Sol Pacific Pool Plastering Inc. — Local services in Lakeside

No respect for customers, terrible customer service and complete lack of communication

STAY AWAY! This company has no concept of customer respect, communication or customer service. On 6/11/20 I met with the owner Kyle to get a quote for resurfacing my pool, replacing grout, reinstalling tiles, etc. I asked several questions about insurance, timing, methods, etc. and got sound answers. I asked if we could put those into writing and attach them to his contract form to make sure we both had a clear understanding of the project. He said no problem. I wrote up his answers and emailed them to him on 6/23/20. One of the biggest items in his standard contract says that he could use “either the Multicoat Bonding System (by applying mulitcoat to existing plaster) or by jack hammering the existing plaster off of the gunite surface.” I was not interested in the Multicoat Bonding System because of the problems that I heard about. Kyle said verbally that he would use the jack hammer method. Without the written change to his contact form, they could have used the Multicoat Bonding System (cheaper?) and I would have no contractual recourse but to accept it! Same with all of the other items that I was given verbal responses to….maybe they don’t want them in writing for a reason!

I thought we were all set to go and all Kyle had to do was email me his contract form with the written attachment we agreed to. No response. I sent him another email on 6/25 to make sure he had received the clarifying contract attachment. Kyle confirmed receipt on 6/25 and stated via return email “I am in receipt of your email. I will get the contract out via DocuSign next week. You and [sic] execute the contract at your convenience.”

Nothing received during the week of 6/29.

Nothing received during the week of 7/6.

I sent him more emails asking him to send me the contract and attachment. I called his office twice leaving detailed messages. BTW, the number printed on his Proposal form of 619 443-4SOL has been disconnected. I had to check their website to get another number. I also called Kyle’s cell twice and left messages. As of 7/14/20 Kyle’s automated voice greeting states that he will be out of the office starting 7/3 and returning 7/6. Supposedly, he was on vacation during this time. No mention of being on vacation in his voicemail greeting. And NO RESPONSE WHATSOEVER either from Kyle or his office!!!

Finally, after more than 2 weeks of absolutely no communication from Kyle or his office, on 7/14 I sent Kyle an email asking for the professional courtesy of response. His response came on 7/14 which stated tersely that he was on vacation and that my request was “condescending”. On 7/15 I sent Kyle a lengthy email detailing all of the facts regarding his lack of communication. I also told him I would not be using his firm, that he had lost my personal recommendation to my neighbors and that he would be getting a very negative social medial post.

NOW, he responds, along with his office manager Angie. Both replies were apologetic and offered several reasons (“excuses”?) for his behavior, including: Covid, the 500% increase in the pool industry, his need to hire sales staff, working from home, and his family vacation. Angie added that the email that Kyle uses is a “general” email and they “have been trying to phase that email address out.” She also offered to have me speak to Kyle’s partner Marcus about the “miscommunication”, though I don’t know why since Marcus handles new pool construction and Kyle handles remodels.

Whatever the reasons (“excuses”?) it all adds up to the same thing…..disrespect for the customer, abysmal customer service and NO communication. If this is the type of communication and customer service that they give BEFORE the contract is signed, what level of communication and customer service should I expect during the project or AFTER it is completed if there should be warranty issues??!!

If you use them you get what you deserve. You've been warned! For my part, I will...

It is truly a pleasure to write a good review and I wrote a book to highlight my experiences with Sol Pacific so customers can make an informed choice:

I am in the process of renovating a La Mesa 1960’s home (1700 sq ft) with extensive detail to design and product selection throughout the home (think 1960s bungalow with design detail and product selection to make it like a resort stay) Each piece of design being executed correctly is make or break as everything needs to achieve unison with our chosen design. We started with the kitchen (1st priority) but next up was pool given the large footprint looking out from our kitchen– scope of work tasked to Sol Pacific was as follows: demo existing concrete deck and install new travertine deck, coping, waterline tile, replace all electrical and plumbing, 100’ gas line and fire table installed.

I know nothing about renovating a pool, so I selected three companies to get a sense of range of experience and first impression of service. Sol Pacific excelled from the beginning. Kiersten was out the same day to provide a quote – it should be noted I was just “kicking tires” at that point and I told her this but she still spent a great deal of time measuring and getting a sense of what we needed and provided me with a quote shortly thereafter. There was a year delay (on my part) between the quote and pulling the trigger and they were completely accommodating. Never once did I feel pressured or not valued because I wasn’t proceeding immediately.

Once we got started their expertise shone through – from a sales side Kiersten helped me select product that was going to get the most service life but also achieve the aesthetic I wanted for my product (We had discussion down to the detail about what color fire glass I wanted installed in the fire table). She was knowledgeable and when she didn’t know the answers, she readily admitted it and researched and followed up with the information we needed to make the best decision. She met with me at their local vendor to go over product choices from waterline tile, pool cooping, and travertine decking options.

Project started on time with a minor week delay as their demo crew got COVID – the realities of 2020-2022. No worries – a week delay is unheard of in our current climate – hadn’t the project been properly managed this could have likely extended for weeks. Demo started with proper clean up afterwards. Waterline tile and custom cut travertine coping went in with great attention to detail. Their guys were pleasant and answered questions as the product went in. Travertine deck went in flawlessly in about 9 days – what struck me is the amount of time these guys spent on cutting and placing the deck. Only about 20% of the deck went in each day – that told me these guys were being detail oriented and not just laying hap hazardly.

We ran into a problem during deck install that deviated from the final objectives with the aesthetics of the total project. Problems happen during a renovation of this scope and I think what matters is how a contractor takes care of their customers when problems happen. Kyle, the owner of Sol Pacific Pools and our project manager, was out immediately the next day and met with me in person. Kyle addressed the issue immediately and made me feel at ease.

There was some delays in finalizing the installation of the fire pit largely outside of the company’s control, but when they finished it they placed it just how I wanted and showed me how to operate and start it up. No functional problems with a really large flame and heat thrown off. Looking forward to enjoying our new backyard! I found my experience with Kyle and Kirsten to be professional, helpful, friendly. If I were to do it over again I would select this company again. Photos to follow.

Pros: Knowledgeable, good work quality, addresses problems to customer satisfaction Areas for improvement: Proactive...

UPDATED: GOOD PEOPLE, POOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Update 2022-06-30: After I posted the original one-star review, the owner, Marcus, finally put some attention on our project and resolved things to our satisfaction. A "no-drain acid wash" took care of the white residue, and the water quality has since been rebalanced by the owner's brother, Justin. I also learned our original "project manager" has left the company. Upping from one star to three. Would I recommend Sol Pacific? Only with reservations: Get contract dates in writing, with penalties stated, and require two-party signoff of written change orders for any and all devation from the contracted schedule.

Our saga with Sol Pacific started a year ago, when we met with a sales person in June 2021. We executed a signed a contract to have our pool's tile cleaned and surface replastered on 2021-08-29. We were told the work would start in December. .On 2022-01-04, the sales person called to tell us work was delayed; on 2022-01-24, she emailed to verify the selected color "PebbleFina Black Galaxy". Actual demolition started on 2022-01-27; the machine they brought to do the work broke, so rough demolition couldn't be finished until the next day. Final demolition was completed 2022-02-01. Masonery cleaning didn't start until the end of February, a gap of 3 weeks, and didn't finish until early March. Despite repeated calls, we could not get a firm date on plastering. The plastering crew did not arrive until 2022-03-31. The plaster did not cure properly. While it's (supposedly) normal for plaster to release white material as it cures, in our case the black plaster never completely released the white, leaving an uneven, blotchy, mottled surface. We repeatedly contacted Sol Pacific, and got visits in April from the owner. In May 2022, they added some granules that cause even more streaking. We were told not to use the pool because they had added acid to the water to try to remove the chalky residue. The owner visited again in early June and assured us they would have it corrected "by the end of the week". We're nearly two weeks later, and no one has come again. We've been running the pump, but pool is now growing algae and looks far worse than it did before we started.

Through the entire process, their customer communication has been non-existent. We only got updates when we called and texted repeatedly. We are now ONE FULL YEAR past our original contact with Sol Pacific. Our pool is unusable and they still have not corrected the issue.

I just visited the BBB web site and found a complaint that is nearly identical to what I've written here - truly depressing. If I could give a negative number of stars, I would. I am still in contact with the owner, Marcus, and I truly hope I can amend this review with a positive outcome. For now, one year in, this is...