We purchased a simple gate for our side entry to the back yard; overall we are pleased with the gate but the process wasn't flawless.
Getting an appointment for the quote was quick and easy; the salesman was on time, professional and understood our wants/needs. One option that wasn't discussed was the finish on the hardware; the standard hardware is brass and it was never mentioned that we could upgrade to another color and I didn't think to ask at the time, but it all worked out in the end. Out of 3 or 4 other similar companies AIW was the cheapest by at least $200!
We decided to add "knuckles" to our simple design to give it a little something extra, the salesman explained the knuckles cost an additional $85 to install because of the extra welding that needs to be done. I know enough that there really isn't $85 worth of welding or material to add the knuckles but I understand the need for a charge; I just felt $85 was a little steep.
The estimated date for install was ~2 weeks from down payment and they did keep to that schedule. However, I had to call them late the evening before to confirm they'd be there the following day; they assured me they would and asked if I had a preferred time of day. I explained that mornings work better for me and they said they would have someone there in the morning however no one showed up until almost 4pm. I understand that delays happen but I had to reach out to them to find out what was going on rather than them being proactive and calling me to tell me the installer had been delayed.
I was at work when the initial install took place and was getting updates from my wife as it was happening. The installer told her the gate was fabricated too narrow so he had to cut a piece off and re-weld it so the gate would latch when it closed. A big selling point for me was that the gate was powder coated; anyone that knows anything about powder coating knows that as soon as you grind it and re-weld it it MUST be re-powder coated. Instead the installer spray painted it (and the side of my house) to cover up the mistake. There was also some sort of chemical spray left behind that my 16 month old found while my wife was inspecting the work after they left.
I called the next day and expressed my disappointment and the office staff was very helpful; I sent photos of the problem areas and within a few hours they had scheduled a service call for the following day.
The service technicians arrived on time and were also very professional and understood my concerns and didn't try to make excuses for the poor install job. One of my complaints was the quality of the welds on the knuckles; they were sloppy and had practically no penetration and I felt weren't worth anywhere near $85. I also mentioned that had I known brass was the standard finish for the hardware that we would have gladly paid extra for something else. They put together a plan to fix the problems, and said they'd swap the hardware free of charge for the trouble, he would also see about a discount on the knuckles.
1 week later the new parts were fabricated, powder coated and installed and the hardware was swapped. I had some exterior touchup paint from another project and they touched up the overspray from the initial install. The installers arrived on time and for the most part seemed organized, one of them mentioned that it was a new truck so not all of their equipment was in the normal place; had they not mentioned it I wouldn't have noticed.
Overall we are very pleased with the gate and even though the installation had its hiccups they made sure to make it right. The office and service staff were very helpful and professional and understood my concerns and made sure to address each one. The day following the installation of the replacement parts they called for final payment; the final payment didn't reflect a discount for the knuckles so after a quick check with her supervisor the price she reduced the final payment by $50.
I would recommend AIW to anyone and offer this advice:
If you have any problems or concerns give them a chance to fix it; they are on top of customer service and in my experience will do what it takes to make it right!