Designer Bath — Local services in Watertown

We spent nearly $5k on products for a bathroom renovation at the end of February. We had a tight timeline and explained that to Amy, the salesperson. She confirmed we could pick up the rough-in materials immediately and all fixtures would be available in two weeks, just in time for our contractor to finish the rest of the job (I went back through our email conversations to confirm this point). There were several issues throughout this engagement:

1. The rough-ins provided were missing pieces apparently, but we didn't know that. We were told everything was good to go for our plumber but when the jet roughs were missing, he installed a standard size and then tiled up the shower. When we received the jets, they were a non-standard size and our contractor told us it would be $900 to remove the tile to install the correct materials. When we communicated that to Amy, the response was basically "oops, sorry." We had to pay the $900 and tear apart our brand new shower or order different jets, not our first choice - and wait for them to come in - and drive into the showroom to switch the materials.

2. The fixtures took two MONTHS, not weeks to come in. Hey, I get it - there is a pandemic. Supply chains are interrupted. But we had to constantly request updates and I really doubt this was the first time Designer Bath had delays. If they had supply chain concerns, they shouldn't have told us it would be two weeks. Finally we called the manufacturer ourselves to request help. The manufacturer told us there were other in-stock fixtures he could send instead of the backordered ones. They all looked identical to us so I'm baffled at why Amy would order the one out of stock and stuck in Poland for two months instead of the one a couple states over.

3. When the final fixtures finally arrived at their showroom, they told us they couldn't ship them to our house unless we paid the $30 postal fee so we got to drive into the showroom again. See email where we asked them to extend the courtesy of comping the $30. They said no; really excellent customer service.

4. The materials aren't worth the huge expense, in my opinion. They looked nice the first day but after using the shower, the brushed nickel is covered in water spots and looks horrible. In hindsight, I wish we went with a more cost effective - and less exhausting -- route and ordered from the manufacture or...

I worked with Bob Tietze at Designer Bath Watertown for the first time back in 2018 when we were remodeling a small guest bath. Not only does Designer Bath have an ample selection of products at different price points, but Bob always steered us in the right direction, recommending products that were practical for our needs (think small apartment with two kids under 2) while helping us achieve the look that we were going for. When we decided to expand and renovate our new home I knew I could count on Bob to provide guidance once again. He consistently recommended top notch products while helping us keep within our budget, he worked around our unpredictable schedules, and once Covid hit, he helped us maneuver our selection process online, yet he was available at the store if I needed more help. Not only is he knowledgeable in his trade, he’s a genuinely nice guy who goes the extra step, no matter what the project budget is. For instance, when our plumbers had issues installing a rain bath fixture Bob offered to talk to them and figure out what the issue was. We had innumerable mishaps with our renovation, but Bob was consistently our saving grace and his expertise always shined through. He would reach out to suppliers to assess when products would be available, and if it deviated significantly from our timeline, he suggested comparables that would make the mark. I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with Bob again, and I sincerely appreciated his knowledge, help, flexibility, patience, responsiveness and even support during our renovation in the middle of a pandemic. The entire team at Designer Bath Watertown, including Clare and Lisa, is second to none. Thank you for making our renovation...

I had the pleasure of working with Rachel while selecting bathroom fixtures, and I cannot recommend her highly enough. From the moment we started, Rachel demonstrated an impressive depth of knowledge about the products, helping me understand the differences between various options and guiding me toward choices that perfectly matched my needs and budget.

What truly set Rachel apart was her efficiency and speed without ever making me feel rushed. She quickly identified exactly what I was looking for and streamlined the entire process, saving me countless hours of browsing and second-guessing. Her expertise allowed her to anticipate questions I didn’t even know I had and provide solutions before issues arose.

Beyond her technical knowledge, Rachel’s personable nature made the entire experience enjoyable. She was genuinely enthusiastic about helping me find the right fixtures and took the time to ensure I felt confident in my decisions. Her friendly, professional demeanor turned what could have been an overwhelming task into a pleasant and productive experience.

Rachel is clearly passionate about what she does, and it shows in every interaction. She’s the kind of employee who makes customers want to return and recommend the business to others. Any company would be fortunate to have someone of her caliber on their team.

If you’re looking for bathroom fixtures, ask for Rachel - you won’t be...