Interior Decorators / terms and pricing

[lc]

I have so many questions !! sorry I am a pest...

What do you do when an interior decorator / designer approaches you ?,...she is charging a high price to her customer but she wants me to cut my prices down...How do you deal with these people ??

  I had one that made me feel cornered and at one time I would bow down on my price ..
I didn't this time and I haven't heard from her since.
Anyone have run-ins with this ? How do you deal with these people ?

[kodydog]

The decorator makes their money by charging by the hour and by the yard. If you offer a high quality product then this is all they should be concerned with. Your making the decorator look good by delivering custom upholstered furniture in a professional manner and sometimes you have to remind them of this.

Two weeks ago I saw a car in a shopping center with a designers sign on the side. I sat in my van with card in hand. When she came out of the store I introduced myself and handed her my card. The first thing she asked was what kind of discount I give to designers. When I said 10% she said, is that all, how am I supposed to make any money? I ignored her and went directly into my spew about my services, how my quality will make her look good and offered to show her a chaise that was in the back of my van.

Over the years I've had designers ask me to charge the customer more and give them a kick back. This seems unethical to me and I pass.

I do a lot of work for 3 decorators who's only concern is a quality job. They refer me to the customer and I usually bill them directly. If the designer wants to handle the billing then I have no problem if they mark up my labor.

If its a big job I'll give a discount. But how can you give a discount on one or two pieces?

[sofadoc]

I charge them the same price as anyone off the street. Most of them around here just have the customer pay me directly. They just make their markup on the fabric, and whatever "fee" they charge.

Like kody, I have some who only care about the quality of the job. But I have others who would go to the competition if he was 5 bucks cheaper than I am (and they often DO). They're the same ones who are buying the fabric from "seconds" outlets.

I used to have decorators who didn't want me even having contact with the customer. They would hire a seperate courrier service to pick up and deliver.

Over the years I've had designers ask me to charge the customer more and give them a kick back. This seems unethical to me and I pass.

It's all in how you look at it. While you call it a "kickback", others might refer to it as a commission, or a finder's fee. But like you, I never engaged in that practice either.

[lc]

Your dead on about them sometimes going to the lowest priced upholsterer
..many years ago we had a chair brought in by a designer who was upset ...the customer wasn't happy with it. so she brought it to us to look at .
It was a mess !
A chanel / fluteback that had no padding and wrinkle city !  the outside back was hollow., no padding there either .  She got this person because they worked from her basement and not above board as a business...a dyi that probaby didn't charge much .....I'm glad to hear there are decorators out there with a brain.

[kodydog]

I love the designers I work for. They are easy to work for, they have personality and treat me as an equal.

[Joys Shop]

the decorators I work with get paid by selling the fabric and charging the customer a fee

I give the customer my price for doing the pieces, and charge them directly

The decorators keep their hands out of that part of it

(except if they have any requests for changes to the piece)

[lc]

I like the idea of dealing with the customer , I'll remember that when aproached next time ., we have a couple of decent ones here that work well with us it's the ones that make me try to lower my price it can be a bit intimidating ., this particular one seemed to look down on me as though I was under her .....I am dressed for shop work and my shop a mess while working but it doesn't mean I am under her class.

[mike802]

You can bet when a decorator asks you to lower your price they are keeping the difference to line their pocket.  I have a decorator who I work for that does not want their customer to know who I am.  I wear shirts with my company name on them, so I don't actually have to tell them who I am, but if they should ask for a card I will provide one.   The decorator has told me in the past that they do not want me telling their customer who I am and I honored that for a while, but I have recently learned they are using a second upholster.  I don't blame them for using a different upholster, I can get backed up, or sick and it is in there best interest to have an alternative, but if the decorator is unwilling to give me an exclusive then why should I give them one?  I am interested in building my business not theirs.  I have a good financial relationship with this decorator though, I charge my going rate and they pay me on time.  They have mentioned that if I lowered my prices I could pick up more work from them.  That sounded brilliant, work more for the same amount of money, I decided to pass.  What this really said to me was, we like your work better than the others guys, but he's cheaper.  I have decided if they get really mad at me for giving out business cards to those clients who ask and drop me, I am going to start a major add campaign in their area.  I think it is sad that they have so little faith in their ability as a decorator that a skilled upholster threatens them so much, I admit that I am no decorator.

[sofadoc]

My Grandmother used to say "Watch out for decorators! If you let 'em, they'll have you pourin' piss out of a boot!"

[fingers]

I used to have considerable disdain for designers/decorators. I'm coming around though. Simply put, you have to cull the herd. Either they like the work you do or they don't. Toasted ice comes to mind. Respect yourself when you lay your head on the pillow at night.

[gene]

sofadoc: Your grandmother must have been a hoot.

I'm wondering what she meant by that? My guess is that she was saying that designers could scare you so much that you would pee your pants and the pee would collect in your boots and you would then have to pour out the pee from your boots. Am I close?

gene

[lc]

    I think she is saying some of us are too soft

[sofadoc]

I never fully understood it myself. I think she meant that they (decorators) take so much advantage of you, that you won't have time to even go to the bathroom. Hence ergo, urine collects in your footwear.

[kodydog]

The way I read it was that sometimes they just piss on you. (can I say that?)

[gene]

Awhile back I was installing cornice boards in a downtown condo. Someone bought a multi story garage and turned it into massive condos. Some guys were moving a bed around in the room where I was. A lady came in and yelled at those guys to get back downstairs, to a totally different condo, and finish their painting. The interior designer I was working for had, somehow, gotten these 3 guys to leave their job and come up to the condo she was working on to help her move stuff around. I can see what you grandma was talking about. LOL

gene