Ownership stepped up when it mattered
Like many of you who purchased a garage door opener at a Rona, or Home Depot, and were told by Home Depot/Rona reps that installation was available we we were curious. We called the company they had chosen to subcontract the work to. That company was Aim's. I'm going to be very thorough and brutally honest with this review to try and paint the most accurate picture of this entire experience. Initial installation was organized quickly, customer service was strong and we were very happy with the results. The door opened extremely well and closed great, which is all you want from your garage door. 18 months went by without any issues. Just past that point in time, following a seasonal change from winter to spring, the door started to sound louder and louder. We checked it from the inside of the garage as it opened and closed to see if there was anything obvious going on and nothing seemed obvious to us. Eventually one day when trying to close the garage door it came down unbalanced and that's when we knew something was wrong. We tried to open the door again to see if it would somehow reset and it basically stopped. We decided to call Aim's again based on our positive experience with the Installation and decided to have them back out to have a look. A cable had gone so it was recommended that both be replaced to avoid having the same issue on the other side a little bit later. Seemed like an upsell but also logical. They were thorough. They checked and lubricated parts. They investigated the track and made some minor adjustments. We paid and hoped that was it. It wasn't. About 3 weeks later when heading to work the same thing happened. That was this morning. We decided to call Aim's again. This time obviously more frustrated than before because we had just paid for the repair not too long ago. Ownership assured us they'd send somebody out quickly and did. I asked more though and had a frank conversation with the owner because I didn't feel we should have to pay for something like this so soon after the repair had been done. He indicated very clearly to me that he couldn't promise the fix would be free because in all the years he'd been in business he's seen people have mistakenly damaged the garage door setups themselves and blamed it on faulty repairs. I knew this was probably true of others but also wasn't appreciative of the suggestion. I assured him we were very honest and would fess up to such a thing if that was the case. I expected some level of customer service from the business considering the previous repair had been done so soon prior to this and because we had used them a second time. I was frustrated, but composed, that whatever had caused the issue that lead to the previous cable being damaged obviously wasn't caught. The owner listened to my concerns and shared some of the common issues that could lead to things like this happening. Not all of them his or the manufacturer's fault. This was fair again and I remained calm listening to them but nobody wants to pay somebody to fix something and then have to pay them again less than a month later so I still was extremely unhappy at even the thought that we'd be left with a bill of some kind. He assured me that they would be fair and that such a thing would only occur if it was clear physical damage had occurred that was unlikely there when the original fix occurred. Again, fair but I still wasn't thrilled. It's here where he really stepped up and why Aims get a 9 from me and why I'll turn to them again. He decided that because I had doubts, despite the faith he has in his own staff, he was personally going to leave his office and be the one to come down and look at this. I had to work so this was music to my ears. That's exactly what happened. He came down personally and noticed the issue and fixed it and fine-tuned it (We're all still unsure what caused it because it shouldn't have happened) and and a little over 5 minutes ago my wife texted me to tell me how happy she was with the customer service and that the garage door sounds better and even closer to how it started when it was first installed! The fix was free and he thanked us for calling them and gave some some info on maintenance and to ensure nothing ever gets in the way or the track or the bottom of the garage door (including frozen ice or snow). So, what could have been a customer service nightmare, resulting in an angry day, and a potential negative review, despite previous loyalty to the company, actually becomes a 9 out of 10 review! Why? Because their initial installation was great and lasted 18 months, their fix was solid but might have missed something, and when they came out the third time they stepped up when it mattered and dealt with it. I don't know if it was because I was respectful and calm on the phone, or if the owner is always this thorough with follow-ups on issues following repairs but it's refreshing to see a company in the trades not resort to a "take it or leave it" moment when dealing with a frustrated customer. He earned my trust and I'll call them again if I have another issue (hopefully years and years out from now) because of that earned trust and will recommend Aim's to other friends I know who are buying new homes and looking to install openers.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $168.00