The A&J crew from Melrose came out today to install a trench/drainage around the above ground pool they installed last week. This completed the pool installation. From beginning to end everyone worked in a very professional, courteous and friendly manner. The work they did was exemplary. The supervisor on the first job was Andreas and on the second job Philipe. Both explained everything that had been done, asked if they were any questions, and cleaned up after they were done. I give them a five star review. Also, the contact person in the office, Julie, was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. A & A is a top-notch company. read more

Jerry used up my black dirt to back fill around pool because he got rid of too much of the sand, and now my pavers are failing!! My paver guy has already come out early this spring and try to repair some of it. However, he said he's afraid he's gonna have to peel back another layer all the way around dig all the black dirt out and put sand in there like it should've had. And this pool service does not care. I just wanna get out of there as fast as they can and get your money if you don't notice something is messed up. They're not gonna call you back. I suggest going to American sales and use their team.!! read more

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Staff is nice but I did not choose this pool installer myself--they came as part of a package through Great Escape, and if I had known they were a separate company, I would have done my own research and gone with a more reputable installer. The entire experience was a mess. They left all the huge pool boxes and pallets behind, saying "we don't touch those." They also didn't install the pool stairs, which was never communicated to me beforehand. Anything they touch they'd claim it's extra money. This is not what you expect when spending thousands on a pool. I advise others to find their own installer and not rely on whoever Great Escape connects them with. read more

Great company! Very responsive to any communication. Crew was professional and worked seamlessly getting everything completed. Would definitely recommend!! read more

A & J helped our family from beginning to end when we decided to get a pool. We got scheduled for installation in a timely manner, their staff is great at following up and keeping up with paperwork, and when they came, the work was done well. A & J was affordable, easy to work with and helpful. We recommend their services for anyone looking to install a pool. read more

This company was terric. I can not say enough about their reasonable pricing, efficiency, and how nice the crew was. It only took four hours to remove my old pool and install the new one. I would highly recommend this company for your pool installation. They removed all my rock around the pool and, when the pool was filled to a certain point, they came back and replaced it Stayed on schedule and communicated with me every step of the way. 10 out of 10 read more

READ. When. company gets this many negative reviews it is cause to think twice. Working with this company is not easy. Dealing with the girl on the phone was difficult and she lacks information and there is little communication with the installers. I never once got to talk to the owner "jessie" when I asked to. We had my pool install scheduled, I called in the morning to make sure it was a "go", she told me yes so I took off a half day off work and waited and waited and the installers showed up only to tell me they couldn't install because it was too windy. Well, why didn't she tell me that? Why didn't anyone communicate?It was incredibly frustrating. When it was actually installed, the guys themselves did a great job installing the pool but they don't care about the mess they leave behind. Garbage, cardboard, and gravel/rock left on wet cardboard boxes around the pool that I had to shovel which is difficult. When I called about backfill with the girl you deal with on the phone, she said she'd get back to me and they didn't return my call. They got their money. Guess they are done and read my review. Follow up. Returned my call. "We dont have time in our schedule to backfill." Also, my pool was hooked up yesterday by my wonderful pool company and I learned that when A & J took down my old pool they also took equipment I needed for hook up that I now have to pay for. They have costed me a half day of work and now I have to pay an additional $200 dollars for the new valves. If you want to buy a pool, DON'T go through GREAT ESCAPE because you will be stuck with this company. They are garbage. read more

I hired a&j to install a new pool liner for my pool. It is an older but sturdy pool. I was informed of a rust area around my return jet after the liner was installed. If I had been informed when it was found, I would have had repaired before installation. This has caused a huge rip in my pool and the installers duct taped my return jet to pool side. The installers also put a hole in my liner when it was being installed. On top of all of that the top border of the liner is not even. It dips down about 4 inches on the end and wrinkles all over the bottom of the pool. The installers did come fix the return jet free of charge by duct taping another scrap pool section to it. I do feel that for $1100 charge to install the liner should have been a quality job and this was not at all what I paid for! They have ruined a $500 liner. I have a 5x5 patch around the return jet, a patch on the bottom of the pool, an uneven edge, wrinkles in the bottom and to top it off my skimmer is now completely cracked. I sent message that I would like a refund and have had no response! Think twice before hiring this company!​ read more

A & J Recreational Services - Pool & Hot Tub Service Near Me - Melrose Park, Illinois

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Second time getting stuck with this pool installation company, second terrible experience. We bought a new pool through Great Escape back in 2018 - A & J messed up our installation so badly that they burned out not one but TWO different pumps that had to be completely replaced by Great Escape. Fast forward to 2021 and we bought a new house so we needed a new pool. Went to a totally different Great Escape because everyone said they didn't use A & J as their installers and instead used a much better installation company. Imagine my dismay when I got a message a month later saying that they had "updated" our installer to be A & J. Well, we had them out in FEBRUARY to inspect our pool site and they we were told they could install the pool in March. Then it got pushed to May 8th, and every few days since then they just keep pushing it back even farther with no guarantee of when they will actually show up, if ever. Their customer service is TERRIBLE. I asked to speak to the owner and Marlen(sp?) or whatever her name is hung up on me and then wouldn't pick up when I called back. This is ridiculous. I cannot believe that Great Escape keeps this company around. UPDATE: Now A & J has CANCELLED my pool installation because of this review and Rob, the manager of Great Escape completely supported this! He tried to talk me into taking the review down and I told him that he can't blackmail me into removing an honest review but he said they can do whatever they want. Well, maybe Great Escape thinks they can take $5,000 and never install a pool but I can freely warn the public about it. read more

A&J did a great job installing our pool. They were prompt and courteous. They took the time to review our site, discuss options, and relive any concerns. The installers were focused and took the time to complete every step with care. The end result was better than expected. I definitely would recommend A&J to friends and family. Thank you A&J!! read more

A&J was here as scheduled at 8:00 on a Sunday morning no less (the day after a holiday)! They were really professional, very courteous and did a great job. I was so worried after reading all of the bad reviews here. They were finished in 2.5 hours, helped pick up the trash, gave extra advice and we have a beautiful pool. I'm not sure what other people's experiences were, but the guy who drove this bobcat was amazingly precise. We had so much dirt to deal with afterwards, but thankfully, we have two teenage sons and we were able to tackle the likes and our yard is back to normal already. Really, they did an amazing job. read more

A & J Recreational Services - Pool & Hot Tub Service Near Me - Melrose Park, Illinois

A& J installed my replacement pool. They showed up on time and did a very good job. I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone.

Pool looks great, installed quickly.

A&J Recreational Services just installed our pool and they were such a lovely and hard working crew. The customer service is also amazing and I would highly recommend A&J Recreational Services if you're planning to purchase a pool Through the Great Escape. read more

I love AJ. They do great work. I think slandering a contractor and store is outrageous. I don't know any contractor who would willingly work for a disgruntled potential customer. Makes no sense. read more

Did great job left way too much dirt behind. Insisted you need it. You don't. Trust me.

This company is a joke. I can't believe that the great escape uses them for pool installs. They have no idea what they are doing. They are very unreliable and they suck at installing pools. Jose will just keep telling you I've done this for 25 years but has no idea what he is doing. I can't believe such a poorly ran business like this is still open.Do not use this company or the great escape!!! read more

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They were a pleasure to work with. They worked so hard and did a phenomenal job! So professional and courteous and had no problems answering any questions we had. Ya the yard gets a little messed up but what does everyone expect? Wasn't even that bad and I'm just more excited about going for my first swim! Thank you so much A & J!!!! read more

A & J Recreational Services - They installed our pool today and were absolutely awesome! Very professional and very hardworking. Yea, Yard messed up a bit, but worth it! - Pool & Hot Tub Service Near Me - Melrose Park, Illinois

Couldn't say enough great things about A & J Recreational Services. Extremely professional, competent, knowledgeable, and skilled. They installed an inground pool at my house. By far exceeded my expectations. Highly recommend A & J Recreational Services. -Steve read more

We got a pool at the Great Scape. They told us this company was our installers. When I got a call to set up my install, the woman said I can always call them and mi es the day earlier if I needed to.. well I call several times, leave messages and they never return my calls. So I waited for the original day. But they never showed up. Not even a call or anything.. I called the great Scape and they have no clue of what is going on. So yea we still waiting read more

They did a great job with our pool install. They came on time, explained everything, listened to our questions and concerns. Of course it's a messy job, but that's to be expected. We were very happy with their service and would recommend them! read more

This is the worst company ever. Installed my pool and destroyed my landscaping around the pool. While they were digging and shoveling sand and dirt all over my yard I called the company to tell them what they were doing. The girl said when the pool was full they would come fix it. Called 2 days later to tell them to come back and the owner laughed. He told me to get some friends to see if they could help me clean up the mess they left. He also said he would send 4 men out to clean the mess for $400. He said they are not responsible. Showed pictures to the Great Escape and they said we know they do make a mess. If you have a pool and your replacing it DO NOT USE this company. Horrible customer service. read more

Awful business! Terrible customer service! Shouldn't be in business! Waited 2 months for a pool install, they cancelled 4 times & now tell us we need to find a new installer! We have rearranged our schedules for them! Now I understand all the awful reviews! read more

We scheduled services with AJ Recreational a month ago to install our pool. They said no problem and got it scheduled. They called us today, 2 business days before our install date, and CANCELLED. They are busy and will not be rescheduling our installation. Excuse me?! Now I have to scramble and look for another installer, I will be at the bottom of their list to install, and who knows when that will be. This is a HUGE inconvenience and the WORST customer service. Let me be clear, when I scheduled the installation, there was NO MENTION of possibly cancelling. If I would have known that I would have looked for a back-up to install. Now that spring is here, who knows who I will be able to find. Seriously?! Who does that?! But silver lining, looking at the AWFUL reviews they have gotten from other people, maybe it is a good thing we will be finding someone else. I'm also going to call and write The Great Escape and let them know I will never be back in their store knowing that AJ Recreational is their installer. read more

Ok I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous when I found out A & J was our pool installer because I had read some not so great reviews. After having them install my 24 ft above ground pool I have nothing but amazing things to say about them. I feel like people just don't go to the internet unless they have a complaint. So I promised myself I would let people know about my great experience. Jerry was the lead for my pool installation and he has been amazing. The whole team was very professional and installed my pool in 2 hours!! I couldn't believe it. My yard is sloped so the pool had to be dug in quite a bit. The pool works perfectly. Jerry explained all of the pool equipment and how to work everything. I have had my pool since June 3rd and I have texted Jerry a few times with random questions. Literally 5 mins after I text him my phone rings and its Jerry. He's willing to help with anything. I'm at work so can't post a picture but everything looks beautiful and we have been living in our pool :) If A and J is your installer consider yourself lucky! read more

Giving them the benefit of a doubt after seeing their negative reviews we scheduled to have our pool install 2 months prior to the scheduled date. 1 day before they called and canceled saying they werw behind and we rescheduled , again 1 day before they cancelled again and now they said we are not putting you in the schedule . Due to virus theres no one who can install now until September !!! Don't waste your time with this company !! Can't believe Great Escape recommends them !!! read more

Very professional and nice, did an excellent job. They also explained a lot to us to about the pool. They also did a nice job digging out all the dirt they did not destroy our yard and it looks great!!!Thank you great escape for sending them!! read more

Horrible service. Very unprofessional, unreliable. No regard for your property, damage patio, fencing, lawn. Left huge mess of garbage, boxes and piles of dirt everywhere. Missed several appointments without contacting, very unresponsive and difficult to get hold of. read more

They did a great job! Every single person on the crew was nice and answered any questioned we had!! Of course the yard was a mess but it is spring time and they had to dig what do you expect!! They were here for 2 days and exceeded our expectations!! Would hire them in a heartbeat again!! read more

Maybe these guys could get out and clean i-80 since I just watched massive amounts of garbage pour out of the back of their truck all over the highway between Minooka and Joliet. read more

This company did an amazing job!!!! They were very prompt, courteous, and knowledgeable. 1st time we have ever been told the proper way to stretch the pool liner, and they installed the pool perfectly to our existing deck. Can't say enough great things about them. Thanks guys !! read more

This company is HORRIBLE. I am with the other reviewer who said if I can give less than 1 star I would cause they don't deserve any stars. Jose- OWNER, UNPROFESSIONAL & RUDE! My 1st installation date was on a Friday they pushed it back a day, I was a little frustrated but OK. Saturday, they came out. The worker called and informed me they were in front so I open the door, nice and happy excited for installation and the kid who came out of the car with braces just said let me in to the back. Um- ok. So me and my husband meet him in the back and since we had our own excavator dig the hole they just the worker jumped in the hole and spray painted the pool measurement. The worker then said the area is not workable and that he doesn't even think they can do the job. I'll be honest we did have an area in hole that was moist since we got rain about 3 days before. When I called A&J to confirm appointment earlier that week, I asked the lady if they had a water pump in case it rains & there was water in hole. At that point she should of said sorry if there is water/wet/moist the guys can't work instead she says no worry they have a pump to release any water if there is any. I asked the worker why didn't anyone from the installation company tell me anything. They should call the day before and ask customers condition of ground before we waste either of our times. Anyways try to fast forward, the rude worker still had an attitude, I asked him now what? It took me forever to get an appointment and I will have to wait another month or so and he said Not my problem. That right there then triggered my husband and he got upset with the worker and they kind of argued back and forth. I asked the worker to call Jose the owner that I would like to speak with him. He got on phone, said a few things, hung up and said Jose will call me. I asked why didn't he let me talk to him and he said cause that wasn't Jose, it was his supervisor. We exchanged a few words and he walked away. I followed him to car and ask to call owner now, this is not professional at all. He made another call and hung up and said Jose will call you. 2 seconds later Jose calls his worker and I told worker put him on speaker so I can talk to him, of course he didn't and said I don't have to, this is my phone. At that point I just walked away & they left. 5 minutes later Jose calls me, explains why they couldn't work, then tells me that's what happens when people dig their own hole. We end up exchanging words, he wouldn't even let me speak, he kept talking over me & yelling. I can't even believe GREAT ESCAPE would use this company. Finally, Jose chilled out and I calmed down and he said he would try to be over the next day and look at the hole. I told him, you know if your worker would of gave the option for an additional charge to remove the couple muddy spots on ground, I would of paid but they never gave that option. Instead the worker came in looking like he was hungover or half asleep with an attitude and didn't want to work and ends of leaving. All worker said was it needs to be dry even if it takes months to dry SMH!!! I went to Great escape (Oakbrook) explained my concern. Told the manager to call Jose in front of me and I want to know when he plans on getting out. Jose said he would be out that night to look at ground and have a crew out the next day. Well he never showed that night BUT did have crew next day in the morning at 7a. They brought the bobcat, said the hole needed to be cleaned up and he had to remove some more dirt and was going to charge me $150. At this point I'm like fine do what you have to, get the job done. At this point I just wanted it done and them out. They get to work, and his worker tells me that there is another problem and I'm like look Jose already came and checked out hole, took the bobcat and cleaned up what he had to now your saying we need more digging. I told him call Jose so he did. Jose gets on the phone, says he will charge me $150 to dig more. At this point I'm like F-U. He could of did whatever he had to in the 1st dig, that took him 15 minutes, that he charged me $150 for. So I told him leave it as is, do not move hole over and then that was pretty much it. This company is a scam. I am hoping and praying that they at least did my pool right and not half ass like some of these pictures I see on these reviews. It was just installed about 2 weeks ago so lets see. Bottom line, shitty owner, shitty customer service, shitty workers and attitudes (Minus the guys that came to install. They at least were nice). My husband and I are business owners and I can guarantee we would never treat our clients the way this company treated us. They get mad cause you dig your own and they don't make money off you like that. They find any reason to charge your extra because they know people just want the job done. Great Escape- stop business w/them. read more

This is by far the worst experience ever! We bought our pool from The Great Escape, and this is the only company you are allowed to have install your pool. Unless you don't want the warranty on the foundation of the pool. We continued with the original date, which was 3 1/2 weeks AFTER we got the pool. So when we were told 10-14 days from The Great Escape, wrong. But we kept the date of July 1st. They never called the day before to confirm, so when I called and left a message, a man called me back and said they could be at my house in 30 minutes! We were not home for the night, but our neighbor was kind enough to offer to sit and watch over the project. They wrecked my yard, and put the "garbage" sod on top of good grass. The empty boxes were all over the place, and it was unfinished due to a missing piece. I picked up the piece we were missing and it's now 3 days later and they aren't anywhere to be found. I called and talked to a woman who said "they are really busy", so I called TGE, salesman said "he said he'll be there today between 5 and 6" STILL NOTHING! I get things happen, but don't start another pool with an unfinished one, and communicate! Extremely unprofessional and unreliable. I suggest just going somewhere else just so you don't have to deal with this company. read more

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I wish I could leave negative stars! First of all they destroyed the lawn by not laying any boards down before using the bobcat. He started out by saying there will be a mess that needs to be cleaned, not we are going to leave 6 inch deep tracks throughout your lawn. Our contract was to leave 1 truckload of dirt to back fill the pool. They left 2-3 truckloads of clay and refused to take any away. My wife asked while they were still on site to haul it away and was told no the trucks were gone. We were told we would have to pay for another job if we wanted the dirt removed. They took a chunk of concrete out of my patio and denied responsibility. When showing the pictures of what was left behind to backfill, The Great Escape (who recommend this "company") said they would see what they can do. Still haven't gotten a call back. Now I'm paying another company to fix the mistake. I will be going to my village, surrounding villages to make it known how this "company" operates. I will be signing up for Angie's list, going to the Better Business Bureau and all social media to let everyone know not to use them. I'm trying to get in contact with The Great Escape's Corporate Office to let them know what kind of "company" they are recommending. If they give you a deal for paying in cash don't do it, because you will have no recourse. read more

This Company put my pool in and the destroyed my Yard, barred my filter and left their garbage in my pool and around the house.They are installers for The Great Escape. The great escape was great! but this company charged my $350.00 and would not refund my money and causes $15,000 worth of damage in my yard. read more