We recently finished a kitchen remodel with TVG. We did not change the layout; our kitchen is on the smaller side. Our expenditure with TVG was just under $100,000. From the time we purchased our appliances to the completion of the last major punch-list item,...
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We recently finished a kitchen remodel with TVG. We did not change the layout; our kitchen is on the smaller side. Our expenditure with TVG was just under $100,000. From the time we purchased our appliances to the completion of the last major punch-list item, it was approximately 22 months. The good news is our kitchen is beautiful. The bad news, it was extremely frustrating working with the TVG team. We have worked with countless trades over the years and our interaction with TVG was by far the most trying. I've never had to self-advocate so hard to get a vendor to focus on, and finish, my project.
I never felt that TVG had a clear grasp on my project, or that one person was overseeing it. Issues would get punted from one team member to another, and there was no oversight or accountability. For a month, Steve was working on a solution for our appliance garage that wasn't functional when installed as designed by TVG. After a month, he punted it to Gil who was totally out of the loop. Gil proposed unworkable solutions so it was punted back to Steve. This item ended up taking 8 months to resolve! I ended up scrapping what I had originally wanted (and paid for) just to make the project end. We paid for parts and cabinet pieces that were never used.
Frustrated, I ended up sending direct texts to the owner because emails were only partially answered or not at all. While always kind on the phone, I felt that I was being "yessed". I had to have my husband go down to their showroom to get things moving. They seemed to take him more seriously.
TVG was unable to tell me where things were in the fabrication process. For example, we ordered some metal doors to go on a bevarage center. I kept asking when they would be ready and TVG just kept saying, "We told you there would be a long lead time". Ok, but where is my job in the queue? Will it be one more month? Two more months? Six more months? TVG had zero visibility with their vendor and could never provide details. At one point they said they would scrap that vendor and use another vendor for the metal doors. After a year, the doors showed up from the original vendor.
We used TVG's recommended subcontractors to install the cabinets and cut and install the countertops and backsplash. We had numerous issues with both parties. The frustrating part with using TVG's installers is that TVG makes the appointments directly with the subcontractors. Both the cabinet installers and countertop fabricators no-showed on several occasions. When they no-show, TVG is unaware so you have to get ahold of them (which takes time), they have to find out why the subcontractor didn't show up (which takes time), and then reschedule (which takes time). These delays pushed each facet of the job out weeks, which was frustrating because we would have to reschedule the electricians, sheetrockers, and plumbers. We were constantly having to reflow all the work due to misguided scheduling.
What bothered me most was that before the job was completed, Reza asked me to pay the final bill in full. I was very concerned about paying in full because TVG would have no incentive to finish the job. I told Reza my concern and he said, "If we ran our business that way, we'd have no business." I will tell you that is EXACTLY how he runs his business. He was paid in full and it took another 10 months before our project was completed. Holidays and birthdays came and went by and our kitchen wasn't functional. We had to postpone and reschedule visitors. I've never had a project take so long.
Overall, I believe the team at TVG are good people and they mean well, they just aren't capable with their current staff of project managing and coordinating the projects they are undertaking.