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Do NOT work for K-Designers. Do NOT buy from K-Designers... This is a TOTAL SCAM COMPANY...
In 1995, I trained for a Marketing Director Position with K-Designers, Denver, Colorado. I worked for them for over 6 months and then worked for several other competitors who were doing the same 'Promotion' in the Denver, Colorado territory. I did the home improvement “Promotional Home” sales pitch for over 5 years and was considered one of the best in the Western States. My last year in business I grossed over $175, 000 in income (before taxes and expenses).
I am glad you are happy with the work that K-Designers did for you. I hope that if you live in your home for any length of time that your product has no problems. K-Designers does NOT warranty labor to fix their products after the sale. The lifetime warranty is only on the product. In addition, K-Designers is not known for great service after the sale. K-Designers is all about new SALES! There is NO profit in sending a repair crew to your home to fix potential problems especially if you live over 100 miles from their main location. K-Designers sub-contracts all of their work, so they would actually have to pay a crew to drive to your home and do the repair. I hardly think they would remain profitable if they actually spent money repairing the problems people can have with windows, siding and other home improvements.
Their sales pitch…. Well, K-Designers uses the oldest gimmick in the book. The movie 'Tin Man' accurately depicts this company. K-Designers approaches ALL homeowners with the same sales pitch... "We want to use your home for our promotion. If you agree to allow us to use your home to market our product, we have marketing dollars we will spend on your home. These marketing dollars will save you thousands of dollars if you do business with us TODAY, WHILE I AM HERE! (Not tomorrow, but NOW).
Sales representatives are called Marketing Directors. Why? So that you the prospective customer is under the impression, you are talking to someone in authority. You, the homeowner, actually think you are speaking with a Director of the Company, not a sales person. You think this Director has special powers and has this budget of money to spend on your home. You have to agree to allow K-Designers to put a sign in your yard, take before & after photos, write letters of reference and much more…. For each item you agree to, K-Designers or the manufacturer will spend marketing dollars (which do not exist) on your home to reduce your total cost. It’s truly amazing to see the cost of a siding project go from a whopping $25, 000 Retail cost, down to $14, 999. Because your home is special, and you LOVE the product, and you agree to help with marketing you will save thousands… but remember you must do this now, while the Marketing Director is in your home. He/she will tell you they are so busy they cannot come back. They are booked solid with interested people. They have more people interested in the ‘fake’ promotion, then they have money to spend.
The marketing directors are trained to take control of you and take you through a 10 step sales process which includes: 1) a warm up 2) an introduction to the promotion, 3) a review of the company K-Designers and their manufacture (was Revere or Alcoa), 4) a detailed review of the promotion (put up a sign in your yard, agree to write a letter, agree to before & after pictures, and more items if necessary), 5) product demonstration (you must LOVE the product), 6) measure, 7) do a pretty drawing of your home 8) do an ROI (return on investment)… “Does this make financial sense; can you afford to do this?” (for siding they show you the cost of painting, alleged energy savings, and alleged increase value to your home), 9) Negotiations (they want you to go very slow, go outside in between steps, and reduce the price slowly… each time getting you the prospect to say yes to another marketing activity, and 10) paperwork and wrap up.
The marketing director is trained to ask pivotal sales questions to you during the presentation. Examples… “Folks, this may or may not be for you… if it is not, please let me know…. Of course, your home would be prefect for our promotion, but I understand if this is not for you. I have many other people who I have on my schedule who are interested in the promotion. If you do not want to participate, we will shake hands and part friends”.
Before the sales person goes to measure, they are trained to ask another question…. “Folks, you love the product… Right? … and you agree to help me with the promotion, Right? (you say yes)… Well, I love your home and you qualify for the promotion. I would love to use your home to market our product in this area! Aside from money, is there any reason we cannot do business…. WHILE I AM HERE?”…. then they remain quiet. They have cornered you into making a decision while they are there. This is called a 1-call close, or a HARD SELL! If you are not a strong person or couple, you have no choice but to continue…. Else, you would be a liar. Good people don’t lie or change their minds.
However, the REALITY IS… this, it is all baloney, fake, made up. The PROMOTION is BOGUS. There are NO Marketing dollars. Yes, K-Designers will put a sign in your yard, and they will take before & after pictures. You will also write a letter of reference….. but guess what…. EVERY K-Designers customer DOES THE SAME THING. The sales pitch is the same for EVERY POTENTIAL CUSTOMER. You are not special. Again, You are not special. You are just another person/couple that K-Designer’s is pressuring into making a decision to buy siding - TODAY. If they did not have the “Promotional” lie, they would have no reason to get you to buy today!
K-Designers uses the ‘PROMOTION’ as an excuse for everything. Examples. If a husband and wife both own a home, and only the wife is present when the Marketing Director arrives for the appointment, he/she will not present to you, nor will they give you any prices. They are trained to say, that according to the “PROMOTION” all owners must be present. Another example. Say you want to think about the price overnight? The Marketing Director will say something like…. “I’m sorry Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but the ‘Promotion’ requires that you make a decision while I am here. If you are not interested in the ‘Promotion’, I need to release the funds for someone else. I have more people interested in the Promotional dollars (that do not exist), then I have money to spend. You understand, don’t you?” The MD’s use the “Promotion” as their excuse for many objections you the homeowners may have. Bottom line is you must decide while they are in your home or you will lose all of those bogus marketing dollars!
THE FEAR OF LOSS is what motivates people to buy siding while the marketing director is in their home. People are afraid that they will miss out on an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to save thousands. You feel special that your home has qualified for Revere or Alcoa to use their product on…. You qualify….
Who sets the price? Well, if you are a good sales person (Marketing Director) you can start your price anywhere you’d like. At the end of the day, you just have to cover the cost of the siding and the cost of the sub-contracted crew who will do the work (plus other expenses K-Designers charges the MD (sales rep) such as financing fees, etc. It is not uncommon for a Marketing Director to make $5, 000 commission on a standard 1-story, 3 bedroom home.
K-Designers brags about all the employees they have. The reality is this. All of K-Designers Marketing Directors are supposed to be 1099 Independent contractors. They have a constant stream of MD’s hoping they will get rich selling K-Designers products. The reality is most MD’s do not make it past 2 months. They realize that they may have to run 50 appointments a month to make 3-5 sales. They will drive hundreds of miles, spend many lonely nights in flea ridden run-down hotels, eat at truck stops and quick stop gas stations, be apart from their homes and families for 23 days each month, and many suffer from depression and / or alcoholism. There dream to get rich at K-Designers was a last ditch effort to survive. Many have exhausted all efforts to find a real sales job with a real company that actually pays you a base salary, pays your travel expenses, and provides full benefits.
K-Designers fully controls the lives of the MD’s but has no responsibility for the MD’s they hire…. They are in constant lawsuits with MD’s over taxes, control, and independent contractor status. VERY FEW sales people make it as long-term K-Designers sales reps (marketing directors). It is very sad to know how terribly K-Designer’s uses good sales people. They take advantage of these sales people, with dreams of wealth, then simply say ‘NEXT’ when the sales people can’t perform or complain about the constant travel. Additionally, if a sales rep sells anything his first month, it can take 3-6 moths to see the job ‘cash out’. If the sales rep priced the job right, he/she might get a check, but remember they are new and might under price the siding or forget some other important cost or fee… if they are lucky they might see real money in 3 months. K-Designers does allow new hires to ‘draw’ against future sales, but the draw is barely enough to run leads (it costs an average of $500 a week to run leads). The draw does not allow a sales rep to pay rent / mortgage, pay bills, or feed their family. Imagine the stress the new sales rep has…. New job, new company, no money until 3-6 months (if you sell something and price it right). Many MD’s end up quitting and or filing for bankruptcy.
Let’s continue to talk about all of K-designers hundreds/thousands of employees. When I worked for the organization, ALL of the siding and window installation crews were sub-contractors. Some of these crews were professional… they had trucks and equipment, but most were deadbeats. I had one crew show up to do a siding job… the person was so broke, and so behind in child support. that he was found camping beside a river in a tent at night. He even borrowed money from the homeowners so that he could eat. K-Designers did not have company employees for sales or installation….. It would be interesting to know how many ‘real’ employees were actually full-time K-Designer employees. Out of 9, 000 published employees, I would guess only 500 are actual employees.
Why does this matter? This is why. If a company is serious about hiring and keeping good sales and installation people, they will hire them as a full-time employee with full benefits (health, dental, insurance) and provide the employees vehicles and expense accounts. K-Designers has NO commitment to independent contractors. NONE. They pay no taxes and have no expenses on these people. All of ‘those’ people are disposable. No accountability. No Costs. K-Designers has NO commitment to having / keeping employees, why would they have any commitment to you as a prospective customer?
Do not work for K-Designers and please do not buy from this company. They do NOT have a unique product. They do not have a special Promotion. They take advantage of prospective customers. They take advantage of good sales people ~ independent contractors are NOT employees! They are focused on NEW SALES ONLY… they do not provide good service after the sale. Most importantly, the technique they use to sell their product is a lie. THE PROMOTION is a gimmick. You can find the same product, or better, by shopping around.
Larry Judson, CEO, should be ashamed of the lies he has perpetrated over the years while doing business. He has lied to thousands of customers and thousands of good sales reps (Marketing Directors a.k.a. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS). It is time to shut this company down. If you are in the market for windows or siding, please buy from a LOCAL company. A company you trust and that carries a good product and a warranty on both the product and labor (get references and talk to people who have done business with the company). Do business with a company that hires, trains and takes good care of its sales and installation crew. Larry and his crew are the ### of the earth. Mr. Judson, you will someday answer to the Man up above!
Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is not true! Take care!
Hi Family from Mariposa...
When I worked for K-Designers they ALWAYS used a good product. I am sure this has not changed. Typically the warranty only covers the cost of material NOT labor. So if you need a repair, the siding should always be covered, but unless the contract states otherwise, the labor for the repair will cost you out-of-pocket.
My questions is this...WHY is the siding cracking? I have never heard of this! During our sales presentation we would hit the siding with a hammer and it would not crack!
Siding comes in many thicknesses, called mills. The good siding will be .48-.52 mils thick. The cheap siding (typically builders use this, or some 'not-so-good' installers will fool customers with a bait and switch - they say they will put on the BEST siding, but purchase the cheap, thin stuff to put on your house. Why? Well it does cost less, but not that much less). Despite my dislike for K-Designer's former sales tactics... they ALWAYS carried a top-notch product!
The only time I have seen cracking is 1) freezing cold weather that has been below zero for a long period 20 days plus (then something had has to hit the siding... sometimes it will crack, but not always.) Vinyl and steel siding are tough! K-Designers does NOT like having to come back to a home to re-do a problem. They REALLY do put on the best siding (Yes, Larry... I forgive you, and this kudo is on me!) Seriously, the product should not be cracking.
Besides freezing, the only two reason would be 1) a faulty product or 2) your siding was INSTALLED incorrectly.
So what to do? IMO, I would first call your siding manufacturer (it used to be Revere, they might be using Alcoa brand now)... this information should be in your paperwork. Find out who made the product, look up their phone number using the internet, and call their customer service team. I would specifically ask them is they have had ANY complaints on your style of siding. They will ask you questions as to the year it was put up, who did the work, and more... I would think that they will tell you that they have not had any complaints for the product produced during your time period and for your style and color.
So what is left? Installation! K-Designer's sub-contracts their work out to independent contractors (they may have changed that, but I doubt it... it would mean Larry Judson would have to carry insurance on these guys, and that would mean more expense, more potential liability for the company, etc... .if he tells you they are employees make him PROVE IT.)
This is important... not all subcontractors install siding the same way! They might tell the installation coordinator at K-Designers that they are the BEST, but I do not believe anything that contractors tell me. I know that in the world in general, morals have declined, honesty is going away, and we are left to defend ourselves... so be strong, and YES fight.
If the product is cracking, and the siding was not hit had during a long winter freeze, than it HAD TO BE INSTALLED incorrectly. Here's what happens... Installers tell K-Designers they are great (so they get the job); however, by the time they get your order, load the siding, j-channel, soffit, fascia, accessories on their rig and drive to your home they have one objective... to get you to sign the completion certificate stating you are happy! Why? Once you sign, they can load up their rig and race home to try and get their money (they don't get paid until AFTER you sign). This process creates haste.
I'm not saying all installers do this, but I owned my own company for years and I could write a book of stories just about the sub-contractors who do installation. The only way the product does not perform properly (aside from the freezing described above) is because it was either staples too tight to the wall, or it was screwed-nailed too tight! Every inch of siding has to gently 'slide' back and forth (that is why you see 'slots' in the top of the siding and not nail/screw holes). This movement is ESSENTIAL... why?... If the product does not move side to side it will not expand and contract with the change in weather.
When the panels do not slide back and forth, the siding will 1) warp or buckle or 2) when it contracts in the cold weather is is very susceptible to CRACKING! If an installer rushes and does not insure each piece of installed siding moves correctly back and forth, then you very well will see warping and or CRACKING!
You can confirm this with the manufacturer. BEFORE you contact Larry Judson (K-designers), take GOOD pictures and send them to the manufacturer. Your goal is to have the manufacturer confirm that the product was not installed correctly (or tell you what is wrong)... again, there is NO reason for this cracking.
GET Proof from the manufacturer. Take pictures and then call K-Designers (I would have an attorney call for you... if possible). However, you can do this on your own... you have proof, logic and God on your side.
Determine what is required to fix the problem. Has the entire home been installed incorrectly of is it just one wall? You need to think 5 years from now... will the next wall start cracking?
I would simply let K-Designer's know that you have already confirmed with the siding manufacturer, that HIS company installed the product incorrectly on your home. I would want the entire home redone AT NOT COST TO YOU. You have no idea when you signed the form that the sub-contracted installed, cut corners and installed the siding incorrectly. If the company says they will fix only one wall, tell them that 1) the manufacturer confirmed the entire home was done incorrectly and the ONLY was to fix this problem and ALL FUTURE problems is to do EVERYTHING all over again... the right way, 2) Push the issue of fading... if they do only one wall the colors will be slightly different, 3) Finally K-Designers that the sales person sold you on the facts that K-Designers was the BEST company to do siding... You paid for not only the best siding, but also the BEST installation.
Reputation is everything. If K-Designers is unwilling to re-do the work at their cost for both labor and new siding, then tell them you will tell your horrible K-Designers siding drama to everyone including: 1) the Better Business Bureau, 2) The siding manufacturer, 3) Your states Attorney General, 4) Each of you local Cable-TV stations 5) you will call you local radio stations 6) you will contact TV shows that do expose's on rip off companies (20-20, 48 hours, etc) 6) and tell them you have no problem posting a LARGE factual sign in your yard stating K-Designers ruined your home by mis-installing siding 7) USE THE POWER OF THE INTERNET - Facebook, Linkedin, YouTube, MySpace
Remember, you are the customer. It is very hard work for K-designers to obtain new customers, but it is very easy to lose potential customers. Negative publicity, TV, Radio, Media, Newspapers, and the internet can destroy a company like K-Designers. If you know enough people where you live, you can make sure that they never side another home in your town-subdivision, etc. THERE IS POWER in using the MEDIA to help persuade companies like K-Designers.
I Know you will do well. Have faith. You did not make a bad buying decision... your home will be beautiful and it will be perfect - you CERTAINLY PAID FOR THE BEST, and THEY NEED TO DELIVER - with NO FURTHER CHARGE TO YOU! I will pray that K-Designer's does an excellent job at fixing your siding AT NOT COST TO YOU. They work hours trying to fill the internet with so many fake positive stories. Let's make them live up to all the hype they sell to you and also post on the internet.
Please post back here if you need help... also, please let the rest of us know how your story unfolds. I seriously will be praying that this works out wonderfully for you. God bless...
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I'm not going to agree or disagree only putting my 2 cents in as a customer calling in about warranty issues.
So heres the deal.
I came home from lunch to find my shutter hanging down- having broken and swung down and my window broken as well. We had major high gust winds that day- my area gets hit hard with them. They are called the chinooks here and can run up 90 mile per hour and above. I can't tell what happened. Did the wind break it, did the wind throw something against it, did a bird hit it, did a kid walking down the street hit it with a frisbee, what the heck happened?
Besides this I also had some siding that had started to loose the crease "bubble"- Small piece not a huge part- probably from wind through the years that I had been dragging my feet on calling them about. Originally I bought siding and windows back in 2002. So I call them up and they come out an look at it. Window can't do much about though he did really try to get it through the warranty department they subcontract to- high winds are act of god. However he did get me a rocking deal on replacing the whole window as I priced the windows elsewhere this really was a "valued customer replacement deal". I'm not going to put the price, but it is NO WHERE near what I payed originally and it beats lowes and home depot with their installment. They also replaced the shutter no change. They replaced the whole wall where the bubble was and had their guy go over the whole house and tighten everything up again (did I mention my house gets really pounded by winds) just to make sure I have no more problems down the road. The only thing I was charged for was the winodw and again this was very cheap all things considered!
What company does this nine years later? K Desingers.
Are they expensive? Hell yes my original price was extremely expensive, but I payed for a lifetime warranty and I got a lifetime warranty that is actually backed up not just some piece of paper not worth anything!
Larry (not judson) you did me good- thank you and K Desingers!
Happy customer 9 years later,
Teri Langston
Longmont, Colorado!
My husband and I bought siding from K-Designers, we have had it up for several years now and we have had problems with it. The first time they came out and fixed some of the problems. but now we have another issue, the siding is cracking. I am afraid to call them becsuse they will say it is your problem not ours, and we will have to pay another 250$ for them to come out and fix their product. What can we do? i will write BBB and complain again. The first time was a headache, because they would not call back or acknowledge that we even had a problem, they just ignored the situation. I did the first time write BBB and K-Designer did call back within a few days of writing BBB.
Thanks
Family from Mariposa.
I worked for a siding company years ago, and it was the same then. Out of 100, 000 or so customers, I see maybe a dozen complaints? To each there own, but I agree with the comments that "bad" companies don't stay around long, especially using the same name>but if a company gives you value, you'll tell everyone, thus being their promotion? Wow, what a concept! As to buy know or lose savings? It's called a sale for a reason. You don't see car dealers saying "we have the new models in stock, so stop by someday" It's THIS WEEKEND-BLOWOUT SALE-
I Beg to differ about K-Designers and what a GREAT company they are. I have been dealing with inferior windows for over three years now. I paid very good money for these LIFE TIME WARRANTED WINDOWS. The first one went out within three years of being installed. I was told that the company went out of business or so I thought, so I didn't do anything about it until we had work done on my sons house by another window and siding co. The owner asked why I didn't ask to get the window replaced. When I told him who had done it he said they were still in business so I dug out the paperwork. They had a new # but I finally tracked them down. They came out of Billings Montana and sold windows in our area in 1999. I finally got thru to them and explained the problem, it took MANY
phone calls and a year to get them to come back here to replace the window. I pointed out the start of the same damage in two other windows and was told they only come and replace them. Called 1-3-2012 to report the loss to 2 more sets of windows. So out of 4 sets of windows, I have now lost 3. Traco was the manufacturer of the FANTASTIC NEW WINDOWS OF THE FUTURE.. as we were told in the presentation and that they were warrantied for Lifetime. Back then it was a lot of money and we believed the lies we were told. I have now called the people in Billings 17 times. Most times I leave voicemails and messages with the secretary which are never
returned. I have actually spoken with the MANAGER 3 times and each time I get a new LIE as to how we will get the windows replaced. Traco does not do residential windows anymore and I was told by Traco I would have to take it up with K-
Designers to get a replacement. I had to call Traco myself because I waited 2 months for MANAGER to contact Traco and get back to me. I called their # and got a response in 1 day. What does that tell you about the integrity of K-Designers. Right now I am at the point of what to do next and I am going to do a BBB Complaint. I asked if I could just get $1400. to have them replaced by a local
window guy. NOPE. So people do not believe the SALES pitch as to Lifetime Warranty. There is no such thing. Do business locally with someone you can actually talk to face to face and who has to do business in your community. I Don't think these businesses who
are not located in your own state should be allowed so sell their product in yours. I think a person should not have to replace windows in a home within the first 15 years of replacement. What does that tell you about the QUALITY of workmanship. One unhappy consumer I have become and sorry, I would NEVER do business with company again.
I to bought from K-Designers they are total scammers product shown was not what I got had problems with install windows lifetime warranty I have screens rotten from sun south side of house called price they want could replace windows said did you read warranty only screen warrantied not labor so travel time and labor. My old windows sealed better in winter then new ones gaskets falling apart and have been checking these sites out and can`t figure out what is wrong our consumer affairs or BBB or Government can`t believe there is not class action law suits you can`t find a good thing said about them our consumer protection is total gone !
Us too!
Several years ago we had new siding and windows done. We were very unhappy with the performance of the workers that the company sent to do the job. The job had to be done over because the first installation was done wrong. Windows were ordered in the wrong sizes and color, the wrong type of windows(they were for a stucco home, which we do not have) and instead of re ordering the correct kind, they tried altering them until we told them that we would not accept that and made them reorder. The dumpster that they ordered sat at our home for almost a month after they left. The mess they left around our home was horrendous with nails and pieces of siding, old scraps of wood, glass, cigarette butts, etc. 6 months later the siding started falling off! Confronting the company did no good. We spoke with other people who went thru their company and found that there were issues with almost all of them. We tried to ban together to fight them, spoke with the Better Business Bureau and the Attorney General, but got nowhere. We fought with them for almost 2 years, but we financed, so they had their money and were not interested in our complaints.
The breeze around our windows has been awful (worse than before the new windows) but they told us it had nothing to do with the windows or installation.
We've recently been remodeling and now we know why there was such a breeze coming from the windows... there is not a lick of insulation, spray foam or caulking anywhere. They used some shims and nails. Period. Once we removed the trim and casings from inside you can even see daylight in some places.
K-designers should be sued for the job they did here. Just look at the pictures! And this is only one room! If the windows in all the other rooms in our home are like this, it's no wonder our heating bill is so high. I'm angry all over again! Ugh!
K-Design SUCKS!
K-designers is a complete scam that should not be in business
K-designers is a total scam. I can't believe they are still in business.
K designers came to our house this week for an estimate. The situation was exactly like the first post here described. We were offered a "great deal" by the "marketing director." We said no, and HE WOULD NOT LEAVE. He got angry at us and kept trying to talk us down. He was a bit scary in the end. He stayed for 3 hours. It was horrid.
K-Designers replaced all our larger windows several years ago. I had to "fight" to get the lifetime warranty in a written form after they verbally told me they had that warranty but it was not stated in any of the forms we were given to sign. We were given the "bonus" of having our outside lamps replaced...the workers did this but after they left I saw that they had not replaced all of them, so now our lamps are mismatched. As time passed, the new lamps rusted as opposed to the original ones which just had the brass dull with age. After a couple of years I discovered that when it rained either hard or steadily (in WA state this is common) all the new windows they installed leaked. I called customer service several times, each time getting a recording stating it may take a few days for my call to be returned. The call was never returned and I was never able to reach customer service to deal with the leaky windows. In the beginning we planned to have them do the remaining smaller windows when we could afford it - now I will never used them or recommend them. I did research them before hiring them, but back then did not find the complaints I see now.
One problem with K Designers is that they keep calling me, especially during dinner. The calls are unsolicited. I never signed up for anything to do with these annoying pests. I have called them a number of times to get off their list. They hang up on me and the calls do not stop.
Bought full house siding (remove old, install new). Crew showed up a few hours each day then left, as I had to take vacation to be here for the work. Five day job ended up being two weeks. Two days later, new siding was falling off the house. K-Designers sent a "fixer" to put it back up. I had bought the five year warranty just in case. Now, after the expiration of the warranty, siding is falling off again. Worst installation, worst product, worst customer service I've ever experienced. My house is 40 x 55 feet, so you can get an idea how much product is involved. Don't even deal with these people.