Empire Today Reviews
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About Empire Today
Empire Today has provided carpet, hardwood, laminate, vinyl tile flooring, and window treatments to more than 3 million customers since 1959. The company brings hundreds of samples to your doorstep, and a sales representative helps you choose a floor, takes room measurements, and provides an all-inclusive price estimate. Professional installers can install in-stock styles as soon as the next day. The company offers competitive prices and comprehensive warranties.
Pros & Cons
- Professional measurements
- 1-year limited installation warranty
- Brings product samples to your home
- Limited financing options
- Consultation required for estimate
Empire Today Reviews
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Reviewed Sept. 5, 2024
When we got the flooring and we did the financing, Empire Today told us that it was 12 months without interest. But I was never told that I was supposed to make some sort of payment every month, which wouldn't have been a problem. The rep said to us to just pay it off when we sell our townhouse, which we still haven't done. So they have to be a little clearer. When I got a bill with a charge on it, I called Empire and they were very nice. They took it off because I explained that I was never told that I had to make a minimum payment. Other than that, everything was fine. The flooring looks very nice and Empire was very easy to work with.
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2024
I had gotten quotes from other local installers and local people who had installed in our friends’ places and we were going to go ahead with the lowest one, where we had the reference and it seemed like they had done a good job at our friend's place. But I had already called Empire also to get an estimate and the salesperson came in before we went with the other vendor. He gave us a better deal and offered to beat the other quotes that were given so we ended up hiring Empire Today. But when the installer came, even when we called the manager, they did not honor the quote. We had to pay $3,000 extra on top of that. The installers had already removed our carpet and flooring so if we had not hired them, then we would have to wait and get another one and it would have been a mess. Thankfully, we had that much money. For people who don't have it, it's gonna be a real pain.
The price-matching does not seem to be a real thing. It was just a sale gimmick. From the price perspective, we were frustrated and not happy with the ultimate charges that were charged to us. But the installers did an amazing job. They installed the flooring perfectly and within three days. They cleaned up everything afterward. So we were happy with the service but not with the charges. We got the laminate floor installed all over, removing the vinyl and the carpet. So far, it's good and we are liking it. When we had installed it, they mentioned that if anything happened to the flooring, the replacement would be covered completely, including the service and parts. But I'm not sure looking at the price guarantee. I don't know whether it will be honored.
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2024
I’m very disappointed with the way Empire has treated me through the whole process. I was scheduled to get my kitchen floor done and Empire did not show up and I had to reschedule and they did not show up for the reschedule. Now I have to reschedule for another day and miss another day's pay and Empire does not compensate or anything. They just say that they’re sorry. This is poor business for a company that’s been in business for so long, I would never use Empire Flooring again and I hope this doesn’t happen to anybody else that uses Empire Flooring.
Robert, your feedback is valuable to us, and we genuinely appreciate you taking the time to share it. We are dedicated to carefully examining your concerns to ensure we can enhance our services effectively in the future.
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2024
A long time ago, I had Empire install carpet in one room. They had the best deal and they did a good job. The carpet was nice too. I'd recommend Empire to anyone else.
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2024
Empire Today came to my house and did a presentation. I ended up purchasing vinyl flooring which was installed in 700 square feet room. The installation went smoothly. I had a lot of questions answered and certain things were taken care of. The installation was done in one day. They came here at 8:00 in the morning and they finished at about 5:00. They cleaned up behind themselves and they let me know what they were doing. I'm satisfied with the quality of my new flooring and I would tell my friends that they should take a look at Empire.
Reviewed Sept. 4, 2024
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!! Once they put their floors down and get your $ they have nothing to do with their customers. They put down damaged flooring we have been back and forth with them for months. Samantha ** is the worst to work with. She lies and does not do anything to help but put you off and Rachel ** doesn’t return your calls! They send people out. No one has the same story. They give you the run around. We have paid for a plumber to prove there was no water damage. Now have a certified flooring contractor to come out and contact the TV station here in Charlotte and then my attorney! Please Please in your best interest run from these people!!! I have pictures to prove and they still do not want to right their wrong!!!! Worst customer service.
Brenda, we take your concerns seriously and want to help you further. We've located your account, and we'll be in touch with you soon to determine a resolution.
Reviewed Sept. 4, 2024
I got my carpet a few months back, and it's in three bedrooms. Every time I change my carpet, I go with Empire ‘cause it always turns out good. It's quality stuff for a reasonable amount of money.
Reviewed Aug. 31, 2024
I manage rental properties and called Empire for a quote, but got hung up on as soon as I told them I was not the homeowner. Rude customer service. I am thankful they showed their true colors before it was too late. Hell NO, I will NOT be hiring Empire to install carpet in three 21 unit apartment buildings.
Selina, your negative experience worries and upsets us to hear. We know you are upset, however, we believe in second chances. If you are willing to give us another shot, we hope to do right by you. Please reach out to us at customerexperiece@empiretoday.com so we can work towards a resolution.
Reviewed Aug. 20, 2024
The sales rep was friendly but I wish he would have brought more samples of potential products I could have had put in the kitchen. At first, he quoted me a price that seemed pretty high. Then he called his boss and had him on speaker phone the whole time, which made me think it was preplanned. Why would you put a call with your boss on speaker, not knowing what he was gonna say unless it wasn't prearranged? Then he quoted a lower price to make me think I was getting a great deal.
Another thing I didn't like about the process was they made you pay half upfront before the installer even came out, which is fair because I've had other things done in the home where you pay half upfront to cover materials, but I had to pay the other half when the installer got there before they even started the process. I've had lots of other things done around my home. I've had new roof put on and a porch built, and none of these people have ever made me pay the entire cost upfront without seeing the final product.
They sent out one guy for an installation that seemed at least a two-person job. He got there at 7:30 a.m. and didn't leave till 6:00. He worked really hard. He only took one 10-minute break the whole day. The sales guy had told me, “Your installer is gonna give you a certificate of completion on his phone to sign. Do not sign that if you're not happy with it.” I signed it because it was awkward to look into the guy's eyes, who's busted his butt all day, and tell him the job wasn't good. Plus, I didn't look at the flooring as in depth as I would in the next coming days.
Then I started looking at the planks whenever I would go in the kitchen. The planks were installed correctly, but all the lines where the planks met up were on this weird diagonal that made it look like an optical illusion. I had buddies come over and they said the same thing. I called Empire and scheduled them to send someone out to fix it. I'm a teacher and I had it all planned out. I had a substitute for the day. But my substitute canceled, so I had to cancel. I thought of waiting till summer break to get it situated. Summer break came and I called customer service again. I got everything taken out of the kitchen again. In the meantime, they've been asking me to send all these different photographs of the floor so they could see it and have their “experts” look at it. Some of them couldn't see the problem at all but the others did. It was almost like they didn't wanna accept complete blame and they never did.
I asked them not to send out the same guy who originally did it. But on the day of the rescheduled fix, the same guy showed up at 7:30. He started measuring everything and came to the conclusion that the reason that the installation was not right was because some of the walls in the kitchen aren't straight. I have a 1920s house, but it's been remodeled and updated. He said, "I can maybe fix this one row of planks in the laundry room.” I said, “If you can't fix it all, there's no point." He left after 20 minutes. I called customer service again. I said, “This is ridiculous. I told you not to even send that guy out again.” They said, “Sorry, we didn't know we were gonna do that.” There's not a lot of communication between customer service and the people they send out. When they sent this guy out, he had no idea what even he was coming out for the second time because nobody ever told him.
Then Empire said they were gonna send out their expert guy. He came out a couple days later. He did all this measuring again and came to the same conclusion. The walls aren't straight. He said, "I'm gonna go back to the office and do some sketches. I'm gonna try to figure out a way we can redo this so that it minimizes the effect.” That was on Thursday and he told me he'd call me by the next Tuesday. Tuesday came but he didn't call. A customer service guy called and told me the expert came to the conclusion that there was no way that they could fix it. He said, “We can give you a discount and have the whole floor redone with a different laminate.” I asked, "How much is the discount gonna be for? I don't want you guys to come out and waste everybody's time.” He said he couldn't tell me how much it was and I had to wait till the guy came out.
They sent out the original salesman again. He acted like he had no idea what was going on. Either he was playing dumb or no one's ever told him. This time, he brought completely different samples than the first time. He said they could do it for half the cost of the original. I did it again and paid another 2,000. The original install was 4,500. I'm furious with myself for paying this, but I couldn't live with the kitchen the way it was. It was terrible.
They scheduled the new install and this time, they came out with three people. Again, the people they sent out had no idea about all the stuff that was going on. They had no idea about the measured wall so I was having to explain everything again. They started doing the kitchen. Then they brought me in and asked how did it look. I told them the kitchen looked good. Then they did the laundry room. I was annoyed because they didn't call me in to check if the laundry room was also good. The laundry room is still not done correctly but I just sent them away. I was done by then. They left nails all over the back patio too.
Ryan, thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We apologize for your experience and will use this feedback as an opportunity to improve. If you require further assistance please email us at Customerexperience@empire-today.com.
Reviewed Aug. 19, 2024
When the installers got ready to lay the carpet in the basement, the wiring for my internet was pinned down and they pulled it up. But they didn't staple it back down. They never fixed it because they said they didn't do it. But it wasn't like that before they came. I didn't like what they did about the wiring but they did a good job in laying the carpet. When they did the carpet upstairs in my bedrooms, I had a real big problem with the person who came out to give me the estimate. The installers came at 12:00, but they didn't get started on the job until 2:30 because the person who came out to tell me about the job ended up telling me he had a lot of other customers and he didn’t need my business. I paid the money already, but it was something about them not switching it over from Luna to Empire, and they had 10 days to do that.
Reviewed Aug. 19, 2024
Empire flooring gave me an estimate and promised me they could easily match my hallway flooring for rooms attached. I paid them a down payment of $3000. When they showed up to do the job, they had no flooring that was even close to matching and then wouldn’t return my down payment of $3000. Scammed!!!! They could not do the work until three days after I signed the contract, which then made the down payment return void. So they kept the money without doing any work or product?
Mark, this is not the experience we wish for our customers, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We're reviewing your concerns and will be in touch with you shortly.
Reviewed Aug. 19, 2024
We just bought a house and it had god-awful red shag carpeting, which had to go. My sister-in-law recommended Empire Today so we called and everything was wonderful. We considered other companies but Empire's price was lower and the whole entire process was better. On installation day, they came over to the house and moved everything that needed to be moved, which was everything. They took out the red shag carpet, laid the new flooring down, and put everything back. They were done in a day and that, to me, was unbelievable. And the new flooring is beautiful. I'd tell others to not waste their time with other people and go straight to Empire Today.
Reviewed Aug. 19, 2024
I had carpet replacement in a guest bedroom and the closet with Empire Today. I went to the store and looked at samples then I requested someone to come and do an estimate for me. It was more convenient and affordable. When the sales rep came to my house, he had everything. He was showing me the different options that I had. Two people came for the installation and did it for two hours. The work they did looks nice.
Reviewed Aug. 19, 2024
If someone's gonna get carpeting, online is the easiest way to do it. Empire Today's presentation was really good too. The sales rep had plenty of samples and went over everything in detail. I had carpeting installed in two rooms and it took one day. It didn't start off very well ‘cause the installers didn't know which carpet I ordered, and they may have installed the wrong one. I couldn't remember if the carpet was the one that I chose or not, and I looked forever for the paper for the carpet I ordered, but I couldn't find it. The installers should have known off the bat what carpet I ordered. I was assuming that the carpet would come here already marked, but the installers had to have me come out in the truck to pick it out, which I thought was not very good. They had carpet back there wrapped up with different names on it, some that I went over with them. One installer also spoke hardly any English.
When the sales rep went over the part about the restretching, I was informed that was an additional fee. I thought, “Well, how long is it gonna be before it needs restretching?” However, a couple of weeks after the carpet was installed, I noticed a little ridge forming in the carpet in the bedroom. I knew it was gonna cost me to do the restretching, so I didn't even bother with it. I never knew it would be buckling that soon.
Greg, we hate to hear that your carpet has exposed issues. We want to investigate this further to see how we can help. We've located your account and we'll be in touch with you soon to discuss this further.
Reviewed Aug. 19, 2024
The sales rep was very friendly and nice. I'd give him a 10. I had laminate installed in the den, and installation was good too. Empire Today was supposed to come and remove the tiles underneath, but they didn't because it would have been a mess. The tiles underneath were the mosaic ones wherein they break up pieces of tiles and put grout over it. They said it would've been too big of a job to do and couldn't do it, so they just put the laminate flooring over it. We had sticky back tiles on over it and they took that up. The job came out really nice, and I love it. It's level, and my favorite is it looks really good. I told all my friends it's beautiful and showed them pictures.
Reviewed Aug. 18, 2024
Empire installed our waterproof laminate. We liked their rating and the longevity in business. I had them come to me and that was very refreshing. The fellow was very informative. He had the product in the car so we could see what we're wanting to buy at the time. It was a straightforward experience. Install was very quick. They got here when they were supposed to get here. They got done a little faster than I thought they would. There was not an issue with anything they did. The trim was excellent. It looks like a new job when they got done.
Reviewed Aug. 18, 2024
I bought flooring from Empire Today, and that experience was good. However, they reached out to me recently with this whole spiel about a deal they had. It was a promotion for 50% off flooring and install and they asked me specifically if I wanted the same flooring I just bought. I said, "Yes, of course." They got here for my appointment and the guy said, "That flooring, actually, doesn't fall under the promotion." I said, "We specifically discussed that. You literally walked through the door and confirmed that I wanted that same flooring." It felt like a bait-and-switch. It was a waste of my time, and I didn't appreciate it at all.
Florence, your feedback is valuable to us, and we genuinely appreciate you taking the time to share it. We are dedicated to carefully examining your concerns to ensure we can enhance our services effectively in the future.
Reviewed Aug. 18, 2024
Empire Today did a very nice job on the carpeting that I got from them and they were able to get it done quickly. Their price was good and I would hire them again.
Reviewed Aug. 18, 2024
We had carpet and like a tile flooring in the kitchen, and then the new LVT in the living room and hall installed by Empire Today. We love the products. The sales experience was very pleasant. The rep was very knowledgeable. All the samples and everything were ready. I was impressed with his knowledge of the product itself. As far as the install, the guys were done in a day. They had to come back the next day and finish some trim work and some of the little closets, but they had 90% of it done in a day, so I was very happy with it.
Reviewed Aug. 18, 2024
I love the work that Empire did on the kitchen floor and laundry room. I like the color, too. It's grayish on the floor in the bathrooms and the kitchen and laundry room are black and white. The rep did it in a timely manner and the installers were also very polite.
Reviewed Aug. 17, 2024
We wanted to stick with Empire Today and we wanted a certain carpet. We wanted it to last for a long time. That's why we chose Empire. Two guys had the flooring done in four hours.
Reviewed Aug. 17, 2024
We had carpet and laminate installed by Empire Today. Someone came and did the presentation to my home. Customer service-wise, it was outstanding. He did a great job. He explained everything. He went over it again if I had questions. He made it very clear. He brought in all the samples, showed me different styles, different samples, used his little bill where he took a picture and could show actually the room with the laminate in it or the carpet color of my choice in it, which I thought was neat. He talked about the timeframe and how it could be done. He did an excellent job.
The gentleman that came and did the laminate did a great job. He was by himself, and it took him pretty much most of the day. It looked good. He was very courteous, very friendly, and wanted to make sure he didn't inconvenience me at all. He was a pleasant person all the way around. When they installed the carpet, they were not quite as friendly. To me, they were concerned with others. I just didn't get a good vibe from them like I did with the gentleman that did the laminate. They did a good job, but I just feel like they weren't as nice as the other gentleman.
Reviewed Aug. 17, 2024
Our overall experience with Empire Today was as good as one can expect. Their pricing could be a little bit lower, they showed up on time and did the job quickly. It was very smooth.
Reviewed Aug. 17, 2024
I booked the appointment online and Empire Today came to me. The salesperson saw the space that I was working in and brought samples for me to choose from. He had a good selection. He was friendly, personable, and explained the product and process well. Also, the installers came on time and completed the job. I had some recommendations, which we ended up adopting. They were courteous and did a good job of cleaning up.
Reviewed Aug. 15, 2024
Working with Empire has been my biggest regret. I have never had such terrible customer service especially after spending so much money with them. I got LV flooring done back in 21'. Within that 1st year they was lifting and buckling. They sent people out 2 times with the same answer "I don't know what is causing it" so they would take the flooring out and lay it back down. Well now it is lifting again in that same spot and also in 6 other spots and since it is out of warranty they want to say it is due to the cleaning products I am using.
Mind you I have used these same cleaning products since the beginning and submitted them for review 3 years ago. I was told back then that it is not the cleaning products but now all the sudden it is the cleaning products. Along with holes they left in my baseboards and not installing the baseboards that I asked and paid for they have been the biggest headache. DO NOT use them if you want your floors to last. They will do anything to scam you out of your money and then find any excuse to not make things right when their terrible work and products fail!! WORST EXPERIENCE
April, we understand your frustration and wish to make this right. However, we've located your order, and as it turns out, your issue was resolved with a previous customer service team member who provided you with a solution. We hope this resolution brings you peace and wish you all the best.
Reviewed Aug. 10, 2024
The product that the Empire salesman swore was "bullet-proof" is awful. The product is buckling from the smallest water spill and around entries, it is pulling at the seams and the most plasticky, sun-glaring ugliness ever. The product that was shown to us, is not what was installed. I have been trying to work with Empire to resolve some of the issues and they have not responded, closed our file, claimed it was all our fault even though we bought an extended warranty. They have sent two installers out to take pictures of the issues, one set of pictures was magically lost and the other was dismissed. Both installers said they can't fix our issues without installing thresholds in our open floor plan first floor.
I have had one responsive representative, but they are still not addressing the real issues. I have gotten a note saying all the issues were not covered by Empire or the warranty. When I asked them to say what the issues were, they didn't list half of the issues that I have been trying to work with them on. Installers worked hard, but are all subcontractors and not treated well by the overall company. I'm leaving this review after seven months of trying to communicate and work with Empire and they have been less than responsive. The product is awful and they use particle board quarter round. They are not responsive to customer requests and definitely don't stand behind any of what they promise.
Bethany, this is not how we like to do business, and we deeply apologize for the lack of response on our end. You deserve immediate attention, and we hope we can turn this around for you. We’ve located your account and will work closely with you to rectify this matter.
Reviewed Aug. 9, 2024
I have never seen such a horrendous display of service/communication from a company that manages sub contractors. Had to have my contract revised and resent to me 10 times over errors, ridiculous. I had work done it was beyond acceptably delayed (2 weeks to do 2 rooms of a townhouse), no communication. You have to be there when the contractors show up, but never know when they are coming. A new crew came and refused to haul away the old flooring when it was already paid to be removed. It would have been easier if I had just hired someone myself in person. Very horrible service, would never recommend to anyone.
Michael, your feedback is valuable to us, and we genuinely appreciate you taking the time to share it. We are dedicated to carefully examining your concerns to ensure we can enhance our services effectively in the future.
Reviewed Aug. 5, 2024
We have used Empire before and we had great service with them. This time, the sales rep came out, and we showed him what we wanted, then he showed us samples. We picked it out and we discussed the padding. It was very good. We had carpeting installed in three of our bedrooms, and it took two hours. Three installers came in, and they were very kind, respectful and generous 'cause it's a brand-new home. They removed the carpeting that was put in 'cause it was not very good, then they installed the new carpeting. It's very good quality, and we also love the color. It was perfect. If anything spills, we can use some soap and water or just water to get it out. All in all, I love Empire Today. They're great, and I have recommended them as well. They did my daughter's house also.
Reviewed Aug. 3, 2024
I've used Empire Today twice. A few years ago, we had laminate flooring on the main floor. And a few months ago, we had carpet upstairs. The installation was great both times. The installers were very professional, very nice, and Worked hard. I recommend Empire Today to friends.
Reviewed Aug. 3, 2024
They did a good job with the carpet installation and the price was okay.