Handyman Matters

Last year I had to change some of the plumbings in our condo and I hired Handyman Matters and Bruce was so nice and professional that this year when we got our washer and Dryer, I knew immediately that I would call Handyman Matters without any hesitation. From the moment you call to book an appointment to the moment the job is done it is a pleasant experience. Thank you Keri, Jim and the Handyman Matter staff!! :)

We had just replaced all windows and doors in our home and repaired 3 cracks in our basement/foundation. Yuk! Well, when that work was complete I was left with unpainted trim and huge holes in my finished basement walls. Handyman Matters did a great job in getting my place back to a finished state. Jim and "Little" Bruce were pleasant, knowledgeable, professional and very accommodating because they did the work over the December holidays. Bruce's work was great and I couldn't believe how he prevented my basement from getting full of dust. I would definitely hire Handyman Matters again and recommend to anyone in need of a quality Tradesman.

Have completed many projects over the past 2 years, including interior/exterior painting, interlock lift & relay, fence repair, custom ceiling tile, wood trim, bookshelf installation and more. Very professional personnel: always arrive on time, efficient, friendly, cost-effective, service-oriented...a pleasure to have in my home. Paul is particularly outstanding. Carrie in the office is extremely courteous and well-organized. Jim has been very helpful and responds quickly to inquiries. He runs a first-rate service business.

I hired Handyman matters after reading favourable reviews here. I had one person come out and do a small job for me (drywalling), and give me an idea of cost for the remainder of the larger job. The first job was done promptly and I have no complaints.

The gentleman who did the first job called me and told me that the next job would cost about $2K and would require 2 guys for 2 days. I called the main number and told them that, and booked time for a few weeks in advance. I confirmed with the main office who had given me the outline of timing and price. The day before the job I called and confirmed that we were on for 9AM the next day. Tenants were made aware of the situation, building inspections were booked, and the main floor resident moved out for 2 days to accomodate the workers.

At 8:55 the next morning I received a call from the guy who was going to do the job, informing me he was sick and that we'd need to start later. I explained that I would need to be there to go over what had to be done, and he told me that he "knew what he was doing" and would be there at 10:30. I couldn't be there, so I left a typewritten list.

At 2:30 I received a call from him (seemingly he had just shown up), and he told me that he didn't know so much had to be done and there was no way the job could be done in the next 2 days as verbally quoted and then scheduled. No one at Handyman Matters had ordered drywall or any of the other materials required. Since everything had been scheduled around this being done in 2 days, this was a problem. I called the main office and was told that they couldn't provide me with any of the other materials. I was told that if I could find a company to deliver the materials to them by the next morning, then they could do the job. After racing around, I had 15 sheets of drywall and 2 doors arranged to be delivered by the next morning. When I called Handyman Matters to let them know, I was then informed that, despite what they had told me earlier EVEN WITH THE MATERIALS they would not be able to do the job until some time next week.

At this point I decided not to proceed, because despite having someone come out, give me a verbal quote, dealing with the head office to book it, calling to confirm - they didn't do the job this time. What would need to happen for them to do the job the second time?

The ineptitude of this company is shocking, and they truly didn't seem to care that the lives of tenants/inspectors/owners had been arranged around this.

**UPDATE - RESPONSE TO JIM ABBOTT**

A few items that I would like to address. #1 - I am a single woman with a small car arranging a construction job, I would have NEVER signed on to somehow cart 15 sheets of drywall, 2 fire doors and a bunch of construction equipment that is entirely foreign to me. Your employee who came out to do the original job and give me a price for the additional work stated that they would bring the materials.

#2 - You state that some things are just out of your control and that in this case it was a sick tradesperson. That is not the case. I was told by two people at your organization on the day the job was supposed to be done that the job was too big for one person and no one had booked any additional help. The sick tradesperson was only one small portion of a number of failures on your end.

#3 - I only hung up after:
A) Being told the materials were completely unavailable and that if I could source them myself the job would proceed, only to be told after I sourced the materials (within 15 minutes) that the job could not proceed because the job had not been scheduled correctly
B) I was told that my only option was to re-book for another time. Why would I rebook with a company who was obviously so unorganized and inadequate?

Thanks for the opportunity to reply. Just as an FYI - I never received a call to apologise from Jim Abbott, who says he cares very much about clients experiences with his company.

We had another company do the job and it was done beautifully, and on time.

I didn't even know that my side entry garage door was exposed to weather until the darn thing just about fell apart. Jim and his guys did a terrific job, on schedule, on budget and did a great clean up afterwards.

I've sent Handyman Matters several other customers and they've done a crackerjack job every time - no bull.

The whole experience with Handyman Matters was excellent ! The lady who answered the phone and made the appointment was nice and Bruce the handyman was a real gentlemen who arrived early, and got the job done ! I would use them again in a heartbeat!

The following is a list of all the things that Handyman Matters have done for both me and my clients: Electrical work, kitchen renovations, bathroom renovations, tiling, caulking, changing door handles, fixing uneven doors, installing fixtures, plumbing, minor carpentry, putting together Ikea furniture and swing sets, hanging pictures, intalling windows and doors, and the list could go on forever. And every single time, my clients, friends, and family are satisfied. It's great to have someone around who can come over and do all of the things we can't, or don't have time to! Jim, thanks for my kitchen shelves, they are perfect and look fantastic!!

We have used handyman matters on numereous occassions, stopping squirels entering the atic was a very large job and they did an excellent job. Handyman Matters has also installed floors, fixed showers, hung pictures and repaired a falling fence for me over the years. The work is always quality workmanship and I have never been left with a mess to clean up afterwads.

I have used Jim Abbot of Handyman Matters service several times. The quality and timeliness of his employees is impecable and he went far beyond what I expected and have seen from other contractors in the past.

Jim and his guys are always there to complete the small jobs in a clean and professional manner.They take the jobs that the bigger companies dont want.Thats why we call them back and refer them to people we know who want reliable and honest workmanship.