Mill Creek Painters Ltd.

In early May, I hired the company to paint the interior and exterior of my home before it was listed for sale. I clearly communicated that the work had to be completed by June 18 because window cleaning, house cleaning, staging, and listing were scheduled immediately afterward. Although the estimate process was professional, the project was poorly managed. The painter who arrived had not been properly briefed on the scope of work and was unaware of significant portions of the project. Throughout the job I repeatedly contacted multiple employees to determine what work was being completed, when crews would arrive, and whether agreed work would actually be performed. I was repeatedly assured work was on schedule, yet promised crews did not arrive, follow-up calls were not made, and agreed work had to be renegotiated because the onsite painter had not been informed. I acknowledge that weather caused some delays. My complaint is not about the rain, but the lack of communication, poor coordination, and failure to proactively advise me of delays despite repeated inquiries. The painting quality was satisfactory, and I have no complaint regarding Bruce’s workmanship. My concerns relate solely to the company’s management. The most serious issue occurred after completion. I received the invoice on a Friday. Over the weekend I was dealing with my infant in the hospital, the sale of my home, moving, travel, and an emergency at one of my rental properties. I missed one voicemail. By Monday afternoon, before I had a reasonable opportunity to pay, the owner had sent multiple emails, contacted my realtor, and threatened to register a lien that could affect my pending sale. I had never refused payment or disputed the invoice and paid within about an hour of learning my realtor had been contacted. I believe the company’s project management and aggressive collection practices fell well below reasonable customer service expectations.