room for improvement

They got the job done, and we are happy with the overall result, but the teams could have shown a lot more respect for the zones they were working in, and their subsequent communications were severely lacking. What was initially a smooth process with a speedy quote and quick attendance by Philip to run through our needs ultimately went downhill after digging was completed. We also made a mistake in foregoing the removal of the soil in our quote so that a friend could collect it. When this arrangement fell through, it took a few hours to source an alternative and, by this time, our surrounding grass was well and truly ruined. I found it odd that they just continued to pile the soil higher instead of taking it out in the other direction, as it ultimately caved in and crushed our flower beds. On a positive note, the plumber that we called to repair and reroute a hidden water-pipe was so impressed at the speed of their digging that he called his entire squad to join him on site and take notes. When the pool shell was pulled into the garden, a portion of our brick wall was knocked down, and it felt like this fix would be abandoned had I not kicked up a fuss. Allowing the frame to settle for the weekend was not an issue, but the surrounding paving had not been ordered until the crew arrived on site, so another two days were wasted waiting for this delivery. But the real problems began with the second team. On Wednesday, they went AWOL after a breakdown of their vehicle, and only arrived after 15:00 – working until 19:00 that evening to lay the first parts of the coping. Despite assurances that they would be with us by 08:30 the following morning, they only arrived at 11:00, and left again at 15:00 to “buy bricks”. They then came back at 19:30 that evening without any bricks at all, and we sent them away due to the late hour. The same assurances were made for an 08:30 arrival on Friday, but they actually attempted to gain access to the property just after 06:00am, which was simply ridiculous. They did ultimately complete the project on Friday afternoon and achieved what they set out to do, but the finish leaves something to be desired. We ended up paying someone to do a proper cleanup after their departure, which included chipping out large chunks of cement from the bottom of the pool, and removing excess cement deposits from our surrounding walls and patio. We still need to sc**** off the extra silicone and cement deposits from the entire tile-line of the pool, as these are ragged and ugly. Nevertheless, I would like to thank Philip and the team for their hard work. Although I have already recommended this company to others, it has come with a disclaimer that the teams require additional supervision. It is likely this aspect that has been the most frustrating for me as it required extra time off work, and my personal interference that should not have been necessary.