How would you handle the poor installation of my doors??

Question

I had an entry door and new storm door installed by someone and they charged me $300 to do it. I noticed at the very bottom right hand side that my door was not closing. I had another person look at it and he told me the guy that installed my door did not know what he was doing. For one thing he cut my z bars too short which lets light seep through the bottom of the door and he even hung my door handles upside down. I called the guy and let him know about this and he seemed shocked that something was wrong with the door. He really is a good guy but at the same time I think he owes me some money back. He said he would replace a piece of vinyl siding for me for free because I needed one replaced on the front side of my house but I am still highly upset about this.

Answer 1

I would give the guy a chance to repair his mistake. If you feel that he can't do the job correctly, then have someone else to the job and don't let the original guy do any more work for you, even if its for free. the money that you paid him, just write it off as a learning experience. You did say he was a nice guy.

Answer 2

Is he a private contractor or does he work for someone else? Was he referred to you by a vendor? (Home Depot, Lowe's)
If he's private, you have to deal with him. If he is a reputable contractor, he should do whatever it takes to make this right, including providing new doors if necessary. You do not want a patch job with brand new doors. Fixing a piece of siding without charge would be a nice gesture on his part for your inconvenience. If he doesn't fix the doors to your satisfaction, you might have to take him to court.
If he works for a company or is a sub contractor for a vendor, call and report the problem. Have them send someone to examine the problem and arrange for it to be corrected. Once again, you are the final word. If you aren't happy with the end result, do not settle for less. As long as you aren't nit picking, there is no reason to settle for anything less than you expected when you ordered the work.
Years ago, I had a tile floor installed in my bathroom. I hired from a company that uses a bunch of contractors who check in when they need a quick job. The person they sent did a terrible job. The grout lines were so uneven I could place a finger between some tiles while others almost touched. I said something to the installer who replied, "I wish all I had to do was compare grout lines." Before he was out of my house, I called the company that sent him. They sent someone to look at the tiles the next day. He agreed it was a sloppy job and that it would be corrected. A few days later, the boss came back and with a sample of my tiles, we went shopping. The tiles I had were discontinued so I had to find something similar. The closest thing available cost almost triple what I paid for the original tiles but they looked the same. The company bought the new tiles, another man installed them and the boss came back to confirm that I was happy.
The job ended up costing them much more than they made but it was good business. I still use the company and I've referred them to several friends and neighbors over the years. The only difference is, now I speak to the boss directly and he picks who comes to do work at my house.

Answer 3

If he's an honest guy, he should fix the problem to your satisfaction. If not, get a professional to fix the problem, then sue the other guy in small claims court to recover the money.