Floor Coverings International Cincinnati North

FCI Cincy North promises quality flooring work and effective project management, however, in our experience with them, they fell short on both. One of the most glaring problems we encountered with FCI was their poor communication. Throughout the project, both the project manager, Nadia, and the owner, Jose, were dismissive and, at times, outright rude. Responses to emails, calls, and texts were often delayed or completely ignored, leaving us in the dark regarding project timelines and next steps.

The lack of transparency was frustrating. Effective communication is essential in any project, and the failure to provide updates or respond to inquiries made it difficult to maintain trust in their process. As a client, I expected a more professional and courteous interaction, especially considering the cost associated with the work.

The disorganization within FCI was evident throughout the project. We had a total of four different crews working in our home, all with varying levels of professionalism and technical skill. Because of this, along with the PM’s lack of attention to detail, about one third of our floors had to be completely redone due to improper, shoddy installation.

While FCI markets itself as providing high-quality flooring services, our experience suggests otherwise. They never masked furniture, damaged a couch, permanently damaged our stair railing, and grossly overcut our door jambs. Their contract states that they’ll ‘do the heavy lifting,’ however there was rarely enough crew onsite to do this, leading to my husband helping move large furniture and vanities. When they did do the heavy lifting, they were careless with our furniture and home – leaving several dents and gashes in our drywall that will need more than just paint to repair. The final deliverables fell short of expectations, with portions of our flooring STILL installed incorrectly, and others left looking like a DIY project. Photos included show gapping left in our kitchen, along baseboards, and the edge of the bullnose on our stairs exposed. This lack of attention to quality soured the entire project and left us questioning the competence of their team.

To add insult to injury, timeliness was another area where we were left disappointed. What was originally quoted as a two-week max project ended up taking three months. Deadlines were consistently missed without adequate explanations or apologies. This not only delayed the project but also caused significant disruptions within our home. The repeated failures conveyed a lack of respect for our home, time, and investment in their services.

EDITED TO ACKNOWLEDGE FCI'S RESPONSE:
- Yes, our home is a century old, but was renovated in 2019. This project was only replacing existing the flooring with new LVT. We spoke extensively with Larry, the sales rep, about our concerns, and he ensured us that the FCI team was capable and had experience with homes like ours. Regarding fixing all items, FCI never followed up on the final ask to fix gapped flooring in the kitchen. We reached out 3 times, and finally received a response from the owner 2 weeks later that he would call us and 'put an end to all this.' He never called.

- The 'final walkthrough' was actually just the contractor telling us what he'd done for the day. The next day, we received an invoice (due same day) from Nadia, telling us she'd heard the final walkthrough went well. We paid the invoice, so we weren't late, and responded asking about an option to fix the gapping in the kitchen. See above for the outcome of that - the gap was never addressed. This flooring is unfortunately just poorly installed.

- We didn't receive a discount. There was a $455 adjustment in final cost because of unused materials, and this adjustment was only made after we inquired about pricing discrepancy regarding materials purchased (what was quoted vs what was billed). There was no discount given in gesture of goodwill and time invested. If the $455 was considered a discount, then it still wouldn’t be significant, as we spent over $24,000.00 on this project.

Jose and team did a fantastic job on our floors! We asked them to strip our exisiting floors, replace carpet with matching planks and then refinish all so they match.

Not only did Jose and team accomplish our goals but exceeded them. Their care for our floors and the overall process was fantastic. Great communication and quality of work. Virtually no dust (which we were worried about)! I would highly recommend Floor Coverings International!

I wanted to
upgrade my flooring from carpeting to laminate and stained stairs with white risers. Jose Flores, the owner came by to check on the project while Nadia Nastalla, the design associate coordinated the installation process from consultation to completion. Harold and his crew created a beautifully laid floor and stairs in three days. Gracias! I highly recommend.

The sales rep "Nadia" was very knowledgeable about the many different flooring samples she showed me. Her explanation of the installation process from start to finish contributed to my choosing this company. I Can't Say enough about Nadia's professional and personable demeanor, she was great, and she communicated with me through out the completion of my new floors. I love my new laminate flooring and I highly recommend Floor Coverings International.

Jose and his team did an amazing job on our home. I didn't see my house before we bought it and when I walked in, I immediately needed to change the floors to make it a space I enjoyed. I found Jose Flores' company online and saw that his reviews were outstanding. He made an appointment very quickly (we were moving furniture in the day he came!), he made it very convenient by bringing the mobile samples to my house, and gave a thorough presentation of the product. When he sensed that timing was very important for me, he even moved things around so I could get my floors done sooner rather than later ,making it far easier for me to get settled in my new house. The finished product looks outstanding and I cannot say enough good things about the process - start to finish (his team will move your furniture for you). I would definitely use them again for future flooring needs.