sm1 would call me to schedule a repair. That was on the 25th of July. I got a call Monday the 29th from a lady named Tracie: 800-588-5219, I won’t give her extension, but the intial call came from: 213-805-6702. Anyway, I called back immediately and my call went to vm. I left a message and called back at least 7 more times in 2 days and never heard back from her. Further more frustrating than that was no one at her office could even get in touch with her. I spoke to at least 7 different people before finally being scheduled, or so I thought… for a repair. That was on the 30th. I was given a ticket # and told sm1 would be here today, the 1st of August between 8 and 6. No one showed up. Spoke to a manager named Joanna who informed me that Tracie, didn’t schedule me, and the ticket that I received wasn’t put in the system for today, but instead sent to her, even though she never returned any messages from me or even her team members. Needless to say I’m beyond upset and I wasted an entire work day due to bad customer service. Finally got a call back from the local office from Cindy stating they’ll be here TOMORROW. All I know is this company has the worst customer service ever. I want a partial refund. It should not have taken 15 calls, and a work day to fix a nick. Someone definitely needs to have several words with Tracie. I’m beyond irritated and disappointed. If someone isn’t here tomorrow, I’m definitely contacting the BBB. Beyond unacceptable.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Ty, we take your concerns seriously, and sincerely apologize for the lack of communication that you received. We’d like to further assist you, but are unable to locate your account. Please email your contact and account information to customersupport@ empire-today.com for further assistance. We look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you,
-Tina B.
Maurice love says
I will not recommend anyone to use this company the prices are high but figured since u was higher that the device will be Cadillac. I’ve had to no call no shows u all have bn paid in full promise to come and finish the incomplete over prices job today and no call no sho the person who sold me this job still hasn’t called me back he texted me this morning and said they would contact me soon that was 816 am it’s now almost 1pm waisted my whole day again my time is money I will post all day everyday online until u make this right???
Empire Today, LLC. says
Maurice, we know delays can be frustrating, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We’ve located your account and will be in touch with you shortly to discuss the completion of your installation.
Desiree says
Unprofessional!!!
I had an appt today for a free estimate for new carpet. The schedule time was from 7pm-9pm, I also received a confirmation email this morning about my appt. 8:40pm came around I decided to give them a call. Once I did they stated that they have called and Left me a message to cancel (Which was not true) I ask them what time did they called the man couldn’t tell me. I was highly disappointed because this is the 2nd time 2weeks in a row that this happened. I don’t know if it’s on a Friday and your employees don’t like to work but if that the case then don’t offer that time slot. And not to mention the next available appt is for another week. I am definitely taking my business elsewhere who appreciates customers time.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Desiree, we know your time is valuable, and sincerely apologize for your missed appointment. Please contact us at customersupport@ empire-today.com with the street address where your appointment was scheduled. We look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support
Mr. and Mrs. P says
Our experience with Empire has been a total disaster! It all started in the Fall of 2015 when we hired them to re-carpet our entire new home (2 large bedrooms w/walk in closets, loft area, stairs, living room, foyer, and laundry) and install ceramic tile in our foyer/entry and laundry room before out move in date, giving more than adequate time in advance. Needless to say, it all started with our timeline and getting the installers there in a timely fashion. Then, it was getting the installers (mainly tile) there to complete the job – before we could move in. Once everything was finally installed and we had a chance to inspect their workmanship, we found several items of concern with both. The carpet installers had to come back and fix a transition issue between the entry and living room as there was an approximate 1/2 step causing stubbed toes, along with fixing multiple tack strips which nails were poking through, etc. Then there was the tile issue. The installer intentionally laid tile over two heat ducts, saying he thought we wanted them covered! Why on God’s green earth would we want that? So he had to come out on a Sunday to fix that because he was otherwise booked and got mad at us and brought his girlfriend!
Now fast forward a year. The “upgraded carpet and upgraded padding” we were sold started to show weird signs of matting and wear. Keep in mind it is just my husband and I living in the home. Then it started buckling near the master bedroom and part of the living room. I again contacted Empire’s ‘so called’ customer service department and was told that our labor warranty had ‘just’ expired and we would have to pay to have someone come back out! We had already spent “thousands” of dollars on a product and company we were already unhappy with, why would we want to give them more money? So, we decided to “live with it”. Well, over the course of another year the carpet had now begun showing wear and buckling in every single room, including the stairs, and continues to only get worse over time!! I again have contacted Empire multiple times within the past several months trying to find a resolution. We now begin to wonder if they actually installed the wonderful “upgraded” product we supposedly purchased. Better yet, maybe the product itself is defective? We asked if someone (of authority – not Bob Jones the installer dude, for example) could just come out and look at the product and answer that question. If it’s a defective product, then rectify it. But NO, they want to charge us a “service call”! But, wait, why would I give you money to come out and inspect something that you sold under the pretense of its superiority over the ‘cheaper’ brand/style??!!
Now, our carpet looks as if its 15 years old, has had lots of kids and animals running around wearing it out over years…but that is not the case. It is embarrassing to say the least!
This product is ONLY 3+ years old and has been an issue since its installation! ALL we want is for Empire to inspect the situation and make good on what we paid for. So, not only are we unhappy with the product BUT the customer service [if that even exists at this point] and is ridiculous! It is apparent that they don’t know what true customer service is from the many, many, many complaints and 1.7 star rating they now hold!!!
I would NEVER recommend Empire to anyone. They do not deserve the recognition that they claim to have received. Shame on YOU EMPIRE!
When I mentioned that perhaps I needed to contact their CEO, Keith Weinberger, or their General Counsel, Hillary Victor, Adam P. in customer service said, “Go ahead. They won’t do anything! ..” Now that’s customer service! Huh? Perhaps Will Jameson, Senior VP of the Call Center, needs to review what true ‘customer service’ is and implement that. Maybe then customers who choose Empire in the future will NEVER have to endure what most people, unfortunately, have.
Truly truly disappointed,
Mrs. P
Empire Today, LLC. says
Dear Mrs. P,
we take your concerns with high importance, and are saddened to hear that you were unsatisfied with your experience. We’d like to follow up with you, but are unable to locate your order. Please email us at customersupport@ empire-today.com with both your contact and order information.
Thank you.
Jabari Martin says
Installed LVP in March. Started seeing signs of buckling in May. Opened a service ticket on 6/4. Two Installers sent to my house one on 6/13 and one on 6/26. Both advise floors need to be replaced. Empire continually tries to state there must be water damage. Water readings throughout basement are 8.8. Empire has not confirmed they will replace, telling me to wait for a call back. Installer had to take planks with him to show the damage to the planks. Still awaiting resolution.
Empire Today, LLC. says
Jabari, we understand your frustration and sincerely apologize for your experience. We understand that we’ve been in contact with you regarding this matter, and have a replacement scheduled for today. We’ll continue to follow up until a solution is reached.
Thank you.
Mary Anne Gallant says
This is the first and last time I will ever use Empire. Not only are they pushy, they did not install the right color carpet. They also stole all of my late mother’s jewelry. It was not theirs to take. Now I find out nothing is going to be done about this. NOT FAIR!!
Mary Anne Gallant
Empire Today, LLC. says
Mary Anne, we take your concerns very seriously, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to learn more.
Mary Anne Gallant says
I know that Empire flooring stole all of my late mom’s jewelry. They were the only people inside our home. They had no right to take this. As far as I know nothing is being done about this. That is not fair.
Michael Leveille says
In 2018, we hired Empire Today to install a carpet in a large, 2-room basement area of the empty home we’d just purchased. The installers charged us $600 for new padding, but never installed the padding. They put new carpet over the old padding and kept our money. We discovered this the following winter, when water damage forced us to pull up a small section of the new carpet.
Empire informed us that the entire carpet needed to be replaced if we wanted to keep our warranty. This was an huge problem because the basement was now fully-furnished and contained over $50,000 of fragile electronic equipment which would have to be moved. After a fight, Empire agreed to do the re-installation for free.
Since we didn’t trust a carpet crew to move the very expensive equipment while they worked, we agreed on a 2-day installation. We would clear one room for them on day 1, then move all of the equipment to the first room, clearing the second room for them to work before they arrived on day 2. No problem.
They arrived on day 1 and completed the first room, but they didn’t leave. The carpet crew proceeded to move all of that equipment themselves and finish the second room, completing the job in 1 day for their own convenience. I discovered this only when they were nearly finished. I yelled for them to stop but the foreman literally refused. It was very difficult to communicate with them, they spoke broken English or none at all. Frustrated, I resigned to let them finish the job.
The crew left our belongings in large, disorganized piles throughout the basement, some of which fell over and collapsed. I photographed all of it and notified the company the same day.
After several days of inventorying the mess, I discovered several thousand dollars in damages to equipment and furniture. The job itself was notably poorer than the first installation but that’s the least of our concerns, and we’re not allowing this company back into our home for repairs.
The company was completely unresponsive to phone calls and emails for weeks at a time. It’s very important to persist throughout this period, which appears to be this company’s standard operating procedure for claims and complaints. It’s now been months and this company continues to deny any wrongdoing – but they’ve offered us a small monetary fraction of the damages “for inconveniences.”
The crew has lied about their conduct and misrepresented the condition of our home in their photographs, using “after” photos as “before” photos (yet neglecting to provide both sets for us). We have photo proof to the contrary, of course, and this will be an easy case in court. But the negligence, fraud, theft and destruction for which Empire Today has been responsible throughout this 10-month ordeal has been tremendously frustrating for us.
Find a local crew for your flooring, stay away from Empire.
Empire Today says
Michael, we never want our customers to be disappointed with their products, and we regret to hear that your floor is not meeting your expectations. We’ll be looking into your concerns right away and will be in touch with you soon.
Thank you,
Kathy Parmenter says
Empire installed 800 ft.² of sheet vinyl in our home in late February 2019. The installer did a very poor job. He did not pay attention to the detail around the doorways and the vinyl was not glued down properly. Empire Sent him back out to fix the problems which he did not do.
A second installer was sent out with new vinyl to replace the original. Instead of him replacing the vinyl he laid the new over the old and did not
use the roller needed to insure a smooth tight fit. He Was sent back with the roller to take care of the problem which was impossible so the floor had permanent air pockets and bubbles.
A third installer was sent out to remove all of the vinyl, Laydown plywood so they could install the new vinyl. Once the vinyl was removed the installers refused to complete the job stating that we needed to repair or replace all the subfloor first.
Empire has our $6500 and we have Nothing on our floor except for plastic to cover the debris on the sticky mess that we are now left with. Several contractors have looked at our sub flooring and they all have stated there is nothing wrong with it.
The last person I spoke to at the Sacramento store was Justin Mueller one of the installation managers. He said he would be emailing Corporate requesting a refund. He then stated that by him doing that, I would not be hearing from him again. That I will just have to wait for Corporate to contact me. He gave me no timeline as to when I would hear back from Corporate. Basically he left me hanging.
I am beyond frustrated. I have been lied to and deceived by Empire. I am out $6,500.00 and I have NO FLOOR
Empire Today says
Kathy, thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We take your concerns seriously, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to start working on a resolution.
Aaron E. says
Beware the Padding Swap Trick/Scam!!!
If you order anything other than the cheap/basic/economy padding, the installers won’t put it in. Instead, they put in the cheap padding.
I didn’t pay attention when they installed, but had to cut back some carpet to install flooring and noted that the padding put it was NOT what I had ordered — I had ordered the premium spill-proof/pet-proof padding — and what was under my carpet was the cheap stuff. Then the resolution is that they’ll replace the padding, but YOU need to move everything out of the room for the installers to replace… or give you $100-150 refund on the “difference in price” for the padding. Which is ridiculous. They’ve since “upped” their offer to 20% discount after I filed a complaint with the BBB, which still only slightly better than the $100-150 refund offered earlier. Not acceptable.
As a result of my experience, I warned my friend about it (whom I had earlier referred to Empire unaware I had been scammed) and they were doing the SAME THING, except he caught it the day of the install. But the installers were like, “well, this is what the warehouse gave us. We can either install it today or reschedule.” My friend was moving in in two days and needed the carpet, so he caved and let them install the crap padding and would then work out something with Corporate. THIS IS an apparent SYSTEMATIC SCAM (you can also read about similar experiences with Empire on many scam and review websites, ones I wish I was aware of before choosing Empire…)
Do not buy from Empire unless you only buy the cheap stuff. And stay strong with your conviction of them wronging you. They will try to frustrate you until you just give up (like Comcast).
Take to the review pages (as I am doing now).
Take it to their Facebook page, bbb.org (as I have done).
Keep up the good fight. Spread the word about this company! They won’t change unless their customers make them!
Empire Today says
Aaron, we regret to hear about your experience and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We’ll be further reviewing your concerns, thank you.
Heidi Ragosa says
On May 18th my order was to be filled. The installers arrived without enough carpet to be installed. After installation the stairs were not completed. The stairs had padding with tack strips and no carpet.
I was then told by the installer there was sub floor damage that he carpeted over. Yes he carpeted over holes in the sub floor.
The installer removed baseboard trim and threw away (I’m guessing), damaged a socket, and did not re-secure screws on the closet doors causing the doors to not move freely. Plus some carpet looks like it needs to be re-stretched.
Todd stated because of the inconvenience the sub floor would be repaired by Empire at no additional cost. I then spoke with Annette on May 22nd with a promise of a call back and resolution. Now no one returns my calls. The bedroom has no carpet. I have called everyday except May 26 & 27 because I was told no one would be in until after the holiday. I call 1 800 588-2300 and 1 866 588-2383 once to twice a day.
Empire Today says
Heidi, we know delays can be frustrating, and we sincerely regret to hear about your experience. We apologize for your lack of follow up, and will be in touch with you shortly to start working on a resolution.
Rebekah Guerra says
I had an appt today to have kitchen linoleum replaced .I sat here all day long waiting and waiting ans no one ever showed up..NOT even a phone call..now my kitchen is still sitting in my living room and on sunporch.so on my anniversary night I am having to put our house put back together and putting the aquauium back up so fish dont die..not a happy person at all.could have atleast been notified no one showing up.
Empire Today says
Rebekah, we’d like to further review your account and answer your concerns regarding your missed appointment, however we’re unable to locate your order. Please email your account information to customersupport@ empire-today.com so we can look into this further.
Arnie Guerra says
I had carpet put in last October and had damage done to kitchen floor..replacement order for linoleum.after continuous attempts we notified Corporate and they had somwonw contact us and had appt for installation on May 22nd..no one showed up or called to say wasnt coming.so here we are sitting on hands wondering when that 24hr phone call is going to come in to get new appointment. It seems your local office even ignores. Corporate. Been seven months, two carpet installation and we still can’t get satisfaction. Kitchen floor still damaged. Grand Rapids, Michigan. 616 419 XXXX
rbzywicki says
Had a salesman order carpet for our house, promising that the carpet was in stock and no one else could purchase the amount of square feet that was needed for our home. Waited the 6 to 8 weeks for the install just to have Empire call and say that the carpet is out of stock and no longer available, The salesman returned to say that we could pick out a superior product for the same price. That product we have found out is an inferior product. We have fraying in a corner behind a door in one room and bad seams and fraying on the riser on our steps, {that is riser not treads]. The warranty / inspector person took a couple of weeks to inspect the carpet, then another 4-5 weeks to return a follow up on the remedy to this problem. He said after all it has been 15 months since we ordered the carpet [that is If you would add up the initial salesman’s visit, waiting for install, denied install, waiting for new order, then waiting for install, wait some more for inspection, waiting some more for follow up], just to be told your 12 month warranty is over and now I must pay to receive service for an bad install and INFERIOR PRODUCT t!!!!
ARE YOU GUYS A JOKE?
DO YOU OR DO YOU NOT STAND BEHIND YOUR PRODUCT?
AWAITING YOUR REPLY IF IT IS NOT AN INCONVENIENCE TO YOU!
Empire Today says
Robert, we sense your frustration and sincerely regret to hear that your carpet is not meeting your expectations. Your concerns are important to us, and we’ll be further reviewing your concerns.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support
Brittany says
We had carpet installed. Installation itself and people were nice. We paid extra to have them move furniture though. They completely ruined our kitchen floor!!! It’s scratched to pieces now. More importantly our total was 1,500 ish. Got our first bill and our total was over $9,000!!! I’ve called empire a total of 5 times to deal with this. They took the bill down to &2800. Okay still not my total!!! This is completely insane. Now I have late fees from the credit card company. Once again called empire just to ge the run around and told someone would call me back! I’ve spent hours of my life dealing with this and tons of stress! DO NOT go through empire!!! And empire PLEASE fix this issue. For all my stress and time I should ge this for free!!!! Also for my kitchen floor we will now have to get replaced!!
Empire Today says
Brittany, we’re sorry to hear this! We’d like to help, but we’re having a problem locating your account. Please contact us at customersupport@ empire-today.com so we may provide further assistance. Thank you.
Greg Onsel says
We are long time Empire customers (since 2004-2005) with several hardwood installations in 3 different homes. However, this last job (using the same product as was installed 5 years ago) resulted in abnormally high amounts of scratching to the baseboards in both rooms where the hardwood flooring was installed. During the installation, my wife even commented to the installers to be careful, after witnessing the way that they were removing and handling the trim. I understand that your contract specifies that you are not liable for trim damage, but considering our considerable previous experience with many of your installers (and no previous problems), I now have serious concerns as to whether I will purchase from, or recommend, your company in the future. Customer service is in need of serious improvement (spoken to multiple customer service reps, unanswered calls, no response to voice mail messages, emails, etc….). I am requesting a refund of some of the purchase price for this job, or the replacement of the damaged trim
Empire Today says
Greg, thank you for making us aware of your most recent experience. We take your concerns seriously, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss your concerns.
Arnie Guerra says
We had carpet installed back in November. We paid extra to have your people move the funiture. The installers, in that process slid our couch across our kitchen linoleum ripping it io four places. On top of that the carpet installation was terrible. Cut short, a hole in one , a heat vent not cut out.
I contacted Justin at the Grand Rapids, Mich office. Sent him pictures and he sent out different people and reinstall new carpets. Was satisfied with that. He sent out some samples for the damaged flooring. Said he had to send oit a salesperson to get measurements. This was back in November. Didn’t hear anything since. Holidays came and we didn’t want our home torn up. So I didn’t press it. Then I got sick for Two months. The wife is now on my Ass to get this handled. I have been calling Justin and leaving voice mails. I have called and tried to talk with the General Manager. Left messages for him. I can’t even get thru to talk with a real Person. Everything goes to voicemail. I’ve been trying for over a month now
Someone please get back with me.
Arnie Guerra. 616-419 XXXX
Arnie Guerra says
We had carpet installed back in November. We paid extra to have your people move the funiture. The installers, in that process slid our couch across our kitchen linoleum ripping it io four places. On top of that the carpet installation was terrible. Cut short, a hole in one , a heat vent not cut out.
I contacted Justin at the Grand Rapids, Mich office. Sent him pictures and he sent out different people and reinstall new carpets. Was satisfied with that. He sent out some samples for the damaged flooring. Said he had to send oit a salesperson to get measurements. This was back in November. Didn’t hear anything since. Holidays came and we didn’t want our home torn up. So I didn’t press it. Then I got sick for Two months. The wife is now on my A** to get this handled. I have been calling Justin and leaving voice mails. I have called and tried to talk with the General Manager. Left messages for him. I can’t even get thru to talk with a real Person. Everything goes to voicemail. I’ve been trying for over a month now
Someone please get back with me.
Arnie Guerra. 616-419 XXXX
Empire Today says
Arnie, we regret to hear about the lack of follow up that you’ve received. We’ve located your order and will be in touch with you shortly to discuss your concerns and start working towards a resolution.
Kim Zynda says
I sent a message to corporate at 1:00 and haven’t heard a thing back once again!!!!
Empire Today says
Kim, we never want our customers to feel this way and sincerely apologize for your experience. We’ve located your account and will be in touch with you shortly to discuss your concerns.
Kim Zynda says
It has been over a week since my floor was installed and it still isn’t finished. I was quoted a price and they are now trying to charge me more, which I refuse to pay a dime more. Not only did it take 5 days for my salesman to call back and show up with different flooring to choose from, Empires customer service is horrible. I’ve left several messages and not one person returns my calls. If my companies customer service department treated our customers the way I’ve been treated we would be out of business. I expect answers and the rest of the floor installed for the price I was quoted.
Thank you,
Kim Zynda
Kim Zynda says
And now it’s morning and still no reply or call!!!!
Mary Dye says
i had plank flooring installed in two rooms and vinyl flooring installed in kitchen. First installation in kitchen the installer put vinyl on top of two types of other flooring and started warping. they ripped the new vinyl flooring up as well as the two old vinyl flooring and installed new vinyl flooring on top of concrete flooring. my house is on a concrete slab. installed new vinyl flooring again and it’s warping again. the manager scott (918) 939-9777 said he’d contact me to put the plank flooring in the kitchen. stating it was our fault because of the concrete slab. the seller/installers should of been experts and know that flooring would sweat before they installed it. no scott advise me of that and stating the plank flooring has room to breathe that’s why it’ doesn’t sweat. the flooring i had before empire flooring didn’t sweat either. i wanted a change. so IT’S NOT MY FAULT!!! scott stated he would get back with me to see what they are going to do. it’s been over a week and i’ve been trying to contact scott. he doesn’t answer his phone…i’ve texted him he doesn’t answer my texts . so now im stuck with warped flooring in my kitchen. i refuse to let this go. someone better contact me asap. empire has my number…i will not post on the website. thank you
Empire Today says
Mary, we regret to hear that your floor installation is not meeting your expectations. Your concerns are important to us, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to learn more.
Elizabeth Adams-Smith says
Installation on Treasure Island, FL. Entire Apartment. Salesperson Chris Fox. Many, many, many promises about the extraordinary installation and final clean-up because the installation people want a “10” rating from us! That is how they are awarded their jobs. Left 4 messages in an effort to nail down the install time since we had to drive 1:30 to be there – and we had been told that we would surely be the first install. Finally, at 7am on the install day, we get a call that we are the SECOND install. We finally find someone knowledgeable who tells us that means between 10-12 am. So we slow down and call my 99-year-old mother to tell her they (and we) won’t be there until 10 at the earliest and she says “they are here.” And they want me to give them a CC and approve the carpet. Conversation with installer Eric and then install manager Jason. The installers will go have breakfast and pick up some materials and be back at 10am. We arrive at 9:50, they arrive at 10:40. We go over the job (they tell us there will be ONE seam), approve the carpet style and color, give them a CC, remind them of the condo regulations in terms of clean-up and leave for the anticipated 5 hrs with my mother. We get a call that they will be finished in twenty minutes and we head back. They are just finishing up. The elevator and hallways are covered in debris. We remind them that that is important and also note that the new carpet is also covered with debris – they both need serious vacuuming. We also note that the install is very wavy, and most important that there is a cut in a very illogical place – perpendicular to the main sliding glass door.
Bottom line – Eric refused to do anything. I refused to sign final paperwork until the clean-up is complete. He just leaves. His “apprentice” returns because he forgot his cell phone and my husband presses him into service to help him clean the condo hallways (I have photos of this!!). Then he leaves and we start to clean up the newly laid carpet (as he was supposed to do) and put the place back together. They have left the remaining carpet on the balcony – neither my mother nor I could have managed that alone. They have also left a sliding door wide open with the vertical blinds closed so that all of the weights have blown out of the blinds onto the balcony and the blinds are a mess. I call Jason, supposedly his boss, to leave a message of complaint. No return call. I call Chris, the salesperson who made all the promises, and leave a message. No return call. And, guess what, no one askes us for a review or rating. (I have an appointment next week with Empire Today to recarpet my mother’s entire NY house. Should I cancel that?)
Empire Today says
Elizabeth, we work with our customers from start to finish until their concerns are fully addressed. We take matters such as these very seriously, and assure you that we’re looking into your concerns. We’ll be following up with you shortly.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support
Stefani Doster says
I would like to let you know that the experience with Empire has not been a pleasant one for the following reasons.
The sales man, Michael, came out to our house to give us an estimate for carpeting all the bedrooms (3). At first, it was a very pleasant and respectful experience. During the walk through of measuring we expressed, to Michael, that we would need to have the floor in master bedroom floated, because we know it is uneven and very noticeable by eye. At that point we ALL walked into the bedroom to show Michael where we would need the floating done, and Michael explain that it would be done and it is included in the estimate and install he was giving us, “NO PROBLEM” he said.
Michael came back on a Saturday, March 23rd to finalize the deal. Again, I express my concerns over the floating of the master bedroom, and he stated again, “NO PROBLEM”… “it is included and the install guys will take care of it.”
On Monday, March 25th, when I returned to work, and could print out the eContract, I read the entire thing and called the main number to ask questions about the contract. Specifically, the floating because it was not stated in the contract that the work would be done. The customer service person was pleasant and said the Michael and the Corporate Office would be calling me back within 24 hours. I never received a call from Corporate; however, Michael called me back. I discussed with him again my concern that the contract did not state anything about floating my master bedroom. Again, “NO PROBLEM”…”it will be done. If there is anything too extensive, they may have to charge you, but I don’t think the is the case with your bedroom.”
Wednesday, April 3rd, the day before installation, I call the main number again, and I spoke with Bryan Garcia. Bryan was also very pleasant and appeared to be helpful. I explain that I did not get a return call from Corporate regarding the floating, and I wanted to make sure this is going to be done. I also asked him about needs to happen with our furniture, because the contract said we needed to breakdown the beds, but Michael told us the installers would take of this. Bryan answered my question about breaking down the beds, which wasn’t that big of an issue, but Michael had given us the wrong information about the installers breaking down the beds. Anyway, Bryan puts me hold to speak to someone about the floating question. He returns to the call a few minutes later and says “the floating will happen as long as there isn’t any extensive work needed to the sub-floor there will not be an extra charge and they will float it.
The day of the installation, April 4th. The installer was great!!! However, he did not have any information regarding floating the master bedroom flooring, and he even made a comment on how unlevel the floor was in one particular area. My husband told him the floor is supposed to be floated. The installer called his boss to let them know what was going on, and was told that because the instructions on the install were not listed, he could not float the floor and did not have the material. My husband started calling Empire to find out why this was not on the instructions.
When my husband first called Empire, he was told that Michael did not work there anymore. Fortunately, the installer had Michael’s direct number, and guess what, Michael still did work for Empire. Michael then starting denying that he had told us the floor would be floated, and said “I NEVER SAID THAT”. Then he went on to say that he had only just found out that the floor couldn’t be floated because it was a carpet install. I personally feel that Michael miss led us to make a sale, and now that he had a signed contract, he did not have to deal with us anymore.
We were also told, by Empire, we would get a call back within 3 business days. That didn’t work for us because we need to sleep in our bedroom and needed the floor completed. After several phone calls and long periods of waiting on hold, we were told that we would get a call back within 24 hours. We have yet to receive that phone call, and today is April 7th. I called the morning of April 5th, and spoke to Mannie, who told me I should be getting a call “that day,” because it had been almost 24 hours. My husband was given the installation manager’s phone number, Turk at (866) 588-2317 X2331. My husband has left messages every single day with no response. Ref# 1-3777766396 given by Brisa.
Saturday April 6th, I called Synchrony back and have disputed the charge of $2900 due to incomplete work. Additionally, I called the customer service number and spoke the call center supervisor. I let him know that not only did they not float the floor, but now we have an additional issue with a seam showing in the master bedroom running the length of the bedroom, which also need to be repaired. The gentleman said they he sent an email to Tall Wall, I believe is his name, and we should hear back on Monday, April 8th.
April 9th, Still no call from anyone. Called the customer service line at 7:40pm and spoke to Orlando. Orlando said the record indicated that someone had spoken to my husband on April 8th, which never happened, and they had closed all the tickets regarding our complaints. I find this odd, because the issues are not resolved. Orlando open another ticket, Ref#1-3789775029, and said they he put instructions for the ticket not to be closed until the issue is resolved. Still waiting on someone to contact us.
Our issues need to be resolved or I will not pay for the floor and you all can come and remove it.
Looking forward to speaking with anyone at Empire and resolving our issues.
Stefani Doster says
Attionally, I have filed complaints with both BBB of Houston, and Consumer Affairs.
Empire Today says
Stefani, we’re disappointed to hear about your experience and sincerely apologize for the lack of communication that you’ve received. We assure you that we take your concerns seriously and we’ll be in touch with you ASAP to discuss your concerns.
Stefani Doster says
After reporting to the BBB, Consumer Affairs and stopping payment on my install I finally received a call from Tim Sherwin, Sr. Regional CS Manager at the Corp. Office (888) 588-2315 X7813, who was able to get my issues resolved. It took approximately two weeks, but it is finally done. I WILL NOT recommend this company to anyone, due to a salesman that would say anything to get a sell, and the complete lack of customer service skills and the inability of being able to return phone calls (or making a note that a call was made when it wasn’t) from the local office in Houston and Turk Boyd, Install Manager (866) 588-2317 x2331, he won’t answer this no., so try his Cell (713) 713-906-6993. I hope these numbers will be helpful to others who are trying to reach someone without any success.
Todd Dickson says
I am very disappointed in the lack of customer service. I’ve been trying to resolve my contract issue since December 27, 2018. I’ve reached out to my sales rep numerous times and he assured me it was being worked on. Time and again he stated he has spoken to a manager and a resolution is near. Then a few weeks go by and the same thing. Now he doesn’t answer calls or texts. I have the correct number because when I call from a different number, he answers. Then says the same thing, “you’re a great customer, but we are very busy so it is taking some time”. These are my issues:
Baseboards being done was in the contract, but they didn’t put them in and the installer said there were no baseboards to be added..
The cost of plywood to be laid down for leveling if needed was added, but it wasn’t necessary.
The 1/4 round edging in many places was not secured so it just sits there. It looks ok, but can move when sweeping. I called the installer a few times and he kept saying he would return, but never did. Then back to the customer service rep for follow up on it, and well, see my comment above, so no answer from him.
I like the product and love the look, I just only want to pay what I fairly owe.
Be aware of other issues though. They said one day plus part of a second day to “finish it up”. Three full days and part of a fourth is what it ended up being so I had to take two additional days odd work.
They didn’t pack out the debris and needed to use three of my trash cans which I then had to drag to the street since they were so heavy with tile.
Todd Dickson says
Continuing…..
The tile and wood flooring installers bad mouthed each other saying the other should do the transition work. I said I don’t care who does it as long as it gets done!
No one put plastic in doorways so the dust went all over, and they took edging out of the kitchen to lay tile and dint replace. Some of it was even broken. I know this because it was left on my kitchen counter. Ask for a picture, I have plenty.
They only removed one toilet, contract says two, and just tiled around it. And at the end, they left just one guy here so he and I had to move the appliances back into place.
Again, my customer service rep, Pulido, has all this info and pictures and assured me it was being handled. As of yet, no reply or resolution.
Please, please, please Corporate. Help me resolve this so I can just pay what is fair. And maybe look into hiring quality assurance reps to check the finished jobs to avoid what I see is an issue for many.
Todd Dickson says
Also, the number for customer service they give you would be a great asset if anyone ever answered and if not, it would be expected to be able to leave a voicemail and get the “mailbox Is full message”. Go ahead, try it: 877-588-5219 x4520
Empire Today says
Dear Todd, we take your concerns seriously, and sincerely apologize for your experience. We understand that we’ve spoken to you in regards to your concerns, and have completed the installation. For further questions and/or concerns please contact us at customersupport@ empire-today.com.
Thank you.
Todd Dickson says
Yes, the installation was completed, however not per contract. I’m still awaiting contact to resolve the amount owed back or to be removed from the amount still owed since I’m making payments. I would also appreciate some consideration/restitution for the two additional days I had to take off work due to the project taking three dats plus a few hours of a fourth day instead of the one day plus a few hours of a second day as advised by your sales rep. I still haven’t heard back from the rep, as he promised he would, since late December. The tile installer didn’t remove his debris and I had to bring three of my trash cans in the house to be used and then I had to take them out to the street. The tile installer also removed some baseboards in the kitchen and didn’t replace them. Probably because some were broken. I know this since he left them on my kitchen counter! I’m also waiting for the edging in the living room and hallway to be completed since they were not nailed down.
You can email me at the address listed above and I can send some pictures if you like.
Please let me know of a fair agreement to resolve this project..
Thank you
Tammie Freeman says
Purchased LVP flooring from Empire today 6 months ago. After installation the flooring was making a smacking noise when walked on certain areas. Upon contacting the installer they eventually came out and redid the floor in November 2018. Myself and the installer noticed when they pulled up the LVP there were many areas where these same installers did not properly lay the floating material (edge to edge) during the original installation thus causing the LVP to make the smacking noise when you walk on certain areas.
Unfortunately after the installers redid the floor most of the original areas were fixed, but NEW areas making the smacking noise surfaced. Upon contacting the installer he came out in January 2019 and basically said there was nothing else he could do. He stated this was not a result of installation but a result of the product and that I would need to contact Empire Today. After contacting Empire Today they sent the same installer out again who reiterated what he previously told us, however at this point he indicated the installation manager would be in contact with us.
The installation manager Turk Boyd came to our home in January 2019 checked the floor with his leveler and indicated the floor was level and within INDUSTRY STANDARDS and there was nothing Empire Today could do except send a 3rd party associate to check the floor and this 3rd party associate would basically conclude the same as what T. Boyd has informed us, which is the floors are completed within industry standards. Boyd did offer to have new installers come out, at the cost of Empire, and touch up the areas making the noise but also indicated we would have to sign off as satisfied the same day even though we would not have time to check the floor to confirm actual satisfaction. There is a 12 month warranty on the workmanship, so I am not exactly sure why there would be additional expenses incurred by Empire Today if the floors were repaired a second time. I now know it is company wide for Empire Today employees to spew lies in an attempt to disway customers from repairing their floors under this 12 month workmanship warranty. Boyd informed us that if the floors were repaired they could be better or they could be worse. Boyd informed us if new issues arose as a result of the 2nd redo it would be a lengthy process for us to have those areas fixed by Empire Today because the floor is leveled based on industry standard. Our complaint HAS NEVER BEEN that the floor was not leveled but that the underlay (floating material) was not properly laid under the LVP once again, especially since new issues arose after the first redo.
Boyd tried to indicate the noise was the result of the floor shifting because it is not glued down. However, 1) we were told by the Empire sales representative that came to our home that glueing the LVP would void the LVP manufacturers warranty and 2) we were NEVER informed the floor would make noise due to poor installation of the floating material. The noise was not due to shifting as it was discovered within the first 1-2 days after install upon which we immediately contacted Empire Today within the week. From the very first complaint in September 2018 we waited over month before having the installers come out to ensure the noise would not change after acclimating to our home and environment.
After leaving several negative reviews in places such as BBB, trust pilot and consumer affairs Boyd reached out to me in February and left a message indicating someone from corporate and reached out to him to contact me to resolve the issue. After communicating withTurk Boyd via text msg I set a new appointment for March 6th, well the installer was a no show. I messaged Boyd notifying him of the issue and asking for status as to when the installers would be to my home on March 6. I also called his mobile, office number and spoke to a customer service representative who confirmed there was no appoint in the system for me. Turk Boyd replied to my text two days later indicating he passed the responsibility to his colleague who failed to place the appointment and he wanted to know if I were available to have the floors repairs at that moment two days later. At this point I began feeling as though my situation was not being handled with concern and have since then requested for Empire Today to recoup their product from my home and provide me a refund of the product and installation charge. To no surprise I have spoken with Ray Gonzalez in the Houston office and Resolution manager Tim Sherwood in the corporate office both have flat out refused to provide a refund and insists that I give Empire Today an opportunity to repair my floors. At this point I have had 3 additional appointments outside of the original install date with Empire Today and only one repair. Keith Weinberger is this your business practice to infuriate customers amd ensure they are not repeat customers. To solidify dissatisfied customers do not refer family and friends to Empire today? What an awful business strategy.
If you are reading this review please note the below.
1) in addition to listing your complaint here you need to file a complaint with consumer affairs (your local Office of the Comptroller) this way there is a record of these incidents outside of the usual complaint boards and if the state deems there is unjust and deceptive business practice they will file a class action lawsuit.
2) call the CEO Keith Weinberger direct if you have any number aside from the number on the commercial you can search for his extension by last name.
3) use the customer service email format in this forum to email Keith Weinberger directly. Id be interested to know if anyone has spoken to him or if your issue has been resolved. On March 19 I left Mr Weinberger a voicemail and will continue calling until I speak with him.
4) go to your social media accounts and warn your followers and community to beware of Empire Today.
In closing please beware of this company while there is a warranty on the workmanship the warranty has a major loop hole. Empire does not care if the customer is satisfied, they only care about installed within industry standards. There are numerous other installation issues wherein I would have expected better from trained PROFESSIONAL installers. After having installers to our home 3 times and four appointments we only received 1 repair because there are no major dips in our floor. If there is noise where the professional installers did a poor job laying the floating material you will have to accept it after the first redo because according to Turk Boyd additional redos are nearly impossible as long as there are no noticeable dips in your floor. And any redos after that could potentially result in the same shoddy work and you may have to jump through hurdles to get Empire Today to redo your floor a 3rd time.
I will NEVER PIRCHASE FROM NOR RECOMMEND purchase Empire Today to anyone as it is my belief they have deceptive business practices and use industry loop holes to take advantage of consumers. Nowhere in the contract was it mentioned the floor would make these sounds. No where in the contract did it state the floor would not be completed to customer satisfaction but based on industry standard. We spent over 5k to live the next 15 yrs with floors that make noise due to poor installation or we could pay another 5k to have another company come out and redo the flooring and cross our fingers that they have more professional less rushed installers than Empire Today, this is not acceptable.
At what point am I entitled to a refund…after the installation warranty has expired. How many times does the same installation company have to tell me it’s not their fault or how many no show appointments entitle me to a refund? How long is this supposed to drag out? Dont you care about your reputation and the customers you service? If do not receive a refund it is going to be painful and time consuming for everyone involved until then the warranty expires.
Keith Weinberger you need to look into these complaints and not be so disconnected from your customers. Positive reviews are not the only ones that should matter to you. Seems like Empire Today needs to clean house your ratings are down your awards are down—reduction in force starting with old talent in the Houston office. This is BS and you and the rest of Empire knows this!!!!!
I would greatly like to return this product and receive a refund but Boyd basically informed us that Empire Today would rather drag you through court for years rather than refund your money— according to Boyd there is basically too much work from past hurricanes for Empire and their installers to spend too much time redoing any home to customers actual satisfaction.
Empire Today says
Dear Tammie, we’ve read your review and sincerely apologize for your experience. Your satisfaction is a priority to us, and we’ll be follow up with you shortly.
Janice Letterly says
I called and scheduled repair for my carpet and was told they would be out to my home on March 13 and of course no one should up or called to cancel. I received a call today because I called to complain and was told I would be first on their list today between 8Am and 9 Am. It is now 10:45 and no show or call. I called the office and was told they did try to call but my phone was disconnected and it is not . When I called originally to schedule the appointment for carpet a nice young man came out to measure. I told him then that I was given their company and endorsement and would for my friend to get the money they promise for referrals and he said I will tell the office and they will handle it. When the installers came out I again told them about the referral. I told them about my friend and that she also had purchased carpet and where she lived and her name. I assumed someone would call but no call. When I called to see why she didn’t receive anything I was told they would not pay her because I didn’t call the office. I guess that was my mistake but since I had already told two people about her I thought the office would call. You can also be sure that I will not refer anyone to them because of all of this. I am really sorry about this note but someone needs to know how they handle customers.
Empire Today says
Janice, this is not the experience that we wish for our customers and we apologize for the experience. We’ll be in touch with shortly to continue working on a resolution.
Tammie Freeman says
Call Keith Weinberger
Arnie Guerra says
We live in Hamilton, mich and had carpet installed in three rooms. In the process the installers moved our living room furniture into the kitchen and ripped our lanolin in 4 spots. The carpet installation was poor and they had to come back out and reinstall new carpets. They said they’d replace the damage lanolin at that time. At that time it was clos to tje holidays and we didn’t want our home torn up. Then I go sick for two months. Now I can’t get anyone tp even return my calls. I want. something done.
Arnie. 616-419-XXXX
Kathleen McAferty says
What is his phone number? I am having issues with this company myself.
Violet Tudor says
Was very unhappy with empire today.bad service from 0 to10
Empire Today says
Dear Violet, we want every customer to be satisfied, and we’re not happy that you’ve had a bad experience. We’ve located your account information, and will be further reviewing your concerns.
Janet White says
I am very disappointed in the customer service I have received since February 6, On February 5, I met with David, a salesmen from your company, to order laminate flooring and ceramic tile for my home. I chose to use Empire Today as I had used the company last year to install laminate and carpeting throughout my home.
During my meeting with David, I selected a laminate that closely resembled the previously purchased laminate. I fully understood that the laminate I previously purchased was no longer carried. However, at no time was I informed that the new laminate would have dual colors and come in smaller planks than what I previously purchased. It is such a visual difference between the older and new laminates that visitors to my home comment, and not in a positive manner. As you can probably imagine, I believe I am now in the undesirable position that requires me to order new laminate to replace what was installed on February 5.
I have written to J. Summers since February 5, with my concerns (six times). Mr. Summers has stated that he would work with the marketing and sales department to determine a resolution. The last email to Mr. Summers was written on February 13.
As of today, I have not received any communications from Mr. Summers.
I am requesting your assistance in helping to resolve this matter.
Empire Today says
Janet, we take your product concerns seriously, and regret to hear that you’re unsatisfied. We’ll be in contact with you soon to discuss your concerns.
Jamilaha Forrest says
I am writing today to complain of the poor service I received from your Sacramento office.
I recently purchase my first home and was excited to make it my own with new flooring. I saw an advertisement from your company and called to schedule an appointment with a sales representative. I met with Tammy Raetz on 1/2/2019 and received pricing for carpet, vinyl and laminate. Due to budgetary constraints, I settled on vinyl installation for two and half bathrooms and washroom and laminate for kitchen and living room area which costed approx. seven thousand dollars.
The first contractors, Ryan and Zack, who did the laminate installation were great. The second contractor for the vinyl Hugo arrived as scheduled on 1/10/2019 and asked me to come out to see the material. He then advised me the transition strips did not match the vinyl. I asked could he get ones that match and he replied it would take a few days. Upon coming into my home, he asked did I just get the laminate floors done and I said yes. He said the vinyl should have been done before the laminate because it goes under the laminate. He then stated he should have done the whole job. I replied I have no control over that and was advised by the Empire sales rep Tammy that there would be two contractors and I was not advised that one job should have been done before the other. I showed him the upstairs bathroom and he said I’d have to remove the toilets to which I replied, I paid for that. It’s in my contract. He then said the water has to be cut off. I told him Tammy advised me of that AND that they could show me how to turn the knob to cut it off. He did not reply and I said let me read my contract and call Empire. He stated he was going outside to talk to his boss. While on the phone with Empire customer service, I went outside to find him gone.
After calling customer service for three days someone finally got back to me the next week. I finally spoke with Pamela Harris (customer service) and Steven Lee Carter (installation) to get this resolved. I was disappointed that I had to follow up on a failed installation as the customer but I just wanted this resolved. The vinyl installation was re-scheduled twice for 1/10/2019 and 1/15/2019 which caused me to take off work. The third time, 1/16/2019 I could not take off work and my roommate stayed home for the installation. While the contactor did a good job with the install I nor my roommate was consulted about the color of the borders used. As a result, I found the vinyl and borders do not match, they are way off. I have been in contact with both Pam via email and Steven via email, text and phone about this issue since 1/18/2019 and sent pictures, this is all documented. Finally, I was told by Steven on 2/6/2019 that a sales representative will come to my home for me to look at borders on 2/8/2019. No one showed up. I text and left a message for Steven on 2/8/2019 and have yet to hear from him. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss matters further. As it stands I have missed two days of work and have paid for ill-matched borders for vinyl installation for two and half bathrooms and washroom. I would like to discuss how these issues will be corrected and look forward to hearing from you within the next 5 days.
Empire Today says
Jamilaha, we know your time is valuable and we sincerely regret to hear that your installation was not completed to your satisfaction. We’ve located your order and we’ll be in touch with you ASAP to discuss a resolution. Thank you for your patience.
J Vora says
Empire Today’s customer service is CRAP. I have been trying to get hold of someone responsible at the company since December 07,2018. The so called professional company had somebody measure our kitchen floor and install laminate, which was fine. Now I wanted to change the dishwasher and get s new one I couldn’t because empire today people put the laminate blocking it under the counter. The dishwasher cannot be removed without damaging my kitchen floor. Now when it is time to correct their mistakes no one is returning my calls. Angie from customer care is another issue. She absolutely has no clue how to do her job. After telling her clearly what the issue is, she decides to document “it’s water damage”; while there is none and none was talked about on the call. IF EMPIRE TODAY ACTUALLY HEARS THE CALLS THAT THEY RECORD FOR TRAINING PURPIOSES, THEY SHOULD LISTEN. Its now two months since my first call and THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO ONE TO RETURN OUR CALL. I’m stuck calling them every week waiting for their “within 24hr “ call returning policy. DO EMPIRE TODAY EMPLOYEES READ THEIR OWN DAMN POLICIES?????. Every time I call I have to repeat everything and then they say they have emailed internally to Angie’s supervisor, Alena and again false promise to get a call to resolve the issue.
WHO INSTALLS LAMINATE IN FRONT OF A DISHWASHER VS. INSTALLING UNDER IT? EMPIRE TODAY CALLS THEMSELVES PROFESSIONALS? WHY IS THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE REP TELLING ME THAT ITS MY JOB TO INFORM THEM ABOUT INSTALING IT UNDER THE DISHWASHER?
LET ME TELL YOU, EMPIRE TODAY MAY HAVE LOW PRODUCT PRICING BUT THEY HAVE AN ABSOLUTELY SHITTY AFTER SALES SUPPORT. I WILL NEVER RECOMMEND THEIR PRODUCT OR YOUR SERVICE TO ANYONE.
J Vora says
Reading some of the threads and the responses, I am hoping that someone will get back to me. All I want is EMPIRE TODAY takes the responsibility for their mistake and corrects it ASAP.
Empire Today says
Jui, we assure you that we take your concerns very seriously, and are currently looking into your concerns. We’ll be in touch with you shortly.
Eileen Torres says
I really wish I read these comments before hiring Empire….
Empire Today, LLC
333 Northwest Avenue
Northlake, Illinois 60164
To CEO: Keith Weinberger
CFO: Thomas Knapp
COO: Paul W. Carter
Re: Carpet Installation & Customer Service
I will begin with the positive. We had an excellent sales representative Chris Plouff who came out to the house twice. Once to give us an estimate and the second time was to write out the paperwork. The second time around he was kind enough to take out the choice we made so we could see them again to make sure. On December 3, 2018 work commence and a representative of empire by the name of JC came to my townhome and professionally did the floors. Not only did he do a wonderful job, he always cleaned everything up the entire three days he was there. Everything was always left tidy when he left. Once the work was done, he gave me ample time to meet with him to do a walk through and explain any concerns I may have had and gave me a box of the flooring to store and “just in case”. The floors are outstanding we have received so many compliments on them and I am really happy with the work done and JC’s professionalism!
The next phase was the carpet on the stairs which was to begin Friday December 7th. The carpet installer named Craig came after 2pm and said he could not get started that it would take him longer then the allotted time to take the carpet off the stairs. I live in a deed restricted neighborhood and you can only work from 8am-5pm. It was in my paperwork when I signed all the paperwork. He told me he would come first thing Monday morning December 10th to begin the project. He came to the house around 11am and began taking the carpet off the stairs and it did take a long time and he left around 4pm not all the carpet was removed. The second day Tuesday the 11th he did not show up until around 11am and had to leave around 12pm because his daughter was sick (understandable)but said he could come back around 3pm. My husband told him no because he had to go to work and no one would be able to let him in. Wednesday the 12th I received a call from his supervisor Jack to see how it was going. I find out that Craig works under Jack and is a subcontractor for Empire. I explained he may need some help to complete this project. The stairs are a lot of work due to what the previous homeowner did and he did not complete the removal of the carpet yet. He said he would stop by the site to review (He never did). Craig comes back after 11am he told me he was running really late. When he arrived, he left because he needed to go to Tampa to get a staple gun to finish the stairs. He told me the work would be completed that day. I left work early to alleviate my husband so he could go to work and someone would be there to let Craig in. It was 3pm when he comes back to begin. This time his wife and child are in the vehicle. They had come inside when the HOA president told them he could not work past 6pm. So they cleaned up and left and told me he would be back on the following day which was Thursday the 13th. After they left, I heard a running toilet come to find out someone used the upstairs bathroom located inside my daughter’s room. I only know because that bathroom needed repairs on the lever so after you flush you have to pull the lever up or the toilet runs. Not ok with that because the bathroom was located in my daughters’ bathroom and no one asked. Thursday December 13th I received a text that “stated because they know I am almost done they are having me do a small job before I get to you. I should be to you around 2p (I am assuming they is Empire). I texted back that my husband has to work and that he was expecting him at 10am. So it was pushed to Friday well I got a call that he couldn’t come and finish the work Friday. At this point I was very upset it is almost a week to finish stairs. He told me he could come Saturday morning to finish. After I calmed downed and talk to my husband, we agreed for Saturday completion. He comes on time and brings his wife to help clean up and finish the project. He asked me what I wanted to do with the carpet. I had nowhere to store it but I wanted and asked for pieces for the closet and a piece just in case. I was told that after he finished with his Saturday job, he would swing back and drop it off. He called and could not stop by on Saturday but on Sunday December 16th he could come around 2pm to drop off the cut outs. I was in the store on Sunday and he called me to let me know he had a dilemma. He could drive from Palm Harbor to give me the cutouts but he didn’t have enough gas to get back home to Tampa that if I wanted to give him a couple of bucks he had no problem coming by or I could wait until after he was paid on Monday December 17th and he could drop by during the week and give us the cut outs. I told him to go home and that he could drop it off during the week. I was completely taken aback. I have never been asked a question like that. I thought that was very unprofessional. We never heard back from him during the week.
Three weeks after the installation the stairs have strings hanging from them under the stairs. Gaps and pockets are showing up. It does not look good. We are still cleaning glue from the wall and floor from the carpet install. As a customer no one should have to go through this ordeal. We should not have this problem and we would like this fixed immediately and in a timely manner.
My Husband called on January 7th to report the carpet was given a file number and was told he would hear back about an inspection.
January 8th Angie from the office called with file number A05228 wanting to know what are issue was with the carpet. I immediately called my husband with the information so that he could call back.
January 9th my Husband sent pictures to Angie of the stairs and the work that was done. He explained that he did not want the same installer at our home. She confirmed that a different installer would come to our home on January 11th to assess the situation.
January 11th Installer came to the house by 12pm. They came in thinking it was just repairs. After further inspection, they assessed the stairs and told my Husband that the stairs needed to be completely re-done and that they would let the supervisor know of their findings.
Angie spoke with my husband and the carpet installers will be back Tuesday January 15th to re-do the carpet on the stairs.
January 15th – 10:09 a.m. I received a Call from Craig the 1st carpet installer stating that he would be there from 1-3p to fix the stairs. I explained to him that we live in an HOA and work must stop at 5. He said it is just a repair of a couple of stairs? I explained to him that we had another set of installers come out on Friday and they told us the carpet had to be completely re-done. He asked if it was gradual and I said yes. He didn’t believe it. I told him we are working with Angie and he needed to get with her. He said he was going to call Brett and get back to me. I do not know who Brett is.
My Husband calls Empire immediately because as stated before we did not want the 1st installer back at our home. Come to find out that Craig is not the one coming to the house. Installer coming to the house is named Chauncey and he would be doing the new installation and that we were the first stop and would be there anywhere from 10:30-12pm. My husband explained again that the HOA does not allow work after 5.
We already explained to Angie last week when this process started that we did not want this installer at our house nor do we want any contact with him. So why am I getting a call from him to re-do work that has to be re-done again.
Get a call from Craig at 10:37 a.m. from Craig. I did not answer and called my husband immediately. He called Empire right away. The carpet was re-scheduled for Friday January 25th. He was on the phone with the Supervisor of carpet installation for the Tampa area. My husband was told that a new crew would do the installation. He re-iterated that the 1st installer should not be contacting me and that he should be told this immediately.
Come January 25th I receive a call from empire automated call that my carpet installation is scheduled for the afternoon. I am infuriated at this time and I call back because we were told we would be the first stop and that the carpet would be done. I was left on hold for so long so they can get a hold of the carpet installer to be told he can’t get to you until around 3 or 4. I explained again that we live in an HOA and no work could be done after 5pm so there is no way that they could get the work done coming at 3 or 4pm. Basically I was told there is nothing that could be done that is the time scheduled. My husband calls and the installer is going to call me. I will hold my breath after the way we have been treated
Is this how business is conducted?? This is a huge company that was highly recommended! Is this how people are treated? We get the run around from everyone and the customer service lacks in every way possible to remedy the situation! We never received a call back from Angie after the initial contact and no follow-up what so ever.
As you can imagine, we are not happy at all. This is unacceptable All this grief for carpet on the stairs. 1 week for installation and after 3 weeks they need to be completely re-done. Almost another month in waiting for the carpet to be re-done.
The experience with the carpet was not the same. It was not handled appropriately or in a timely fashion nor was there any compensation for the carpet or our time. So we foot the bill and reschedule our appointments to ensure the carpet can be re-installed. Is that fair? This is still an ongoing issue and nothing has been resolved!
Empire Today says
Eileen, your satisfaction is our number one priority and we regret to hear that your carpet installation did not meet your expectations. We’ll be following up with you shortly to discuss your concerns, thank you.
William Reeves says
Hello,
I have been screwed by Empire also .. scroll down and see my unresolved issues that started 4 years ago.
Empire does whatever they can to avoid you..
They lie and give you fake information if can even reach them.
Good luck but Empire just added you to the Your screwed list.
Belinda says
01/14/2019
To whom it may concern at the Empire Flooring Company:
My husband and I started looking for new flooring early 2018. I looked at people’s floors that had purchased wood laminate, we looked at flooring at Home Depot and Menards. One day I was looking on line at Home Depot and a pop up add for Empire for a free home estimate came up. I entered our information to be contacted. I was contacted and scheduled an appointment for a free consultation.
This was the first time I met Tracy Paulson. She showed me different products and I settled on the middle of the line product. Not the very most expensive but one that she assured me was top quality.
At this time, I was interested in getting our living room, front entry way and hallway done. She also quoted me prices for some window treatments and new carpet for our bedroom. I talked to her about getting the same flooring for the kitchen, laundry room and bathroom as what I was having put in first. I asked her about tying the floor together without having a strip across the seam if I would order the flooring at two different times. She said, “I believe this is possible” several times. I asked her about how long different product lines are around, concerned that this style of flooring would be discontinued before we could afford to order the rest of the flooring. She told me she thought this flooring would be around for a while, but I should plan to get it ordered sooner rather than later. She reassured me about the flooring being able to be tied together for a good flow, so I did not see this as a concern. She made me more concerned about this style of flooring being discontinued before we would be able to afford to order the next section. This was the reason why we had to do it in 2 different orders, cost. We went ahead and had the first part of the flooring installed.
After about 6 months I received a couple phone calls from Empire telling me about different deals. When my husband and I felt we could afford the next section and the deal that was explained to me sounded too good to pass up we scheduled another appointment to have our sales consultant come out.
And this is where things started to go downhill. When I scheduled the appointment, I asked for Tracy because at this time I was still ignorant enough to think she knew what she was doing. And this was also my first clue that there is absolutely NO communication between your sales consultants, your installers and your operators.
The person that called to say he was on his way to our house was not Tracy, but some man. I honestly do not remember his name. He was gracious enough to re-schedule the appointment with Tracy. Only saying he wished he knew about it sooner, so he wouldn’t have driven so far out as he had plenty of other appointments scheduled to go to.
So, Tracy came out again to measure for the rest of the flooring (for the kitchen, laundry room and bathroom). She again reassured me that she believed the flooring could be tied together without the strip across it. I understand that this was not a guarantee, but she certainly led me to believe that it was possible. She was very happy to make a sale.
The day the installers came out to install the second part of the flooring my mom was at my house to let them in, I was at work. I am not allowed to carry my phone with me at work. Once I had a break, I was able to check it and saw there were multiple frantic voice mails from my mom. I called her, and she said that the installers told her that the only way that they could tie the new flooring into the flooring that had just been put in 8 months earlier was to tear up the whole living room floor. Besides not having enough product with them to do that there is no way that I would have given them permission to do that. How absolutely insane would that be to tear up a basically brand-new floor. They left without doing anything with the floor.
I sent Tracy a text when I got home from work that day voicing my frustration. She sent a text back saying she would see what she could find out. She ended up calling me shortly after that. I wish I could have recorded that conversation but the highlights of it are as follows:
1. She didn’t even remember who I was, she could not picture our house as she sees “hundreds of houses a week”. So, going back to our earlier conversation in early 2018, she really didn’t care if the floors could be tied together or not, she just wanted the sale to be made. If she had been any sales person at all she would have checked in with the installer right then to allow us, as the customer, make an informed decision. Had she told us that the floors couldn’t be tied together then we would have waited to get the flooring installed when we could afford to do it all at one time.
2. She had the nerve to throw in my face about how “as a single mom” she had to pay extra money to have unexpected work done to a floor that she had replaced. First, I wasn’t talking to her to hear about the problems she had with her flooring experience. Second, why does it matter that she’s a single mom. Just because I’m married with kids means that I should have to pay extra?? I get so tired of women using the excuse that they are single moms.
3. When I brought up to her about the floors being tied together without the strip she said, “I believed they could be”. Later in the conversation I said those words back to her as what she said, and she then changed her words to “well I was hopeful”. If she couldn’t even remember our house, then how could she remember that she was hopeful??
4. She made her sale and that is all she cared about. When I questioned if the installers knew how to install the product, she just said “they’re the experts, if that’s how they say it has to be done then that’s how it has to be done”. Tracy claims to have a knowledge of the product that she was so happy to sell, well she obviously doesn’t!!
At this point my husband called the customer service line to file a complaint and he was told someone would contact him in 3 business days. He called on the Tuesday when the installers first came out and was told he would hear back from someone by Friday. He never did hear from anyone. He even called back the following Monday and still never heard from anyone. That’s a fine way to run a business.
Tracy scheduled an appointment for the installers to come back the following Saturday when my husband would be home. Yes, I must work weekends sometimes too. My husband was told the same thing, that the whole living room floor would have to come up for the flooring to be tied together without the strip. Oh, and the cost for all that to be done would come out of our pocket. Again, how absolutely insane is that. Of course we couldn’t afford that, that’s why we were purchasing the flooring at two different times in the first place! So yes, now there is a strip connecting the flooring together, and it reminds me every day of how incompetent the Empire company is.
Now I realize that my husband did sign the paper that the installers had him sign saying he accepted the work as is. As I said earlier, I was at work at the time or I would not have signed it. At this point I do not even expect anything to be done but if I could help prevent other customers from having to experience the same horrible experience as this then I could feel some small satisfaction.
The Empire company has NO communication. The operators are just trying to get as many appointments scheduled as possible. The sales people are just trying to sell as much of the product as possible. The installers just want to get the flooring down, they don’t care how it looks.
Tracy said to me, “Empire has been in business for 70 years, they want everyone to be happy”. The only way that I could be happy is to have the flooring tied together without the ugly strip across it. I will never buy another product from your company ever again, and I will make sure everybody that I know hears about what poor service you have.
Sincerely,
Belinda
Empire Today says
Belinda, thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We take matters such as these very seriously, and we’d like to follow up with you to discuss your experience. Unfortunately, we’re unable to locate your account with the information provided. Please email us at customersupport@ empire-today.com with both the phone number and street address listed under your order. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
William Reeves says
Hello,
Don’t believe anything Empire tells you .
I have unresolved issues dating back 4 years .
Empire avoids you at all cost..they lie to you and give you fake information.
Scroll down and check out my issues.
Empire has a Your screwed list and you are now on it .
Good luck
Dolo Enterprises LLC says
Attention Keith Weinberger, Chief Executive:
I hope this letter finds you well. My company Dolo Enterprises LLC was recently contacted by Certegy Payment Solution LLC, a company that buys debt from Empire Today and harasses people to pay them. This letter falsely accused our company of non-payment, despite the following events that were directly the result of Empire Today LLC. This was one of the worst customer service experiences our company has ever dealt with. Please see the chain of events below.
I received a free estimate from Empire Today (Order # 1-3597857891/ Customer Account # 1-1N5C6EX) on December 5, 2018 to complete installation for carpet and vinyl floor for my property. The salesman Damien (I believe his last name is Popp, phone number 920-960-4257) visited the home, inspected the floor and carpet and provided a quote for installation. I was informed I needed to provide a check paid to Empire on the first day in the amount of $2,000 for floor installation prior to the work starting. This would be the same process on the second day for carpet installation. On Friday December 14, 2018 (day of vinyl floor installation) I received a call from my family that Empire Today would not accept our business check. The installers said the Payee name needed to be the name of the Empire installation agent, and not Empire Today LLC. This incident made me suspicious and uncomfortable. I immediately called Empire to rectify this issue. I spoke with Nathaniel at Empire. He informed me it was not an Empire policy for a check to be made out to an individual person. The check payee should be made out to Empire Today LLC and our business check was a valid form of payment. This led me to believe the installation team was trying to scam me.
3 hours later my family informed me the installation team abruptly left the job site with no explanation. I called Damien, the salesman, around 12:18 PM EST, 3 hours after the job was to begin. Damien informed me that the installation team came and left because the stove and refrigerator could not be moved, and the floor couldn’t be replaced in one of the bathrooms because it needed additional sub flooring. None of these issues were mentioned during the initial visit. The installation crew walked away and cancelled the job without providing any details. During that same phone discussion with Damien, he stated he would make sure the job was officially cancelled in the Empire system. I also told him to cancel the carpet job scheduled for the next day Saturday December, 15 2018 because I was disappointed by the customer service received. He assured me he would complete the cancellation once he got to the office as he was driving. I also called the 800 number (800-588-2300) 20 minutes later around 12:45 PM EST to make sure that I was not charged for work that was not completed. The customer service rep on the 800 number told me that Damien would have to put in the cancellation and that I would not be charged. I called Damien back 15 minutes later at 1:00 PM EST and he confirmed he would process the cancellation to avoid charges. Later that day, I checked my bank statement and noticed that Empire still processed my check, even though they walked away from the job with no communication with me. I called my bank and placed a stop payment on the check. The checks were stopped for payment because no work was done by Empire Today, and the installation team cancelled the job.
On Monday December 17, 2018, I noticed my bank account was still showing a check pending for $2,000. I called my bank and they informed me that Empire attempted to withdraw the $2,000 by using my bank account #, despite the fact that no work was done. This is unethical. When I called the 800 number, I was informed Damien didn’t submit the cancellation on Friday December 14th in the Empire system as promised. After transferring me 3 times, I spoke with the Procurement Department (Beatrice / Alfred) who entered the cancellation on Monday December 17, 2018. A few days later, my sister received several harassing calls from Certegy Payment Solution LLC stating that Dolo Enterprises LLC had to pay Empire Today $2,000. Action was taken to stop payment on the check, after Dolo Enterprises was falsely charged for work that was never started on Friday December 14, 2018. Because of Empire, I have experienced the following:
_Bait and switch by a salesman who tried to up sell me the day of the job Fraudulent installation team who requested the check be written in their personal name
_An installation team that walked away from the job without any notifications or communication
_Empire Today processed Dolo Enterprises check although no work was completed
_I had to pay my bank $35 to stop payment on the check
_I spent several hours on the phone with Empire Today and my bank, trying to finalize the cancellation and additional follow-up
_I had to postpone renting my apartment, a $600 loss, due to finding a new vendor
_Empire Today attempted to blemish the credibility and credit of Dolo Enterprises
_Empire Today sold my name to a third party agency who harassed me to pay $2,000 for a job that was never started, and a debt that did not exist.
In conclusion, I was referred to Empire Today for floor and carpet installation by a colleague. This was my first experience with Empire and it will be my last. The customer service and communication were terrible, and I am disgusted with the entire process. As a customer, I am writing to ask that you look into your company policies and instill (1) better communication with customers after consultation (2) clear cancellation policy when your installation team walks away from a job (3) better training for installation crew when it comes to excepting payment (4) training customer service representatives on how to work with customers (5) clear understanding for customers during consultation to avoid upcharge and delay of installation process. (6) Stop selling contact information of client to debt collectors without validation.
Sincerely,
Empire Today says
Dolo Enterprises, we regret to hear that your experience did not go as planned, and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We understand that your orders have been cancelled, and we’ll be further reviewing your concerns, thank you.
HB Carr says
Something is seriously wrong, on December 28th 2018, a salesman named Joe visited my home to give an estimate in 2 rooms; which was to be a next day installation. In fact the installers arrived, ripped up the carpet in the one room and stated the floors needed to be sanded before the laminate could properly be installed, and we would have to contact the salesman, “OKAY” which we did; he came out 2 days later. Joe informed us we would need to use vinyl, plus pay an extra $700 for sanding the floors so we picked new flooring. ( The reason for the so-called sanding is because we older wooden floors the original floors when the home was built over a 115 years ago). By any means, we had another NUT INSTALLER to come out and state he couldn’t install until we removed our radiators; I told him NO! This person left out my home left the door open to speak with a representative, appeared to be pissed off jumped his van and pulled off without a word, not closing my gate or door! What an idiot! The spoke about taking $50 off for 2days of No Service! My wife is handling it from this point.
My wife handled the situation by contacting their corporate office. Contractors were arrived at my home immediately the following day at 8:15am and began sanding the floors to install our new floors. Will let you know the outcome, as well as compensation for failure to produce in a timely manner. $700 for inconvenience knocked off our bill.
Empire Today says
Dear customer, we take your concerns very seriously and we’d like to follow up with you ASAP. Please email your contact information including: phone number and street address to customersupport@ empire-today.com, thank you.
KRISTY A BIASELLA says
We have been trying to get our floor fixed for over a month and no one will call us back and when we call they tell us there is nothing they can do but give us quarter round to put where the floor is super short from all the walls. If i wanted quarter round, I wouldn’t have paid all the money i did for a nicer floor. The customer service is terrible. They said they can send some one out to fix it and charge me for 5 more boxes. This was not my fault, we did what we were told to do and take the baseboards off so the floor could go as close to the wall. After putting the baseboards back on the floor is still short an inch in over 10 spots. How is this my fault?? And again, why do I have to pay for your mistake?
Empire Today says
Kristy, we’re sorry to hear that you’ve been unsatisfied with your experience. We’ll be further reviewing your concerns, thank you.
Julie Isgro says
I cannot even believe after the experience I posted last week your “company” is not trying to deliver “better” customer service, especially since your corporate office called and “promised” better communication………..this is beyond OUTRAGEOUS!!!!!!!!!
My order which was delayed to Dec. 17, I was assured and promised I would get a call regarding status of my order on Dec.17, well guess what??????????? NO PHONE CALL, NO E MAIL…………NOTHING! So tonite I had to place a call after the second day of hearing nothing.
Not to my suprise, now the order is due 12/19!!!!!!
Why the hell do I have to call and find this out when I was promised I would get an update on 12/17?????????
Does Empire today know what customer service is?
I expect to be contacted regarding this ASAP.
Once again, how are you still in business?????????
Empire Today says
Julie, we apologize for the lack of follow up that you’ve received. We’ll be in touch with you ASAP to discuss your experience.
Fred Wilson says
Good Afternoon Mr. Weinberger,
My name is Fred Wilson and I am writing in regards to a carpet order I place with your company Empire Today. I had an install date of Wednesday, December 19, 2028. I received a call saying the padding was not in, so they changed the date to Thursday, December 20, 2018, I changed my off day at work to accommodate the new date. When the installation team arrived around 1 p.m. on Thursday they proceeded to go over the measurement and to me that the associate that came out and did the consultation (Mike) did not have the measurements, so my carpet would be short and have a gap until they could order more and come back to install. I okayed that for Saturday, December 22, 2018. They began to tear out the old carpeting and started installing the padding. When the installer went get the carpet there was discoloration in the carpet. I ordered a dazzling gray, but this has patches of brown woven in. Then we notice slices within the carpet in multiple areas. This was unacceptable, so they had to reorder the carpet and was going to do the complete install on Saturday, December 22, 2018. Again, I okayed the delay with the expression that I need this done before my infant grandchild returns home Sunday morning. I was assured it would happen. So today being Saturday, December 22, 2018, I received a call saying the installation team will be out between 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. that was at 9 a.m. When I had not received a call I proceeded to call Customer Service around 11 a.m. and the representative assured me that I would receive a call from the installation team to inform me of their arrival. They called at 11:40 a.m. and said they should arrive between 1 – 3 p.m. So I rearranged my plans again to accommodate the late arrival only to receive a call an hour later saying that the truck broke down and they can’t come until Monday. Monday being December 24th, Christmas Eve, so you can imagine how upset I am at this point. Now my holiday gathering that I had planned has to be canceled because I am certainly not having guest in my home when it is in such disarray.
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
Marie says
I’m so disgusted with Empire and Synchrony. We had our floors installed this past August. The representative who came to our house was wonderful. It is what happened after our first payment, all hell broke loose. We signed for up
for financing, we’re offered 2 options: 12 months no interest or a 4 year payout. We opted for the 4 payout and made our first payment, because the type of job I have varies. So we wanted a payment plan we know we could afford if needed. Either way, we made our first payment on time, in September. Now comes October, payment is $40 more than what we signed up for. We called Empire and Empire told us to Synchrony. We found out that we in fact placed on the 12 month no interest payment plan. Now we’re in December and Empire and/or Synchrony have yet to correct their mistake. But yet wr have a past due balance and Synchrony has reported the delinquency on credit report. Both companies have annotations as to what is going on, but neither has fixed it yet. All I wanted was for the payout I requested and signed up for. Now, Empire and Synchrony want me pay the past due promotional amount for them to anything. I had a
Better experience with Conns. I will NEVER recommend anyone to Empire.
Empire Today says
Marie, we’re sorry to hear about your financing concerns. Please email your contact information to customersupport@ empire-today.com so we can look into this matter, thank you.
William Reeves says
Hello,
You were just added to Empires You’re Screwed List.
I have hd issue for 4 years And No resolution in sight.
Just scroll down and see the issues .
Good luck
Julie Isgro says
I just read all these horror stories from your customers, and now realize that what I have been dealing with is COMMONPLACE!! How the hell are you still in business? If I ever conducted myself in my line of work like this company does I would be unemployed, this company is totally void of any integrity and professionalism, the name of the game is to IGNORE your customers.
I have used Empire today 6 years ago for window treatments in my home, the experience was uneventful. I decided to call the same salesman and once again order my window treatments from your company……….HUGE MISTAKE.
I ordered window treatments, the following day an installer came to confirm the measurements, a long time had elapsed and I heard nothing, I was told, “oh its a custom order, it takes time” I had asked the salesman to help and all he did was e mail, and that is if he remembered to do so.
I then was given a date the window treatments where suppose to be in…..still no call, you call customer service and they tell you it has to be given to another dept. to follow up with, you have to beg and threaten for a call back. When I finally did receive a call back they told me that they where missing “a part” and delivery was delayed another 3 weeks!!!
WOW really???? It would have been professional to AT LEAST CALL AND INFORM YOUR CUSTOMERS THAT there is an issue, that would be called COMMUNICATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now I reach out to the salesman for help…another joke, he gives me the phone number for NY customer service……..this is the best……….IT GOES STRAIGHT TO VOICEMAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY PROMISE TO RETURN THE CALL WITHIN 24 HOURS, hahahahaha don’t hold your breath!!!! CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT GOES TO VOICEMAIL?????????????/
I will now be filing a complaint with better business bureau.
I also emailed the corporate office…………..you guessed it…………NO RESPONSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously this is pitiful.
Empire Today says
Julie, we know your time is valuable and we sincerely apologize for the installation delay. We’ve located your order, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss the completion of your window installation.
William Reeves says
Hello,
You were just added to Empires You’re Screwed List.
I have hd issue for 4 years And No resolution in sight.
Just scroll down and see the issues .
Good luck
angela r helton says
I purchased blinds for my dining room living room and my kitchen in April 2018. I called empire carpets in April to let them know the blinds are falling out its been 8 months. No one seems to talk to me they just pass me to someone else. I am very upset I called empire on 12/05/18 they told me that I have to pay 75 dollars for someone to come out why do I have to pay for their mistakes? someone will call back and they gave me another ticket and they are sorry. They would not let me talk to a manager or superviser and on top of that some of them have bad customer servise.
Empire Today says
Angela, we’re disappointed to hear that you’re not satisfied with you blinds. Your satisfaction is important to us, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly, thank you.
Mrs Weldon Jenkins says
In September 2018 we hired Empire Today to install outdoor carpet on our concrete front porch. We pulled the old carpet up ourselves beforehand.
Carpet was installed. More than $600 later. Terrible installation. Dark grey carpet with yellow 6-8 glue stains soaked through the carpet.
Not acceptable. Many calls later, a man comes out to look at it. He was rude, did not let me finish my sentence and he walked off. I was only trying to say good morning and we were glad to see him. I tried to say there’s glue stains and he threw his hands up, said “I know” and walked off. He did nothing that day.
Who knows how much later, another guy comes out, rips up my carpet and says he’ll be back when its dry. Not to return.
Ok so I don’t want the installation done on a rainy or close to a rainy day. Today is December 5th. It has not rained everyday for 4 months!!! Installation was canceled today Again.
I want this carpet installed SOON and I want at least a 50% CASH refund. I hate to have to get the Better Business Bureau involved.
I’ve had ENOUGH.
I anxiously await your prompt response.
Very sincerely,
Mrs Weldon Jenkins
Empire Today says
Mrs. Weldon Jenkins, we take your concerns seriously and would like to follow up with you. Please email us at customersupport@ empire-today.com and include the street address where your installation took place. We look forward to further assisting you, thank you.
Carolyn Clement says
Not sure why the GM will not speak with me. I had my carpet installed Nov 23. And the installers did a crappy job. Our final walk thru was hostel and the installers (who didn’t speak any English) also damaged my tile. I was told this was going to be fixed by different installers and a supervisor was coming to see the crappy installation and damage to my til. Dec 3rd = imagine my surprise when the same clowns show up at my house to “fix” the crappy work they did. Called the local office in Tampa to no avail. The GM hide behind his secretary and would not speak with me. She stated the same installers need to try and fix the issue. I said to her again & again … this is hostel and I don’t want them in in home. The GM basically said too bad. WHAT HAPPENED TO CUSTOMER SERVICE? WHAT g over HAPPENED TO HELPING THE CONSUMER? I am paying over $6000 for this piece of crap and Empire will not stand behind their work. I am a REALTOR and word of mouth is everything is our business. Rest assure this will not be my only stepping platform.
Empire Today says
Carolyn, we understand your frustration, and regret to hear that your floor is not meeting your expectations. Your satisfaction is important to us, and we’ll be following up with you shortly.
Melissa Acocella says
I sure wish I saw all this before I hired them to install carpet at my 80 year old mothers apt!!! I concur with all the comments. What a horrible company.
I loved the salesperson. She was kind and understanding, even gave us a decent price .. so i thought! But like others on here, we too booked install for SEVERAL weeks out. We were told that we would get an email day before with a specific time frame between 8-6 but never got one!
My poor mother stayed home all day waiting for the installers. We made three calls throughout the course of the day to try a time frame to no avail!
Then we finally got a response on our 4 th call 3-5pm. She’s 80 but ok we waited ..more .. 5:15 they show up. Doors are locked. They broke their guarantee. If anyone knows an elderly woman set in her ways. 515 is very late for them since we were guaranteed 3-5 pm empire canceled the crew.
I might add. Every time we called the company kept repeating “let me get in touch with the installers hold on” and they never could?! Don’t they have phones on the job. They were rude and couldn’t be bothered.
So to add insult to injury. We got a call from a quality control rep who asked me how my install was!?!! Excuse me?? I said you mean the one that they didn’t show up to ?
Ok so we get a manager who swears they will make it up to us. Took $100 off the price to reschedule. Reluctantly I agreed bc they had my deposit etc. Scheduled for November 28.
Not only did we not get a time frame email. They never freakin showed up ! We called again and again and never a time frame or nothing. I was livid.
Yesterday I got a call from Manny in the “corporate office” that said my file landed on his desk! Ha right. He was certainly not from corporate the way he spoke to me. Even had the gall to ask me why I was chuckling when he said they want a chance to make it right!! He was rude nasty and had An attitude. I said I would definitely not. I want my money back. He said ok. I probably won’t get it. Next stop corporate. BBB AND consumer protection agency. Enough with this company. They should be shut down ! Why don’t you all join me in making complaints?
Empire Today says
Melissa, we know your and your mother’s time is valuable, and we sincerely apologize for the installation delay. Your concerns are important to us, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss your concerns, thank you.
John says
Here it is, the 29th of November. I am watching the installer trying to fix and finish the job that was promised, even if they had to bring in a second team, to be completed by Nov 7th.
Some of the quarter round for the kitchen an barhrooms still hasnt been installed. At least he brought some today.
He is fixing white quarter round that wasnt put of correctly. Ends not all mitre cut etc.
they installed damaged pieces of laminate in the kitchen area. He pulled up the floor twodays ago and replaced the damaged pieces. Still one piece with a damaged corner
The tile is a mess in both barhrooms. Around toiled they filled gaps showing with caulk. Really!
They didnt cut the tile streight. Then tryed to vober it all with white quarterround. Tile can be cut so easily to fit tight and streight. Now that it has taken three weeks to address the rile cement is hard making a mess to fix. Teo days ago they took up some tile, but cannot put new down because of the cement making it too high
The house was totally empty as we had just bought it. For a job guaranteed to be complete by the 7th, they were still working on the 10th. Unprepared to do the work. My son in law had to go to the store and buy wax rings and brown caulking for them.
The one toilet leaked all over when flushed because they didnt get it sealed w a ring correctly. The toilet is still not usable and i bought a better ring for them to use. Looks loke i need to insrall the toilet myself.
We had the entire house cleaned top tobottom with a maid service when we closed. These guys cut all the flooring in every room inside. I cannot even begin to tell you how bad the dust is. Its on the walls. Its on everything. Why would they pretend my house is a construction zone. They should have cut outside.
I dont know what i need to do to get crap fixed and get them out of my house. This has been a total disruption to our lives and it still isnt over. HELP!
Maybe the Ceo will read this and help. Not!
Now that we are moved in it is more difficult to fix.
John says
They are never on time. They are not prepared. Salesman doesnt take ownership. Where is the Install Manager. Talked to them. Suggested theycome see defects. They agree they should but never come. We had messages installer coming to fix stuff. We wait all day and no one shows. I cannot imagine a company doing a worse job than Empire. This wasnt cheap at all, but we believed the salesman that all would be done before we moved in on the 12th. Guess we were lied to.
Empire Today says
John, this is not how we want our installations to go, and apologize for your experience. We’d like to follow up with you, but are unable to locate your customer account. Please email us at customersupport@ empire-today.com with both the street address and phone number listed under your order. Be sure to mention Headquarters in the subject line. We look forward to hearing from you, thank you.
Leigh says
I have been trying since Nov 7, to get my flooring installation complete. Empire has consistently over promised and under delivered. I really don’t think they care about their customers. The sales rep lied – didn’t place the full order as discussed, and overcharged me, but claims he did place full order; management is not calling me back to resolve the issue. Sales rep also didn’t fully disclose information about my order and what steps should be taken. This is absolutely ridiculous, and they are not really trying to resolve the issue.
WARNING: Never use Empire Today. It is not work the headache!
Empire Today says
Leigh,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.
Tom Slider says
Against our better judgement, we scheduled installation of new flooring with Empire Today. Against our better judgement because around 2007 we were kept up until 11:00 PM waiting for the non-English speaking Empire Today installers to finish instillation at our old house down south.
Jeremy, the salesman went out of his way to accommodate us and our needs. He truly has the customer in mind. So, we ordered hardwood and carpet on September 20, 2018. We had scheduled the installation to be done on Monday, November 19th. We were told that the work could take up to two day for completion. We made the schedule for installation 2 months in advance so we would not have to take time off work AND be done by the time our Thanksgiving guests (family) arrived.
The hardwood installers were great (Renaldo + 1). On time, called first, and were finished by 5:00PM. During the day (around 12:00) the carpet installers pulled up. They were told, by the hardwood installers, that the amount of traffic on the newly installed flooring couldn’t happen until they were done. The carpet installers did not survey their working area before making their decision or they would have found another entrance they could have used.
One of the carpet installers (I assumed he was the team leader) recommended they return at 9:00 in the morning (Tuesday). I agreed and they left with a smile on his face. I expected a phone call at 8:00 AM on Tuesday to confirm the 9:00 appointment like Renaldo did but got non.
At 9:30 Tuesday morning, my wife (Terri) called Empire Today and was transferred to Bret at the Scheduling Department. He kept insisting on rescheduling it for Wednesday which was out of the question for us as we were expecting family in and we had scheduled it so far in advance so we would avoid such an issue.
He told me that the carpet installers were not the schedulers and they should not have told me that they would be back at 9:00 AM. Terri even told him that we would be willing to schedule it at a later date if he would honor their promotion which was to have the instillation done by Thanksgiving or it was free. Terri told Bret that it was either that or cancel the carpet all together. Bret chose to cancel the carpet.
There was absolutely no “customer” in his Customer Service. It was plain to us that the process was his way or no way. He was not willing to even consider the situation.
We will never, ever use Empire Today again. Buyer beware!!
Empire Today says
Tom, we take your concerns very seriously and we sincerely regret to hear that your installation was not completed as planned. We’ve located your order, and we’ll be contacting you soon.
Garrett Pickett says
1-1MH6KCL. My Confirmation number
I was so discussed with unprofessionalism of this company. I had set a appointment for 11/20/2018 to have my rooms done. I had a major flood and I had no floors far as carpet and padding. I hire this company and they assured me I will have carper installed on that Tuesday . I was hosting Thanksgiving for the first time in my home. I never got a call from the installers they was not coming.
Dear Garrett Pickett,
Thank you once again for choosing Empire Today® for your installed home improvement and home furnishing needs. You’re scheduled to have your new Carpet installed on 11/20/2018.
If you have any questions please contact our Customer Service Team at 800-588-2300® and reference Customer Account # 1-1MH6KCL. (NEVER CAME)
So after being so upset I call the customer service and spoke with another manager. This manager, he set my appointment for the next day as a priority and I never got a call. So I called them and I get the word .. Im sorry but we will not be out to do your carpet today (BECAUSE) we don’t have enough installers in your area . They called out because of the holiday. Like I don’t want to have a wonderful holiday with my family myself So I have my parents who are from out of town here. My infant child whom just got from the hospital with no where to sleep.
Dear Garrett Pickett,
Thank you once again for choosing Empire Today® for your installed home improvement and home furnishing needs. You’re scheduled to have your new Carpet installed on 11/21/2018.
If you have any questions please contact our Customer Service Team at 800-588-2300® and reference Customer Account # 1-1MH6KCL. (NEVER CAME)
I live in a 2 bedroom condo so everything is in my living room and dining room. So its no where to sleep. So I had to get a hotel room and cancel having thanksgiving dinner because we have to where to eat nor sleep. I am not mad I’m just hurt and I promise I will never use nor refer this company to anyone. Paying for hotel and most likely have to all eat out at a restaurant is not a good feeling and this really was one of the most messy unapologetic company I ever came across. So Thanks Empire Today you really deleted my family Thanksgiving. Now we will be cramped up in a small hotel. ea
Empire Today says
Garrett, we never want our customers to be disappointed in our service, we’ll be contacting you to discuss your concerns.
Amy M Adams says
We have used Empire to carpet rooms in my home in past years; our master bedroom being the most recent one (6/7/18). We got a quote for two other rooms at that time with a plan to do them within a year from said date. We even selected the carpet we wanted to have installed in the living room. The representative at the time told us our quote was good for a year. I recently called the phone number on the representative sales business to say we wish to move forward on one of the rooms. Though I left 3 different messages, I did not receive a return call. On my last call I got “voice box full”. I can only assume that the representative no longer works for the company. I then called the main number (option 3) twice and was left on hold by both customer representatives for 10 minutes before I hung up. I called back using option 1 this time. I was told that Empire’s quotes are only good for 30 days & that I would need to have a sales representative return to my home for an estimate. I asked for a quote on these rooms at my June appointment so I would NOT have to spend my valuable time repeating this process. Should I also mention that this saves time & money for Empire in travel expenses & personnel hours? To add insult to injury (metaphorically speaking), I will get an auto email an auto-bot reminder call 24 hours prior to my new appointment. Hardly what I would consider quality customer service. But for the fact it will be cruel to the representative, perhaps we won’t be home for the appointment. I’d like to stay with a company that I’ve hired previously but Empire, you are making it difficult me to do so again.
Empire Today says
Amy, we apologize for the miscommunication that you received, and understand that we’ve followed up with you earlier today to discuss your concerns. We’ll continue to review this matter, thank you.
Dale Alexander says
Wow, Wow, Wow, I have read complaints on this site,,I really can’t believe this company was this bad until I experienced it for myself. I need to make people more aware of this company and how bad it really is. this is truly disturbing. In fact I mentioned this company to people in line at Meijer’s and they knew about empire and would not use them for nothing. They have had friends and family who had experienced similar problems with empire. I see that the company responds to these quickly, Yeah Right, this is truly a company who don’t care about customer satisfaction or service.
Garrett Pickett says
exactly I am so pissed off
Leigh says
over 3 weeks later, and I’m still trying to get work finished with this company. They’re terrible.
Dale Alexander says
I really don’t know where to start my experience with this company has been so tremendously BAD, words ca not really express the dis-satisfaction with this company. My first encounter with this company was though the customer service dept, They sent the sales person to the wrong address and called me to say I wasn’t at home and that the sales person was at my door (mind you I have been waiting on them all day) The sales person was sent to my mothers address. I then asked the sales person to give me a estimate on 2 rooms and then later I decided to do a third room. Again I waited five days to get a salesman out to measure the third room. Well needless to say I had to measure the room myself and call it into the Salesman Myself, because he failed to show up on several occasions. I called the So Called Service department, and I was placed on hold while they tried to figure things out, I waited so long I just hung up the phone. Installation:
Now here is where it really gets bad, Friday waited around all day no service, Surprise, the installers again went the wrong house again, called service Dept again, long wait, I had to convince them that I was home and come to find out they went to my mother’s house again (across town) She is not at home. Ok wait it gets even worse. I talked them no service Dept. and set the installation date for the following Monday, The installers call me and tell me that they will be at the house between 1pm-3pm, well you can’t believe it but I can 3pm no one had showed up. Yes I know you are laughing now but again they went to the wrong address. called Service Dept yeah right, they told me that I was scheduled for installation for Nov 19th, (The day my mother was to have her carpet installed) are you kidding me not again. My mother told them that they have the wrong to install her carpeting what are you doing here. Installer left I am there waiting on installers ????????? Needless to say I called my salesman and he never called me back. This is a company who don’t believe in getting it do right the first time and you can only say I’m sorry that this happened to you and I understand so many times (It has No affect) I guest the higher you are in a company means that you don’t have to call a customer back (Rueben) Use this company if you want, don’t say nobody told about this company……
Empire Today says
Dale, we’re saddened to hear about your experience and we’d like to know more. Please email us at customersupport@ empire-today.com and include the street address located under your order, thank you.
Kathy Houston says
Carpet was represented to us as trackless carpet that would not show foot prints or in my case crutch prints. We had initially chosen to get Berber carpet but sales person said this would perform as well. We had indicated the type of carpet we want it which was already in our living room and was trackless. Installers had installed one room of carpet and we found that it was not trackless. We called our sales person who said that it needed at least two or three days to blossom as it was rolled up tightly prior to installation. Also received a call soon after that from Empire representative who repeated the same information in so in good faith and trust we had the remainder of for more rooms carpet. I contacted Empire after four days when it look no different and had a very hard time even getting a call back after multiple calls. After checking with our sales person he said he does not recall our conversation and had not represented it as tracklist. I had gone through some of the rooms of our old carpet with him initially and showed him where all my crutch prints showed on the carpet and said this is exactly what we don’t want. He says he does not recall that conversation as well. After waiting three weeks Empire still will not stand behind their representatives who gave us misinformation and misrepresented the product. That is why I am filing a complaint. We have $3000 worth of carpet in our home now that we do not want. If Empire will not replace the carpet With Berber without charging us extra funds we would like a refund of what we paid and the carpet to be removed. You have offered to replace the carpet but would require us to pay at least $600 more for installation. Berber is even cheaper than what we bought so this is a huge loss for us and is not satisfactory.
Empire Today says
Kathy, we sincerely apologize for your experience, and assure you that we take your concerns seriously. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to learn more, thank you.
William Reeves says
Empire pulled the same crap on us 4 years ago and we are still trying to get our carpet installed correctly or just reimburse us for the cost . I have 10 reference numbers this year alone ..and none have been handled . As far as hearing from anyone at Empire…good luck as they seem to take pride in ignoring any issue .DO NOT PURCHASE ANYTHING FROM EMPIRE !
Susan Shelton says
Worst experience with a company ever! I spent $17000 to have my house installed with laminate and vinyl in the bathrooms. The first installation team took one look and said the floor was uneven and walked off. It took me calling the cancellation department to get another installation team out and they did the job beautifully. Next was the bathrooms, 3 of them. One half bath was supposed to be installed with laminate. The 2 main baths were supposed to get vinyl. 2 separate installation teams came and left saying they wouldn’t remove the tile in the batrooms. After several calls to Empire, I received a call from Matthew, the installation supervisor. He stated that the tile would be removed and a new subfloor put in at no cost to me. It was scheduled for yesterday but Empire called and said it would be until today. One man showed up today and had some laminate but nothing else to do the job. He said the two main bathrooms weren’t on his work order and that there was no way he’d remove the toilets or the tiles. So I called again. I was told my order had been cancelled! They blamed the sales person, who I’ve been in constant contact. They even took her commission away. So now this new installer left without doing a thing again. Not only am I beyond angry but I’m calling the Better business bureau and am going to talk to a lawyer about breach of contract. I’ve called multiple times and he customer service says only the installation department can help me but since they’re not answering, she left a voicemail. I’m done!!
Empire Today says
Susan, thank you for making us aware of your concerns. We sincerely apologize for the confusion, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to learn more.
William Reeves says
Standard Empire reply .
Face it your screwed as most customers are with Empire .
I speak from bad ongoing experiences with Empire …
Muriel Minter says
Issue will not go though.
Empire Today says
Muriel, we regret to hear this. You may send your concerns and account information to customersupport@ empire-today.com, thank you.
Sultana Bend-Godwin says
I am terribly upset. I scheduled with Emoire back in August. When they came in to put in the carpet it was the wrong color. No one called . Two weeks later I called. The young man was very apologetic. He even discounted the next install. Fast forward to Oct 6,2018. A nice young man called to confirm another laminate installation. I inquired about the carpet installation and he responded “they called and you picked up but hung up.” So they hadn’t planned on installing the carpet. But I’ll fix it for you. I called again on Sunday and was assured that my installation was 10/8/18. Because of the issues that I’ve had I called three times and was told that installation was confirmed for 10/8/18. At around 11:30 I spoke with George who said he would call me back. At 12:30 when he didn’t call I called him. He said that he had sent an email and was waiting to an email back. It is 3:15. I’ve called and no one will answer the phone. Plus my carpet has not been installed. I called and spoke with Megan she was very nice. She scheduled me for Tuesday Oct 10th. At 6:13am got a call stating an installer for Empire would come to my home. At 9:00 no one had arrived so I started calling. First call – someone will call you back. Second call – (45 mins later) someone will call you back. Third call, I got the same response. Then at 10:45 the installer called and said they we not coming. He asked if they could reschedule for next Monday. I said no and hung up. Service is terrible, disconnected, and unreliable. I am currently looking for someone to install carpet in my home.
Dianne Samu says
I am writing this posting to express my deep dissatisfaction with the service that I have received from your company. When I chose to use Empire to replace the carpet in my basement, it was because of the representations on your website that you have had an “A rating” with the Better Business Bureau and had great quality products with affordable pricing.
While the sales person that was sent to my home was respectful and appeared professional, every person I have interacted with since then has left much to be desired. Initially, I was given an estimated time for the morning of October 2, 2018. I took the entire day off of work to ensure that your contractors had access to the work site. When the contractors finally arrived, it was well after noon. Upon their arrival, they went to the basement, lifted the carpet, and informed me that they would not do the work because I had asbestos tiles. My partner spoke to the supervisor who then said if we had a clean air certificate, they could do the work. Before I could go upstairs to look through my records, your contractors had left and I had wasted an entire day dealing with your company.
After their departure, I called your company and spoke to the installation supervisor who assured me that I would receive an email confirmation and a return of my deposit, as the work could not be completed. This particular supervisor also provided me with the name of a particular company he stated that I needed to use for asbestos remediation. I took the information, again asked him about my deposit, and was once again reassured.
As of today, October 8, 2018, I am yet to receive either the promised email or return on my deposit. Therefore, I called your company back again and spoke to a representative who transferred me to your cancellation department. I then spoke to another representative who told me that there were no refunds on the deposit and referred me to page 8 of my contract. I asked him to review page 9, where it explicitly states Maryland Law. Your representative was extremely rude and when I asked to speak to his supervisor, he said “he’s at lunch.” I requested that the supervisor call me back, which he did not.
In good faith, and not because of any obligation, I reached out to several asbestos remediation companies and was told the same thing: “VAT does NOT compromise the air quality in a home.” In addition, there is no problem with exposure to it, as it is a non-pliable material. In particular, I spoke to the owner at Jenkins Environmental, Inc. He advised me that getting a $400.00 air quality inspection was not worth the cost, as asbestos particles would only be in the air if I ground the tiles in a blender, which I had not.
Your company made an offer to replace the carpet in my home, which I accepted. The consideration was my deposit. Your failure to complete the work based on the observation of your carpet installers, who presumably have no experience in abatement of environmental hazardous materials, constitutes an unjustifiable breach of that contract. Your manager’s decision to assure me of a refund on my deposit and his failure to follow through on his promise was fraudulent and I believe done to prevent me from pursuing further action at that time.
I have now asked on three separate occasions for my deposit to be refunded. While I was very much willing to work with your company before my interactions with staff members who lack customer service and interpersonal skills, I no longer wish to do so. I am requesting a response to this message. I certainly hope that a resolution can be reached. However, if it is necessary to terminate the brief relationship, I am asking for the final time that my deposit be refunded.
Thank You.
Mario Carreon says
Yes I am writing to let you know my disappointment with your company first off my install did not happen yesterday my house is totally tore down for this install I was told the installers would return first thing this morning and they did not now I’m told they can’t do it until Tuesday my question is how are you taking care of your customers I’ve invested over $7,000 to your company and have not been satisfied to this point now my house is in total disarray because of the install yesterday that didn’t happen and now I’m without a bed and everything who is going to fix this problem and how quick can I get it done
Empire Today says
Mario, thank you for making us aware of your concerns. We sincerely apologize for the delay, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to make things right.
William Reeves says
With Empire you will never be satisfied.
Sad but true .
I’ve had nothing but bad experiences with Empire for over 4 years now.
Muriel Minter says
My name is Muriel Minter, I had an installation done July, 26th 2018. I have had it repeating myself over and over again. No one is passing over the information correctly so , I am writing hoping to reach the CEO (Keith Weinberger.) just to let him know how bad his supervisors and reps are doing there job. To the point The incorrect floor was put in my house. No calls stating it will be resolved. I have called a number of times no resolution as of yet. My calls to customer service have I been dropped, cold transfers or, will call back. this this is the last number that I received as a case number.–1-346905XXXX, Lookinv forward to getting this issue resolved.
Empire Today says
Muriel,
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We’ve located your order, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to start working on a resolution.
Brad James says
They just Pulled my comments !! Empire is a BIG Joke!
Brad James says
It just got put back Up ????
Brad James says
This experience with Empire has been nothing short of a nightmare ! our floor was purchased December of 17 and installed in feb 18th. This is where the NIGHTMARE begins. After the install They hooked the washer back up and didn’t tighten the hose up. Water leaked for a day and a half ruining the new floor in front and the hallway. Took several calls and days to get them back out to fix it! . Their boss told me that they weren’t suppose to re connect the appliances. Then the floor in the master bedroom began to Pop and crack when you walked on it1 It got worse over time. Since the wet floor I censed that there could be problems with EMPIRE1 So I wrote down and kept every date and time I talked to them and promised countless times that they would be out here to fix the problem and that we would be taken care of and the problem would be resolved!!! SO SO many no shows and no phone calls for months, Promises made that they would be out on such and such date and still no one came or even called!! My wife and I both cancelled and rescheduled appointments to be here and ,well NO ONE CAME !!! The floor is popping and cracking throughout the house now! Its march 5th now .The supervisor said that he knew what the problem was and that he had seen it a thousand times and that it would be taken care of. He said that he personally was coming out to inspect the floor! On march 5th 3 workers came out ,but not the supervisor as promised! They walked into the hallway and bedroom and started shaking their heads no looking at one another. The lead man said it was not good! They managed to find a small piece of the underlayment used to install the floor and looked straight at me and told me that they don’t use this particular underlayment anymore! He explained that what they are using is thicker and quieter . I ask why they used it on our floors and he said that they probably had some extra rolls in the warehouse and threw them on the truck!! After several attempts to reach Someone anyone. I spoke with Meagan at their main office and she along with the Installer supervisor that they would use the other underlayment. When they finally showed up to redo the floor they didn’t have any new underlayment ! After reaching The supervisor he said that the main office said not to put down new but to reuse the original! They did the floor and it was good. For 2 weeks that is, it was now worse than before and twice as loud!! Well you know the story now about getting ahold of them and getting someone out to look at the floor. its the end of march by now! Apri[, May, June, July, ,Aug and this is the God’s honest truth The supervisor showed up after you know how many promises and dates set and broken , I know I have them all documented, September 27th, which was handy for him because his wife was with him and he explained that they were on their way to their lake cabin and stopped by for a moisture reading!! He walked in with my wife and I standing there and said he could hear it ad feel the floor moving and hadn’t even made it to the Bedroom yet! He shook his head a told us both that it was BAD and yep they would take care of us and make this floor right!!! First time ever of us heard or even made mention of gluing the floor down! He explained that it should have been glued down! He assured us that they would make it right and get us taken care of and left1 Monday I get a call from Meagan and she said that she had his report and that there WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE INSTALLTION and that we were RESPONSIBLE for paying to have the floor glued down ! So with that being said I am forwarding all this info and dates and times and phone calls and promises and broken appointments and no return calls and voice mails that were left to an Attorney if we do not get any response from this email! I can promise it would be a lot more cost effective for Empire to repair or replace our floor than for me to take legal action!! Not a threat a Promise!
Empire Today says
Brad, this is not the experience that we wish for our customers, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss your concerns.
William Reeves says
Empire needs a class action suit brought against them as thousands of unsatisfied customers are being lied too and ripped off by this low life company .
William Reeves says
I started calling on 8/3/18 ..I have 7 reference numbers . Donna Martin has scheduled me 2 times for carpet restrech and No one ever showed up or called. I called on 9/18/18 on the install date and could not reach installers..managers or supervisors per ref # 1-3441376103 .
I do not get paid when off work so that’s 2 days off and numerous time calling to no avail .
I expect to be reimbursed for time off work and possibly for the whole carpet since you can not follow up in your warranty .
Ref #’s
8/3/18 :13354758987
8/9/18 : 13366438636
8/22/18: 13391681817
8/31/18 : Had appt. No One Showed up or Called
9/4/18 : 13414462514
9/5/18 : 13417219912
9/7/18 :talked with supervisor and asked for Manager .Mr. Mundie never called me back.
Donna Martin called me and set up an appt for the morning of 9/18/18 NO ONE SHOWED UP OR Called .
9/18/18 : Inquired about appt. ref # 13441376103 – No Call Back
9/19/18 : Asked to speak with a manager again to no avail..got a supervisor ( Clarissa ) who could not get a hold of anyone ???
Ref # : 13443235193
At this point I want to be reimbursed for time off and possibly full reimbursement of carpet .
I have contacted the BBB and have an assigned ID.
Very unsatisfied and where is that World Class Customer Service ,
Mr. Reeves
Empire Today says
William, we know missed appointments can be frustrating and we apologize for the inconvenience. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss the completion of your carpet re-stretch, thank you.
William Reeves says
Have received No calls about a new appointment ?.
Same old standard reply with No action .
2 missed appointments and no pay from my job ?…
I want a date and a set time for the next supposed appointment and during the weekend because I can’t afford waiting around all day for No one to show up or call or even return a call .
Reimbursement for days waiting isn’t even mentioned .
William Reeves says
Still no response from this Loser company.
This is where fake advertising needs to stop.
Very poor customer service and service.
Sorry I ever tried Empire .
They just dont care.
William Reevessurp says
Surprise…still no call back…what a crappy company .
William Reeves says
When is Empire going to correct my 4 year issues ???
Greetings,
Still No Call to fix issues ????
Called a rep named Bill ?? At number 888-588-2315 extension 4195 .
He stated that Empire would replace my stair carpet if I had enough leftovers from original install 4 years ago. I checked and don’t have enough . I left a message with Bill and never heard back ?..
Received a letter from Justin Mueller ( if this is a real name ..phone number 866-588-2311 extension 2813 )on 1/27/18 about His attempts to reach us have failed .
That is a bold faced lie ! We have received no phone calls , messages or emails from Empire..this is the method they use to hope you give up…that’s not gonna happen .
I want my carpet replaced now for free or reimburse my 5,000.00 dollars .
If I need to retain a lawyer ..there are plenty to choose from .
Sincerely,
Mr. Reeves
Dana Woods says
On September 8, 2018 Worker Jose Hernandez came to my home to complete hardwood floor lnstallation on my stairs and l’m very upset with the work that has been done. The worker cut the hardwood floor material incorrectly and you can see space in between hardwood floor material on the steps. The worker has nails and holes in the hardwood floor material on 13 steps. When l asked Jose Hernandez about this and why l can see nails coming out of the hardwood floor material he stated this is the way it’s suppose to be and he’s done all he can do. I’m really upset ? because l feel he is insulting my intelligence by telling me this because he is suppose to be a licensed contractor who specializes in doing this work and to tell me this is how it should be is sad. This worker also drew a black line on my wall next to the steps in two places and tried to say he didn’t do it until l pointed out to him it wasn’t like that when he started working on my steps. This worker has put holes on 13 of the hardwood floor material used on 13 steps the materials actually look defective and definitely need to be replace. I will be calling Jasmine in customer service first thing in the morning to see how we are going to resolve these issues. It has really been very frustrating dealing with the Salesperson and workers who represent Empire One they are definitely unprofessional and they don’t keep their commitments and the work is not done at a level for licensed professionals who specialize in doing hardwood floor installation which is a very bad reflection on this company.
Dana Woods says
I’m really upset with the Salesperson Danny Gomez who came to my house to give me an estimate for the hardwood floor lnstallation because he lied and misled me regarding time the workers would start, end and complete the job. He told me the job would take 2 days and they would start at 9:00a.m.-5:00p.m on 8/31/2018 – 9/1/2018. But on 8/31/2018 they didn’t arrive until 10:00a.m. and worked until 8:00pm On 9/1/2018 they didn’t show up and l had no idea when they were going to come back because the worker Jose said he had another job on 9/4/2018. Jose showed up unexpectedly this morning 9/4/2018 around 10:00a.m. to complete the job, states he has no idea when he will be done 11:00p.m. – 12:00am if this isn’t okay he can come back on 9/5/2018. I’m upset with the Salesperson Danny Gomez because he lied about when workers would start and end the job. I feel this company breached the contract by not being able to complete work when they stated they would. When l contacted the Salesperson Danny Gomez he was reluctant to give me managers names and phone number so l could make a complaint. I have tried to call customer service and was told the company would contact me in 24 hours being I have not heard anything l tried to reach out to the Salesperson but l realize he lied and will say anything to get a sale which is sad. If l don’t get a response from a manager to try to get this resolved l will get an attorney to dispute this contract for work that was done!
Dana Woods says
I’m very upset because l had Empire Today install carpet for me in 2014 and was satisfied with work that was done so l decided to let them do the hardwood in my home which has been a terrible mistake they were to come 8/31/2018 @ 9:00a.m. didn’t show until 10:00a.m. I was under the impression this job would take 2 days from 9:00a.m.-5:00p.m. On 8/31/2018 they worked until 8:00p.m. stated they would come on 9/1/2018 to complete the job so they left hardfloor material all over living room and on my patio with a lot of sawdust from cutting material early in the day. I received a call on 9/1/2018 at 8:30a.m. in the morning from worker stating oil was leaking from his car and he won’t be able to complete Job wanted to know if he could come to finish work on 9/3/2018 which is Labor Day Holiday l said no l asked if he could come Tuesday 9/4/2018 stated he has another job. I so upset and disappointed with work that Empire Today did installing my hardwood floors (Incomplete Job) l need to be compensated this has been such an inconvenience to me and my family and my time. Had l known this work wasn’t going to be completed in 2 days l never would’ve agreed to use Empire Today and pay the amount l paid l would’ve used Lowes and or Home Depot. I will be putting a complaint on Yelp because l call customer service made complaint on 9/1/2018 after worker called me was told l would get call from a manager with in 24 hours no reply to date?
Empire Today says
Dana, thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We’ve located your account, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly.
Eva Shaffer says
Horrible, horrible, horrible! This company has had me in tears crying for days over the horrible job they did on our flooring. It looks so bad. The sales rep Greg will not give me the information on how to contact the installation manager. He says that he has emailed them and Greg even agreed it looks bad. The installation hasn’t even been finished! (it’s been 3 days since they were there). We have to move into the house and can’t because the floors and baseboards need to be fixed. We have people looking to buy the house that we are moving from so we are in bind until this is all fixed. Yet no one will call us from the company and try to resolve the situation. I wish I could add pictures on this site so everyone can see how bad it is! Working with Empire Today has been a terrible nightmare!
At this point I think we are going to have to hire another company to come out and finish and fix the shoddy job that Empire did and then try to take Empire to court. I don’t know what else to do since no one is contacting me and trying to come up with a solution.
Pauline Huber says
Lousy Lousy carpet job. It has been over a month and no one will ever call me back. Carpet is terrible–furniture damaged–left with no lights in the bedroom.–living out of boxes because furniture was not put back in place. No lights were plugged in and I was left without WIFI for 4 days which ment no phone or medical alert alarm no tv or internet. They don’t even want to talk about the wall and baseboards they damaged. I still don’t have light in my bedroom. And the best part is I’m in a wheelchair and can’t to most of the plugs. iT has been a living HELL i GUESS I will have to get a lawyer to get them to fix what they have damaged, They are the worst..
Empire Today says
Pauline, we take your concerns very seriously, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to continue working on a resolution.
Carey Collins says
We have had Empire install carpet for our house over the many years. I called in 7/2018 for carpet repair as my dog scratched up a small portion our master bedroom carpet. First, when I called, the representative said that someone would call with 24-48 hours…took about a week. Once contacted, Empire said someone from other department would call….no call. I finally got a hold of some one almost 4-5 weeks later!! Finally, I thought we made progress..not! The sales person, after numerous emails back and forth including pictures of area in need of repair, a date was scheduled for the “repair”. I was told to clear out entire room (couldn’t understand why entire room needed cleared out for patched/repair and questioned it several times). Service was scheduled, room completely clear out, and even received reminder call day before. Well, day of appointment, I was called and told they had to reschedule. I was extremely upset and referred to supervisor, Tim, who was ABSOLUTELY no help and “could do nothing about it”. I demanded to speak to his superior, Robert. I was informed that 4 crews called off/no show. I was now scheduled for next day. The installers came out first thing and looked at my carpet and informed me they can’t do it, as the salesperson indicated on work order for “a stretch of carpet not repair and cannot fix”. He spoke with supervisor via phone, Robert, who was to call me later that day. Again, NO CALL!! I had to leave several messages for 2 days before the original salesperson, not supervisor, called me back. UNACCEPTABLE! She informed me that she didn’t realize I needed repair and thought the carpet could be stretch (even though pictures were included!!!) Also, Informed me that even though the area needing repair was small, they would not be able to patch (mind you I have extra carpet) and the entire master room carpet would need replaced. Also, they no longer stock my carpet,but “would be more than happy to have one of their representatives come to my home for a quote”! You have to be kidding me!!!! Took 6-7 weeks for me to get through to your company and move all my furniture out for 2 days waiting, to find this out! Absolutely, unprofessional and very unsatisfied customer!!
Empire Today says
Carey, we’re disappointed to hear that you were inconvenienced by this matter. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss your experience.
Bea Smith says
Good morning. I am writing to complain about a botch tile job that I had done on my two bathrooms in April 2018. The job took nearly three days, the contractor took all of the product that I thought I purchased and my commode was replaced incorrectly. To make matters worse I noticed in June 2018 that my grout was cracking in my bedroom bath– thought not too much about it until July 2018 when I noticed large piece of gout was cracked in my main bathroom and the other bathroom, not to mention the floor was unleveled. It took me 3 weeks to get a vendor out ( after numerous attempts only to be told he was on vacation). When he came he said that the floor was unleveled and that several of the tiles would need to be removed and replaced in order to fix. he instructed me to call the company and put in another request. I did. and after many attempts again, I was able to set up another appointment to do the fix. Well the vendor came today– not prepared. he had only materials to do re-grouting. This has been the most ridiculous display of customer service. It should not take an entire summer and approximately 6-7 phone schedulings/re-schedulings to repair my floor. I went with Empire because you guys did a great job on my laminate, but this tile service has been a nightmare from day 1. I am not sure what office services Bowie, Maryland but they do not communicate, and are not customer service oriented. these floor weren’t cheap and I am highly disappointed in the lack of preparation, communication and level of service I have received.
Empire Today says
Beatrice, we regret to hear that your tile installation did not meet your expectations. Your concerns are important to us, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss your concerns.
Renee says
I had used Empire for flooring three years ago and was so happy with the experience that I chose the company again for new carpeting upstairs. Mistake. This has been a fiasco from start to finish. One of the most dysfunctional companies I have ever dealt with in my adult life. Their reps are incompetent, disconnected from corporate and unapologetic at the incredible inconvenience they have caused me — and this has nothing to do with the actual carpet. I’ve spent hours trying to prove to them I actually paid for my carpet on the day I signed the contract with the independent rep who visited my home. Sometimes they “see” the payment, sometimes they don’t. I’m told two different things by two different people, and they are harassing me for payments they’ve had for months. It’s like no one is talking to each other. I guarantee I will never use them again, and I’ll tell everyone I know not to as well. So frustrated and irritated at this situation. I should have just gone to Lowe’s or Home Depot…at least they seem to be able to locate my order consistently….strangest, most frustrating thing I’ve encountered as a home owner….never again.
Empire Today says
Renee, we sincerely regret to hear about the miscommunication that you received. We’d like to further assist you, but are unable to locate your order. Please contact us at customersupport@ empire-today.com with both your contact and order information. We look forward to hearing from you.
Debra Miller says
We bought flooring for our kitchen and dining room 6 months ago and had no problem. Last month we purchased carpet for our living room and two of our bedrooms. Installation for the complete job was to be done on 8/3/18. The installers showed up with not enough carpet. It is now 8/10/18 and they showed up with not enough carpet. Trying to call with an issue gets you no where. We have two more rooms to be done and I believe I will be going somewhere else next time.
Empire Today says
Debra, we understand the inconvenience this has caused. Contact us at customersupport@ empiretoday.com with both your concerns and account information, so we can follow up with you, thank you.
Deborah Landis says
I used Empire several years ago with great success in Texas. However now Im on the east coast and this has been a nightmare. My install was delayed a day, not a problem. When they did come, they ripped up my old carpet, installed padding, but when they went to install new carpet, they realized it was damaged. They informed me they wouldnt be able to return with new carpet till next day. All my furnature was basically in my kitchen and dining room and there were exposed spikes from the trim bars. All they could do was lay the damaged carpet over the area to protect my pets from harm. So the next morning I called to see when they were coming. I was told to call back in about 30 mins since the installers were not all assigned yet. I called back an hr later and nobody could give me any info at all. Finally I got hold of someone who said they called me to say my carpet was not available till Aug 14. First nobody called me and if I hadnt called I would still be sitting here waiting.
This is a disaster!! I was supposed to be hosting a party tomorrow and I have a barely furnished living room with damaged carpet just kind of laying there!!!!!!!!! Heaven forbid anyone answer a phone without sitting on hold for 30 or more minutes. No one seems to be able to help me in anyway. I will DEFINITLY not be using Empire on the rest of my home.
Empire Today says
Deborah, this is not the experience that we wish for our customers and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to learn more.
Lami A Taweel says
The worst company I ever dealt with. They do not know how to hide you in the installation and they messed up the job now they are figuring is about the repairs. Be careful in using them, they do not keep their word. They also do not know anything about floor material and installation. They just write up the order and have a sub install it.
We are not happy about the job they completed for up and now they are having problems trying to repair it and they messed it up more. Be very careful in using them.
Empire Today says
Lami, thank you making us aware of this matter. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss your concerns.
Mike S says
worst.decision.ever giving them any money. I’ll consider dealing with Empire as a learning experience. I’m embarrassed even admitting that I actually trusted them to do what they said they would do.
Save the response from the Customer Service department apologizing. It means nothing. Your word is worthless. Your company’s values and ethics are pathetic. If you truly cared you’d post a phone number and email address for the leadership of this company. But you don’t. That says a lot.
Empire Today says
Mike, we sense your frustration and would like to help. Unfortunately, we’re unable to direct you to the appropriate person without first locating your order. Please email your detailed concerns and order information such as: phone number and street address to customersupport@ empire-today.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
Jerrel R. Hawkins says
I am afraid I did not read the reviews before doing business with Empire, it has been a nightmare from the beginning and it still continues. To make a long story short they do not keep appointments they make, they do not communicate in any way when said appointments are missed. I have been fighting for two weeks to get someone out to fix just a couple of boards that popped up after a major hardwood floor installation.
if I had it to do over again I would pay more and find some one more reliable.
Empire Today says
Jerrell, we’d like to further discuss your concerns, but are unable to locate your account. Please email your contact and account information to customersupport@ empire-today.com, so we can follow up with you ASAP.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support.
F Tumino says
Good Evening –
I should have read these negative reviews before having Empire install carpet in my home. As all the other writers have noted – calls to Customer Service are USELESS.
I spent the day being put on hold after seeking a correction of a poorly installed carpet. Made the appointment almost 2 weeks before, for it to be assessed and repaired and no one showed up – even though se got a call saying they would arrive within a two hour window….in the morning.
Calls made to Customer Service were futile being told repeatedly that they couldn’t get in touch with their installer — ALL DAY
Nothing resolved just told in essemce “someone should be there before 6 pm –after waiting all day.
It would be interesting to see if any of these other complaints were rectified – I am sure I will never use or recommend Empire to anyone even those who can waste hours on the phone
Still it would be great to have Empire stand behind their poor installation and unintelligible customer service
Cathy says
I see this wonderful, reputable company is still lying, cheating and stealing from hard working people. I also see the same lying, replies from their customer service reps. I wonder how they sleep at night. Shame on them all…
Empire Today says
Cathy, we’re saddened to hear that you feel this way, and we’d like to follow up with you to discuss your concerns. Please email us at customersupport@ empire-today.com with both your concerns and account information. Be sure to mention Headquarters in the subject line.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support
Heather Slivka says
This is my first experience with Empire and it will most certainly be my last….SO disappointing and unacceptable!!! I was scheduled to have carpet installed in my condo yesterday and the installers were supposed to arrive between 1-3pm. At 2:45 someone from Empire called to find out how the installation was going and I informed her that the installer wasn’t here yet. She said she would call the installer and then call me back with more info. 25 minutes later, I still had heard nothing back. I called customer service to find out where the installer was at 3:10, was put on hold and then told that the installer would be here in 5 minutes. 30 minutes later at 3:45 I still had yet to see the installer! The installer arrived at 3:50 and when he came inside to look at the place he actually said “wow, this is a lot”…..I live in a 1 bedroom condo and don’t have more furniture than the average person! He then told me that it would take 5-6 hours to perform the install which wouldn’t work because my building only allows work like this to be done between certain hours and he wouldn’t be done until 9:00pm so I had to reschedule. The first customer service rep that I spoke with was thoroughly unhelpful and told me the earliest available install was the following Monday but that he couldn’t guarantee a morning install. When I called back to speak with a supervisor, Yvette was thankfully helpful, got the install scheduled for Saturday morning and refunded me 10% of the total cost. Thank you Yvette!
Fast forward 24 hours….I was supposed to have a new kitchen floor installed today and the installer called me at 3:00 to tell me that their first job of the day was taking too long and that they couldn’t install my floor today. He said that it could be installed on Monday at 10:00am, but when I asked him if he would notify Empire of the change in installation he said they they didn’t need to be informed because it was out of their hands at this point. Clearly sounded suspicious to me so I called customer service to inform them and Joel, who I spoke with was completely unhelpful. He informed me that they had no communication regarding a change in installation date from the installer (duh, that’s why I was calling). When I informed him that this was 2 installs on 2 different days that were both messed up and unsuccessful, all I got was an apology. There was no initiative to make anything right and when I asked to receive some sort of discount I was told that he couldn’t do that. Thanks Empire….
So now I am here with everything from my closets out on my balcony and we’re expecting rain so I had to go out to buy tarps to try to protect everything and I’m now having to take time off work on Monday for the kitchen install and HOPE that they actually show up and do the job this time. Even worse, I’m selling my condo and was going to put it on the market immediately after the floor was supposed to be done but now I’m having to delay putting the place on the market.
Completely unacceptable. Empire needs to do a better job making sure that their subcontractors are good and get the job done on the day it is promised. To have 2 failures on 2 different projects 2 days in a row is an utter failure on Empire’s part and once this is done I will NEVER use Empire again, nor will I ever recommend them to anyone.
Sorry Empire, but you failed big time in my book!
Empire Today says
Heather, this is not the experience that we wish for our customers, and we apologize for the installation delay. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to make things right, thank you.
Pauline Huber says
Lousy LOUSY job. can see all the seams and all my furniture is out of place and a lot of it is damaged.They were suppose to be here July 19 —-no show and no call. I want my house back together and my furniture repaired They just don’t care. I wouldn’t recommend your company to put carpet in a dog house. The work was terrible and they don. care. The salesman was just as bad. I called him 6 times and he never bothered to call back. Its been a nightmare. I’m in a wheelchair and I have to step over extension cords ever where I go.
Empire Today says
Pauline, We’re disappointed to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations, and understand that we’ve discussed your concerns with you. If you continue to have questions and/or concerns please contact us at customersupport@ empire-today.com, thank you.
Paula Alsobrook says
I feel I am just getting the run around by empire today and that you have no intention of fixing the problem your installers did not do correctly. The problem is that I had vinyl installed at my foyer and the carpet that was attached to this you can feel the carpet tacks and they hurt your feet. I was told that they were sending over someone today at 10:30, I waited all day and did not hear from them so I called back and was told he tried to get in touch with me but must have had the wrong number, the number of my phone empire today gave them??? .Now I am told again I will hear from them in 24 hours, as I have been told before, so I am feeling I am just being lied to and you have no intention of fixing this problem, ,if so just tell ,me that you will not fix this. ,I am very displeased.
Empire Today says
Paula, your satisfaction is important to us. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss your concerns, thank you.
Monica Vaughan says
We picked out our carpet and scheduled our install for today, 2 months ago. Empire has been calling and texting us all week to confirm that they would be here to install our carpet today. We have practically moved out of our home. The bathtubs are full of things, we have moved furniture and everything we own so that they could install our carpet TODAY. We received a call at 8:30 AM this morning that they were out of stock on our carpet and would not be able to come for another week. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. Do not use this company.
Empire Today says
Monica, we know your time is valuable, and regret to hear about your experience. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to learn more.
Carlos Briones says
Please give me the corporate office number again please. I got disconnected
Carlos Briones says
Tagaluto1959@ gmail.com
I just cancel my contract on this company after they screwed up not once but twice the installation schedule in my bathroom. Originally was schedule last Friday. It was rescheduled for today att 9am become 11am then we have to wait until Almost 1pm and nobody came. We called the company and nobody knows where the freakin installer are. Never again that I will deal with these company again. I will be contacting the corporate office to let them know that they’re subcontractors suck! They waisted my two day off waiting for nothing. Anyone that reads this look for a company that cares
Empire Today says
Carlos, we know your time is valuable, and we’re sorry to hear about your experience. We’ll be following up with you shortly to discuss your concerns, thank you.
Dave Medbery says
Wow, I want to say some other words that I’m feeling but that would only let you believe that I am some un-educated donkey’s behind. I have had calls all week regarding my appt. today, confirming it was going to happen. My wife and I had to take the day off work and got up at 4:30 am to clear out everything in our master bedroom and a spare room, so we could have carpet installed today. We finished moving everything around 8:00am. at 8:50am I was calling customer service because I hadn’t heard from anyone yet. While I was on hold, I received a call from customer service stating they did not have enough installers do complete our install today. Everything we own that was in 4 rooms is now shoved into 2 rooms. I can live this way for the time it would take them to install carpet in 2 rooms but no longer than that. When I asked when we would get the install completed I was told maybe tomorrow, which is a Saturday. WTF ( well that’s Fantastic) I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told there was not one available and that one would call me later. I guess LATER is widely used at Empire. I wish these people could experience this situation themselves so they can see first hand that I’m sorry means NOTHING. You don’t confirm an appt 4 times than not show up. My house is in complete disarray our 3 bathrooms are stuffed with furniture and can barley be used. Basically the upstairs part of my house is unusable and maybe I can get the work done tomorrow??? As I re-live this Catastrophe to type this my blood pressure continues to go ballistic. It’s been an hour and no call from the supervisor…hum go figure. Customer Service is a dying art in this country. It has apparently died at Empire Today…
Sincerely,
Dave Medbery
Covina, Ca.
Empire Today says
Dave, we know delays are frustrating, and we’re disappointed to hear that your installation is taking longer that expected. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss the completion of your job, thank you.
Summer Ostlund says
Alright, this is gonna be a long post, but it’s definitely a warning to anyone else who might think about using Empire Today to do your floors. TL;DR: DON’T! We decided to get Kora’s room carpeted downstairs, and a runner along the floor from the stairs to her room. We also decided to get the kitchen and back hallway done in a laminate. The appointments were booked for that Friday for the carpet, and Monday for the floors. Friday, the carpet guys came and they didn’t bring enough carpet to finish the job. They had to reschedule to come back Monday. Fine, not that big a deal. Monday rolls around. The kitchen floor guy was supposed to be here between like 10-11 or something. By 2PM, still nobody had showed up. We called and were told they must be running late. Finally at 3 he shows up. He asks me for payment when I had already paid, and he wouldn’t believe me or the code I gave him. After another hour of him outside on the phone with the office people, he comes back in and says “Okay, I guess you paid.”. The guy starts working, while his son is there to… help? He just kind of stood around and watched his dad work. This guy was here until 10pm and he didn’t even get more than two feet into my kitchen. Keep in mind, this whole time all my cats have had to be locked up in the bedroom, and my fridge and gas stove were disconnected because I was told they had to be for the floor guy to be able to move things. The next day, he said he would be here first thing in the morning, 9am! He didn’t show up until about 1pm. He was here again until 10pm, with a different son. Again, he didn’t finish more than a couple feet in that amount of time. This is a 200 square foot space, very small for the amount of work being done. Once again, he has to come back another day. He shows up again about 10am the next day, with both his sons now and his daughter. He was here until 11pm and STILL didn’t finish. His kids were in and out of the house, just watching him, sitting on their phones, not really doing anything. His wife came a couple times, in and out, watching him work. There were a couple times where all 3 of his children, him, and his wife were just in my kitchen, watching him work painfully slow. Once again, he wasn’t able to finish. He had to come back for a fourth day. Him and his family were in and out of my house again until 8pm when he finally finished. Every single one of these days, all my animals had to be locked up in bedrooms due to the back door having to be left open all day long. The first two days, I couldn’t even use my kitchen or stove for two days and had to order food that I wasn’t prepared to pay for (I have 6 person familly).The work he did seemed like it was good, but after a week, the trimming he put down is all peeling up in multiple locations, and some of the boards in doorways are already chipping. When we called Empire customer service about this a couple times, they basically shrugged us off and said oh well. We got a credit of $75, which is apparently the maximum. We were very unhappy with the work and called to have someone come out and fix the damage and the bad installation. We specified twice in that call to NOT send the same guy that was here before. He was supposed to be here 10am to inspect the work. 2pm rolls around, still no one. We called to ask where he was, and they told us he was running late. We asked who it was, and they said it was the same guy who installed it. Furious, we told them we specified NOT to send the same man who did the work, cancel that and send someone else the next day. They agreed, apologized, said it shouldn’t have happened. The next day rolls around and guess who shows up at my door? The same guy we told them multiple times not to send! We had to send him away and call AGAIN, for a THIRD time to FINALLY get someone out the next week who was different. He showed up and was actually shocked at the horrible quality of the work that was done. He actually looked at the floors and said “No XXXXXing way…” under his breath. That’s how bad it was. We’re still waiting now, almost two weeks has passed, for him to be able to come back and fix this horrible work. Never, ever, ever, ever, EVER use Empire Today! Their customer service has been unhelpful, unapologetic, and completely incompetent!
Empire Today says
Summer, this is not how we want our installations to go, and we sincerely apologize for your experience. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to start working on a resolution.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support
Gabriele New says
Contractor Empire Today for Ceramic Tile .They hired a sup Contractor Named Angel Alfaro he then hired a sup contractor named Omar Portill to install my tile.He DID NOT speak any Englisch.He installed the tile all UNEVEN there IS NO Graut in most of the tile.He DID NOT installed the subfloor he DID NOT replace the 1/4 in round and DID NOT replace the transision pieces. BUT most important THE ENTIRE TILE`S ARE STAINED.He came to clean the tile but it DID NOT come clean. He then put a Tile and grout sealer on the tile.That only left a messy slipry mess and the tile is still NOT CLEAN.I was told a Manager would contact me in 24 hrs.guess what it WAS A LIE .So now I will contact the Attorney General in Northlake Ill HQ for Empire Today. I already contacted the Attorney General in N.Carolina.And yes they give you the run around but once they have your Money they DO NOT CARE and they keep getting away with substandard work.Makes you wonder how come??? Tomorow I will call the BBB and there again I DO NOT understand how they are a member considering all the BAD feedback.
CEO Keith Weinberger
CEO Thomas Knapp
COO Paul W Carter
Empire Today says
Gabrielle, this is not how we want our installations to go and we apologize for your experience. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss your concerns, thank you.
Daisy DeLapp says
I was scheduled today, July 5, 2018 for carpet installation at my home (4 bedrooms, hallway and a staircase). I was asked by the sales person (Tommy at 704-614-0210) to please disassemble beds, clear off furniture and prepare for the installation. I did those things. Today at 8:18 a.m., I received a call from Empire at 1800-588-2300 stating Empire would NOT be out today to install the carpet. The caller stated materials were not available. I was told someone would call me back when the warehouse got materials and then I could reschedule. The caller further stated she had no idea as to a potential time-frame. I then attempted to contact Tommy the sales person. He did not answer. I left a message and also sent a detailed text explaining the incident and my concerns. I attempted to call Empire again at 8:45 a.m. to get a more concrete answer and could not get any resolution. At 9:03 a.m., I received an automated text asking me to confirm my installation appointment for today and I did. At that time, I was totally confused and contacted the number 1-866-588-0124 associated with the text message. After speaking to that person, I was given a service ticket number 1-3289601117. Meanwhile, over an hour and a half later, I still have not heard back from anyone.
Both my husband and I took off work today to accommodate the installation. We had to sleep at my daughter’s house last night because per Empire’s instructions, we broke down the bedroom sets. My home has been totally disassembled for this installation. This is an horrendous inconvenience which I anticipated would be for one day only.
After constant calling to Empire, they promised to do the installation on Saturday, July 7, 2018. They cancelled again on Saturday morning after sending confirmation emails. They blamed the warehouse with no available materials this time.
To date, after 72 hours, Tommy the initial sales person still has not returned our calls or made any such apology or promise to fix this nightmare!
The more I research and try to find help on your website, I learn this seems to be a pattern with Empire. The horrific stories I’ve read are all too similiar!!
This is absolutely unacceptable! I am very displeased with Empire. This is not how a customer should be treated. I need someone to contact me immediately to correct this situation.
Empire Today says
Daisy, we’re disappointed to hear this, and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We’ve located your account, and we’ll be looking into this right away!
Kathy Buchanan says
kbuch2123@ verizon.net
I ordered laminate flooring and hardwood for my stairs and hallway. My husband and I took vacation to get this installed. Was assured by salesman it would be done and how great your service is. So, my husband and I cleared all the heavy furniture out of the room, made arrangements for our 3 dogs to be out of the house, cleaned everything in anticipation of our install this Sat morning. Installers get to house and now we are so excited. That’s the END of our excitement. When they bring in ipieces to verify correct flooring, EVERYTHING is incorrect!!! Hardwoods don’t match at all- stairs are a different color from flooring, transitions another color, 1/4 round yet another color. It gets worse. They sent the wrong laminate too! Get my salesman on the phone and he keeps trying to tell me it’s the right stuff. I now have to prove to him it’s ALL WRONG. He lives fairly close by so I ask if he can come to my house. Of course not. He will call me back- STILL WAITING FOR THAT CALL. Now the soonest they can even come back is Tuesday and then only do the laminate. I am now in limbo for the hardwood. We have now wasted our vacation days due to this screw up. This was supposed to be a great experience, but it’s been everything but that! We are SO PISSED OFF! Now being told I have to start the whole process again with the salesman for the hardwood. Is this the service I paid for? I am now reconsidering my entire purchase.
Empire Today says
Kathy, we’re sorry your installation experience didn’t go well. We’ll be contacting you tomorrow to address your concerns.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support.
Jack Miller says
Very frustrating experience. Sales associate, at our home which is now empty, set up install and stated first appointment on the day of install. After waiting in an empty home for 7 1/2 hours and calling customer service 6 times, getting no information or satisfaction, the installers showed up at 3:30 and worked until 7:30. Ugh! Sales person promised no seams and installers laughed and had several seams. Detailed inspection the next day showed the worst install I have ever experienced. Cuts were off and pieces of carpet cut and tucked in to hide mistakes, not even glued in. Carpet short of the wall in many areas and outside corners looked terrible. Salesman comes back to look at different carpet that might work as it was wider, but didn’t like any of the samples. Sent same poor installers back, again waiting 5 1/2 hours in the empty house, with the same carpet to fix/replace certain areas of poorly cut and installed carpet. Dye lot did not match. They had to replace all the carpet. This time, freshly painted baseboards all marked up and in need of repainting and they chipped a good size piece of bathroom tile that borders the carpet. They never told me and glued it down and filled the seam with carpet fibers to look like grout. After sending pictures to Empire, they scheduled a tile repair for today. Got the call at 8:28 this morning that they were on their way. I went to the home, waited 3 hours and after 4 calls to customer service I was told by a supervisor that I was first in the schedule and the repair person was not answering their phone. We are both frustrated. Then I was told that Empire was sending back the same poor installers, who had botched the first install, hid damaged baseboards and broken tile on the second install. I do not think so. Now they will not give me a narrow window to come back on a future date with different installers. This is by far the most frustrating experience with a contractor in my life. Empire, please help and rectify.
Katie says
Hi
I’ve contacted customer support and whoever would answer my calls over the past 2 months. I have placed over 16 calls and still have not received any resolution to our problem. We had carpet installed in April and it was a terrible sloppy job. We called several times, finally had someone come take a look and take pictures and NO FOLLOW UP. I had to chase. No one would return calls, they messed up several appointment times and then spoke unprofessionally and insulted us on the phone. I finally reached a manager after 16 calls and they seemed very helpful BUT once again, NO ONE SHOWED for the appointment time to fix the carpet. NO ONE will return a call and when I call no manager is ever available so here I am. Your customer support is appalling. This is my last effort for someone on your team to take accountability and fix the problem before reported to the BBB and additional next Steps are taken.
Empire Today says
Katie,
Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We apologize for the lack of follow up that you’ve received, and we’d like to know more. Please email us at customersupport@ empire-today.com with both your contact and account information. Be sure to mention headquarters in the subject line.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support
Bobby Jalota says
Hi Empire Today-
I suppose to have carpet installed today, I was told installer will come between 8am to 6pm. I waited and waited and spoke to the sales rep and was made assured that they will come no matter what and installtion will be completed today. At 5pm i got a call from the installer and said they cant come today.
Please note: all of our stuff from bedrooms is sitting in the bathrooms, and our we are unable to use the bathrooms and or any realted amenities. This is unaceeptable and wrong in so many ways. I am being told to wait until tuesday for installation. There is no way I am going to wait until Tuesday. I require a call back from your Co-oporate or I will not hesistate to reach out to Keith Weinberger and i will blow you guys up on all social medial platforms.
thanks!
Empire Today says
Dear Mr. Jalota,
We sincerely apologize for the delay and understand your frustration. We’re aware that we have spoken to you, and have rescheduled your installation for 7/3. We’ll continue to follow up with you to ensure that your installation gets completed as scheduled.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support
Alan H. Held Sr. says
We had Empire install Laminate flooring on 6/12/18, but cannot get the local office to finish the job. I have e-mailed them several times and spoke on the phone, but all I get is promises. We had the flooring put in the large family room and two hall ways. There are two steps in the family room, one to the kitchen and one to the hallway. There is a piece of carpet on each step that was supposed to be removed and covered. We mentioned this to the workers, they agreed, but left without completely. I have posted on Twitter and on Facebook. My next step is to the BBC of Atlanta and to WELLS FARGO say I will not pay the entire amount until the job is complete.
Empire Today says
Al,
We know delays can be frustrating, and we apologize for the inconvenience. We’re aware that we have discuss your concerns, and have rescheduled your installation for 7/3. We’ll follow up with you until a solution is reached.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support
Cathy says
“We apologize for your experience, and assure you that we take matters like these seriously. We’ll be further reviewing your concerns and will be in touch with you soon.” Empire seems to say this quite often and I’ve only read amount of the complaints.This is absolutely an unacceptable way to run a business but seeing as how Empire seems to be running a scam on consumers, I suppose my comment doesn’t apply to them.
They have scammed the wrong consumer and the rest of you need to wake up and stop buying their lies.
Empire Today says
Cathy,
We sense your frustration, and we’d like to follow up with you. Please email us at customersupport@ empire-today.com with both your concerns and account information.
Thank you.
Angela says
There’s an employee Tony Butterfield, who used to be in the Philadelphia market and has since transferred to the San Diego market, who’s teaching sales reps an unethical ways to collect the self gen bonus as sort of a way around the rules. If one employee is this unethical makes one wonder how he can be honest and give a customer the best rate rather than running a scam on them while on the phone with the sales rep coaching him/her along. I’ve heard this from many of people and situations like this is the reason quite a few people will never use your company and would rather pay a little more for better service.
Empire Today says
Angela,
We want to know more, and would like to follow up with you to discuss your experience. Please email us at customersupport@ empire-today.com with your contact information.
Thank you.
J. WOOD says
Over a year ago, I financed new carpet with “Empire Today” for my home. Everything was fine until 12 months after financing this carpet I noticed that my carpet was looking very old and had multiple wrinkles in different areas of my home. When I financed this carpet I was told by the sales person that my carpet will be covered by a lifetime warranty if anything were to happen. I called “Empire today” and I spoke to someone who then told me that my carpet warranty expired and if my carpet needs to be re-stretch I will need to pay for that. I requested to speak to the manager who said that she will charge me $199.00 to stretch my carpet, so I told her okay. After that, a Contractor from “Empire today” came to my home to stretch the carpet, he looks at my carpet and says to me “sorry we are not able to stretch this carpet because it was done incorrectly from the beginning and we will need to re-do the entire carpet in your home to fix the problem. So the next business day I call Empire today and requested to speak to a manager who told me that in order to correct the problem I will need to pay $700.00”, They also asked me to remove my furniture. I said no and I got upset, so she said she will do it for $349.00. So I said okay to that price, they also said that they will also move the furniture to fix the problem so I said okay. I waited; i got conformation on the phone that someone will be in my home to fix my carpet. No one showed up at all, so I called “Empire today” again and they rescheduled a new appointment to get the work done. While on the phone I asked them why someone didn’t come and I got no answer. The day came and again no one showed up to do the carpet in my home, so I called again and got a person that was VERY RUDE. This person told me if I needed my carpet fixed ,I need to find another company to do it because they were not able to fix my carpet. So after that I requested to speak to a manager and I followed up with my question “Why should I find another company to fix Empire today’s mistake and still pay “Empire today” for the financing?” I also said “why should I find another company to replace my entire carpet?” she said to me “I am sorry but, we are not able to fix the problem, contact corporate”.
The problem with “Empire Today” is they are contracting small companies without any experience to save money, and we the customers are paying a lot of money for mediocre work and service.
I need my carpet fixed this carpet looks old and wrinkled. I also need to receive the same customer service that I got when “Empire today” sales representative first came to my home to get my business.
Empire Today says
Dear Customer,
we know your time is valuable and understand the reason for your frustration. We’d like to reach out to you to discuss your concerns, but we can’t locate your account. Please contact us at customersupport@ empire-today.com so we may discuss this further.
Thank you.
J. WOOD says
it has been over a month and I have not received a call or email from EMPIRE TODAY I need for someone to contact me about this, I have emailed this company twice with my account #, address and cell #. please let me know what is going on.
Shawn Boley says
Does Empire have a HR department? If so, how do i contact them?
Empire Today says
Shawn,
You may email your concerns and contact information to customersupport@ empire-today.com, and we’ll forward your message to our Human Resources department.
Thank you.
Darlene Gaines says
I bought carpet from Empire it’s been 7 days and no one has given me a call back they keep saying the person is busy I’ve had a water leak and I believe this is covered under warranty but will get us a warranty if no one will call you back
Empire Today says
Darlene,
We apologize for the lack of follow up that you’ve received, and we’ll be looking into your concerns right away.
Thank you.
Stan Rusk says
I have talked to several customer service people who all tell me someone will call me back but no one ever does? Last week Empire called me to tell me that they would be out Monday June 18 th to install our carpet, On Sunday someone named Tony called me and said were they installing carpet on Monday or laying it down. I said it was an area rug he asked if I knew the size. I said your salesman measured it, Tony said the dimensions were not on the order.He would call the salesman Carmelo to get them but if it needed binding it couldn t be done the next day. I said all this was given to Carmelo and you don t know any of it the day before your suppose to come out. I am 80 years old and my wife and I moved all we could in our bedroom because they were coming out the next day. I called on 6-17-18 @ 6:00 pm and spoke to a Salinas. someone was to call me back no one did. I called on 6-18-18 @ 1:30 spoke to Carlo he said a Tommy Dully installer would call me back, never did. Today I called and spoke to a Dolores to see if they are or are not coming out TOMORROW she said someone named Wanda would send an e mail to the warehouse and find out and call me right back. once again no call. CAN YOU IMAGINE A CARPET SALESMAN NOT GIVING THE DIMENSIONS OF THE CAR[PET ON THE ORDER? You can t get to the corporate office all you get is the same service number. PLEASE, can someone help this 80 year old guy out or do I have to call the BBB BUREAU and the lo0cal tv stgations to tell them I think Im being taken advantage of
Empire Today says
Dear Stan,
Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We apologize for the delay, and understand that your installation is now scheduled for 6/20/18. We’ll continue to follow up with you until a solution is reached.
Thank you.
Dee Dee Linderer says
I ordered blinds 2 1/2 weeks ago. I was told I would here from someone within 3 days to measure and put my order in. I have not heard from anyone. I have tried to contact the salesman with no return call. I have left several messages with customer service with no return call. I don’t seem to be able to get by anyone to get a message to a manager or someone who will call me back. I have tried to find a phone # for the corporate office but everything circles me back to the same customer service that just takes a message and never gets back to me. How do I get to corporate management or someone who will care and get me my blinds? PLEASE HELP A VERY FRUSTRATED RETURN CUSTOMER.
Empire Today says
Dee Dee,
We know delays can be frustrating, and we’re disappointed to hear that your installation has not been completed. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss your concerns.
Thank you.
Jessica Bruder says
Cooperate called this morning and said that the blinds would be delivered today to the installers and that he wrote an email to the supervisor to expedite the installation. Thank you for getting back to me.
Empire Today says
Jessica,
We’re glad to hear that you have been contacted. We’ll continue to follow up with you until your installation is completed.
Thank you.
Jessica Bruder says
My experience with Empire has been good and bad. The carpet installers were great and came out in a short amount of time. However, the blinds have taken 3 weeks since the final measurement and I haven’t heard from anyone on when they would be installed. I have called the customer service multiple times and they couldn’t explain why I’m experiencing these problems. They said cooperate would get ahold of me and that is was a high priority however I’m still waiting for a call. I’m am very unsatisfied with this service and expect to be compensated for my time of having to wait so long and for the unsatisfactory customer service. If this issue is not taken care of and I’m not satisfied with the response and compensation I will seek further actions.
carolyn hoelle says
Hi My Name is Carolyn Hoelle, and i just wanted to let you know how terrible your pittsburgh office treats their customers. I had a sales man come to my home and give me a quote for carpet for my living room and hall and laminate for my kitchen. The sales man confirmed that they would install the following Saturday, that i would probably be the first because my order was a big job with both installations, Well I stayed up all night getting all of my breakables out of my kitchen and living room, The installers showed up with only the carpet and so I called Ryan the install manager and I told him that I was not happy and I lost a day of work and had all the items from both rooms in my bedroom and could not sleep in my bed, He said he was sorry that they usually they have the laminate done first that he made a mistake and if I let the installers install my carpet he would make sure they will be careful not to dirty my new carpet. So I had a friend come over the house that monday to be there when they came. But when they remove the rest of the old laminate that was there before they found some dampness from when my ice maker leaked(that is what started all of this) So i had the restoration company come out and dry the floor for few more days. Called Ryan back and that is a problem it itself he never calls you back or answers his phone until
carolyn hoelle says
Ryan never answers his phone or call you back until you call his boss and he always defends him sayiong that he is working in the warehouse, well i guess they dont have phones in the warehouse. after having the restoration co come out drying the floors for 4 more days, Ryan called me back and scheduled another instaltion date when they came they checked the floor again and said it was still not dry yet and told my son that the carpet that the sub floor would need to be removed and the carpet that was insallled weeks ago and my cabinet that my refrigator is next too needs taken down, Si I called my insurance agent and he sent another restoration to come out and check and he foind a 4 in by 6 inch piece of wood that was still wet and so he callled Ryan and they talked and Ryan said it was ok to install the floor. NOW it has been 6 weeks that my carpet was installed so I have my carpet covered with sheets and blankets so the debree from the kitchen floor from the glue and dirt from the raw floor on my new carpet so my house looks crazy and my frig is in the middle of the floor in my kitchen, So since the new restoration man called me and told me Ryan said it was ok I took a weeks vacation to get my floor imstalled and get my house together, I called Ryan all week with no response again until I called his boss again and he said We still cant install your floor it has to be 100 percent dry , In the meantime the restoration man felt that I needed carpet in my basement because he felt it would be safer , SO When I finally got hold of Ryan He said he would come out himself and check the kitchen moisture and check my game room for new carpeting and he told me that I would have to take the old carpet in the gameroom my self. I am 62 years old I can not move all the furniture and pull up the carpet ! I was not home when he checked my house my neighbor came over to let him in. Later that evening I got a text fro Ryan saying he cant not put my floor in and he is not sure how we can resolve this , I asked him what about the game room carpet, again no response The next morning I got a message on my cell from customer service that they will install June 18th I
carolyn hoelle says
I cant figure them out I already called so body to put new carpet in my game room i hope after I take all the sheets from the living room carpet it is clean because Ryan promised me if the carpet did not stay clean he would replace it.. I have not heard from Ryan or his boss since he has been to my house I think it is terrible how they treat they customer. They lost sales for my downstaires and my trust
Empire Today says
Carolyn,
This is not the experience that we wish for our customers, and we apologize for this matter. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to make things right.
Thank you.
Casey Flanagan says
Horrible company. Lied to about what they would do. Go to get refund on what was sold to me. I have to wait 10 to 15 business days for my money. I spend hours of my time getting a check overnighted to me and we deposit the check and they have a hold on the funds for 2 weeks are you kidding me. They cash my check immediately but when I need it back so I can hire someone else they hold my funds for ransom. Never ever use this company. Tried to get the hold released on the checks and that dept is not in on the weekend. Tell me it’s impossible. Wtf screw empire flooring.
Empire Today says
Casey,
We regret to hear that your order has been cancelled. We’ll review your concerns, and will be in touch with you soon.
Thank you.
San says
How did you get your money back? I’ve been going in circles trying to get out money since March of this year
Kenneth Marquis says
I purchased flooring from them 6 months ago I was told water proof and will not tear would not get gashes in it. Well there times now where they have repaired the floor has come up again there is tears and gashes all in the flooring day three of calling there joke of customer service and still cant get anyone to come out and fix again oh all the molding or trim is coming up again they charge me 10 grand for flooring that the installers told me was trash and maybe cost 2500 dollars. I’ve called the finance company told them my account is fraud company empire is fraud and crooks. I also have hired an attorney who will be out to take photos of the horrible flooring. My attorney stated regardless of the arbitration clause since empire is not abiding by the contract with the life time warranty the contract is void so I will and others can sue Empire for false advertising
Empire Today says
Dear Kenneth,
We understand your frustration, and we assure you that we take matters such as these very seriously. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss your concerns.
Thank you.
James Williams says
We had a salesman come out to our home in quote us a price for our kitchen and laundry room when it came down to doing the job they came out and just done the kitchen area they had no knowledge of the laundry room when we contacted them he said that he never quoted a price for the laundry room which is he dead I contacted Empire The salesman come out to the house complaining that this was going to come out of his pocket for the mistake what did I want something for free he quoted to me also that he was only making $40 commission off that job that $400 was going to have to come out of his pocket he also stated to me was I willing to pay part of it I said no I will pay $150 more it is not my fault that you messed it up I do feel that I should not have to come out of pocket on anything but he agreed to this and left our home did not hear nothing back from him so I called Customer Care again he calls me today telling me basically I was a liar that he did not agree to that witches he agreed to this in front of me and my wife and the people installing the floor not yet have I heard back from anybody at this time as today on this matter it’s all promises that they will contact you or they will email you they will do this for a long period of time to ignore the issue hopefully my wording is correct on the spelling sorry if it is not I think people need to look into the situation more before purchasing floors I will not give them a good rating until they hold with the promise of what they said they were going to do until that time I will not give a good writing or anything else I am not sure how I got to this particular site but I’m glad I did by the way the only reason I agreed to the $150 extra just because he made me and my wife feel guilty that he was going to have to come out of pocket for hundred dollars which is I think that is pretty low down
Empire Today says
James,
We regret to hear about your experience, and we want to know more. Please contact us at customersupport @empire-today.com with both your concerns and contact information. Be sure to mention Headquarters in the subject line. We look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you.
steve leonard says
I got a call from Empire Today a moment ago to confirm that the agreement was settled to our mutual satisfaction.
Thank you,
Steve L.
steve leonard says
Corporate HQ
I am sorry to have to post this but your customer service is horrible, I hand laminate flooring put in our living room and guest bath room and 2 hallways, to start off my wife and I had to move all the furniture out and put it back, but we were charged for the installers to do it, the installers did not tightened up the water line in the guest bath and leaked all over the floor, when I called about the problem I was told someone would get in touch with me with in 3 days, after 5 days I called back and was told they called but no one was home, and they left a message, I am home everyday, I am disabled, so I know that was not true .
When we finally got to talk to some one we found transition strips coming up and some damage on 3 of the planks, the guys came out and fixed the strip that were coming up and took pics of the damaged planks, then I get a call saying they will fix it but I have to pay the installers that the damage could be my fault, but I know it was not, they also said because I signed the paper they were in the clear.
on may 25th I got a call and we came to an agreement that would work for both of us, but once again it did not come thru and I am still waiting to hear back, I still have 3 bedrooms 1 master bath room a laundry room and a Florida room to do, but I will have to look for a company with a better rep than yours.
Steve Leonard
Kenneth Jacobs says
My experience with Empire makes working with used car salesman seem like a dream date. In retrospect, the unanimously rotten reviews of Empire should have tipped me off (but I looked at them too late.) Another tip-off should have been the “mandatory arbitration clause” in their contract; apparently they anticipate litigation. (What other company does this? None!)
Notice that they don’t make “list prices” available ANYWHERE? Hard to tell what 50% off is when you can’t tell what regular price is. Not that they don’t negotiate on whatever price they present anyway. Lots of back-and-forth with managers while quoting price (a la used car sales).
In my experience, they also only answer questions that they feel like answering, and ignore the rest, even after legitimate questions are asked repeatedly (like, “What’s the list price?”
IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SHARE MY UNFORTUNATE EXPERIENCE, RUN, DON’T WALK TO ANYONE ELSE FOR CARPET.
Empire Today says
Dear Kenneth,
We apologize for your experience, and assure you that we take matters like these seriously. We’ll be further reviewing your concerns and will be in touch with you soon.
Thank you.
Michelle tyus says
CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
This is the worst service I have ever experienced in my 59 years of life!!! We ordered custom made blinds. It took at least a month for someone to contact us to let us know when we could expect them. When they finally arrived, ONE OF THEM WAS THE WRONG SIZE!!! We are now going into month number 2 and have NO IDEA when we will receive the right blind. When the installer came, even though he had the wrong blind, he still demanded cash on delivery. Lucky for him, my husband was the one that paid him because I wouldn’t have paid not one red cent until the job was completed!!! I AM FURIOUS! We also wanted tile on our kitchen floor, but they sent an installer who told us they don’t do that type of work!!!!!! WTF??!!! STAY AWAY FROM EMPIRE TODAY! I am seeking legal information to see what can be done about this breach of contact!!!!
HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! HORRIBLE AND NOT KNOWLEGABLE SALES REPS!!! HORRIBLE CONTRACTORS!!!! HORRIBLE COMPANY!!!!!
I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE READS AND LEARN ABOUT THIS HORRIBLE COMPANY!!!
Empire Today says
Michelle,
We’ve know delays can be frustrating, and we regret to hear that your blind installation is not yet complete. We’ve located your order, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss your concerns.
Thank you.
Lisa says
Hello my name is Lisa & my phone number to be reached at is 734-XXXX-XXXXx or 734-XXXX-XXXXx. I don’t know my account number as it has been since 2012 since my carpet was installed.
I have NEVER dealt with a company who has the WORST response time in dealing with a simple call back!!! I called way back in the beginning of April & today May 10th I finally spoke to someone. It was supposed to be a manager, because I already talked to a supervisor, & of course it wasn’t!
I had my carpet installed in 2012. It was supposed to be a good quality carpet & it looks ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE! It’s snagged everywhere & the seams are all coming up & there’s patches of carpet missing there.
My first phone call I was told I would be given a call back in 2-3 days later. I didn’t hear anything so I call back again & was given my reference number & told my other reference number, from my first call, was closed for some reason! So in the mean time I get a letter saying they couldn’t get a hold of me & to call. I call the person that was on the letter & I leave her a voicemail. She never called me back! I called again & demanded to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor, who said his name was Saul, got on the phone & gave me my THIRD reference number & said it would be sent to a manager & “escalated” & promised I would receive a call back by the following evening. I NEVER got a call that following day!!!!! Then today I get a call & was told I’d have to pay $80 for a serviceman to come out & depending what he does I might have to pay more!!!! I told the girl well I don’t have $80 right now & she quickly said that’s fine just call back when you can. I then proceeded to tell her all the trouble I’ve gone thru & her response was I’ll note it on your account. I said it’s not about my account I’ve been calling for a month & she said I’ll give this to my manager. I said WHAT….are you kidding me….I thought you were the manager has was told a manager would call me back. She said I’ll give this to a manager & pretty much ended the call.
Your customer service or whoever handles your complaints is HORRIBLE! This is totally unacceptable the way this was handled……what a joke!!
There is no way I should have to pay a dime for someone to come out to my house to tell me there’s some kind of defect with this carpet to look as bad as it does! I have people come over & say why is your carpet snagged all over…….what an embarrassment!!
Can someone, like the CEO preferably, get back to me to discuss this matter ASAP. Public relations is HUGE to a company & whoever handles it should be aware of how your customer service or employees handle your company’s calls & procedures!
Thank you in advance for reading this complaint………..
Lisa
Lisa says
You should maybe talk to #Wallsidewindows & see how they run their business & treat their customers!!!
Empire Today says
Lisa,
This is not the experience that we wish for our customers, and we’d like to further discuss your concerns. Unfortunately, we’re unable to view your phone number. Please email your contact information to customersupport@ empire-today.com. Be sure to mention Headquarters in the subject line for further assistance. We look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you.
Lisa says
Please check your email! My phone number is in the email. This was posted after I emailed you.
Thank you
Joanne Gopez says
Shame Shame Shame to Empire Today…. the use of inexperienced laborers to install tile. We had the tile installed last week and still have not heard back from a manager or inspector on all the issues. Actually on day one the tile installer seemed to know what he was doing but he didn’t return the second day and left it up to two inexperienced laborers to finish.
Where do I start, on the first bathroom the door doesn’t close, grout not installed over all the under cement so you see black areas, when they were putting the door on they chipped the tiles on both sides and filled it with grout, used chalking to seal the baseboard tiles and sloppy work at that, toilet installed not evenly (you can see that by the tank cover).
The second bathroom isn’t much better, missing and sloppy grout and chalking work, chips on both sides of the toilet and filled with grout, chalking used to fill in from where the bedroom base board ends and the tile baseboard starts because of the unfinished work.
Oh and when the door wouldn’t close, they took it of and tried to sand the bottom down a little and when they were bringing it back in they hit the front door and filled that with putty.
Opened a service request and wasn’t called back so called Empire today and was told it was closed by the installer and had to open a new one. So still waiting to hear from someone (really need an install manager to call me).
Help!!!
Calling the finance to not pay until 100% satisfied….
Empire Today says
Joanne,
We regret to hear that your tile installation did not meet your expectations. Your satisfaction is important to us, and we’ll be following up with you shortly to discuss a resolution.
Thank you.
Joanne Gopez says
Thanks for the call and follow up. Look forward to getting this resolved!!
John Turner says
This has been the worst experience ever. The sales person did not show for the first appointment. Then the sales manager lied about the followup appointment. I have called several times and each time it gets more and more frustrating. I have been trying to cancel my contract because if the sales is this bad I can only imagine the service piece. My contract states I need to sign and send the cancellation in electronically, within three days, but nobody will tell me where to send it. They just keep saying “oh you will get a call”. STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!!!!
Empire Today says
Dear John,
We’re sorry to hear that your concerns have not been addressed. Your may send your concerns and Notice of Right to Cancel to customersupport@ empire-today.com for further assistance.
Thank you.
Angela Caraballo says
I have had the WORST experience with Empire and I will never recommend nor use them for my personal or rental’s as I have in the past… The first issue was we were all set to move into our home on Tuesday April 16th because Empire would then be done with the carpet install as well as the tile in the kitchen… Well the day of carpet install they cancelled. this now has set us back a week because we were told the carpet needed to go in before the tile… So now we had to pay another week rent as well as storage. Next issue,, So now they say they need to tile 1st because carpet installers were booked, we said fine. Tile was to be done on 21st and carpet on the 23RD.. When they came to install the tile, they realized our sales man said it was laminate that needed taken up, when in fact it was ceramic. They called the office, the office said we can not do the job, we need to refigure how much this will be now due to the mistake of the sales man… I got up set and said ” just cancel” her reply ” OK, BYE” and hung up on me. Called the installers and told them leave, I have another job.. Installers were even shocked… FINALLY we decided out of desperation to do the tile ourselves and just have them do the carpet…. Well today is carpet day and they came in saying I owe $2400.00 when in fact we do not owe because we went with the monthly payment options… So I had to call Empire AGAIN and sit on hold during my entire lunch break so they could get this figured out…. This has been an absolute nightmare and we’ve lost money as well as valuable time due to this company and their lack of organization and poor customer care…
Empire Today says
Angela,
We assure you that this is not the experience that we wish for our customers, and we apologize for the response that you received. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to learn more.
Thank you.
Sue says
I will never recommend Empire. I am totally dissatisfied with not only the workmanship of your installers, but with Erica,the sales rep who I met with in my home. Also in your customer service. Ignoring my inquiries to resolve this issue.
First, when the installers torn up my carpet, they damaged the stair molding. Second, since the padding was inferior to my padding and cheap, Like night and day.
I only wanted new carpet. Initially, she gave me a price of over $4,000.00. I told her no that I was not interested and that was over my budget. She immediately went to her car and brought me other samples and quoted $2,700.00. I agreed.
After the carpet was installed I felt the difference in the padding. What she did not state was that the new padding was INFERIOR to the padding I had currently. It felt as though I was walking on cement. It is obvious in the photos I took of the floor molding and the stair molding thehorizontal lines because the carpet was so much lower. I had to repaint all the moldings.
Why would I want something inferior to what I already had. Erica did not state that the new padding would be different and a poorer quality. I would have never agreed to the job .
I contacted the supervisor, Stephanie with my concerns. She stated that Emire would replace the padding but I would have to pay for installation which would be over $400.00. I already had quality padding and I wouldn’t have to endure additional expense if your sales rep took the time to explain. All she wanted was the sale and could care less of my and future customers satisfaction.
Initially, Stephanie did reach out and I stated that I was not satisfied and she would have her General Manager contact me. He never contacted me so I reached out to her again. She said she would speak to him again and call me back. I still have yet to hear from her or the General Manager.
I feel that your sales reps need to be trained in explaining the products, etc. As I said, I would never have agreed to have Empire do my installation of carpet if this was the outcome.
A company as large as yours and the advertising dollars you spend, care should be taken in customer service and the people you hire to install.
I plan on writing a letter to your CEO, Keith Weinberger. I have handled customer complaints for one of the largest banks in New Jersey. Every letter, telephone call that was received by the CEO or to our bank was handled professionally, appropriately and totally resolved. This is not happening with Empire and I have never been so dissatisfied and unhappy.
Anthony Calvino says
Sue,
You will see my response below yours. I have attempted many variations to email the CEO with no luck. If you find a working email for him, please share as I intended my response for him.
Good luck,
Tony
Empire Today says
Sue,
We understand your frustration, and we’re sorry to hear that you were unsatisfied with the carpet padding you received. Please email us at customersupport@ empire-today.com with both your account and contact information. Be sure to mention Headquarters in the subject line.
Thank you.
-ET Customer Support
Anthony Calvino says
I am frustrated beyond the point of wasting my time attempting to reach supervisors in customer service. I attempted to email Sr. Leadership directly, but can’t seem to find their email addresses. I will do my best to be concise, but my full experience follows:
– Sales process was smooth. I agreed on a laminate floor and at the sales representative’s direction also agreed to remove ceramic tile throughout the kitchen and hallway, Empire would remove the carpeting. The total cost was significant to my family.
– Installation day started with problems. According to the installer, the sales rep should have inspected further and NOT directed me to remove the ceramic tile (at a cost of $500 to me rental equipment and labor). Removing it made the floor uneven and new subfloor would need to be installed to level it. Two hours was wasted in a back and forth between the installer, me and the dispatch manager…who originally tried to have me pay and additional $900 to help fix the mistake of the sales rep. After showing him that the paperwork told me to remove the floor and a cost to me, and stating there was no way I was paying additional money, he agreed to fix the problem. Installers did what they could on day one and measured for materials to repair and finish on day two.
– Installation day two: The works were incredible and worked extremely hard. It was clear they did not want to come back another day though, and ended up finishing around 9:30 PM, which was a major inconvenience to may family with two young children.
– After 6-7 months I noticed some visible gaps in the laminate in four areas, and also that my trim was pealing in spots all over the 1500 square feet that was installed.
– I called customer service and someone was sent to evaluate. He arrived, and assumes there was a material defect in the trim. He also noted that the install job was not done very well as there are pencil marks and inadequate angle cuts in many areas of the trim. In short he said it was obvious they were trying to get done quickly. He said customer service would call me to schedule repair.
– Chicago/Milwaukee customer service called me within three days and left a voicemail. I called back and left a voicemail for them. After three days I called and left another voicemail. Three more days when by without a return call and I decided to call the main customer service line. The lady I spoke with tried to reach someone but was only able to leave a voicemail. After three more days I again called customer service and asked them to escalate as I was wasting my time, getting no response and extremely frustrated. She left another voicemail and put in an escalation ticket…to which I waited 24 hours and called again. Another voicemail was left (apparently the Milwaukee/Chicago office has nobody that can answer a phone as I have never, in all my calls reached a live person) and an additional escalation ticket was filed for immediate call back. I was finally contacted and an install date was scheduled for today.
– Call from Milwaukee/Chicago to tell me that the installer would be here sometime today between 3 – 5 PM and the repair work will take around 4 hours. I’m sure that I was noticeably frustrated at the individual I spoke with, but nail guns and air compressors until 9 PM with a 6 year old and 17 month old is completely unacceptable on a warranty installation repair. Obviously, I told the individual it would not work and I would be escalating my issues. He said he understood and would ask customer service to call me back…so I am again waiting.
I deal with customers on a regular basis, and this is not a positive customer experience. I would want to know if there was an epic failure in servicing the customer and that is the reason for my communication today. The cost of our floor was a big financial decision for my family, and I feel I have received no where near that level of customer care from Empire.
Thank you for your time,
Anthony Calvino
Empire Today says
Dear Anthony,
We regret to hear that your concerns have not been resolved, and assure you that we take matters such as these seriously. We’ll be following up with you shortly to learn more.
Thank you.
Anthony Calvino says
Your message was Tuesday…I also emailed a similar account to customersupport@ empire-today.com as you often direct people on this page to do. It is now Friday morning and I have received no contact and my situation is not resolved. Social Media seems to be my only recourse.
Muhammad says
I have hade the the worst experience with empire carpet. After calling for an estimate they cancelled on me 3 days in a row. Then called me a few days later apologizing and asked am I still interested in having them install my carpet. Against my better judgment I agreed. They installed the carpet and now I have been getting the run around for a receipt of the transaction. I have talked to management at the Belleville office and they simply lied to me. Now I have no receipt I have paid for the carpet installation and I can’t get my money reimbursed to me….. I don’t know how they stay in business.
Empire Today says
Muhammad,
Thank you for making us aware of this matter. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to answer your invoice concerns.
Thank you.
Lisa Giordano says
NOTE**** My statement should have said Monday April 23 instead of April 16.
Lisa Giordano says
If I could give your company minus ratings I definitely would. On Friday April 13, 2018, installers came to our home to install our vinyl flooring. They showed up at 11am and did not get started until 11:30am on a job that was supposed to take all day. They squeezed us in between a job they had in the morning and a job they were doing that evening. They ended up having to leave at 7pm with the promise that they would be back the next day to finish the job. Saturday came and no one showed up. I had to call the lead installer, Hector, who told me that they didn’t work on Saturday’s and he was with family and would not be coming. I immediately called customer service to complain. In looking over our partially done floor we saw that instead of 1/4″ plywood underlayment they had put down 3/16″ strand board. Cheap stuff. There are multiple bubbles in our flooring and it was installed cracked by a 1/2″ . They took a service report and said that someone would contact me with 24 business hours. I had to call back several times talking to several people before I got a return call from a customer service manager, Donna Martin, in the Sacramento Office. We have received nothing but the run around. We were told that this problem would be corrected as soon as possible but are now being told that this may take up to 2 ekes to be completed. I have been without a kitchen for a week now and have paid a ton of money to eat out because my kitchen is still a disaster and not done. So with all of that being said… if this this problem is not corrected and my kitchen is not fixed by Monday April 16 at 5pm, we will be consulting an attorney, going to the Better Business Bureau and we will go to our local news stations to have this problem reported publicly. I have plenty of pictures and doXXXXentation that will serve me well. Save your standard reply of “you will be addressing this probem soon”. The time is now. My husband and myself have been in customer service for 40 years and I can honestly say that we would not have been able to keep a job, or the companies stay in business, had we so blatantly discarded and treated people as we have been treated. Had I read these reviews beforehand I WOULD NOT have gone with your company. So I guess we’ll see…
Empire Today says
Lisa,
We assure you that we take matters such as these very seriously, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to start working on a resolution.
Thank you.
Lisa Giordano says
So this is now September and I have yet to see a resolution. All manner of communication on Empire’s part has been stopped. In fact, I have now received a threatening letter from you. You respond to each of the complaints you get with a generic “we understand”, “ we take these matters very seriously” or “we’re looking into it”. The fact of the matter is that you don’t understand nor are you looking into any of these complaints. You don’t care. You made your money. Upward and onward right? You’re horrible.
Priscilla says
I have used Empire to install flooring in 4 different areas of my home over the past 7 years. I never had an issue until now. I recently had more flooring installed and they were also to repair some trim from a previous job. The guys came out and brought extra trim but it wasn’t the right size. I contacted customer service in which is a recording. No one ever answers. I leave my info and consistently wait to connect with someone. Well I finally did and was told that someone would be out the following Tuesday to replace all the trim. I sat around on my day off and no one came out and no one called. I have called customer service, left several messages and no response. THIS COMPANY HAS THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE. I have trim that need repair and this company could care less. Empire you have lost a good customer!!!
Empire Today says
Priscilla,
We know missed appointments can be frustrating, and we’d like to address your concerns ASAP. Unfortunately, we’re unable to locate your account. Please emails us at customersupport@ empire-today.com with both your account and contact information. We look forward to hearing from you!
Thank you.
Vicki Battisti says
Hi my name is Vicki and I had the worse experience with Empire Today that I have ever had with any company. After reading all the other comments I don’t understand how you can be rated A by the better business bureau. Anyhow it all started with scheduling my first appointment with a salesperson which never showed nor a phone call this happened 2 more times and I had then given up on your company but got a phone call asking to reschedule so I did and this time someone did show up. On the following Monday was my laminate installation which did not happen cause they had no truck for Monday.So on Tuesday they came and started working. Then about an an or 2 later the carpet installers came. They came in and said we can’t work together. So they left. The carpet installers finally came Thursday. When they walked into my house they looked at the rooms and furniture and totally refused to move the furniture .I am furious at this point with all the inconveniences I have had to deal with. He said I want more money to move the furniture. I said oh no that’s your job. Well they would not move any furniture so my husband and I moved all the furniture around because we just wanted it done and over with. The laminate guys had to come back once because the first guys ran out of material and went and bought the wrong color so I had 2 different colors in the kitchen. Also my husband was not and is not allowed to lift more then 10lbs. As he has rods, pins, screws all through his neck and back due to a car accident. He has been in pain since moving the furniture. When I called the Pittsburgh Office to complain I kept getting told we can’t do anything for you . Finally the guy did call and say I can give you 150.00 dollars I said really for 100 percent of our lives being inconvenienced and my husband pain. The company has very poor Custer service. I am not asking for a hand out but I feel that we should be compensated better then that. I will not deal with your company ever again nor would I recommend your company. I am thinking of writing something to the BBB as well cause what I have read and experienced with your company it surely is A+. Sincerely Vicki Battisti 814-650-XXXXX..
Please I do not any calls from the Pittsburgh Office as they are not professional.
Empire Today says
Vicki,
We understand your frustration, and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to learn more.
Thank you.
Shirley says
I first ordered my carpet 3 weeks ago along with my new hardwood floors. The hardwood floors which replaced tile and a big mess is already done. However, it was another week until my carpet came in, another 4 days to schedule install, and then on day of install, they brought the WRONG carpet!!!! Now, to make matters worse, my carpet is not going to be installed until Thursday this week, and I can’t begin to get my house back in order until FRIDAY!!! My home had been packed up and in a shambles for 3 weeks and tbeyt have booked me out of their schedule until Thursday ….. and MY CARPET IS IN!!! They are taking care of “install nect day custometd OVER ME!!!! I have been trying to get my carpey installed tomorrow…its a joke to them…now they’re booked solid til Thursfay….why can’t they son out an outside team and get it DONE!!!!
customer support says
Shirley, We apologize for the service you have received. We would like to rectify the matter, but am unable to verify your account. Would you please email your contact information to customersupport@ empiretoday.com so me may contact you. Please place Corporate Office HQ post in the subject line of the email.
Shirley Bailey says
I am repeat customer at Empire and have never experienced a problem however, will never do business with them again. Ordered carpeting for 2 bedrooms to include closets. Found out on day of installation, rooms were measured incorrectly (sales Rep Mike Kline) so installer does not have enough carpeting to complete the job. I phoned customer service and spoke to a rep who told me I would have to wait for a call back within the next 24 business hours. I asked for a supervisor which after 15 minutes he found in Texas (Valerie) while she was helpful, she assured me that someone from the local (Northlake) office would call. I did receive a call from Randy, who made arrangements to have the carpet for the 2 nd room and the carpet for the closet in the room they had completed, installed the next day. In fact the same installer agreed to return to install it. He asked that I remove all the hanging close in the closets when I was previously told by the sales rep that I could leave all clothes hanging. Well next day rolled around and instead of sending the same installer, they sent a different installer, with carpeting that was cut from a different roll so after he gets it all down I notice its not the exact color of carpet laid the previous day. I phoned Randy back on Saturday while installer was still here and left a voice message, no response. I left Randy a voice mail on Monday March 26th at 8:15, another at 11:00 and another at 4:00pm. Still no return call. The installer that was scheduled to come out today to complete the carpet in the closet just called at 7:40pm to say he would be here in about an hour. So, bottom line is a 3 hour job has caused me almost 3 days of frustration along with a condo in disarray. Never again!
customer support says
Shirley, Thanks for bringing this to our attention. The situation you’ve described is not how we expect installations to happen. We’ll be reaching out to you to work with you on a resolution.
Joseph Maroun says
I purchased carpeting for four bedrooms coming up on four years ago with a warranty. Warranty was for five years. Spent a lot of money. Carpet was presented as top of the line stain resistant high quality carpet. Carpet is not stain resistant and has stretch in each of the four bedrooms. My wife and I are empty nesters and have our kid at home from time to time as well as quests. Very low traffic throughout the years. I contacted Empire Today and spoke with a rep named Rosemarie (562-741-1432) First I was told that my issue would be addressed with in a week. Two weeks went by and no response. I called Rosemarie back and she first told me that I did not have a warranty??? After a discussion with Rosemarie, she pulled my account and stated that I indeed had a five year warranty and her supervisor Annette would be contacting me. I waited a week and tried calling Annette at the extension provided by Rosemarie and there was no such extension or person by that name. I called Rosemarie back and was told that she would have someone call me back. After no response I contacted Rosemarie, left messages and have not heard back. It appears to me Empire Today is not interested in repeat or referral business. I am very displeased with the quality of the carpet I was sold and the lack of response by Empire Today. Based on the comments I have read I wish I would have investigated your company in depth before I contacted you. I have now decided to have the carpets removed and hard wood floors installed. An expense I did not plan on at this point. I would hope that a rep from Empire Today, after reading my post will contact me very soon. I am of the mind to contact the BBB and the media outlets that Empire Today advertise on and let them know of my experience.
customer support says
Mr. Maroun, we’re glad you contacted us! We never want our products to be disappointing, and we look forward to speaking with you so that we can begin working on a resolution together.
Linda Trocchio says
I had carpet installed on Saturday, March 17 and the installers came in and first question the lead professional asked was how are you paying your balance. I stated via credit card and he stated he needed it right away. This struck me odd as whynshould I pay for a job if it isn’t done and how do I know what kind of job was going to be done? The lead laborer spoke broken English and his worker spoke no English at all. The lead laborer said to me you are probably going to have to cut your doors in each room and when I asked why he said carpet was thicker….I said no it is not. He said let me check and took a razor blade to my carpet. I thought to myself well he better hope new carpet is okay with no cuts to my doors as he just distorted my old carpet. They had their Spanish music blasting in my house as well even though it was my holiday St. Patrick’s Day and my husband and I could not even hear our parade on TV due to their music blasting. They removed my old carpet and threw it out my top floor window and made a mess in my driveway and didn’t have the courtesy of cleaning it up during the job. I went upstairs to see how they were doing and they didn’t change any of the existing padding in any of my closets when I asked why they said no need —- I said to myself why did I pay for padding??? They cut the new carpet out my driveway and bought it in piece by piece room by room. We just had our home painted, I went upstairs and several hours later found marks on my wall and questioned what happened. The lead guy oh those marks were there. I said no they weren’t as you can tour my home and see all walls were freshly painted – he apologized and sent his worker out to his van to obtain something to clean my walls wiith. Well my walls went from a cream to pink coloring as the chemical stripped the paint. He then apologized again and said I’m sorry are you happy with the carpet job? I toldhim carpet is okay but damaging my walls is not okay. My husband signed our contract and billing papers U/P under protest. These laborers are outside individuals who are not professional and should be screened before entering customers homes. I was very unhappy with your customer service as they were not professional. When I called in to complain shortly after the laborers left I spoke with an individual and he told me he was passing my photos to the supervisor. Today he returns my follow up call and tells me he is the supervisor even though his business card reads lead specialists and states empire is not responsibility for the damage to the walls per contract. I am planning to pursue this as I was fair by calling and letting you know how unsatisfied we were. I also lobbied a call to your corporate headquarters and have not heard a word from them. I have been in contact with my credit card company as I am disputing charges until a resolution is reached – this by far is not a professional way to do business and I won’t recommend anyone to empire.
Empire Today says
Linda,
We regret to hear that you were unsatisfied with your experience. We never want our customers to feel this way, and we’ll be following up with you shortly to learn more.
Thank you.
Linda Trocchio says
I had carpet installed on Saturday March 17 and the installers came and were not professional at all. The lead guy spoke broken English and his worker spoke no English. They removed my old carpet and threw it out of my top floor window and made a mess in my driveway and didn’t have the courtesy of cleaning it up. During the job, I went upstairs to see how they were doing and they didn’t change any of the existing padding in any of my closets. When I asked why they said no need—why did I pay for padding????
They cut the new carpet out in my driveway and brought it in piece by piece, room by room. As I just had my walls painted, I went upstairs after several hours and said to the lead guy, what happen to my freshly painted walls. His response was oh that was there. I said no it wasn’t as you can tour my home and see all walls were freshly painted with NO marks. He apologized and then sent his work out to his van to obtain something to clean my walls. Well my walls went from a cream to pink coloring as the chemical striped the paint. He then apologized again and said I’m sorry are you happy with the carpet job and I said to him no and my husband signed our contract UNDER PROTEST. These laborers are outside individuals who are not professional and should be screened before entering customers homes. I was very unhappy as your customer service was not professional when I called to complain. I spoke with an individual (Adan) who told me he was passing my photos to his supervisor and today he (Adam) returns my follow up call and tells me he is a supervisor and it isn’t empires responsibility for the damage to the walls per contract. I am planning to take empire to small claims court as I was fair by calling and letting you know how I in satisfied we were and I expect a call back from corporate headquarters within 24 hours as I am also stopping my payment until a resolution is reached. This is not a professional way to do business and I will not recommend empire to anyone in the near future.
Amy Y says
Worst customer service experience in my lifetime. Unsure how the 5000 employees working there can work for such an unprofessional company. My family slipped through the cracks and our life has been put on hold because the Michigan location does not want to follow-up at all – first time we were called after our 1/4/18 initial call for a carpet evaluation for discoloration defect upon installation – was yesterday 2/23/18. The reason we were contacted finally was due to leaving weekly calls with floor supervisors in the Texas location. Floor supervisors Saul and Anna are the only ones trying to facilitate our $7,000 carpet purchase for our entire home in July 2015, being replaced due to progressive discoloration upon installation. My spouse owns his own business, I am a full-time student and we have a 14 month old. We cannot keep babysitting this company because they want to be unethical and not replace our $7,000 installation under warranty. We are trying to host friends and family in March, and after two whole months of poor customer service and excuses for not replacing our carpet under warranty – we are expecting this replacement before we have guests in our home. The discoloration is clearly a manufacturer defect. The gray color was turning violet in a few areas immediately after installation, and is now turning hot pink and getting progressively worse. My family’s time is just as valuable as Empire’s. Will be emailing customersupport@ empire-today.com and mentioning Headquarters in the subject line to facilitate this being resolved.
Empire Today says
Amy,
Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. We’ve received your email, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss your carpet concerns.
Thank you.
-ET Customer Support
Dee Norlin says
We had berber carpet installed in September of 2016. By November, the carpet was falling apart, frayed and looked to be at least 20 years old. An inspector was out and immediately stated that this was a manufacturer’s defect and they would send a sales person out for us to choose a new carpet to be installed at no additional cost to us. We met with the sales person, chose another carpet and set up a time (February 2017) for installation. By August, seams were failing and it took until November 4th for an inspector to come out, take pictures and tell us that we should hear something back in a few days. A week passed and we had not heard from anyone. Damage getting worse, holidays approaching. I was phoning daily and could not speak to anyone but the “call center people” – who were wonderful – understanding and as helpful as their job limitations could be. I received a letter in the mail stating they had been trying to reach me and could I please phone a specific number. I did so and I was told they have been leaving messages for me daily – REALLY?! Because I love living with damaged carpet; especially approaching the holiday entertaining time of the year!!!! Everyone else in the world could reach me but Empire Carpet! I finally was able to speak with a customer service rep who still insists that he cannot phone me so we resorted to email. Well, apparently, he isn’t having much luck with that either! A sales person was out on January 17th (I believe) and she was surprised to see the carpet and learn that we were told we could choose another alternative to berber since twice we have damage. She agreed that the carpet was not damaged, it was poorly installed. Only the seams were failing in several locations. The next day, that customer service rep discovered how to email me again and asked when they could install our new carpet. I explained that we were also now considering changing to a laminate after speaking with the sales rep. We were told (in writing, by email of c.s. rep) that that would be okay and it would be greatly discounted. Another sales person was out on January 31st – we chose a carpet and two different laminate options that we are still waiting on pricing for. Meanwhile, we have taken evening/lunch/weekend time on 5 different occasions to meet with reps, we have taken off of work twice for installation. We have spent hours of phone and email time. I am absolutely done and now want a complete refund from Empire of our 2016 purchase price and we will go elsewhere.
Empire Today says
Dee,
We’re disappointed to hear that your carpet is not meeting your expectations. We understand that we’ve been working with you in regards to your concerns, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to continue working on a resolution.
Thank you.
-ET Customer Support.
Kisha says
I made an appointment for today and was told a representative will be here between 9am and 11am. I call the company at 10:52 and was told they have until 11:00AM to get to me. Well at 11:05 the person still was not here. They called me after I call the company back to tell be they was going to be almost an hour at, they will be here by 11:50 am. I have been purchasing carpet with Empire to long for them not to have at least contacted be at let me know they were running an hour late. This is unacceptable and I think I’m going to take my business elsewhere. And I hope the representative noted in his file they messed up and not that I cancelled my appointment. Do you know how hard it was for me to get this appointment making sure both parties were available as stated by empire carpet. SMH. Now I don’t know when will be available again
Empire Today says
Kisha,
We know your time is valuable, and we regret to hear that you were inconvenience by a missed appointment. Please email us at customersupport@ empire-today.com with your concerns along with the street address of your scheduled appointment. We look forward to making things rights for you.
Thank you,
-ET Customer Support
S. Renteria says
For the last 2 months we have been unsuccessful in getting an issue rectified. The customer service manager of the Los Angeles area location has not returned calls or emails. I have reached out to the sales associate to ask for help. As she seems to “help” I have still gotten nowhere. I have called the corporate office only to push 0 for an operator and there is never one available. You must have a contacts first & last name. Guess what, I have a first name but that does not help. So I tried reaching out through the website, filled out the necessary information only for it to not go through… stated that the website was having difficulty. I am beginning to think that the issue isn’t just with terrible local customer service, but with the company as a whole. I am trying to reach out here as I see many have done.
Empire Today says
Dear Customer,
We understand your frustration, and would like to further assist you. Unfortunately, we’re unable to locate your account with the information provided. Please email us at customersupport@ empire-today.com with both your account and contact information, so we can follow up with you.
Thank you.
Keith Kennedy says
Over 8 months ago I made a warranty claim on the defective carpeting we had installed in our home by Empire Today. After going round and round with your representatives we finally got a call from Kayla Rogers (224) 234-7110 telling us that they had agreed to replace our carpet but that the color we have was no longer being made so we would have to meet with her to pick out a new color. I asked her at that time if it would be possible to get 2 other rooms in our home taken care of and of course we would pay the additional charge. She told us that she would have to get sales to come out and measure the rooms so that they could take care of this all at once. So far no one has called us to get that done. I have called Kayla multiple times since then requesting her to just come out and do the warranty claim and not worry about the other rooms. She has not yet called us back and it is getting extremely old and I want to get this taken care of as soon as possible. Please call me at (205) 566-XXXXX to take care of this.
Empire Today says
Dear Keith,
We’re sorry to hear about the lack of follow up that you’ve received. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to continue working on a resolution.
Thank you.
Linda Calhoun says
For many months I have been trying to get a refund of $129 which was promised to me by Mr. Andrew in the customer service department. This refund is for work for which I was charged but was not done. I have repeatedly made calls, always getting the promise that this situation would be rectified and I should receive my refund in 7-10 days. It has now been almost 5 months. I have a service request #1-2818506766. I’m tired and frustrated with dealing with this. I want my refund of $129!!!!!
Empire Today says
Linda,
We’re disappointed to hear that you’ve not received your refund. We’ve located your order, and we’ll be in touch with you soon.
Thank you.
-ET Customer Support.
Becky says
We have a warranty issue with carpet in our home. Trying to speak to customer service here in Houston and they told me I was out of Their warranty. That took over 2 weeks and many phones calls to get that out of them. I ask for the manufacturer to get with them since my carpet is two years old. She said I had to go through them and after weeks of rudeness on phone. I preferred not dealing with you guys . She told me No body cares about you. She hung up. I truly believe your company don’t care about us. My family has Hurricane Harvey damage and we just got a tile quote from you, but since you don’t care. Wanted to call corporate but you have no number.
Empire Today says
Dear Becky,
We’re sorry to hear that your floor is in need of repair, and we’d like to further assist you. Please email your concerns and account information to customersupport@ empire-today.com, and mention Headquarters in the subject line so we can follow up with you ASAP.
Thank you.
Misty Kim says
Hello,
I need to speak to a representative who has the authority above a customer service rep. We originally scheduled an install to sell our home but decided to put the sale off until May when I called to reschedule the apt the CSR told me he could only book out 6 months but then at that point we could then reschedule for my anticipated date of April, as well as advising me to keep my deposit on hand. Never once did he say he will not be able to push my install until April. He then booked an install date as far out as his schedule would allow and actually told me he would take care of cancelling and rescheduling it once the apt in Jan comes up. I called today to reschedule because the emails clearly state that it was not taken care of as I was told it would be, only to be told that I cannot push my date to April as well as I will lose my deposit if I don’t book next month. The representative also could see in the notes that I wanted my install in April, so why would those notes be there if I wasn’t told I could do that? When I asked to speak to a manager I was told no that I would get the same answer. I would appreciate to speak to someone who has the authority to help me out. Regardless of policy I was mislead by the original representative and as I am still trying to conduct business with you I am sure someone can mush my appt. out to the desired date. I would appreciate a response. Thank you!
Empire Today says
Misty,
Thank you for making us aware of this matter. We regret to hear that there was confusion regarding your installation date, and we’re sorry to know that you were inconvenienced by this matter. We’ve located your order, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly.
Thank you for your patience.
Ken Nsimbi says
I would like for a supervisor to contact me about Greg Sperte flooring advisor in Seattle. He displayed the worst possible customer service and doesn’t reflect your organizational views. I look forward to hearing from you 206.321.XXXXX. If I don’t I will escalate it to HR or whomever will listen. Thank you.
Empire Today says
Ken,
We strive to leave a positive impression during our in-home consultations, and we’re sorry to hear that this was not the case. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss your experience.
Thank you.
Bob Stavenger says
Ok I have been dealing with this since September of 2017. The flooring that was put down in February 2017 was through out the entire house. We were told that when they removed the old flooring that all of the nail heads and staples would be flush before the new floors went down. In September we noticed that a nail head was pushing through a plank so we call Empire to report it. After a couple os weeks we did have one of the original installers come out and fix the nail and replace the plank. Several planks were replaced. We noticed that the original planks were not as shinny as the new ones but was told that the shinnyness would go away after a few weeks. The new planks stood out so bad that we contacted empire again and this time we were told that we would have to live with what was installed. This is not acceptable. I did not pay $10,000.00 to just settle with this. The new planks that were installed is in the middle of our living room and is very noticeable. The service request # is 1-2980377160. I would like a call back as soon as possible.
Empire Today says
Bob,
Your satisfaction is important to us, and we regret to hear that you’re not happy with your floor repair. We’ve located your account, and we’ll be in touch with you soon to discuss your concerns.
Thank you.
Leta Marino says
I am writing respectfully to achieve some satisfaction for my sister Mary Ann Marino.
The laminate flooring installed needs some repair. Bob and Tom came out and took pictures and notes to what needed to be done.
Repair people have consistently been cancelling and can’t seem to get out to her house for service. They call and never show up.
My sister is special needs and this is distressing to her and my family.
I have personally used Empire 3 times on the past with no problems.
I want somevrespect and satisfaction.
My sisters address is: Huntley Il 60142.
Mary Ann Marino # 847-669-XXXXX
My number Leta Marino: 815-355-XXXXX
Please respect your customers and look into this.
Empire Today says
Dear Leta,
We thank you for being a repeat customer, and we regret to hear about your sister’s current experience. We’ve located her order, and we’ll be in touch with her shortly to discuss her concerns, and start working on a resolution.
Thank you.
Charles Renna says
I am writing to inform you of two things
1, the floor that was done twice due to faulty material still appears rippled or warped.in areas.
2. The floating floor has now separated at the seams in two different places.
I would like immediate response on this situation please.as I am concerned this is happening.
Thank you
Chuck Renna
Empire Today says
Dear Charles,
We’re sorry to hear that your floor is in need of repair, and we’d like to further assist you. Please email your concerns along with you order information to customersupport@ empire-today.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you.
Regena Carr says
I’m am so frustrated with the customer service I have received from Empire Today. Ive been trying to get your company to honor shoddy for about 6 months now. The company placed laminate on my stair case in 2016. Less than a year later, the laminate started to slip. After being told that (by your sales rep) that the work would be replaced due to defect, I am still waiting for a resolution. My first call was back in May 2017 and as of December 19th, my floor is not completed. I have placed several calls to employees and nothing but empty promises, rescheduled appointments or appointment dates with no results. This is the worst company to do business with. Just worthless.
What does it take for this company to honor it’s shoddy work?….. A LAWSUIT!
Empire Today says
Dear Regena,
We’ve read your post, and we’re disappointed to hear that your concerns have not been answered. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to learn more, and start working on a resolution.
Thank you.
Donna B says
RE to Empire flooring page 1
November 29, 2017, The contact states they will install the laminate flooring in my dining room living room and small closet in the living room and if the floors need leveling that was also included in my contract. See attached contract 14 pages. The closet was not done I was told by the installer I left the stuff for the closet you and your husband can do that. The installer showed up at 830am by himself at 930am he called someone and started cursing and getting upset. Around 1030am another person shows up then by 11am another person shows up then that person left, it took 10 and a half hours to do 2 rooms he was here till 6:30 pm, the floor not even not leveled makes noise throughout molding has gaps and is not matched correctly has the price tags on them and you can see the nails. I have pictures from the day after the install.
11/30/2017 ticket# -2916667295 1st ticket requested that a rep call me and come out and inspect the flooring and complete the contract that I signed. Empire staff took this as a joke and Justin Philly office told me that they have never had a complaint about the crew that installed my floors.
12/29/17 Wednesday installed all defective material I was told that I could do the closet they left the material in the dining-room for me to do that
11/30/2017 ticket# 1-2914225239 2nd ticket Thursday called and filed a complaint about the flooring and the gaps and unleveled nails squeaky floor
12/01/2017 Friday called again and requested that a rep be sent to my house was informed that empire doesn’t do that they will send out an installer team to inspect and the earliest they can do that would be Monday the 12/4/17.
12/4/2017 Monday 2 gentleman installers the main person was Carlos inspected the floors took pictures and measured the dip in the living-room as well as pictures and leveler and measuring tape. Took pictures of closet, baseboards and walked the floor and felt the different textures and the noise and the separations in the planks and the installed damaged pieces throughout the dining room and living room stated I should get a call back in 24 hours.
12/6/2017 Wednesday 9:50am No call as of so I called customer service and again explained my issues. New ticket for call back and to request my money back since this was paid in full on 11/27/2017 on my credit card.
12/6/2017 ticket# 1-2924779247 3rd Wednesday No follow up call ticket Justin sales rep for Philly
12/6/2017 Wednesday Ticket discount or refund of money 1-2924779250 4th ticket expect call back on Friday 12/8/2017 she asked if I was canceling my order how can I cancel the order they installed a bad product. I want my money back it is now over 7 days and I can’t use my kitchen as everything from the dining room is in my small kitchen , to include things from the living room, I can’t work in my office at home because we had to move the internet box that is in the living room. And if they reinstall again I have to move the box again and unhook the wires.
12/6/2017 Wednesday Received return call I was told by the rep Justin that he is waiting on my paperwork to be reviewed and he hasn’t gotten it back, I asked if the department was in the same building he said yes, so I said you can’t go over and have them pull it and take care of it, he tells me I am not the only customer in Philly and will have to wait I said with the same problem he stuttered I told him that was not acceptable and I want my money credit back he tells me with an attitude “Well that’s not going to Happen” I said I will notify my attorney and take u to smalls claim court. At this point Empire has no respect for the customer
or the issues that took place and I will have to wait. I said thank you and hung up. It was his way or the highway and he talks over you.
12/6/2017 Wednesday Called customer service back again waiting on supervisor to get online Janice transferred me to Lisa here in Philly and now Justin is hunting down my paper work and they are saying the crew on Monday did not submitted the paper work I still want my money back and I want this resolved this weekend. No one understands that I cannot use my kitchen for cooking as everything from my living room and dining room is in my kitchen. She stated she sits right behind Justin and she is sorry if it came off that way from his conversation, I said that is ok I have it all doXXXXented including our conversation. I want my money back I will hire someone else to come in and rip this out and do it right. I requested they contact me back before close of business on Wednesday 12/6/2017
12/6/2017 Wednesday completed customer survey and copied and pasted this entire conversation into the survey and requested a rep call me.
12/7/2017 Did NOT receive a call back on Wednesday 12/6/2017 from either Lisa or Justin prior to the end of their office day.
12/8/2017 Did NOT receive a call back on Thursday 12/7/2017 from either Lisa or Justin or any rep from Empire.
12/8/2017 1013am ticket# 1-2924779250 want my money refunded back it is now 15 days to Christmas my house is wreck and no one from empire has called me at all. I have had to call them constantly to get answers. I requested that I do not deal with Lisa or Justin, I just want my money back and if not I will be going to smalls claims court and getting an attorney to get my money back. They installed this on Nov 29th 2017 and I have been calling every other day with no action or response from Empire.
12/8/17 the customer service rep stated he contacted the Philly office and spoke with a rep there and that I am on the list for a call today and they will call me later today. All I want is my money back at this point I told him and how come no one from empire has reached out to contact me. I have been calling since the day after the install and if I don’t call empire customer service they don’t know I exist. I told him that if I don’t hear from Empire today by 3pm I will be calling back. And on Monday I am going to small’s claims court to file to get my money credited back.
12/8/17 Called my credit card company to stop payment to Empire Today HS or cancel the transaction 10:30am 3 way conversation with my credit card company and empire no resolution again it is a wait n see game with empire. My bank agreed that I did not receive the service that was agreed upon in my contract and that I will be hearing from my bank with-in 5 to 10 business days for the dispute and it has been turned over to a dispute agent who will contact me via phone and or email. We are putting the $5,121.00 in dispute, on my credit card no payment or interest will be charged to my account while in dispute.
3:00pm 12/8/2017 Friday still no call from Empire as stated by the customer service rep I should have received a call from Lisa the office manager by 3pm as she leaves by 3. I told my bank n customer service that Lisa would not call me back until it was time for her to leave that is exactly what she did n she did not leave a call back number.
3:21pm 12/8/17 received call back voice mail from empire from Lisa she left a message they got approval to replace the floors from upper management and it is a top priority but the earliest they could come out would be next Wednesday 12/13/17 they apologized for the inconvenience and they are very busy and booked solid. She did not leave a call back number so back to the 1-800 go help myself with empire, I am not available. I want my money back. I told my bank n customer service that Lisa would not call me back until it was time for her to leave that is exactly what she did n she did not leave a call back number. She stated someone else from the office will get ahold of me on Saturday the 9th of December because they are booked solid. Not my problem.
(I was unable to answer as I was on a conference call with my job I work till 6pm). I work from 630am to 5pm. And 1 hour extra to 6pm I work on the weekends as well.
12/8/2017 3:50pm till 4:32pm General Manager ticket # 1-2925075011 a customer back no this is not good as I will not be available. My time line for availability is past. I told her to read all the calls I have done since the 3th of November. I want my money back. I will hire someone else to do my floors in January or February when I am available again. This person gets back on and says she called Philly and canceled my contract I told her I did not tell her to do that I want my money back so she gets a manage on line who I have spoken to before, he stated he doesn’t know why the ticket was closed for a refund and no one called me to discuss the issues. He stated that upper management to include the main office in Chicago and all General manages and district managers will get this message and ticket . I told him I will call back again on Wednesday the 13th of December, as this allows for 2 business days again for someone from upper management besides Lisa from the Philly office how is a Customer service manager at the Philly office she is not the GM.
12/9/2017 Saturday did not receive a call from the Philly office time 2:25pm I am just finishing up my day at my job. They have my cell number. No voicemail no call.
12/11/17 Monday 1045am received call from Lisa about the flooring, I explained to her that I was not happy and that my schedule is too busy with work and family and at this point I just want my money back again she stated that isn’t going to happen and she deals with the financial departments all time. I asked her who her GM was and she stated she handles all these issues and that I would not be getting my money back that I can’t back out now since the floors were already put in, I told her that no that is not true the flooring you put in are damaged and my contract agreement was not handled and it took over 10 days for you to call me. I don’t feel that empire here in Philly took my needs into consideration they took the money out of my account prior to the install. I told Lisa I knew on Friday at 10am I was a priority on her call list and that you Lisa waited until 321pm to call me right before you left. If I was such a priority you should have called me that morning. Now you say you can reinstall anytime whenever I am available. I explained to you that my window of opportunity for Empire to correct there misstate is past I am not available as I have a tight schedule. You should have called me over the last 10 days but you didn’t then you said you got permission from upper management to replace the flooring you should have done that on Saturday 12/9/17 and why didn’t anyone call me on Saturday. She couldn’t answer that question. I have the voice mail she left.
12/13/2017 Called ref to ticket# 1-2925075011 Christine at customer service 1-800-583-2600 is checking her notes as all tickets again have been closed without a follow up from upper management.
12/13/2017 Christine sent me up to her supervisor at the national call center again. Supervisor Joe at the office in Texas call center will not create a ticket number and all tickets are closed and I will have to just wait on Lisa who has no supervisor as she is the supervisor for the Philly office, and corporate could care less as they send it back to the local who is mess. The Corporate office is in Chicago
Empire Today
333 Northwest Ave
Northlake Illinois 60164
Empire Today says
Dear Donna,
Thanks for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that your concerns have not been addressed, and we apologize for the inconvenience. We’ll be in touch with your shortly to further discuss your experience.
Thank you.
Jeanine says
Hello I’m so disappointed in Empire..I will never recommend them to anyone..we were approved for credit by fortiva..there was a dispute with pricing and after several calls I th out the problem was solved.I was wrong.after months and months of never receiving a statement from fortiva called and was told that I had a $0 balance..called empire told them that I need a monthly state ment.the man was rude and demanded a larger payment than what the agreement was for..now I get a letter from a collection agency.I’m going to call our local news channel and tell my horror story about empire..now my credit is ruined at not fault of mine!
Empire Today says
Dear Jeanine,
Thank you for making us aware of your experience. We’re disappointed to hear that there was a miscommunication regarding your account balance, and we’d like to make this right. Please email is at customersupport@ empire-today.com with the phone number and street address linked to your order. Make sure to refer to your posting by putting Headquarters in the subject line. We look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you.
Katherine says
This is day 3 that I sit at home waiting for Empire to install my carpet.
The appointments have been made however after I called Nov 29…’it was never confirmed in the system’. At that point I am scheduled by Fred Parsons nd Mike Botaishs’ team they will be here Dec 4….I get a call before 7:30 am ‘no one. Is scheduled’. At this point I call my sales person who clears is up and they are with out a doubt going to do install Dec 6. I call at 9am to get an estimated time….’ not confirmed’.
I have been home three day waiting with my room cleared.
There are significant operation problems that I would encourage Paul Connelly the Chief Information Officer and Keith Weinberger the Chief Executive Officer to address.
I have contacted the Better Business Bureau,
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts filing a Home Improvement Contractor Complaint form. I plan to reach out to Stevie’s about your American Business Award.
Empire Today says
Katherine,
We know delays are frustrating, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenienced that this has caused. We’ll be following up with you shortly to further discuss the completion of your installation.
Thank you.
Vanessa Dittrich says
Good Evening,
This is a continuation of my posting on November 27th and 28th.
On Thursday, November 30th, I received a voicemail from Kim in customer service. I returned her call and spoke with her in the afternoon (approx. 2:30pm EST). Your CS and installation department argued that when the installation manager Trevor agreed to a full replacement of the job, it meant only the dining room. Are you kidding me…ridiculous. Full replacement means full replacement not a dining room! I had my entire house installed with the same flooring. The follow-up inspection by Joe, which initiated Trevor’s subsequent visit was to reiterate my dissatisfaction with the original installation and to add the issue by the front entrance door, which I remediated at my own expense (see original post). The nerve your team has to play semantics.
I shared with Kim that their response was unacceptable and that the agreement was for a full replacement, not only for the dining room and any damaged floorboards at a good/discounted price.
I confirmed what was being committed to with Trevor before he left my house, and when Kim called me to make the arrangements for the full replacement I confirmed the work to be done and the timeframe to schedule the work (within one-year).
I asked to speak with the GM or Trevor. I was told the GM was not available as he travels between locations. So, I asked to speak with Trevor. I was informed that he was out of the office for the remainder of the day and off on Friday. He would call me on Monday, December 4th. I expressed my concern to Kim. My issue was escalated to corporate; I thought perhaps there would be a greater sense of urgency to correct the issue by the GM and installation manager. I requested a call back from the GM on Friday. Kim said that she was going to send an email to the GM John and Trevor letting them know of my concern/dissatisfaction and request for a call back prior to Monday. I didn’t receive a call back on Friday, December 1st.
On Monday, December 5, 2017, I received a voice message (speaker phone) from Kim, Trevor and GM John M at 11:53am EST. I was in a meeting and returned their call later that day at 1:50pm EST and left a message for Kim at the number she provided and then a voice message on the general CS number, ext. 4515. I did not receive a call back.
Today, December 5, 2017, I called Kim in CS and left a voice message asking her to return my call.
It is approximately 6:30pm EST and have not received a call back. It is apparent that your local team doesn’t have the same level of urgency, and value customer loyalty as I suspect your corporate office does. FYI…I am a three-time customer who has referred you to others.
I continue to be frustrated and dissatisfied. This experience is infuriating. I request and expect immediate attention.
I look forward to your response. Thank you.
Empire Today says
Vanessa,
We’re disappointed to know that you remain unsatisfied, and understand that this has been a frustrating experience for you. We’ll continue to review your concerns, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly.
Thank you.
Turner says
Until this weekend, We were completely satisfied with the work of Empire, however the technician was sent out without sufficient carpet to complete the job.
I have made several calls, taken 2 complete days of work off, only to be informed that the installation was not confirmed. This is a total nightmare!!!!! Just spoke to someone name Anna ID # 2773, who apologized and could offer me $50 dollars. REALLY !! someway to ease the frustration and inconvenience..
How long does Empire expect a customer to wait before the installation is complete? and its Law that services should be rendered upon payment… This is totally not acceptable and I will not be doing business with Empire again!!!
C. Turner
Empire Today says
Dear Customer,
We’ve read your post, and we’re disappointed to hear that your installation has not been completed. Please email us at customersupport@ empire-today.com and provide the phone number and street address linked to your installation. Make sure to mention Headquarters in the subject line, so we may further assist you. We look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you.
Laurie Blake says
I scheduled an appointment with Empire Today back in October. Gave them $467.03 for the down payment. The next day I cancelled the order. This was on October 16th of 2017. I have called 5 times to find out where my refund is and keep being told the check is in the mail. I called today and was hung up on twice. I will be filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and also going to small claims court on Monday December 4th. Your customer service is atrocious!
Empire Today says
Dear Laurie,
We understand that this matter has been frustrating for you, and we regret to hear that you have yet to receive your refund. We’ll further review your concerns, and we’ll be in touch with you soon.
Thank you!
Amanda Woods says
Please read this I’m out of any other options:
For starters, We lost our carpet in Hurricane Irma and finally got the money to purchase more. So we thought.
I have been trying to get carpet installed since November 7th, 2017. We scheduled an appointment for 5-7pm and a representative did not show. We rescheduled for November 9th and she showed, we told her we were interested in the purchase and to move forward with the sale. A representative was supposed to call us November 10th and schedule the carpet and vinyl installation for November 13th and 14th. There was no phone call and we left multiple voicemails for anyone from the office to call us back for the installation. The installation dates came and went and we continued to call leaving voicemails and work order numbers were placed through customer service. We were attempting to get flooring by Thanksgiving due to family coming to town. We had Thanksgiving on concrete floors and made the best of it covering it with towels and blankets for children attending. We eventually got a hold of someone from the office after demanding customer service to not hang up on us again and the person related they would just send someone else out for a DIFFERENT in Home estimate. The company already had our room measurements, what style and flooring we wanted, why would we need another person to come to our home? Well we agreed and waited until November 28 for another in Home estimate and naturally the representative was a no call and no show. I called customer service three times after the reprenever shpwed and they told me just to reschedule for another day since the representative did not show… I had to take off work, costing money, for them to not call or show and ask I just make another appointment? We’ve been calm up to this point but this drew the line, we keep getting lied to and just want our money back.
We need it to be installed by December 16th and have gotten no one to talk to us, answer our phone calls, or call us back. I have tried every other possible way to make this installation happen. I need someone to contact me, that isn’t just a customer service representative that will tell me they will leave a voice mail or make a work order that never happens.
Thank you.
Empire Today says
Amanda,
We’re sorry to hear about the lack of follow up that you’ve received. We’d like to assist further but we can’t locate your account. Please send an email to customersupport@ empiretoday.com with your contact information, and we’ll get in touch with you to address your concerns.
Thank you.
Vanessa Dittrich says
Good Afternoon
Adding to my email sent to you on November 27, 2017 detailing my experience with your company.
Today, November 28, 2017, I have not received a call from your NY, Long Island customer service department and installation department. Today I have left messages for your general customer service voicemail, CS Manager Kim and Installations Coordinator Marie. I have not received a call back.
Please respond, letting me know you have received my this email and my email from yesterday, seen below.
Vanessa Dittrich says
Please read my letter in its entirety. My letter only touches on a part of my experience.
I welcome your email response and encourage you to call and speak with me.
My most recent experience has been utterly infuriating and a disappointment. I have been trying to resolve this matter for over 2 years and it is still not resolved. Your N.Y. Long Island Customer Service Department and Installation Department has provided very little tangible support. They do not follow up and they do not keep their word when they say they will call back. I have worked in customer service for 20+ years and lead an in-bound sales and customer service contact center team. I have never experienced service as shameful as your team has dished out. I have been respectful to your team, hopeful and patient. It has gotten me no where.
I have requested to speak with managers countless times and they will not transfer me, put me through to CS voicemail or provide me with a contact name or number. I am beside myself. You have made me into ass because I’ve kept my part of the deal and I’m still paying my monthly bill for terrible workmanship and product. My last resort is to escalate this issue further. I don’t want to bring this to outside parties to resolve. I just want my floors replaced and done correctly and immediately.
October 2015, we had floors installed in an empty house. I was informed I needed a new sub-floor and agreed. The job was completed in approx. 2 weeks.
It was apparent immediately that the floors were installed incorrectly and they weren’t level and off in places by 1 to 2 inches, and the floating floor had too much bounce and give.
The floorboards were separating and shifting by 2 inches.
The engineered wooden floors selected were poor in quality.
The transitions from some rooms were off by ½ to 1 inch in height, transitions done poorly and the molding, quarter-round was measured, cut and installed poorly.
The installers broke a caste-iron radiator. They paid to have it repaired so it would stop leaking not to replace the broken valve.
I called customer service multiple times over a course of months. CS sent the original installer (Miguel) to come out to my house with glue to glue the boards back together.
Not satisfied, I called CS back and an installation coordinator Trevor was sent out. He inspected the job. He did not entirely agree with my concerns I had about the floors being not leveled and too much bounce and give and told me it has to break in, however he agreed that the finishing was an issue of molding and caulking and he approved a partial kitchen floor to be cut and reinstalled. You sent the original installer back out to caulk gaps, glue floorboards together and redo a partial kitchen. The job he did was terrible. Caulk was different colors, nail marks in the floor transitions, flooring curt too short.
I called CS. In addition, I called concerned that the subfloor by the front entrance was not secure and banging back into place after stepping on the floor. You sent another installer to review the job. Without question he acknowledged all the issues and concerns I had. He showed me with a level how unleveled the floors are and experienced the issue by the front door. His feedback initiated the installation coordinator Trevor to return. He reviewed the work of the original installer and agreed the work was poor and was apologetic. I walked him through the entire house and reviewed my overall concerns again, and he agreed an entire replacement was needed. The issue was the subfloor, length of floorboards, finishing work and a faulty product as well. Within a short period of time, Kim from CS called to say we have been approved for a total replacement. She said I had one-year to have the work scheduled and completed. I told her my husband was scheduled for surgery and that I would call back to make arrangements after he was well enough.
I began calling in Sept/October 2017 for the replacement. No one would return my call. I called Trevor directly and he called Kim in CS and she called me back within a day and left a message. It took multiple calls and two weeks for her to return my call. Finally we connected, I schedule the entire replacement for November 6, 2017. I requested a different installer not Miguel. Kim ordered the original quantity/footage of flooring and subfloor materials to be sent with the installers.
In preparation, I rented a POD and packed up my entire house except for large furniture to prepare for the replacement.
On November 6th, I received an automated message saying the installers were on their way. Your team was a no show on November 6th. On November 7th , we rescheduled for November 8th because I was told Trevor wanted to oversee the replacement, and is the reason why they didn’t show on Monday or Tuesday. November 8th, the original installer showed up with 7 boxes of flooring. He asked us what room was being replaced. We told him the entire job was being redone. We asked for Trevor and Miguel told us he is off on Wednesdays. The installer left our house. I called CS and explained what happened. Marie from installations called and left a message stating that it wasn’t setup for a full replacement and that she would have to speak with her manager and Trevor. Marie, her manager, Trevor or Kim in CS would call back. No one called back multiple times before CS Kim called me back.
I called back and was told by Kim that Trevor’s second inspection is now missing and they cannot find the approval. How can that happen? When your team/Kim from CS called me to confirm that I was approved for a full replacement. CS Kim called me to setup a date in Feb 2017 (which I postponed because of my husband’s surgery). Trevor told me before leaving my house that he was approving a full replacement and not to worry.
Since your team couldn’t find the inspection, I was now told that another inspection needed to be done. I told Kim I didn’t want another one and that the notes in my account should confirm I was approved. I told Kim that I am very concerned about having another inspection at this point. Back in September, I called Kim in CS because I wanted to remove a wall and add closets in the house. This was the right time to do it because a full replacement was approved. She confirmed it would be ok because the replacement is approved and notated on my account. So I moved forward with the construction. I asked the contractor to repair the issue by the front door because I was concerned it was getting worse and someone could get injured.
I was told a new inspection was a must. Your instillation coordinator Marie comes with CS Kim to inspect the job. Making sure to remind Kim and Marie that a few of the issues have been resolved because I had fix the floor and other issues before building back. In addition, the furniture was rearranged because we were preparing for a replacement. The furniture was partially sitting on top of specific areas of the floor that were of greatest concern. I was unable to move the solid oak piece of furniture 80×90 inches in size by myself to show the full extent of the poor installation. Marie and Kim should have been able to see and experience the issue. I also reiterated to both of them that since I was approved for a full replacement, I didn’t concern myself with always covering the floors with drop clothes. I am very concerned.
Since Tuesday November 21st, I have been calling your CS department, the extensions and cell phone numbers your team has provided, I have left messages on all VM, called the sales department as a last effort for today, and no one has called me back to date, November 27, 2017; 6:15pm
To date, I have incurred approx. $3200 in expenses for the rental of a POD and packing supplies and for fixing the floor in the front entrance and the delay in construction is now accruing fees because your team has not kept your word to fix the problem to my satisfaction.
Your team had a blank slate when they came to do the initial installation. It should have been easy and painless. Now I have to pay for your team’s poor business practice.
Thank you for taking the time to review my concern.
I look forward to your response.
Empire Today says
Dear Vanessa,
We’ve read your post, and we’re disappointed to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. This is not the level of service that we expect for our customers, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to further discuss your concerns.
Thank you.
Constance C Wheeler says
GM
This installation has been a nightmare. On October 24 2017, I sat with George Svadeba and ordered two rooms of carpet, honey tone and grand junction. When it was delivered the grand junction color was incorrect. They installed the honey tone but they didn’t have the transition which they promised to bring. On November 15,2017 I was told that the grand junction aspen would be delivered. I was never notified that morning as before, when I called they said the order was not in. That was almost a month after I ordered it and it still was not in. They said they would bring it on Friday Nov 17, 2017. They also said the transition would come also. That Friday they sent subcontractors and they didnot have the transition or knew nothing about it. Then they said I had to pay the 500.00 balance before they would start. I had already paid over 3,000 and was insulted because they didn’t speak english and their interpreter said that another lady had not paid the money after they installed the floor so they didn’t trust me. I am requesting a complete refund and my transition floor still has not been done. I finally spoke with the cancellation dept this morning after over 10 attempts since last Friday and spoke with Bill, he was very helpful and said that my refund would be sent. He said he would send the information about the transition to the installation dept. I have been jerked around so much by your company until I just am not sure that any thing will happen. I called my salesperson on Friday and he was rude and hung up on me when I told him I wanted to cancel. Your company will be reported to the BBB and you should stop saying you are number 1 with them because in my estimation you should not be on the list. They told me my refund would take 7-10 days and I hope that is correct.
Horrible service
Thank you
Empire Today says
Dear Constance,
We regret to hear that you were inconvenienced by a delay in your installation, and understand that your order was cancelled, if you continue to have questions and/or concerns please contact us at customersupport@ empire-today.com.
Thank you.
shirley kauers says
Our situation is beyond ridiculous….installer didn’t put the toilet on tight after installing floor. I called & e-mailed Empire telling them about it & that we were going to get mold as the water was seeping under the floor. After a few mo. they finally came & tore out the floor * found out there was mold. We lived with the mold for another few mo. before someone came out to take care of it. Now I keep calling & calling bc some of the drywall was taken out. Finally they called & told me to find a drywaller, which was not my job. I called when I found one, & was told they would send me a check to cover the expense….now I’ve been getting the run around for weeks to get the check, I also need a vanity as the old one was thrown out. My toilet has been sitting in the hall since August so we haven’t had use of our bathroom since then. I totally think that we should be compensated for our time, aggravation, living in this house with mold for months, & calling on the phone all of the time. If I don’t get something done SOON, I’ll be contacting my attorney & contact 6. They will be getting something done here.
Empire Today says
Dear Shirley,
We apologize for your experience, and are disappointed to know that your concerns have not been addressed. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to further discuss your concerns.
Thank you.
Hiland,Marie says
Horrible Company!! But thanks to Melissa in customer service she has been helping me out a lot. She is the best!!. There should. be more like her in your company. I just wanted to put in a good word for Melissa Kagan for all her help and good work and quick responses she has given me!!!
Empire Today says
Marie,
We’re happy to hear that our representative Melissa has been of great assistance to you!
Thank you for sharing!
Adam N says
Update number 3. Have to leave a new review because comments because comments within past ones won’t get looked at.
The installers finally showed up and didn’t have any supplies! They said they did not bring glue or and of the underlayment. Also commented that they didn’t even have the correct vinyl. After they leave I get a call from my nieghbor that they spilled something in my driveway and left a pretty good size gouge in it when they tried backing out with the wheel chocked. Funny thing is they used a rock from my garden as a chick and then threw it in the middle of my yard. I would love to say this surprised me but with how horrible this experience has been I’m not surprised. I have no idea how this company has such disconnects from the sales to the service. Could not be anymore DISSATISFIED.
Empire Today says
Adam,
We’re disappointed to hear that your repair was not completed as scheduled. We understand your frustration, and we’ll be in contact with you shortly to discuss a possible resolution.
Thank you.
Cynthia says
We purchased a carpet for our lower level, a year later we started noticing carpet rolls so i called Empire Today to find out if they could have their installers come back to tighten up the space. The customer service agent gave me a confirmation number and told me that Steve Fulbright would call me back to set up an appointment with me to come out to see the carpet. My FIRST call was October 19. He or anyone has yet to call me. This is now November 6. I have called a total of three times trying to resolve my issue. I keep getting the same answer……..”We will have someone call you”. I will NEVER use this company again because apparently they don’t stand behind their work and I feel like i’m getting the run around.. I bet if I were ordering a new carpet I would get a call right away.
Empire Today says
Dear Cynthia,
Thanks for bringing this matter to our attention. We’d like to assist you further, but we can’t locate your account. Please email your account and contact information to customersupport@ empire-today.com, and mention Headquarters in the subject line.
Thank you.
Zyneisha Green says
As a new homeowner I had much to fix up in my new home. I called Empire and right away they came to give me an estimate. I was quoted 1,500. I then paid a 150.00 dollars deposit. I got the Wells Fargo loan and got approved for 4,800. When Well Fargo finally sent me a bill Empire had charged me twice!!! They charged me twice for the same work !!!! I reached out to Wells Fargo and Empire. Empire apologized and told me the problem would be rectified within 24 hours. Unfortunately Empire is responsive only when taking money. The person handling my case came in late and left early without giving me a call or removing the charge. I called three times leaving work to rectify this matter. The have me using more than 30 percent of my credit card on a putting my credit in jeopardy. This is beyond stressful and the reps are unreliable and there is only one person that can handle this so if she goes on vacation I am just stuck. This experience was horrible and I would learn how to do carpets myself before using them again. I have enough stress as a new homeowner this was not what I was expecting.
Empire Today says
Dear Zyneisha,
We’re disappointed to hear about your billing concerns, and understand that we have since spoken to you in regards to this matter. If you continue to have questions and/or concerns please contact customersupport@ empire-today.com.
Thank you.
Jon F. says
Had carpets and hardwood flooring installed just over a year ago, Was ok job except the worker who re-installed toilet did a quickie job and failed to bolt it down, been LEAKING underneath ever since and now leaks when flushing. Thank goodness just water and not waste water but trying to get EmpireToday to fix it, excuses, excuses and EXCUSES.
Spoke with some lady who at first refused to offer help and then said will pay for half but after having professional plumbers check it out floor is WARPED, wet all around so this leak has been going on a long time.
We have left many messages but she does not return calls so next step LEGAL if they do not replace floor and install toilet CORRECTLY.
I do not like people and businesses that refuse to admit they just could be wrong and in this case ARE WRONG.
Won’t be checking back here but will be expecting them to totally replace floor and fix THEIR POOR WORK including installing toilet CORRECTLY.
Empire Today says
Dear Jon,
We take matters such as this one very seriously and sincerely regret the inconvenience. We’ll be in contact with you shortly to continue working on a resolution.
Thank you.
Jon F. says
What this web site needs here is a DELETE and EDIT system.
I guess posting shortly after the first that we DID GET A PHONE CALL means nothing.
Please have your webmaster add DELETE and EDIT to this system.
Jon F. says
Update, got phone call and things are moving forward, how fast will know in a day or two.
Julie Mosley says
I’ve been dealing with Empire for a week after a botched installation job. Today they are meant to correct the issues and reinstall a room of carpet. After 5 calls to Empire, they are unable to get a hold of the installers!! What type of installers do they employ hat they can’t find them! You beater believe that I am filing a complaint with the BBB. Atrocious experience!
Empire Today says
Julia,
We’re sorry to hear that your concerns have not been addressed. We understand your frustration, and we’ll be in contact with you soon.
Thank you for your patience.
Linda Pfaffe says
I had carpet installed incorrectly over a year ago. After 500 phone calls, 5 visits from installers who could not do the job and 2 days spent waiting for the installers who never came (after I stayed home from work) and contacting the Better Business Bureau my carpet was finally re-installed on October 9th. As per our agreement with the BBB I was supposed to be given a $350 credit to my account (not a store credit) for all of the inconvenience.
I have yet to see the money. Kim Laurecella (not sure of the spelling) has called me serveral times during my working hours. I am a teacher and can’t pick up the phone at certain times. I have explained that. I have called Kim back within minutes and she does not pick up her phone. In fact, I have called her at least 50 times over the last year and she NEVER has picked up her phone, everything goes to email. I have left 5 messages saying we do not need to discuss my credit, just credit it to my Empire Wells Fargo account. That has not happened.
Please help me to resolve this issue immediately, I have already wasted a year of my life on phone calls and visits and I just want to close this chapter!
I would also suggest you replace or change your customer service agents because they are unavailable and do not do their job as promised.
Empire Today says
Linda,
Our mission is to make beautiful new floors easy for all of our customers, and we’re disappointed to hear about your ongoing experience. We’ll be further investigating your concerns, and we’ll be in contact with you shortly.
Thank you.
-ET Customer Support
Linda D Pfaffe says
STILL WAITING FOR A RESPONSE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Paul Robbins says
We had our carpet installed in December 2016 after several no shows and it was a terrible job – all of the seams were evident and not fixable. We were promised a replacement carpet and again no shows until the installers showed up with the wrong carpet. We had a sample of the correct carpet and the installers agreed it was not the same. Beyond frustrated now, we were promised another upgrade and an install was scheduled – another no show. Now all I want is a refund and void the warranty on the carpet we have. Our contacts have been Elena Nelson and now Scott Heath (Tampa). We have missed too many days from work and cannot trust Empire to do the job any more. We have notified BBB and Discover Card and do not want another offer from Scott Heath – just a refund.
Empire Today says
Dear Paul,
We understand that this has been a frustrating experience for you, and we apologize for your experience. We acknowledge your concerns, and we’ll be in contact with you shortly to address your concerns.
Thank you.
Adam N says
Update to previous post. Service tech came and told me they may not be able to get the section I need and the replacement might not match. So he said it’s best he also give me a quote to have my entire floor replaced again. It’s only 2 years old and a life time warrenty but I have to have the whole thing replaced because they might not be able to get the product anymore. What was the purpose of the warrenty? Still have not had any correspondence on my intial post other than the reply within the post.
Adam N says
I setup an appointment to have a section of floor reinstalled after we did some remodeling. It was setup through the website and the gentlemen showed up the very next day. He informed me that even though I had installed this floor only two years ago and it’s no longer available. He went the extra step to setup a warrenty/service call for me. Unfortunately that’s where the excellent service ended. I have gotten 7 calls regarding my sales call but nothing of value in terms of my service call. I had to call the office multiple times and request to be put on hold while the call attendent tried to contact the local office. 3-4 Times they were unsuccessful. My response was “how do I expect them to get ahold of me when their own company cannot?” After way too much effort I finally got someone and they gave me a day for my service call but could not narrow it down anymore than “sometime between 8am and 6pm.” Are you serious? What really frustrates me is I have to pay 75 dollars for the service call, lose a whole days pay to be there, and I know what will happen. I will be told they need to order the supplies and repeat the process all over again. This service is unacceptable. I purchased a floor that, as I was told, came with a life time warrenty. Little did I know I would be the hardest working person to ensure that warrenty was upheld. I would try an repair the sections myself but the cut lines on the install are horrible and they did not leave me any scraps. I tried to make a complaint about the service call but was told the only way to do that was to be transferred to the very office I was trying to complain about. Something has to be done!
Empire Today says
Adam,
Your satisfaction is important to us, and we’re disappointed to hear that this was your experience. We’ll be in touch with you soon to further address your concerns.
Thank you.
Adam N says
I look forward to hearing from you
Mary Detring says
We ordered flooring to be installed in our dinning room and kitchen. We also ordered baseboard for the rooms and we were charged for that also along with the installation of our new flooring. We needed 6″ baseboard and Empire agreed that if we bought the 6″, and had it ready on installation day, they would install it for us after they laid the floor. I repeat, we were charged for the installation of our baseboard also. I bought and painted the 6″ that we needed in both those rooms. The adjacent rooms all have 6″ and meet up with
kitchen and dinning room. Three great men came and installed our floors yesterday. They did an excellent job laying the new flooring but said they wouldn’t be able to install our baseboard because they didn’t have the right tools. They also told me that Empire was going to send someone to install the baseboards later that afternoon or the next day. I have called the general sales manager Jamie Butters, 866-588-2392 ext. 5112, two times now and he still hasn’t responded. I put a $477.00 deposit on these floors and am
in debt for another $4,100. Hey Empire, practice what you preach and please finish the job.
Empire Today says
Mary,
We understand your frustration, and we’re sorry to know that you were inconvenienced by these issues. We’ll further investigate your concerns, and we’ll be in contact with you soon.
Thank you.
Tina Bonanno says
I am writing in response to such a poor experience with your company from the sales people lying about moisture barrier they were putting down it should of been the thicker one that is not what we received also my house 7 days counting is not completed all the transitions pieces are not down as the installer cut them wrong so they had to get new plus they did not have quarter round to match my cabinets also my quarter round looks terrible it was never finished or caulked it is a trip hazzard not to mention the transition piece for my carpet is not on and my carpet is pulling back I have been lied to from everyone in this company as to when this job is to be completed They broke the waterline to my fridge as I had to call a plumber to fix it not to mention he had to cut my drywall behind the fridge where all the transitions pieces go are a trip hazzard this issue really needs to be taken care of I wish I would of seen this page before I decided to go with this company as it looks like the customer service sales and installation all lie tomorrow will be 8 days my floor is still not completed I would love to know if the installers are licensed and bonded as we were told if they were my quarter round would not look the way it does and my floor in spots is not level they told me that would go away as I do not believe that either funny thing they sure charge you even if work is not completed neither one of my 2 rooms or completed it is a shame so if they say 40 years with the BBB and amazing customer service wrong if they say this certain product comes with the floor not true I did not get the padding that was shown to me and if you have a problem no one calls you back and you are on hold forever and they hang up on you I am one displeased customer I would never refer anyone To Them so besides having an incomplete floor I have to pay for someone to fix my drywall on my freshly panted walls
Empire Today says
Tina,
We’re sorry to hear that you’re unsatisfied, and sincerely regret the inconvenience. We’ve located your account, and we’ll be in contact with you soon.
Thank you.
Anwar Euring says
They showed up without enough material. Salemen measured incorrectly. So my tile couldn’t be installed. I was supposed to hear from someone. A week later I called to get it scheduled. My carpet was installed first. When the tile was installed they had to lift carpet where it transitioned. Now the carpet is coming loose and the padding isn’t laying correctly. I called twice before it go scheduled.They came didn’t call knocked left in a BLINK. It’s all on camera !!I called 3 more times each time they stated someone will call to reschedule it’s being escalated to urgent. Finally today I demanded to speak to any manager. The person quickly told me they dont handle scheduling.I finally got one I asked her for Corporate number. She gave me a number that noone answers. She sent email said some will call me. This time after losing it treating to contact Better Business Bureau and Corp Office I get a call. I explain what happens to General Manager. The first thing he did was make an excuse. He was on vacation for a week. I just spent $5500 and that’s your response. I’m sorry I lost it. The only upside I’m scheduled finally. This company has been around forever. The problem just became obvious it’s leadership. No follow up ,no planning and salesmen that cant use a tape measure. They have a 1.6 is the rating in Indianapolis its clear why.
Empire Today says
Anwar, Your satisfaction is important to us, and we’re disappointed to hear that this was your experience. We’ll be in touch with you soon to further address your concerns.
George Castro says
I had carpet installed in my upstairs about a year ago. Getting the carpet was a problem in itself. The installers brought the wrong carpet then they came on the wrong date and then they didn’t have the right material. Empire was giving me a hard time with the price because they insisted they brought the right carpet when it was clearly a cheaper one. Once everything was finally ironed out, the carpet started to warp slowly but surely. I called the 800 number and was placed on hold overtime I called. When I finally got someone, they said they would charge me $35 to look at it and then depending on how bad it was they would have to figure out a price…are you kidding me??? After this long ordeal you are still asking me to pay more for poor service with a strait face? Even as we speak I am on hold again so the customer service rep can tell me that they will call back and they don”t. Oh wait they just told me they can’t do anything for me but lower the labor for it. FYI the manager was too busy to speak to this paying customer so she had one of her associates “break” the news to me. Unreal…I advise anyone who wants quality work done with great customer service to go to anyone else but Empire!!! They spend more money on advertisement then quality workers and customer service!
Empire Today says
Dear George,
Your satisfaction is important to us, and we’re disappointed to know that your carpet is not meeting your expectations. We’ve located your account, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to discuss possible repair options.
Thank you.
Gary Gotling says
I made and received a confirmed appointment notice from Empire to give me an estimate on home flooring. You were suppose to be at my home Saturday, 10/7 and no one showed up. When I called your 800# the paid no – help person said that you ran out of people to full fill your confirmed appointment and they could not offer any reason why. Why didn’t I get a call on Friday saying you would not be able to come out on Saturday. Instead I wasted my Saturday morning. VERY POOR service.
Empire Today says
Gary,
This is not what we expect for our customers, and apologize for keeping you waiting. We’ll be in contact with you soon to make things right.
Thank you.
Terry Lombardi says
On Monday the 25th of Sept I had an appointment. from them to come fix my rugs. I called 3 hrs after waiting to be told sorry not enough workers today. Make another appointment for Wednesday and I do get a call at 7:15 am i am second in line they will be here in the afternoon. At !PM i call now I am told my afternoon appointment to evening between 6-7 PM. then Ellen calls me back to tell now between 4-5 Pm. OK now mind you my home has NO furniture in it since Saturday the 23rd because it couldn’t on the rugs. Needless to say at 7:30 PM we moved our furniture back into our home. Kate in customer service called to reschedule and give me a discount and I am sorry and understand my frustrations. As I was told after waiting that at 6:45 PM I turned them away.NO I DID NOT I WANTED MY CARPETS FIXED. so where did they wonderful workers go? NOT MY HOUSE.. My carpets are NOT fixed and I have pictures to prove it. Empire lay them down and now I have to find somebody trust worthy to fix their mistakes. Thank you, no more business or refusal from me and to bad I can’t take them back and the money already made from them.
Empire Today says
Dear Terry,
We know that this has been a frustrating experience, and understand that we’ve discussed possible solutions with you. If you continue to have questions and/or concerns please contact us at customersupport at emprie-today.com.
Thank you.
melissa eSanders says
I have been waiting over 2 weeks for someone to contact me…about my flooring the installer did not put my washer hoses in properly so it soaked my floor and on top of that he pushed my fridge into the wall hitting the shut off valve and that proceeded to drip for 2 weeks without me even knowing!!! been calling Empire sending photos , emailing getting nowhere!! my next call is to a attorney !!
Empire Today says
Melissa,
We’re disappointed to hear that you have not been contacted in regards to this matter. We’ve located your account, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly to further discuss your experience.
Thank you.
Tricia Pribyl says
Today (October 5th) Empire was supposed to install carpet in our daughter’s bedrooms. We received a phone call today to at 730am to inform us the carpet isn’t in stock and they do not know when it will be in stock. We hired a painter to come in and finish their rooms in fear we would not make the deadline of today October 5th. You can’t tell me that Empire didn’t know the carpet wasn’t in stock a few days ago. We are very disappointed that we spent the money for a painter (he came the last two nights to finish) and that no one informed us until the date of delivery the carpet wasn’t in. And as of now not one person has attempted to call to reschedule or possibly follow up with us on maybe choosing a new carpet. Is this carpet out of stock forever?? With the delay we could have saved money on the painter and now the wood floors going up to these bedrooms will be finished next week, we are fear the wood floors will be damaged due to them lugging the carpet up the stairs. I feel we deserve some answers and a phone call.
Empire Today says
Tricia,
We dislike delays as much as you do, and sincerely regret the inconvenience. We’ll be in touch with you shortly to reschedule your installation.
Thank you for your patience.
Jennifer says
I was supposed to get a carpet installed today. After closing my retail business for two days and hiring people to move equipment, the installers show up with the wrong size carpet. Apparently my salesman made a mistake with the measurements. Mistakes happen. I get it. But good businesses are the ones that make it right. After waiting for 3 hours to get the main installation guy (Mike Daleo) on the phone, I was met with a bad attitude. He told me that stuff happens, and we could talk about compensation after they installed the reordered carpet. I said, no, that needs to be talked about now. He said that there’s no reason he should have to lose money on this job. Really? You failed to properly measure a wide open square room, and you shouldn’t lose money on it? But I should? Store rooms flood, sub floor is rotted, carpet arrives damaged from the mill….those are things that just happen. This was gross incompetence, followed by a terrible attitude. I still don’t know how this whole thing will play out, but I’m hoping it doesn’t turn into a problem, and I’m hoping that corporate doesn’t allow their employees to treat their customers like this. On the bright side, I also got vinyl flooring installed, and that came out great.
Empire Today says
Dear Jennifer,
We’ve read your review, and are disappointed to hear about your carpet installation. We regret the delay, and would like to follow up with you to make things right. Please email your account and contact information to customersupport at empire-today.com, and mention Headquarters in the subject line to we may further assist you.
Thank you.
Kristen H says
It is really difficult to deal with a company that does not have a store front and the customer service agents pride themselves on scripted answers and refuse to listen to the details of your concerns. I purchased carpet and baseboards from your company,both were scheduled to be installed on Thursday, the guys doing the baseboards showed up with the wrong size basboards, he left and never said when he would return. I tired calling Empire for over 2 hours to tell them to deduct the price of the base boards and I will pay for them once they are installed.Several customer care agents told me they did not see a hardwood request listed. I basically had to spell out baseboards to them. Finally a Jennifer from the Baltimore warehouse called me back, I explained the situation, she made a small deduction in price due to the inconvenience and ensured me that someone would be back Monday to installed the baseboards. So here we are Tuesday, I took off work again, no one showed up to install the baseboards and no one called. I called and left several messages and no one has called. Customer service is awful, if I were you, stay clear of this company, you get what you pay for.
Empire Today says
Kristen,
This is not how we want installations to go, and we’re concerned about your experience. Please write to us at customersupport at empire-today.com with both your account and contact information, and mention Headquarters in the subject line so we can discuss this further.
Thank you
Kristen H says
Day 3 after baseboards were to be installed and no one has yet to call me or respond to my many left messages. The worst!!!!!!
Kristen H says
When you call, they transfer you, then hang up. They refuse to honor the contract they generate. 3 days after the 2nd scheduled install. The worst!!!! If you cannot provide the service you agreed to, refund my money.
Betty Eisenmann says
Installed Empire floors in whole house to the tune of 34K in December on 2014. Had many other issues but the latest is the flooring in the basement is getting black mold spots on the engineered wood. These are not tiny little spots, these are huge! Tried to have it repaired. Made FIVE different appointments for contractors from Empire to come out and fix there was always some reason they could not. The last contractor showed up a couple of weeks ago and called his boss. His boss said not to repair the flooring. The contractor pointed out many other blacks spots starting to form and spread. He stated that this engineered wood should not have been installed in the basement. There is too much humidity. We were told before installation that the humidity level would be checked to make sure this engineered wood could be installed. Apparently no one did that. I have tried working with the district manager out of Baltimore/Washington, Charles Ogun. He is not returning my phone calls. He gave me his extension when I could never get any of the other customer service reps (Danielle Stewart to name one) to ever return a call. Virtually no one will answer a call and when you leave messages no one returns them. Danielle even said “Well I don’t have time to listen to my messages, I get 75 a day”. I need Empire to resolve this situation. Empire needs to replace the floor with something that will work in the basement at their expense. And Empire definitely needs to work on customer service.
Empire Today says
Hi Betty,
We’re disappointed to hear about the issues that you have been experiencing with your hardwood floor, and understand that we’re currently working on a possible solution for you. We’ll be following up with you soon, once we investigate this matter further.
Thank you.
Don Jackson says
September 11, 2017
Dear Susan,
Per our conversation today (9-11-2017) in reference to the above mention contract, you offered two possible solutions to our frustration and total dissatisfaction with the product and service offered by Empire-Today. Your proposed solutions were (1) remove the existing newly purchased carpet and replace it with a better quality and thicker carpet at no additional expense to us or (2) install transition pieces that will match the existing hardwood floors and the carpet, again at no additional expense to us.
To be honest with you, at this point, I believe the best solution would be for Empire-Today to come to our house, remove all of the carpet and pads that you have installed. My reasons are this:
(1) the pads used in the living room are a form of StainMaster pad that I believe is intended to improve the life of the carpet. However, the pads that installed through out the rest of the house are not StainMaster and are ,in fact, a type of multicolored pad that does have any type of moisture barrier under the carpet. When Loni sold this contract to us, she said that all of the install would have a moisture resistant barrier and that the carpet would have a long warranty because of that barrier. When your install team was here the most recent time, they exposed a corner of the pad that was installed in the game room. Total different product.
(2) the multiple attempts to correct a totally unsatisfactory install of the carpet in the living room and game room has resulted in a product finish that looks stretched and tattered as if it was already multiple years old instead of a July 5, 2017 install.
(3) the stairwell carpet install has already started to become un-nailed and corners are beginning pop up. This is a very recent discovery that was noticed by us just yesterday. Perhaps, this was caused by the time of night that the installers were finishing up the stairwell and living room, which occurred between the hours of 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM.
(4) From the very beginning of this purchase, we have been lied to by everyone from the sales lady (Loni), to the installers, to multiple staff members of your company. Loni promised us high quality Berber Carpet, high quality 1/2 inch padding, and a finished product that we would proud to own. That has not been the case, in the slightest. Apparently, the Berber carpet that we received was not of the quality she said because now you are offering us a “high quality” carpet as a method to fix this mess. Loni also said that the carpet would blend in well with the existing floor and that transitions would not be needed. Again that turned out to be totally false. We made this purchase in June 2017 and the installers appeared at our door a few days later, ripped up the existing carpet and then “discovered” they would need to add 3/4 subfloor before they could install our new carpet. As subflooring was not mentioned on the purchase agreement, you and I had to renegotiate the contract where I agreed to purchase the needed subflooring and that you would reimburse me for 1/2 of that cost and that you would pay for the installation of the subflooring. This reimbursement of 1/2 the cost has still not appeared on my credit card.
Your crew returned on July 5th, minus one worker who apparently was too ill from partying on the 4th of July to attend work. This 2 man crew arrived at approximately 8:30AM and worked until 11:00PM and the work quality shows it. I will not go into discussing again the shoddy work they preformed on creating a new subfloor because we have been thru this discussion way too many times. The most recent attempt by them only resulted in them cutting strips of wood and stuffing those strips down into the gaps between the hardwood floors and the subfloor that had previously installed. You assured me that when they arrived for this latest effort to fix their previous work, that Mike (your install inspector) would be coming with the install team to make sure the job was completed correctly. Mike, apparently, was sent off to another job and was not able to come to our house for even a quick peek. Regardless, the install team came to our house without the 169 sq ft of material needed “Fallen STA in the Skies” nor the plywood that Mike had instructed them “in writing” to bring with them. Mike’s instructions are very plain. “Installer to take up carper in LR and reinstall 3/4 plywood to be purchased at hardware store, install plywood so it reaches all edges and scribe around fireplace so it is not 1 inch away.” Mike also stated, in writing, that they were to bring 169 sq ft of new carpet. The install team stated to me that they would be responsible for the cost of the new carpet and the plywood for a new subfloor and they can not do that. Again, they left our house with a substandard quality of work. Our house is now in worst shape than it was because they had to stretch the existing carpet even tighter than before and it is already beginning to fray.
Susan, I’m tired.
If you were to bring in a new and “better quality” carpet, the you would also need to replace the carpet in the game room and stair case as it is the same pattern as the living room floor. The carpet on the staircase has already started to fray on the corners (which is very strange because that area can not even be walked upon) and the edges of the carpet in the game room have already started to separate from hardwood flooring. PERHAPS, if you were to have an actual professional install team to come to our house, remove the existing carpet from the living room, game room, and staircase and rebuild the subfloor correctly, and then also install matching transitions to new “better quality” carpet then PERHAPS we can finally put an end to this entire crazy, crazy mess.
I still find it very disturbing how this install team of yours could have done such a quality job on the two upstairs rooms and totally screwed up the rest of the house.
Please contact Chrissy at 206-898-XXXXX or at the above email address of cjjaxs at gmail.com to finalize your decision as I will be out of town until Monday of next week as I must travel to Mississippi to bury my brother (if the hurricanes will allow us to do that.)
Regards,
Don Jackson 253-218-XXXXX
don.jackson48 at ymail.com
Hello Susan and All,
In addition to Don’s email, here are a couple to add to the dissatisfaction with Empire Today and the fear of having your company continue to deceive us with you trying to fix the continuous problem.
We were charge a fee for your installers to move large furniture. That NEVER happened. Don and I move the moved the furniture 6 times (3 visits- 6/27, 7/5 & 9/7). We were told by you on 6/27 that those fees will be reversed and credit back to us.
Both time the installers were here, cleanup was NEVER done. We had to do it afterwards.
To avoid any more heartache and disappointment from Empire Today, I feel the same as Don and concur with his email. please refer to Don’s 8th paragraph of his email.
As I have stated on my voice message to you, this is our home and we want to feel respected and valued in our home. The simple thing as replacing carpet should enhance a person’s comfort and pride in their home.
Let me know what you and your team has decided and I will forward your information to Don for his review/approval.
Chris C Jackson
206-898-XXXXX, cjjaxs at gmail.com
Empire Today says
Dear Chris,
We’re saddened to hear that you feel this way, and assure you that your satisfaction is important to us. We’ll be following up with you soon to discuss your concerns.
Thank you.
Jennifer Mcsorley says
I feel bad for all the people that have bad experiences with Empire. They do not care about their customers and do not own up to their mistakes. You would better be better off installing it yourself.
Empire Today says
Dear Jennifer,
We apologize for your experience and regret to hear that you were unsatisfied. We’ll be further investigating your concerns, and we’ll be in contact with you soon.
Thank you.
Mike Geiger says
I am writing in regard to the work done on installation of tile in two bathrooms and an entryway last week! The job was so poorly done that we now have repair work to do. Mortar was left all over floors, and specks left that can only be cleaned by getting down and cleaning with wire brush, tile by tile. Grout was placed UNDER the baseboards which now look dirty, mortar was left all over baseboards, walls, and toilets, tubs, and doors. Damage was done to one wall which have dings on them. Some pieces of tile are not even and sticks up! Very obvious. This is a trip over problem, as it’s right in the doorway! Spent three hours cleaning just to be able to get into bed and use the toilets. They were here for 11 hours with six of those hours without a toilet to use. We had to go uptown to a place of business to do our business! Baseboards are ruined from mortar, dings and some were left unattached from walls. This was the sloppiest job I have ever seen. We also had carpet installed prior to that with no issues. Nothing was put down on floors to protect them from dust and mortar/grout, nor our kitchen floor where they had to go in and out to patio for workspace. So therefore more floors to clean after the fact! The tile still has layers of mortar over them, and I’ve mopped them several times already. Still, after walking on tile into other room leaves footprints and dust on wood floors!
After complaining to Empire flooring, they offered to send someone else back out to install new baseboards, WHEN we send them measurements of rooms needed and when WE get the supplies needed to do work. We shouldn’t have to be doing more work ourselves! The tile in all rooms needs deep cleaned. It is my opinion that someone should have come out immediately and inspected this work themselves to see the poor job their installers did. And we shouldn’t have had this much of a mess. We had to do deep cleaning ourselves after they left just to be able to breathe from the dust, use the toilet, and take a shower! I expected to do a little cleaning, but not DEEP cleaning! We have bronchial issues, so it had to be done. Even though we have used Empire in the past and didn’t have any issues like this before, we will never use Empire Flooring again.
Total waste of time, and the tile looks awful! The original tile we had looked better than this job!! Carpet installation went great and pleased with it.
Update on tile issue….we felt that since we have to re-do the bathrooms ourselves, we do not want any part of Empire coming to install new baseboards to fix damages. We want nothing more to do wit