Choosing window treatments can be easier said than done. As an interior decorator, I can suggest the fabric and style of a window treatment to coordinate with the room's decorations. However, I would consult a window treatment specialist whenever it concerns the actual fabrication of the curtain/blind.
There are a lot of factors that need to be considered when you choose the RIGHT window treatment. This does not mean throwing up a sheet in front of your window and you’re done. If you want your windows to look BEAUTIFUL , I’d like to suggest that you enlist the help of a professional window treatment specialist. But finding the RIGHT specialist is the key to a happy client/consumer.
Unfortunately, I’ve had second-hand experience with a poorly made window treatment. My decorating client decided purchase her window treatments through a well-known window treatment company, who will remain anonymous, and one that she had used before with great satisfaction. As her decorator, I advised her on the design of each treatment and the fabric that would be the most complimentary to her decorating scheme. Everything was great and 90% of the window treatments turned out beautifully. However, the remaining 10% were not satisfactory. Why? Because the “window treatment expert,” i.e., the store’s window specialist/salesperson, DID NOT inform my client about what to expect with the final product. It was a Roman Shade and the threads that weave the layers together also let in light through the holes. When the product was completed and installed, the client realized that she did not like that quality of the shade’s construction and complained to the store’s manager, who decided to ignore her complaint.
A good friend of mine, who was a former window treatment expert with the company, told me that every time she sold a roman shade, she would inform her client of the idiosyncrasies in the final product so the client would know what to expect.
To make a long story short, after being ignored by the store manager, my client wrote an explicit letter to the president of the company. Believe it or not....not even the company’s customer service department replied to her complaint. This is unacceptable. What happened to the customer is always right? And even if that is not the case, my client deserved the courtesy of a response and some sort of compensation for her dissatisfaction in the final product!
As a business owner, I pride myself on catering to my client’s needs and desires. What has happened to this policy? Has it been lost through the years?
I would love to hear your responses to this dilemma. And please check out my “A Goode Start Decorating” Facebook page and my website at www.agoodestartdecorating.com. As always, Happy Decorating!!
Deborah Goode, C.I.D.
There are a lot of factors that need to be considered when you choose the RIGHT window treatment. This does not mean throwing up a sheet in front of your window and you’re done. If you want your windows to look BEAUTIFUL , I’d like to suggest that you enlist the help of a professional window treatment specialist. But finding the RIGHT specialist is the key to a happy client/consumer.
Unfortunately, I’ve had second-hand experience with a poorly made window treatment. My decorating client decided purchase her window treatments through a well-known window treatment company, who will remain anonymous, and one that she had used before with great satisfaction. As her decorator, I advised her on the design of each treatment and the fabric that would be the most complimentary to her decorating scheme. Everything was great and 90% of the window treatments turned out beautifully. However, the remaining 10% were not satisfactory. Why? Because the “window treatment expert,” i.e., the store’s window specialist/salesperson, DID NOT inform my client about what to expect with the final product. It was a Roman Shade and the threads that weave the layers together also let in light through the holes. When the product was completed and installed, the client realized that she did not like that quality of the shade’s construction and complained to the store’s manager, who decided to ignore her complaint.
A good friend of mine, who was a former window treatment expert with the company, told me that every time she sold a roman shade, she would inform her client of the idiosyncrasies in the final product so the client would know what to expect.
To make a long story short, after being ignored by the store manager, my client wrote an explicit letter to the president of the company. Believe it or not....not even the company’s customer service department replied to her complaint. This is unacceptable. What happened to the customer is always right? And even if that is not the case, my client deserved the courtesy of a response and some sort of compensation for her dissatisfaction in the final product!
As a business owner, I pride myself on catering to my client’s needs and desires. What has happened to this policy? Has it been lost through the years?
I would love to hear your responses to this dilemma. And please check out my “A Goode Start Decorating” Facebook page and my website at www.agoodestartdecorating.com. As always, Happy Decorating!!
Deborah Goode, C.I.D.
Perhaps: If the firm providing the blind manufactured the same it probably has a quality control plus margin issue and is in a weak position for making immediate amends; if the firm is a retailer, it has a quality control plus relationship issue that it still cannot address in a timely manner. From the customer service desk up to the President, no one can really help the customer short of offering a refund and eating the costs of the job, and even that may not be possible if reserves are low. So mum's the word.
ReplyDeleteWithin every industry, I think it safe to say, brands have shaved costs, including material costs, to maximize their margins, a hidden version of inflation, and the buyer or end-user pays the price for that in the reduced quality of goods received. Want to correct the market: scope out better suppliers, if any can be found, and pay a higher premium for keeping them in business.
You have a good point, commart. In this case, the company is a large company with stores in Maryland and surrounding states. Unless they are ready to file bankruptcy, in my opinion I think they should have refunded my client's money for the Roman Shades.
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