If you are considering Dixie HomeCrafters for any work on your home, please do yourself a favor and take the time to read this post. If you know any family or friends who are considering them, pass this along.
The following post conveys the experience and opinions of the author alone. What follows should not be construed to represent the experience and opinions of any person, business, or organization that the author may or may not be affiliated with.
It began with a box at Goody's. The box had a big sign on it enticing us to fill out a card and enter it into a drawing for new gutters on our house. This caught our eye because we own a house in the south where builders do not seem to understand the need for gutters on a house. We filled out the card, and soon thereafter, got a call from an appointment setter.
Last evening (Wednesday, January 30th, 2008) the representative showed up at our house. I was expecting a construction professional. He was a salesman. Within moments of shaking his hand I could feel the "salesman slime" creeping up my arm on it's way to attempt a takeover of my brain. The tone of his voice, the phony smile, all betrayed that this guy would say whatever was necessary to get my money.
He handed us a list of references and told us that if we would call the references he could give us a discount. We thought that was great, until he said that the calls would have to be made right that minute while he was measuring the house. Although reluctant to call a stranger right at dinner time, I succumbed and made a couple of calls. The first was a wrong number. The second reference stated that the gutter work they did was fine, but they royall screwed up subsequent window work, resulting in the customer having to purchase a whole new security system for the house.
Within a few moments he finished measuring the house and was ready to make his pitch. He pulled out a binder with what looked to contain 15 or 20 presentation pages. After taking 15 minutes to get through the first one, I asked if he was going to go through the whole binder. He said, "Would that bother you?" I looked him sternly in the eye and let my facial expression and body language convey that his time was running out quick. He packed up the binder and pulled out of his big salesman case several different samples of guttering.
For the next 15 minutes or so demonstrated all of the weaknesses of other guttering compared to his superior product. And I will say, that their product did look superior to the other samples he brought. Kind of the same way that a Lexus would look sitting next to a 1972 Chevy Chevelle.
We finally got to the estimate. He went over all of the details of the work and gave us the figure of $3,103.00. Remember that number. He then said he could give me a coupon for $350.00. He then said he could give me a 10% credit for calling the reference. So finally, we ended up with an estimate for $2,443.00 and he asked if we would be using a check, credit card, or financing. I said, "Well, first we'll decide if we're going to give you our business and THEN we'll talk about how to pay. We'll do some comparison, take a look at our budget, and get back with you."
Here is where the coup against our brains began to crescendo.
He said that the $2,443.00 quote was only good if we signed a contract right that minute. If he left the house, and we called him later, the price would back to $3,103. Somehow, our coupon discount and discount for calling a reference mysteriously disappeared. I said something like, "Well, we're smart enough consumers to know not to commit to a purchase of that size without doing comparison and deciding what would work best for us."
He then began talking about the necessity of taking care of our house. I was insulted by his preaching to me for the sake of getting my business.
Finally, he said, "Okay, give me a call when you're ready. I just need to call my boss and let him know that I'm finished here." Here is where the "salesman slime" kicked into overdrive and the attempted takeover of our brain climaxed. He didn't call his boss from his vehicle while pulling out of our driveway, he stayed seated at our dining room table while making the call, with the phone speaker up loud enough for us to hear his boss on the other end. The scripted conversation began.
Salesman: "Hey Boss, I'm finishing up here. Just met with Bill and Lynn and they love the product, but they're just not ready to make the decision tonight."
Boss: "What zip code are they in?"
Salesman: "What zip code are you in?"
Me: "36870"
Salesman: "36870"
Boss: "Would they be willing to put a sign in their yard while we do the work?"
Salesman: "Would you be willing to put a sign in your yard?"
Me: "Sure."
Salesman: "Yes, they woud."
Boss: "Would they be willing to go on the reference list?"
Salesman: "Would you be willing to go on the reference list?"
Me: "Sure."
Salesman: "Yes, they would."
Boss: "Okay, I think we could do $1,800."
Me: "Okay, sounds good. Let us take a few days to make sure this is the best deal for us and we'll get back to you."
Salesman: "This price is only good if you sign the contract right now."
Me: "Then I guess we're finished."
Salesman: "Boss, they want to think about it for a few days."
Boss: "What's going to change in a few days?"
By this time I'm getting pissed.
Boss: "Can they keep this offer confidential?"
Salesman: "Can you keep this offer confidential? We can't offer it to anyone else"
Me: "Sure."
Boss: "Tell them I'll give them 0% financing, no payment for a year."
Me: "Sounds great, let us take a couple of days to think about it."
Salesman: "Boss, I guess we're done here."
Boss: "Have they ever owned a home before?"
Salesman: "Have you...
Me: "Yes."
Salesman: "Do you understand what 0% financing with no payment for a year means?"
Me (resisting the urge to jump the table and throttle him): "I'm smart enough to know exactly what that means and I'm also smart enough not to give in to high pressure tactics to commit to that amount of money without comparison and thinking it through.
Boss: "Tell him that someone just today agreed to a $20,000.00 contract during our first visit."
Salesman: "Someone just tod....
Me: "I don't give a rip...I'm smart enough to know to never do that."
Salesman: "Boss, looks like we're done here."
Boss: "Yep, sounds like we are."
After this nonsense, the salesman sank to another level:
Salesman: "So, why can you not make a decision tonight?"
Me: "Because I'm intelligent enough to know that you never commit to that amount of money because someone is pressuring you to do it right that minute. If the price can be $1,800 right now, in can be $1,800 in 24-hours. I know the game you're playing and I'm not that gullible."
Salesman: "So you've never bought anything without taking time to think about it first?"
Me: "Yes, when we were young and stupid."
Salesman: "Oh, come on now. Surely you make purchases on the same day."
Me: "Nope."
Salesman: "So you don't go to the grocery store and buy groceries on the same visit?"
Me (restraining fury): "Oh come on!"
slimy salesman laugh
Salesman: "Okay, what if I can get the price down to $1,400?"
Me: "Sounds good, we'll do some comparison and let you know."
Saleman: "Okay, I'm outta here."
Okay boys and girls, remember where we began? The quote began at $3,103.00. By the end of the conversation we were down to $1,400. What does this tell you? It tells me that the job can be done for $1,400 and his first pitch is designed to take advantage of and screw over those who aren't savvy enough to sniff out salesman slime. How about the fact that the "discount" price is only good if you sign that minute? What does that tell you? It tells me that they don't want you to compare their pricing to anyone else, afraid that you may discover the snow job that they're trying to pull on you.
If you are considering Dixie HomeCrafters for any work on your home, consider these things. Never take the first price. Never give in to the pressure to "sign now." And let the salesman know up front that you read this post, know his tricks, and won't be taken advantage of. If you would like the name of my particular salesman, drop me an e-mail and I'll let you know.
Aw, heck. I'll just tell you now. His name is Chad Fisher and he was working out of the office at 4454 Warm Springs Road in Columbus, GA.
UPDATE: I just came across this link to the "Rip-off Report." Be sure to visit here and read this guy's experiences.
UPDATE 2: August 19, 2008
Okay, so I got my economic stimulus check from President Bush and decided it was time to take care of this gutter thing once and for all. Here's the story:
I called a local home improvement company just down the road from me and asked them to come give me an estimate. The time was set for 5:30 PM on Tuesday afternoon. At precisely 5:30 PM the owner of the business pulled into the driveway (Dixie Homecrafters was over 30 minutes late). We all shook hands and the process began.
He was very polite as he asked what we wanted and then spent a few minutes takig all of the measurements. Within about 15 minutes we were sitting at the same dining room table where I nearly throttled the Dixie Homecrafters Guy in January. He did some quick math and told me that his price, for the same job Dixie Homecrafters had quoted me, would be $749.00. Remember, Dixie Homecrafters gave me an initial quote of $3,103 and progressively dropped it to $1,400 in an attempt to get me to sign the contract. The quote for the job that will now be done next week by a very polite, very professional company who's been in business locally for over 20 years is almost half the lowest quote from Dixie Homecrafters. Here's the part that made my wife and me chuckle. After he showed us the price he said, "Is this in the ballpark? Or do you want to take some time to think about it and call me back later?" Remember, Dixie Homecrafters pressured us to sign the contract right then and there and told us that all discounts would be void and the price would be back up to $3,103 if we didn't sign the contract before the salesman left.
I asked the guy about his product. He told me all about the gutters that they would be installing and (without me mentioning Dixie Homecrafters) told me how they use the same materials that Dixie Homecrafters tries to get people to pay thousands of dollars for. He told me about various things that he could do that would cost us more but then very honestly told us that he didn't think we really needed those things.
I asked him about guarantees and warranties on his work. He told me the length of their guarantee, but then said, "Listen, we're just down the road. You know where to find us if you ever have problems. We'll make it right. We've been in business over 20 years and reputation is everything. We haven't had a complaint against us yet and I won't let you be the first."
As the conversation came to a close, I asked if he needed any money up front. Nope, not a dime. No contract to sign. He'll see us next week.
Learn the lesson here boys and girls. Shop around. Do your homework. Use a well-respected locally owned company when possible. And don't ever, ever let a salesman talk you into kissing on the first date!
If you're in the Columbus, GA/Phenix City, AL area, drop me an e-mail and I'll tell you who will be doing my work. I'd post their name publicly here, but something tells me that the Dixie Homecrafters people who monitor this thread would begin a negative campaign against them if they knew who it is.
Has anybody actually won DHC's free home makeover sweepstakes? It was announced on October 20, 2008, but it seems to be an on-going contest. At trade shows and fall fests, they encourage people to sign up for the sweepstakes. On their website, there is a link to the sweepstakes form, but there are no rules listed which, I believe, is a violation of FTC law. Even candy bar wrappers have to list the chances of winning, contest deadlines, etc. Maybe someone has won, but I did a general search of the internet and found nothing. Usually, companies announce winners, because it's good publicity. Very strange.
Posted by: kassie | October 30, 2010 at 08:39 AM
Complaints can also be filed with the state attorney general's office. Most AG offices have a complaint form on their websites.
Posted by: kassie | October 22, 2010 at 07:07 PM
I urge anyone who has had a bad experience with this company to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. I just did. We'll see what happens there. I can't figure out how the BBB can give these people an "A+" rating. That's just wrong. I guess you can't rely on their company ratings.
Posted by: Learned My Lesson | September 23, 2010 at 02:37 AM
Most of you sound smarter than my husband. We had DHC give us their pitch. Identical to what everyone is saying. "Offer good only for today", yattah, yattah, yattah... This was in 2003. We spend over $10K for gutters, gutter guards and 7 windows. At the time they had an office just outside of Phila. They have since left the area. I now have one window that won't stay open and 2 windows with condensation between the panes and part of the gutters falling off the house. We have tried calling the Home Office in GA. Each time they tell us someone with get back to us. This has been going on for a year. Yeah, sure. I guess I know what my written guarantee is good for. How can the BBB give them an "A" rating? These people are the lowest of low.
Posted by: Learned My Lesson | September 22, 2010 at 03:13 AM
Ginny Mann is the head sow behind the scam for sure!
I worked there (not in sales), I had somewhat of a conscience and saw from day one that their business practices from sales and canvassing to calling and harassing and lying to people on a daily basis was too much to stand.
Smoke and mirrors and grazing cows running throughout the Columbus, GA office on Warm Springs Road.
They go through personnel more than a McDonalds on a college campus.
Karma = DHC practices catching up with them.
Posted by: Former Employee With A Conscious | September 08, 2010 at 11:35 PM
I used DH for my gutters, and later my Diamond Barrier. Great job in all respects, each time. But, I did let them know up front that I had already done my homework and was not sitting still for a long sales job. They were cool about it. I did, however, have them scheduled for this afternoon for bathroom work, and since I have a busy schedule, I cancelled because I didn't feel like them taking up my afternoon. They tried to get me to reschedule right then, but I firmly said I would call them back to reschedule. Good experience with them.
Posted by: dawndb | August 21, 2010 at 10:42 AM
Wow, well said. Some ding dong just left my house after the exact same, to the tee sales pitch. I was getting a quote on replacement siding. This was the 5th and final quote I wanted to get before making a decision. His price was $37k, after the $9k "discount" he so graciously offered for checking his references. After seeing this price, I told him it's outrageous and I've heard enough. Then he called his boss, they asked all the "can we put our sign in your yard" and "can we use you as a reference" crap, then knocked it down to $31k. Oh my gosh. Of all the other four quotes, the next lowest price was $18k...roughly half of this ding dong's price. No thank you. Get out of my house.
Posted by: Jeff | August 12, 2010 at 10:17 PM
Is this true?
Posted by: Gutters Augusta | June 24, 2010 at 09:35 PM
I worked for Dixie for one day...I realized what they were charging, how they were "closing", and what material they used.
That was all I needed to know to run as fast as could away. I ended up started my own installation company. Same windows at 1/2 the Dixie price, Siding... customer's who had the Dixe experience thought I was a saint, gutters...come on Dixie... the amount of money they charge, 1/2 of the difference between my price and dixie's goes straight to the sales person...
In other words: the 3100.00 price the salesperson would make 1500..the 2400.00 he makes 700.00 the last price he is still walking away with 4-500 bucks.
Moral of the story...Dixie hires "CLOSERS", they call them "1 time closers"... then they hire subcontractors to install the same product from the same place we all buy from. There are different quality products so beware of the really low price, check what is being installed... and by all means "surf the net"...look up "complaints of ______ (name of company)".
Posted by: J.M. Hill | June 07, 2010 at 03:43 PM
Unheard of.. Invalidated assumptions are a
fact of human nature.
No company is perfect, no one person is
perfect either, everyone has strengths and
weaknesses
It's a successful company who appears to do
things.. well success generally isn't
achieved by doing the wrong thing but by
doing the right thing
I personally met with Chad for a interview
and believe me I am a person with a history
of VERY high level of integrity and honesty
There is a very good reason Dixie prides themselves by referrals and doing the right
thing
Please, invalidated assumptions and overracting is human nature, but believe
me, by personal encounter, this company
appears to highly value honesty and integrity in their business practices, mistakes happen, but they appear to be fair,
do the right thing, and their goal is for
success with ALL parties involved
That's all i can share.. they appear to
value the right thing for all parties involved and meeting personally with Chad,
the ethics, integrity, and honesty is all
valued.
I am completely independent swayed either
way at the time of this post.
Overall their operations appears to be quite
reputable, honest, yes they value integrity
and ethics.. that is the reason I inquired
working for them.. obviously they believe in the traits that lead to success.
And yes the sales people i met donot fit the
description of these posts. It's a significant challenge ANY company contends
with, but overall it appears to be a well
managed operations who's goal is success. Thank you!
Rich
Birmingham, Alabama
Posted by: Rich | May 21, 2010 at 05:39 PM
I worked for Dixie Homecrafters and all of the worst things said of their sales practices in these posts are absolutely true. They lure you into sales with promises of being great to their customers, the financial rewards you'll receive, blah, blah, blah. What you get is 6 days a week of 16 hour days, driving the wheels off your car, paying for all of your own gas, and the privelege of being yelled at by the "boss" on "phone drops", which are the calls at the end of the sales pitch. I cannot absolutely cannot be rude to someone --especially when you are a stranger and a guest in their home--but that's what the "boss" demanded you do if the sale wasn't closed. I swear I think he drank in the evenings, because his rantings got worse and worse the later in the evening the "phone drop" call came in. I am ashamed to have ever been associated with this company, and would never, ever, EVER list it on my resume'. They do have excellent products, I truly believe that. But if you are considering going to work for Dixie Homecrafters in Sales, do yourself a favor and continue your job search until you find something else! Don't work for a company where you will be degraded, lied to, expected to lie, and run yourself into the ground 14-16 hours a day.
Stay away from Dixie Homecrafters!
Posted by: Been there and wish I hadn't | April 16, 2010 at 01:08 PM
I had an awful experience as well with the Hoover, AL, outlet. The salesman was rude, sarcastic, and pushy. At first, he was insistent that my wife be present to hear his sales pitch. That wasn't going to happen. He called his boss in front of me and made some patronizing comments about that. He then refused to even take a look at my gutters and give me some estimates or recommendations about their products if I didn't agree to sit down and listen to his long sales pitch and call references. I had to ask him to leave my house. These people need to find a real job. Don't let them in your home!!!
Posted by: Taken Aback | April 01, 2010 at 03:24 PM
Chad Fischer is now in Hoover, AL
Posted by: PRIVATE | March 10, 2010 at 12:06 AM
(Unscrupulous Company)
So many things, I don't know where to start...
First off, if they drug tested the entire company from top to bottom, out of about 300 employees, they'd have 3 clean people working. And not one of them could pass a breathalyzer on a Saturday night. The company is full of drug addicts and alcoholics, and that's the makeup of the unscrupulous company.
Now let's talk about business practices. The fore-mentioned day of discount coupon is an inflated price that is added to the end of the price to deceive customers in believing they are receiving money off the price of the job, when in fact it's just added to the end at 1.25% of the job cost. They also allow sales reps to add up to $4,000 as their sales commission on a job. The company as a whole will refund (or give) people the entire price of the job back in order to maintain a clean record with the BBB. The fore-mentioned references that are handed out are never anyone that actually had a real problem with their job. Their sales presentations are false and misleading and all sales people are taught to put extreme pressure on customers, or I quote "burn the bridge down before you leave." What people should be looking at are the number of lawsuits Dixe Homecrafters is involved in relating to sexual harassment, hostile working environments and unfair work practices. The reason their sales have fallen off, as mentioned previously, is because they've burned every single person they've come across. Eventually you gain a reputation (like the one on this blog site) that will cause people not to want to work for you. And greed is their only motive. And filing something with the FTC, the BBB or any other agency that can do something about stopping their terrible work behaviors should be done immediately.
To sum this all up, they'll hire you, train you to rip people off, get you drunk (and high), sleep with your wife, stab you in the back and send you on your way smiling.
Posted by: Ed Hardy | February 16, 2010 at 12:28 PM
Just had the same VERY high pressure experience with DHC only windows not gutters. What a jerk. It would have been ok if he would have just left the 3rd or 4th time we asked. I think we could have gotten over the 3 hour presentation and high pressure. We definitly were not buying but at least we would not have had such a horrible view of the whole company. The "phone call" at the end thing really was the icing on the slime cake!! do they think people are stupid? I guess enough people are pressured into it, or scared not to say yes is more likely, that it is profitable
Posted by: Michelle | November 15, 2009 at 04:30 PM
Hi Bill,
Hope you still look at this thread, we just had Dixie HC here and managed to finally get the guy to leave! What a scam! We live in Fort Mitchell Al and would like to know who you used for gutters, it is hard to find good people to do good work these days, esp.being new to the area. Thanks for your post.
Posted by: me siverts | November 06, 2009 at 03:30 PM
This sales tactic is not uncommon and is basically the same thing you experience on a car lot, you can try and single out dixie but in truth you'ld probably experience the same thing on any car lot, you might as well go after all retail sales, I no longer work for them but I did in the past it was overall a tough but good experience that taught me sales and people very well. The fact is sales happen because you create a want/need and a sense of urgency and that's all those guys are trying to do. I know I'll get several responses that talk about how sneaky the practices are but in truth if you haven't done in home p2p sales you really have no idea what it's like and the majority of rep's that come in your home are guys with little to no sales experience that are just doing what they were taught. I've given people my absolute lowest price before and they were annoyed that I couldn't give them a discount, then I've gone 1000 over on a job and the guy was overjoyed when he got his 200 dollar discount, in the end people like to bargain and value/price is all in the eye of the beholder.
Posted by: mike | October 26, 2009 at 02:22 PM
My Dixie Home Crafters sales rep just left after dealing out the same spill as the above post. I wish I had read this before letting him into my house. I did call some of the people on the reference list and 2 of them said, point blank, to not go with the first quote. When I told Keith this, he seemed upset and said that other sales people marked their prices way up and he "just wasn't in that group of people." Also, I thought it was odd that when I was called to set up an appointment, I was asked not once but twice if I was the decision maker and if there was a "mister" in the house. I knew why when Keith arrived...young, attractive and charismatic. I guess they thought if they sent a Brad Pitt wannabe to the house, they would get my money. SOOOOOOOO not going to happen. I guess now I will have to avoid all calls from them for the rest of my life!
Posted by: denise | October 14, 2009 at 08:59 PM
I had the identical experience with DHC Gutter Guardians last night in Hoover, Alabama. I got the SAME EXACT pitch. Was quoted just under 6,000 dollars for 143 feet (measuring myself today because I think this footage is impossible) and he finally got the price down to 3,400. What crap! I told him to lock in the price for 5-7 days while I do research and they refused- said if I called back tomorrow it would be back up to 6,000. I'm sure they do great work-- just for completely unreasonable prices.
Posted by: S. Granstaff | September 22, 2009 at 10:00 AM
joe stinger is a greedy slime ball that will burn in hell.
Posted by: a | August 29, 2009 at 10:13 PM
i just got 110' of gutter 6" wide and 4 over sized down spouts all heavy gauge metal installed for 370 dollars.
Posted by: David | August 17, 2009 at 09:16 PM
I think Dixie Homecrafters is a fantastic company. I purchsed the gutter guardian system for my home in Baltimore, MD in May of 2009 and haven't had one ounce of trouble from the product or the company since. In fact, my salesman, a man named Tim Hawkins, was one of the nicest, most professional people I have ever dealt regarding my home. Not to mention one of the funniest. Even the general manager, Jamie, was polite and funny when I spoke to him the day I purchased the product. He promised that the company would take care of me and they certainly have. Every company is going to have an angry customer from time to time, but I hope the angry posts on here don't discourage people from utilizing the services of Dixie Homecrafters.
Posted by: Jim S. | July 31, 2009 at 01:25 PM
Dixie Homecrafters/Gutter Guardian came by today and gave me an estimate. My home needs 100 feet of gutter with 55 feet of downspouts.
I have priced the supplies at the local hardware store ahead of time and know it would cost me about $3 a linear foot to install.
My quote was just under $6,000. Having done my research, I knew that number was not right, so I did some searching and found this site.
I also did some math:
DiY Price (per linear foot): $3-5.00
Gutter Guardian (per linear foot): $57.75
Perhaps they should approach the US government for sales? Most of us consumers won't pay $20,000 for a toilet seat.
Posted by: Dave | July 27, 2009 at 07:33 PM
My wife works at DIXIE HOME CRAFTERS. Stay far far far away from the COLUMBUS GA office. If you EVER EVER EVER decide to set up an appointment, And a lady By the name of GINNY MANN CALLS TO CONFIRM YOUR APPOINTMENT- BACK OUT THERE - SHE IS THE BRAINS BEHIND THE SCAM FROM THE INSIDE OUT.
Posted by: Jeff Morgan | June 26, 2009 at 01:19 PM
I used to work for Dixie Homecrafters in Hoover, AL.
Everything said in this thread is absolutely 100% true. They are a slimy company and if you think they are slimy to their customers, try working for them.
I was a single mother working there on salary for 400 a week. You know those places that have the little booth with the card you fill out that entails you will have fifty phone calls a day for the rest of your life? That was me. i set up the show, worked it, and called the cards back. Because I was on salary I had to work the shows to make them not spend any money on "unnecessary" employees. I had to pay childcare for five days a week then an additional for two other days. I worked seven days a week, mostly by myself. When I decided enough was enough and my car was breaking down I quit. When I told my boss why I was quitting he told me to save my sob story, that he was offering me a deal. The deal involved a 75% pay cut. If I cannot live off of what he was paying me how was I supposed to live off of less money. I would have just been happy with five days a week to save me 600 dollars a month in child care, that would allow me to at least pay my rent.
They are a horrible company and I will advise anyone to stay as far away from them or anyone associated with them. They will rip you off and not even bat an eye while doing it.
I will never go back. EVER.
Posted by: Mary J. Anderlik | June 08, 2009 at 03:40 PM