When I first came to work for ricks I was a little concerned based on what I have heard and what I have read online about this company and how they operate. Having worked for most of the local decking companies in the Portland Metro area I wanted to add ricks to the list and see if they had any Industry knowledge to share. After months of working closely with this company and learning their inns and outs.
I have decided to make this report based on my learnings, how I was treated as an employee and most importantly how they were treating their customers. It is no secret that Rick is one of the most expensive options in town. Anyone that has had an estimate knows exactly what I'm talking about. Definitely overpriced for the low-grade building materials being used. Subjectively if people want to pay for that that's up to them but as a builder we bite our tongue and laugh under our breath while we build the crap they designed.
Then when the homeowner comes out and starts asking questions like, Isn't my deck supposed to have a beam supporting it not just that one little 2 x 6 ? Or why aren't you mixing that concrete before you put it in the hole? So I say no we just put the concrete dry into the hole and spray it with the garden hose lol. Even the customer knows that's not right and they literally know nothing about building practices.
I felt that almost daily I was asked to do something in a way that I did not feel good about but was told that it's the Erick's way insisting that I would have to unlearn how decks were built properly and learn the ericks way (Rick's way) = The building method that is used that requires the least amount of work while retaining the largest amount of profit. Time to go.
I was told horrible stories by past and present employees on how bad they screw you over when it's time to go. So I went through the process expecting the worst and I can honestly tell you that's exactly what I received. They have refused to give me back some of my personal supplies I brought in to be better at my job. I was told that they were already collected and are going to be given out for other crews to use. In what world would that ever be OK? When I asked for my supplies back I was told that I had already had the opportunity to collect my stuff and that the store manager feels that he has been more than fair.
I broke a $400 set of fuel (drill and impact) and a skill saw. I was told that because they broke on the job that they were going to be fixed for me as it was the right thing to do. I was kind of shocked and surprised but pleased that he was doing the right thing . I thought OK that's fair . A week later I was told that two of the three tools were unfixable and that to compensate me he would pay for half of The cost of replacement . I set an appointment to meet with him to do just that but before the appointment date I received a message saying that they were changing the agreement and going to give me a gift card for $125 and was given $125 reimbursement gift card.
That paid for a little over half of only one of my tools. So I replaced the broken tools and I'm getting everything together to start my new job and realize that there was something else that was forgotten. It was a large flat bed truck with cart loads of tools in it. Reasonably I would have a few of their tools and they would have a few of mine. I gathered up all of their tools and return them to the store manager, however when it came to getting my stuff back I was told they were already put back into the supply room and we're going to be distributed for other crews to use and that it was time for me to MoveOn and that he had been fair enough.
I will be happy to revise this review once my personal property has been returned and is no longer being held without my permission. In summing up my experience with this company it seems that whether you are a customer or an employee you are going to be taken advantage of and short changed. That is the only guarantee.
Rick's Custom Fencing & Decking Reviews
When I first came to work for ricks I was a little concerned based on what I have heard and what I have read online about this company and how they operate. Having worked for most of the local decking companies in the Portland Metro area I wanted to add ricks to the list and see if they had any Industry knowledge to share. After months of working closely with this company and learning their inns and outs.
I have decided to make this report based on my learnings, how I was treated as an employee and most importantly how they were treating their customers. It is no secret that Rick is one of the most expensive options in town. Anyone that has had an estimate knows exactly what I'm talking about. Definitely overpriced for the low-grade building materials being used. Subjectively if people want to pay for that that's up to them but as a builder we bite our tongue and laugh under our breath while we build the crap they designed.
Then when the homeowner comes out and starts asking questions like, Isn't my deck supposed to have a beam supporting it not just that one little 2 x 6 ? Or why aren't you mixing that concrete before you put it in the hole? So I say no we just put the concrete dry into the hole and spray it with the garden hose lol. Even the customer knows that's not right and they literally know nothing about building practices.
I felt that almost daily I was asked to do something in a way that I did not feel good about but was told that it's the Erick's way insisting that I would have to unlearn how decks were built properly and learn the ericks way (Rick's way) = The building method that is used that requires the least amount of work while retaining the largest amount of profit. Time to go.
I was told horrible stories by past and present employees on how bad they screw you over when it's time to go. So I went through the process expecting the worst and I can honestly tell you that's exactly what I received. They have refused to give me back some of my personal supplies I brought in to be better at my job. I was told that they were already collected and are going to be given out for other crews to use. In what world would that ever be OK? When I asked for my supplies back I was told that I had already had the opportunity to collect my stuff and that the store manager feels that he has been more than fair.
I broke a $400 set of fuel (drill and impact) and a skill saw. I was told that because they broke on the job that they were going to be fixed for me as it was the right thing to do. I was kind of shocked and surprised but pleased that he was doing the right thing . I thought OK that's fair . A week later I was told that two of the three tools were unfixable and that to compensate me he would pay for half of The cost of replacement . I set an appointment to meet with him to do just that but before the appointment date I received a message saying that they were changing the agreement and going to give me a gift card for $125 and was given $125 reimbursement gift card.
That paid for a little over half of only one of my tools. So I replaced the broken tools and I'm getting everything together to start my new job and realize that there was something else that was forgotten. It was a large flat bed truck with cart loads of tools in it. Reasonably I would have a few of their tools and they would have a few of mine. I gathered up all of their tools and return them to the store manager, however when it came to getting my stuff back I was told they were already put back into the supply room and we're going to be distributed for other crews to use and that it was time for me to MoveOn and that he had been fair enough.
I will be happy to revise this review once my personal property has been returned and is no longer being held without my permission. In summing up my experience with this company it seems that whether you are a customer or an employee you are going to be taken advantage of and short changed. That is the only guarantee.