Luke's Asphalt and Paving wasn't the most expensive, but they weren't the cheapest quote I got on a job for expanding my asphalt driveway and resealing the entire thing.
I got a total of four quotes and went with this business at the recommendation of my neighbor.
The driveway expansion work was done in December 2020. Dallas Luke explained that they would wait to have to reseal until the weather got hotter in March or April 2021.
I was not here when the work was done and Dallas was not here either when the work was done, but my wife was and my neighbor also watched them.
Needless to say, when I get home from work late that evening, I immediately noticed all the spots that were chipped out of my existing asphalt driveway that appeared to have been done by the bobcat they used to go up and down the driveway. Our driveway had some cracks in it, but not the spider vein cracks that resulted after the work was done.
I took a video of it and sent it to Dallas that evening, and that this would have to be made done right!
He came out the next day or maybe even the following day, and admitted to me that their bobcat was responsible for chewing up some of my driveway, of which I have in a text message.
I asked how he was going to make it right, and he said he would put a second seal coat on there and that would make a reasonable attempt at extending the life of the driveway, given the fact that his guys made these mistakes.
I contacted him in March 2021 to get on his schedule for April 2021. We communicated and he said it would be sometime in April.
I called multiple times and finally had to express a sense of urgency to their business office, that I was prepared to file a Better Business Bureau complaint if I did not hear back from somebody by the end of that business week.
After that conversation, I got a callback from Dallas promptly.
Now, I consider myself a pretty upstanding dude. I expect no red carpets for me, but as a Marine Corps combat veteran, I would only expect basic professional demeanor and business tact.
But, the personal and professional demeanor that Dallas took with me when he called me back, was completely unacceptable. He described to me a range of problems he was having with his business, including having to lay folks off or people not showing up for jobs, etc.
I explained to him that I empathized with those problems, but that those were his business problems, not mine.
I considered myself his client. His business client. I would not expect someone to call me that I'm having perform work done on my property, and be that rude and abrasive on the phone.
He brought up the fact that he had not even invoiced me anything yet. But, I reminded him, that I offered 50% upfront and 50% when the job was done. He said it was not necessary at the time. We left that phone call with a very jaded standing, I would say.
Within a couple of business days after that, his guys came out and did put two seal coats on my driveway.
He then sent me the final invoice. In all honesty, I consider not paying it. But, I did. I did so, because I didn't feel like getting tied up in some kind of small claims court with this business.
After about a week of my wife and I pondering on just exactly how we could approach him, given his lack of professional business tact, I left him a voicemail and expressed that we would like to talk to him again about the state of my driveway.
He called me back later that evening with my wife on speakerphone. And his business tact was no different and more or less was highly rude to my wife. He kept cutting her off and just didn't want to let her talk.
I even wanted to offer him additional business by repaving my driveway minus the cost of what we had already paid. He then described my driveway as ugly as "hell" before.
Unfortunately, he didn't realize my kids were within earshot. But, it shouldn't matter. This is not how I would expect someone to talk to their clients.
What I would expect, is for him to agree to come out and maybe talk with us in person and try to work something out, rather than what we experienced.
He then went on the defensive and asked if we were going to go get a lawyer, etc. He ultimately told us he wasn't going to do anything.
The conversation just ended on such a sour note. He should try to look at it from the homeowners perspective, rather than the belief that we're trying to rip him off.
This is all so very unfortunate. I am now going to get four additional quotes on repaving my entire driveway, of which Luke's Asphalt won't be one.
Semper Fi!
I got a total of four quotes and went with this business at the recommendation of my neighbor.
The driveway expansion work was done in December 2020. Dallas Luke explained that they would wait to have to reseal until the weather got hotter in March or April 2021.
I was not here when the work was done and Dallas was not here either when the work was done, but my wife was and my neighbor also watched them.
Needless to say, when I get home from work late that evening, I immediately noticed all the spots that were chipped out of my existing asphalt driveway that appeared to have been done by the bobcat they used to go up and down the driveway. Our driveway had some cracks in it, but not the spider vein cracks that resulted after the work was done.
I took a video of it and sent it to Dallas that evening, and that this would have to be made done right!
He came out the next day or maybe even the following day, and admitted to me that their bobcat was responsible for chewing up some of my driveway, of which I have in a text message.
I asked how he was going to make it right, and he said he would put a second seal coat on there and that would make a reasonable attempt at extending the life of the driveway, given the fact that his guys made these mistakes.
I contacted him in March 2021 to get on his schedule for April 2021. We communicated and he said it would be sometime in April.
I called multiple times and finally had to express a sense of urgency to their business office, that I was prepared to file a Better Business Bureau complaint if I did not hear back from somebody by the end of that business week.
After that conversation, I got a callback from Dallas promptly.
Now, I consider myself a pretty upstanding dude. I expect no red carpets for me, but as a Marine Corps combat veteran, I would only expect basic professional demeanor and business tact.
But, the personal and professional demeanor that Dallas took with me when he called me back, was completely unacceptable. He described to me a range of problems he was having with his business, including having to lay folks off or people not showing up for jobs, etc.
I explained to him that I empathized with those problems, but that those were his business problems, not mine.
I considered myself his client. His business client. I would not expect someone to call me that I'm having perform work done on my property, and be that rude and abrasive on the phone.
He brought up the fact that he had not even invoiced me anything yet. But, I reminded him, that I offered 50% upfront and 50% when the job was done. He said it was not necessary at the time. We left that phone call with a very jaded standing, I would say.
Within a couple of business days after that, his guys came out and did put two seal coats on my driveway.
He then sent me the final invoice. In all honesty, I consider not paying it. But, I did. I did so, because I didn't feel like getting tied up in some kind of small claims court with this business.
After about a week of my wife and I pondering on just exactly how we could approach him, given his lack of professional business tact, I left him a voicemail and expressed that we would like to talk to him again about the state of my driveway.
He called me back later that evening with my wife on speakerphone. And his business tact was no different and more or less was highly rude to my wife. He kept cutting her off and just didn't want to let her talk.
I even wanted to offer him additional business by repaving my driveway minus the cost of what we had already paid. He then described my driveway as ugly as "hell" before.
Unfortunately, he didn't realize my kids were within earshot. But, it shouldn't matter. This is not how I would expect someone to talk to their clients.
What I would expect, is for him to agree to come out and maybe talk with us in person and try to work something out, rather than what we experienced.
He then went on the defensive and asked if we were going to go get a lawyer, etc. He ultimately told us he wasn't going to do anything.
The conversation just ended on such a sour note. He should try to look at it from the homeowners perspective, rather than the belief that we're trying to rip him off.
This is all so very unfortunate. I am now going to get four additional quotes on repaving my entire driveway, of which Luke's Asphalt won't be one.
Semper Fi!
