Dixie HomeCrafters High Pressure Sales Tactics, Fraudulent Pricing, Bad Business Practices. Atlanta Georgia

Gary,

You sound like an intelligent man used to making decisions for your company.  I'm sure you wouldn't have the position you hold with said company if you weren't deemed qualified to do so by your superiors.  However, this isn't your business, it's your home.  Your home is a place you and your spouse both share and by rights, should both be pleased with its curb appeal.  To start, companies like Dixie want all decision makers present as a show of respect so you can both make an informed and agreed upon decision, whatever it may be.

The real reason both spouses are requested to be present for the estimate is very simple.  As previously stated in the earlier posts, the sales professional will be presenting you with an extremely high quality product, warranty and labor practices that by all accounts takes quite a lot of time to explain in detail.  Following that, the price will be presented and if the sales professional was able to do his job properly, the quality of the product and the price presented will be equal in your eyes as they were in the eyes of so many people before and after you.  Regardless of any attempt by you to get a "better" deal, you will ultimately want to purchase the product and improve your home, assuming of course you believe the value is there.  (If you do not then the sales professional did not execute his job properly and it's all moot anyway.) 

Now, if you witnessed the presentation all by yourself, at this point you have 1 of 2 choices. Pull the trigger on the deal and make a multi-thousand dollar decision all on your own, like you said you do every day at work, OR do what 99.9% of all happily married men would do and simply say, "This all seems great, but I'd have to run this by my wife first".  This doesn't mean that the wife is the decision maker over the husband, it simply means that 50% of a 2-person democracy cannot make 100% of the vote (without ending up sleeping on the couch for the next year that is).  So, at this point, you would have pass up on the deal and wait for your wife to come home, wishing she was there to see everything with you.  Next, you have try and compress the last few hours of presentation into an awkward attempt to convince your wife in a few short minutes that the price matched the high quality of the product, even though it's true you could get a cheaper job w/o the proper transferable warranties, quality, blah blah blah, etc. for a cheaper price and would ultimately fail at getting her on board with you, thereby missing out on the opportuity to improve your home the right way like you wanted.  Which when all is said and done, is the whole goal here. Could you then call Dixie back and say you would like to have the rep to return to your home? Of course you could.  But why would the company agree to go to a home they've already been to and been turned away from in the place of going to a new lead, already scheduled, where all decision makers are going to be present?  Doesn't make much sense for them to do it, but they will...at about a 10% higher price to make up for the lead they had to burn in order to come give a second presentation for your wife's benefit, making you upset its not the same deal you were shown the first time.  Dixie is a proud company with good reason and can afford to refuse to do business with you when you balk at the price and demand they reduce it.  The company will end up taking a small hit, true, but ultimately, you wont be getting the work you needed from the company you wanted...all because you made a spur of the moment assumption they were playing on your emotions.

I wrote this simply to give you, and anyone reading this, a bit of perspective into the minds of the so-called "enemy" (salesmen) so hopefully next time, you won't make a misguided assumption about someone "playing on your emotions" when what they are truly doing is showing respect to your entire household by having all decision makers present, allowing them to make an informed decision, be it buy or not buy. 

As for the original poster Martin, Tape measurers are used for accuracy over a "roller" as you called it.  Every small twist of the wrist or bump in the ground causes extra inches to add up on the roller.  When you're walking off a 50+ foot wall face, that will add up to at least a couple feet per side, not to mention the additional $$$ that would cost you when LxW comes into play for the area.  As for that list of names of previous customers, it is a gold mine for a potential customer. What better way can you think of to gauge the quality of a company than by speaking to actual customers of theirs first? I worked there for many years and every once in a while, there was a customer on there who had a complaint that I'm sure you would have been very interested to hear.  The rest of the time, you got people who loved the job, not so much the cost of it, but would do it all over again cause you get what you paid for.  You could have asked any questions you wanted to ask them and they would have gladly answered you truthfully since they agreed to be on the list in the first place.  If they weren't happy, don't you think they'd tell ya?  You seem to be the kinda guy who pays for Consumer Reports, which is the same thing in principal as Dixie's reference list, except it's free to use, yet you said it "seemed a little odd" and wouldn't want someone "calling (you) out of the blue" which isn't possible, since they all agreed happily to be on that list.

There is such a thing as OVER thinking things Martin.  Most people think being methodical and thorough is a great attribute, but I fear based on your account, you're more or less using it as a way to procrastinate...I wonder if you ever even got that job done by anyone yet and if so, were you honestly happy with it or felt buyer's remorse when you didn't notice a marked improvement on your energy bills or looked at the fine print of whatever 'warranty' you were given?

Hello Help from Cleveland,
I think you responded to a previous rip-off report I posted about Dixie HomeCrafters removing the guttering from my house and going out of business before re-installing them (to honor my life time warranty - they had to perform the work).  My sister called and told me Dixie HomeCrafters have been calling her about windows.  She is looking up the phone number left on her caller ID.  If/when I get the phone number I will post it.  After they get a call from me. Anything I find out about this business I will happily share.
Thanks,

Tahoeclave- since you are so happy with Dixie Home Crafters could you give me some advice? We have 11 windows that they installed 3 years ago at $1000 each. On 3 of those windows the seals have broken and the moisture is on the inside. Our local Dixie Home Crafters (Chattanooga) went out of business so we have been trying to contact the home office. No one will return our call nor will they answer a letter from our attorney or complaints to the BBB. We even tried to contact the manufacture of the windows (after all they should stand behind the "lifetime warranty" ) but they are under receivership. They tried to sell us new windows at the regular price!!!! So- do you have any inside info as to who you would contact if this happens to you?

After reading your comments and some of the other ones here, I just had to add my 2 cents worth.  I worked for Dixie Homecrafters for close to 2 years.  This is considered to be a milestone with this company.  The reason people don't last here and the reason potential customer get upset is the game playing with the price, not offering the product at a fair price and especially the phone calls to the boss pricing games while at the customers house.  If they would eliminate these, then Dixie Homecrafters would be more successful as a company.

I was thrown out of 2 or 3 houses the entire time I was there.  None of them were my fault at all.  They were all because of the companies requirement to never leave a house until the boss was called.  If the sale was not made, then the boss would have to be called to then play pricing games.  This usually involved lowering the price.  People do not want to be high pressured into making a decision.  People want to buy on their own accord, not from someone forcing things down their throats.  This game playing was a form of high pressure, but was also the company willing to give up the normal profit on the job.  The profit from the job reduction includes: salesmans commission, installers pay, rent loss, advertising budget, paying the salary of administration loss etc.  Dixie was high priced, but their products were also high quality.  I can not fault them for the quality, but I did think the price was high.

As far as the company sending out a second salesman to re-measure a job and requote the job.  I have never seen that.  The only thing I can say is that the first guy must have made a mistake and probably was not trained that well.  The manager probably realized this and to try to help you, he sent someone else out to verify the numbers.  From what you say as far as not having to be there, I have never ever run a lead from them where someone was not home.  I don't know why they would have done that in your case, or told you they would do that.  From working there, I can say that some of the quality of the salespeople they hired was a little questionable.  But overall, there were quite a few professionals working there as well.  One of the questions you as a homeowner should always find out is the person's experience.  Not only at the company they are with but also with past companies.  If you can find out who is coming out to see you, their name, this is an added bonus.

You also referenced about a list of references to call people that had done business with them and you would not do this.  This is actually a great idea.  I really do not understand why you as a homeowner would not want to talk with people who actually have the product on their house.  This is a great way to find out if they are happy with the work, would do business with them again or would hire them for future work.  There is nothing wrong with that.

I know every company has their sales pitch.  Mostly, it is to share with you information about their company, go over warranties, who will come out to do the install, insurance and looking at the product and explaining the features and benefits of it. 

Most people who have salesman come out to their home don't understand that this is how they earn a living.  They spend their gas, have wear and tear on their car and you are taking up their time also.  You could at least be courteous and listen to what they say with an open mind.  If the price is to high and you can't afford it.  Just say, "I can't afford it."  Don't tell someone you want to think about it, let me sleep on it, when the real issue is you can't afford it.  Tell them you can't afford it, thank them for their time.

I know how you feel about signing on the spot and the salesman offering an additional 10% discount to do this.  When you get up to the high numbers for siding and windows are, it does seem kind of ridiculous.  This is high pressure, especially when they take off such a significant amount.  Once again, if they would change their business practices to something that made more sense, it would help them.  I think if it made more sense dollar wise, it would add legitamacy to their demonstrations.  There also is nothing wrong with offering a little incentive to earn people's business while they are there the first time.  Once again, you are saving their time and yours if you can commit.  Only if you like the product, the price, the company and the salesperson that came to see you.  Don't forget that most salespeople actually do want to help you.  They guy you described here won't last in any sales company.  I think your experience was the exception not the rule.

There also was another comment here about someone not wanting to have his wife there at the time of the appointment.  I know for me, it is not about putting high pressure on anyone to buy anything.  It is about being able to provide some good information, answer both of your questions at the same time and have both of your there to make sure both of you understand what will be done on the project.  There is no way, that one of the spouses, be it the husband or wife, can possibly relay all of the information to the other.  If only one of the decision makers is seen, as soon as the guy leaves and walks out the door, after the first 2 hours 50% of what was said is forgotten. 

Tomorrow, another 25% of that is forgotten.  Each day that passes you will have forgotten another 10% of what was discussed.  After one week only 18% of what was discussed will be remembered.  After 2 weeks, it drops to only 8%.  Our memories are not that good.  The reasoning for having both husband and wife present is not to punish anyone, it is to try to help people by having all of the decision makers present so they can make an informed decision.  If you have all of the infomation in front of both of you, especially when you are talking about a significant amount of money, wouldn't it make sense to have all of the buyers present instead of just one?  

By the way, I left Dixie Homecrafters about 10 years ago.  Since then I have been working for a home improvement company in Charlotte as the Sales Manager.  Our company enjoys high ratings on a nationwide rating list, 5 star rated with organizations and affiliations in the Charlotte area (I won't name it here)  And a perfect record with the BBB.  One of the biggest things we don't do is make phone calls to the boss, we are no pressure and our pricing is fair, reasonable and competitive.  The rule of thumb is, if someone has to put pressure on you to buy it, the product is not worth it.  You should never feel pressured to do anything.  That is how I manage our business here in Charlotte. 

Since you are so happy with your windows from Dixie HomeCrafters could you give me contact info for them? We paid over $12,000 for 13 windows that they installed in 2009. Three of those window now have discoloration on the inside (apparently the seal broke). We have tried to call all of the numbers on the contract from the local(Chattanooga,TN) branch and they are all disconnected. It has been rumored that they are out of business. We have been trying to contact the home office in Atlanta but the phone number hangs up. Do you have contact information?

Dixie Home Crafters called after I visited a home show wanting my business.  I said OK but they wanted it conditional on my wife being present - I said thanks but no thanks and our appointment was cancelled.  They then called the following day wanting another appointment again with my wife present.

Having managed multimillion dollar construction projects and not wanting to waist my wife of 38 years, I was interested in buying windows not hearing a misdirected sales tactic.

Any company that wants your spouse to be present wants to play on your emotions not on the simple facts of work being offered / done.  This should be consumer's first clue that you are dealing with a contractor that is not up front and direct.

Gary

I'm not trying to be negative here, but I don't understand how you got "ripped-off"  You did not buy anything.  You did set the appointment, and the second appointment.. I don't believe I would have done that after the first experience!  Basically, you don't like their sales practices or their price.  So, don't buy from them.  A Mercedes costs three times the price of a Civic, does that mean Mercedes is ripping people off?  I am aware of Dixie Home Crafters, and know people who have used them.  They are high in price, but they sell top quality products.  I would use them, after seeing their work and how they do business.  My aunt has their gutters and they have a lifetime guarantee!  My gutters are leaking after five years... they are cheapo Lowes gutters.  My aunt's still look new.  All I can say is, you get what you pay for.  As for the salesperson, he was probably aggravated.  I sell stuff for a living and understand, people procrastinate until their stuff falls apart!  You also said you had 8 people give you an estimate!  Good God man what are you thinking???  After like the third company I believe I would have picked one and been done!  You must have lots of free time on your hands.  Did you ever get the siding done?  Or as the second salesman said "Put some crap on your house"

i have read both compliants and i have to say that they both sound like a book.
the complianing about how long everything took sounds about as long as it took to
write these two stories. i for one had an excellent experience with dixie home-
crafters. their products were superior to the others that i had seen. like any other
major purchase you have to ask for a discount. after negotiating a fair price and
obtaining a life time warranty i did sign a contract, and it was three days later.
i have not had any problems with the work done but i have a life time warranty
and i been told by dixie home crafters that they would be back and replace any
materials at any time. the two stories i read referred to dixie as a rip off. to be
ripped off you first have to buy something. my home is worth alot more today
and the warranty is transferable to the next buyer. when one trys to cut corners
and go for cheaper products, well you get what you pay for.

Recently I went to a sales meeting with this company in Knoxville, TN. The company contacted me about a sales position. I decided to check into it.

The meeting was one of the most childish meetings I have ever witnessed. Their sales people are made to cooperate in a game of "sell me the product". Basically what they did was go over the very scripted sales speech they have. After the meeting, I asked the General Manager about the sales speech. He told me they expect every sales person to use the program they have used for years to sell their products. There is no freedom to vary from this speech.

Never one time during the meeting did I ever hear them discuss their products, just how to sell them. I asked the manager about the products and learning about the products so I could inform the customer about them. He told me, knowing the products was not as important as knowing how to sell the product. I asked him about the price of the products. He told me the minimum price of the products and how to run the price up so I could make more commission from the sale. He told me the maximum amount I could run the price over their price was $4,000.00, because they did not want to rip off the customer. I asked him how this price was determined. He told me I would have to determine how much I thought I could get out of the customer and price the job accordingly.

I declined this job based on I thought it was a crooked way of doing business. For a sales person to go to a customer and then decide what the price was going to be based on how much that sales person thought he could get from the customer, regardless of the actual price of the product, is just not right in my opinion.

I couldn't help but laugh, everything the person said was true. Offering to put the sign in the yard to give you a discount, weather you got a discount or not, that sign was going in the yard-it pays to advertise. I was a telemarketer, don't hate me, I hated my other job and this one offered high starting pay. I only lasted nine months, and before i was fired for "low leads/sales appointments" I had number two rank in the room. They like fresh people who sounded excited, around here starting off at 9 an hour was and is impressive. We tell you what you want to hear to set the appointment and it was no longer our problem.

About the salesman shooting the bird and not getting fired, one joker(salesman) was arrested! Thrown in jail because he refused to leave the home of a lead, he wasn't fired, in fact he was given a raise.

The windows are nice, we, the telemarkters went through the "condesed presentation" and they are simply amazing, true we put them together for under 500 bucks and start off selling them at around 4,000. What ever the salesman makes over the gray line, is his. Nice. (for them) I can't say I tell people not to get their windows, but I know what they are worth and that the salesmen get screamed at by the "boss" in the sales meetings for not bringing home the gold.
One salesmen was in tears before became "a shark" and then it was over for his morals, went out and got eye tucks and all this to look like some young guy or something and then he really became a shark.

Best thing you can do, hang up on a telemarketer, we are trained to hang in there and if we said "bye" before being hung up on it could be our last phone call. If that doesn't work speak to the manager to get removed from the list that is forever recycled/restarted. No wonder I couldn't make the goals set by the company, imagine 14 of us calling thesame numbers over and over, talking to the same people who somehow or another got on our list for years at a time.

Get on the "do not call list" then you can threaten to sue for pain and suffering, we know we were evil and we had people crying and cursing at us about a third of the time, but we also knew eventually a person would say yes and then I could only sigh wondering if my salesman was going to be killed on the lead i set for him. Wasn't my problem and isn't my problem now.

If the windows were priced at a mere normal 30% markup we could sell them to everyone in that wanted to save a little bit of energy and block out noise, but they liked the 300% markup as a start.

Thanks for making me laugh, that sign in the yard did it, and as I close think of how many people said, "Ok." And when they couldn't afford to keep paying for the windows, we don't take the windows or the siding back, we take the house.

I spent a total of two weeks with this company and had to quit. They truly do not care about the customer, only the money. I could not sleep at night knowing I was pressuring people into making thousand dollar decisions and then walking away with a thousand dollar commission. That is the reason their pricing is so high. Everything that is said is scripted and God forbid if you say that it is only the money that is keeping you from purchasing their product. Granted, their products are very good, but, if someone says they don't want something because they can't afford then that should be it. You don't pressure people into making decisions that they are uncomfortable making.

I truly believe that their business practices should be investigated. They take advantage of people who do not know any better. Very unethical! These guys are car salesmen on steroids. They will stick it to you and not feel any remorse and laugh all the way to the bank. They feel that they can treat people like garbage because they will never see them again, but at they beginning, they are just trying to be your best friend. Don't fall for it, and when they make their phone call to the GM, tell him you don't want his product and stick by your guns.

I spent a total of two weeks with this company and had to quit. They truly do not care about the customer, only the money. I could not sleep at night knowing I was pressuring people into making thousand dollar decisions and then walking away with a thousand dollar commission. That is the reason their pricing is so high. Everything that is said is scripted and God forbid if you say that it is only the money that is keeping you from purchasing their product. Granted, their products are very good, but, if someone says they don't want something because they can't afford then that should be it. You don't pressure people into making decisions that they are uncomfortable making.

I truly believe that their business practices should be investigated. They take advantage of people who do not know any better. Very unethical! These guys are car salesmen on steroids. They will stick it to you and not feel any remorse and laugh all the way to the bank. They feel that they can treat people like garbage because they will never see them again, but at they beginning, they are just trying to be your best friend. Don't fall for it, and when they make their phone call to the GM, tell him you don't want his product and stick by your guns.

I spent a total of two weeks with this company and had to quit. They truly do not care about the customer, only the money. I could not sleep at night knowing I was pressuring people into making thousand dollar decisions and then walking away with a thousand dollar commission. That is the reason their pricing is so high. Everything that is said is scripted and God forbid if you say that it is only the money that is keeping you from purchasing their product. Granted, their products are very good, but, if someone says they don't want something because they can't afford then that should be it. You don't pressure people into making decisions that they are uncomfortable making.

I truly believe that their business practices should be investigated. They take advantage of people who do not know any better. Very unethical! These guys are car salesmen on steroids. They will stick it to you and not feel any remorse and laugh all the way to the bank. They feel that they can treat people like garbage because they will never see them again, but at they beginning, they are just trying to be your best friend. Don't fall for it, and when they make their phone call to the GM, tell him you don't want his product and stick by your guns.

I spent a total of two weeks with this company and had to quit. They truly do not care about the customer, only the money. I could not sleep at night knowing I was pressuring people into making thousand dollar decisions and then walking away with a thousand dollar commission. That is the reason their pricing is so high. Everything that is said is scripted and God forbid if you say that it is only the money that is keeping you from purchasing their product. Granted, their products are very good, but, if someone says they don't want something because they can't afford then that should be it. You don't pressure people into making decisions that they are uncomfortable making.

I truly believe that their business practices should be investigated. They take advantage of people who do not know any better. Very unethical! These guys are car salesmen on steroids. They will stick it to you and not feel any remorse and laugh all the way to the bank. They feel that they can treat people like garbage because they will never see them again, but at they beginning, they are just trying to be your best friend. Don't fall for it, and when they make their phone call to the GM, tell him you don't want his product and stick by your guns.

Hello Martin,
I actually worked for Dixie Homercafters for about a year or so. I was the window and door installation manager. Everything you have stated just shows me they are the same way now as they were 7 years ago. I even remember an instance where a customer wouldn't sign and the salesman shot the couple a bird on his way out, and kept his job!! Can you beleive this ? The whole time I was there my desk phone rang off the hook with customer complaints and I mean every day. Everything from bad jobs / shoddy craftsmen to way overpriced products. I knew at this point I did not want to be a part of this organization much longer. It's not only the salesmen it goes all the way up to the V.P. and the owners laughing all the way to the bank. I was in home improvement approx. 11 years before taking the Dixie job and I could not condone there business practices any longer. I refused to keep having a part in making them rich at the customers expense. I own and operate a home improvement co. and when I come behind their salesmen the customer is astonished at the price difference for the same qualifictions , the same products and more attentive service. I would be honored to ad you to my customer list if you have not already had these services performed, and give you and your home the attention it deserves.

Sincerely,
C.B. @ (((redacted email)))

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Hello Martin,
I actually worked for Dixie Homercafters for about a year or so. I was the window and door installation manager. Everything you have stated just shows me they are the same way now as they were 7 years ago. I even remember an instance where a customer wouldn't sign and the salesman shot the couple a bird on his way out, and kept his job!! Can you beleive this ? The whole time I was there my desk phone rang off the hook with customer complaints and I mean every day. Everything from bad jobs / shoddy craftsmen to way overpriced products. I knew at this point I did not want to be a part of this organization much longer. It's not only the salesmen it goes all the way up to the V.P. and the owners laughing all the way to the bank. I was in home improvement approx. 11 years before taking the Dixie job and I could not condone there business practices any longer. I refused to keep having a part in making them rich at the customers expense. I own and operate a home improvement co. and when I come behind their salesmen the customer is astonished at the price difference for the same qualifictions , the same products and more attentive service. I would be honored to ad you to my customer list if you have not already had these services performed, and give you and your home the attention it deserves.

Sincerely,
C.B. @ (((redacted email)))

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Hello Martin,
I actually worked for Dixie Homercafters for about a year or so. I was the window and door installation manager. Everything you have stated just shows me they are the same way now as they were 7 years ago. I even remember an instance where a customer wouldn't sign and the salesman shot the couple a bird on his way out, and kept his job!! Can you beleive this ? The whole time I was there my desk phone rang off the hook with customer complaints and I mean every day. Everything from bad jobs / shoddy craftsmen to way overpriced products. I knew at this point I did not want to be a part of this organization much longer. It's not only the salesmen it goes all the way up to the V.P. and the owners laughing all the way to the bank. I was in home improvement approx. 11 years before taking the Dixie job and I could not condone there business practices any longer. I refused to keep having a part in making them rich at the customers expense. I own and operate a home improvement co. and when I come behind their salesmen the customer is astonished at the price difference for the same qualifictions , the same products and more attentive service. I would be honored to ad you to my customer list if you have not already had these services performed, and give you and your home the attention it deserves.

Sincerely,
C.B. @ (((redacted email)))

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

Hello Martin,
I actually worked for Dixie Homercafters for about a year or so. I was the window and door installation manager. Everything you have stated just shows me they are the same way now as they were 7 years ago. I even remember an instance where a customer wouldn't sign and the salesman shot the couple a bird on his way out, and kept his job!! Can you beleive this ? The whole time I was there my desk phone rang off the hook with customer complaints and I mean every day. Everything from bad jobs / shoddy craftsmen to way overpriced products. I knew at this point I did not want to be a part of this organization much longer. It's not only the salesmen it goes all the way up to the V.P. and the owners laughing all the way to the bank. I was in home improvement approx. 11 years before taking the Dixie job and I could not condone there business practices any longer. I refused to keep having a part in making them rich at the customers expense. I own and operate a home improvement co. and when I come behind their salesmen the customer is astonished at the price difference for the same qualifictions , the same products and more attentive service. I would be honored to ad you to my customer list if you have not already had these services performed, and give you and your home the attention it deserves.

Sincerely,
C.B. @ (((redacted email)))

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.