I am a senior designer for Bakes & Kropp for the past 2.5 years. The owners terminated me without notice on 4/25, the termination of which I have no problem with whatsoever, except that they did so because I would not sign an "Independent Contractor Agreement" that I took issue with. It highly restricted my personal licensed business in a way that they did not apply to another worker in the same position, with the same title, and the same outside efforts. They discriminate with a lack of standards within the company. I was singled out, and strong armed, and withheld pay until I signed a document I did not agree with. I have proof of all of this in writing.
I worked for them with plenty of evidence while trying to communicate that I was not agreeable with the terms. However, they decided to disregard my work in their name, terminate me without notice, and illegally backdate my last date of employment to 3/10, cheating me out of $10,000 in rightfully earned commissions.
They owe me two checks, which you can clearly see that they validate below. They have since decided not to pay me, ignore me, and hope that I will just go away. Clearly they are agreeable that this is money I am due, but they are incredibly unethical, as they have decided not to pay me since I requested to receive the money first. They cannot be trusted. They terminated me using Same-Day Air service, and would not use the same sense of urgency in making sure that I was rightfully paid. At this point I will tell every truth. They are illegally withholding $10k in rightful earnings for no valid reason.
Email from owner:
"Robert Bakes
Tue, Apr 30, 9:19 AM (5 days ago)
to me, Paul
Melinda
On completion of the following conditions you’ll receive commission on the most recent ***** and ******** payments we received.
-Remove immediately all negative postings on any social platforms and agree not to post any further malicious or disparaging statements
-Immediately edit the google review postings to remove any negative content
-Contact any clients you’ve reached out to and send the following
“ my apologies for any confusion created by my earlier communication. As a result of a misunderstanding between myself and Bakes and Kropp I over reacted. This misunderstanding has now been amicably resolved”
Mel, it’s a fine line between slander and libel and the content of your posts treads very closely if not over that line, I can either give this money to you or I can give it to a lawyer to take over the resolution of this for us and you will hear no more from us.
I expect your answer today."
I have substantial and significant proof that I worked for Bakes and Kropp from 3/10 - 4/25, and they still resist paying me, even though they offered it.
Future clients be advised of these standards of practice. They don't have a luxury finish:
On a project involving 5 different rooms in Soho where the client spent over half a million dollars, the owners hired someone from Craigs list to refinish their cabinetry, since they don't actually have someone reliable. The site manager actually had to complain that the refinisher needed glasses, because the work was so terrible. They went through 3 refinishers, before the owner flew out at his next convenience to refinish it himself.
On a project at Union Plaza someone caused a large chip in the $70,000 cabinetry, and the owner suggested that I run to the hardware store and get some super glue, and hold it down long enough to stay on. I insisted that this was unacceptable to myself, the designer, and my client, and they finally relented and sent the cabinet back to refinish it properly. They would not make a new cabinet.
They do not have consistent and reliable installation crews in the city. Just individual installers who may/may not have a helper, so they are consistently misleading on how long an installation will take, since they really never know.
They demand final completion payment from clients who aren't necessarily happy. A client in NJ had an installation that took over 3 months, and, once again, their refinisher did poor work including using the wrong paint color, so they sent him back out to fix it. The client wasn't thrilled with the quality, and the owner insisted she pay anyway, and the rest would be covered under warranty, and he would come look at it again in 3 months - give it time to settle.
Their hoods are the same cost as Rangecraft custom hoods, but Rangecraft uses actual metal in their liner. Bakes & Kropp uses a laminate that looks like metal.
They make a substantial margin on everything, which is business, but they cheat their installers by paying them only a portion of what they actually charge the client for installation, for instance a 25k charge to the client is about 5-6k for the actual worker - which is ludicrous considering the installers are who finalize your name, and they should be kept happy. Ask the installers how happy they are...
The product is good for the most part, bar what I mentioned above, but the owners lack of integrity in finishing leave their designers scrambling to pick up the pieces, especially in NYC, where there is zero support or concern in keeping the client happy if it means their payments are delayed.
They also love to make up payment schedules to suit their desired incoming amount for the month. They insist and manipulate requests for payment from clients who have significant delays on the project, so they don't really need to pay now, but Bakes & Kropp wants the money now, so they coerce it anyway. The owner will say just about anything to makes sure he gets his money. If you are a designer with a referral fee on that particular project they will take at least a month, or come up with many excuses for it to be many months, before they actually pay you that fee for what you earned. They do not have the same incentive to pay out money, as they do to demand it in.
They single out employees and make requests that are not standard across the company. They discriminate and manipulate to cheat people out of commission that they earned, without warrant. For the clients who are attached to their designers, and care so much, you care more than the actual company.
This is just to say the least...to say the least...
Bakes & Kropp Reviews
I am a senior designer for Bakes & Kropp for the past 2.5 years. The owners terminated me without notice on 4/25, the termination of which I have no problem with whatsoever, except that they did so because I would not sign an "Independent Contractor Agreement" that I took issue with. It highly restricted my personal licensed business in a way that they did not apply to another worker in the same position, with the same title, and the same outside efforts. They discriminate with a lack of standards within the company. I was singled out, and strong armed, and withheld pay until I signed a document I did not agree with. I have proof of all of this in writing.
I worked for them with plenty of evidence while trying to communicate that I was not agreeable with the terms. However, they decided to disregard my work in their name, terminate me without notice, and illegally backdate my last date of employment to 3/10, cheating me out of $10,000 in rightfully earned commissions.
They owe me two checks, which you can clearly see that they validate below. They have since decided not to pay me, ignore me, and hope that I will just go away. Clearly they are agreeable that this is money I am due, but they are incredibly unethical, as they have decided not to pay me since I requested to receive the money first. They cannot be trusted. They terminated me using Same-Day Air service, and would not use the same sense of urgency in making sure that I was rightfully paid. At this point I will tell every truth. They are illegally withholding $10k in rightful earnings for no valid reason.
Email from owner:
"Robert Bakes
Tue, Apr 30, 9:19 AM (5 days ago)
to me, Paul
Melinda
On completion of the following conditions you’ll receive commission on the most recent ***** and ******** payments we received.
-Remove immediately all negative postings on any social platforms and agree not to post any further malicious or disparaging statements
-Immediately edit the google review postings to remove any negative content
-Contact any clients you’ve reached out to and send the following
“ my apologies for any confusion created by my earlier communication. As a result of a misunderstanding between myself and Bakes and Kropp I over reacted. This misunderstanding has now been amicably resolved”
Mel, it’s a fine line between slander and libel and the content of your posts treads very closely if not over that line, I can either give this money to you or I can give it to a lawyer to take over the resolution of this for us and you will hear no more from us.
I expect your answer today."
I have substantial and significant proof that I worked for Bakes and Kropp from 3/10 - 4/25, and they still resist paying me, even though they offered it.
Future clients be advised of these standards of practice. They don't have a luxury finish:
On a project involving 5 different rooms in Soho where the client spent over half a million dollars, the owners hired someone from Craigs list to refinish their cabinetry, since they don't actually have someone reliable. The site manager actually had to complain that the refinisher needed glasses, because the work was so terrible. They went through 3 refinishers, before the owner flew out at his next convenience to refinish it himself.
On a project at Union Plaza someone caused a large chip in the $70,000 cabinetry, and the owner suggested that I run to the hardware store and get some super glue, and hold it down long enough to stay on. I insisted that this was unacceptable to myself, the designer, and my client, and they finally relented and sent the cabinet back to refinish it properly. They would not make a new cabinet.
They do not have consistent and reliable installation crews in the city. Just individual installers who may/may not have a helper, so they are consistently misleading on how long an installation will take, since they really never know.
They demand final completion payment from clients who aren't necessarily happy. A client in NJ had an installation that took over 3 months, and, once again, their refinisher did poor work including using the wrong paint color, so they sent him back out to fix it. The client wasn't thrilled with the quality, and the owner insisted she pay anyway, and the rest would be covered under warranty, and he would come look at it again in 3 months - give it time to settle.
Their hoods are the same cost as Rangecraft custom hoods, but Rangecraft uses actual metal in their liner. Bakes & Kropp uses a laminate that looks like metal.
They make a substantial margin on everything, which is business, but they cheat their installers by paying them only a portion of what they actually charge the client for installation, for instance a 25k charge to the client is about 5-6k for the actual worker - which is ludicrous considering the installers are who finalize your name, and they should be kept happy. Ask the installers how happy they are...
The product is good for the most part, bar what I mentioned above, but the owners lack of integrity in finishing leave their designers scrambling to pick up the pieces, especially in NYC, where there is zero support or concern in keeping the client happy if it means their payments are delayed.
They also love to make up payment schedules to suit their desired incoming amount for the month. They insist and manipulate requests for payment from clients who have significant delays on the project, so they don't really need to pay now, but Bakes & Kropp wants the money now, so they coerce it anyway. The owner will say just about anything to makes sure he gets his money. If you are a designer with a referral fee on that particular project they will take at least a month, or come up with many excuses for it to be many months, before they actually pay you that fee for what you earned. They do not have the same incentive to pay out money, as they do to demand it in.
They single out employees and make requests that are not standard across the company. They discriminate and manipulate to cheat people out of commission that they earned, without warrant. For the clients who are attached to their designers, and care so much, you care more than the actual company.
This is just to say the least...to say the least...