Customer Comments about Interior Decorator service and charges

[baileyuph]

A customer of mine was redoing/replacing what sounded like all the upholstered items in her house.

She started with one Interior Decorator, but dropped her and selected a second one, then dropped her.  Then, came to me to reupholster some items that she didn't want to replace.  I want to point out that both her ID experiences amounted to them selling new furniture.  I guess that alone surprised me.

Anyway, the bottom line is she felt both ID charged too much because they both were just working for the furniture store on commision.  What she bought sounded like was displayed on the sales floor.

If I have the numbers right, she said to buy a sofa, she was charge $250 plus got a 10% sales commission.  I think she had been taken to the cleaners.

I guess she like what I did and charged, she brought me more.  After seeing her ability to select fabric patterns and color, she was smart to drop the ID support.  

One understanding that stood out was the ID charged her $50 per hour when she was at the store selecting merchandise, minimum one hour each time they met at the store.

All that said, one would suspect that the ID are not back logged or never have a full day of showing.

It was an interesting over view of the relationship between customer and ID.  I don't work for them and have been without understanding.

Doyle

[MinUph]

  I work with several design firms. Some are high end and some are just decorators. They all need to make a living. The Interior Decorators are good well some are I guess at picking fabrics, window coverings, etc that will go together. A true Interior Designer will be educated to provide a very professional service. They can "design". The higher end ones I work with are really good at their trade. I'm sure they bring in more than we do as Upholsterers. And I take my hat off to them.
  I don't like helping people pick out fabrics because if they don't like it it is of course on me. I am no decorator.
  Some firms charge for their services on a predetermined basis, some charge by the hour, some charge by markup on whatever they sell. There is time spent in their offices doing their thing.
  Some clients need help and some can just walk in a shop like ours and know what they want or can decorate on their own.

[sofadoc]

I do work for some ID's around here that will just go to places like Jo Anns and shop from the bargain bin. They choose an "exclusive" fabric just for you.........from the same rack that the rest of the town is picking from.

Why would anyone in their right mind hire a decorator to do that for them?

Some of the ID's really, really, really have absolutely NO IDEA where to buy fabric other than discount retail outlets.

I don't really have a problem with an ID marking up a new sofa. Back in the day, that's how they made their living. But of course, when an ID is just picking "cookie cutter" sofas off a showroom floor, they really aren't doing anything worthy of a markup.

[MinUph]

If a customer see or feels a value in a service, they are getting what they are paying for. If an ID provides that value to the customer they are worth the money to the customer.
  Value is the key.

[kodydog]

You nailed it Paul. Using an ID is a luxury and you should expect to pay.

[sofadoc]

You nailed it Paul. Using an ID is a luxury and you should expect to pay.

OK.....but what if you are paying for a luxury.........and the ID is just shopping from the rack?

Any moron can pick fabric off a discount rack or buy a mass-produced couch at a bargain store.

Just because the customer is naive enough to perceive a value from the service they're getting, it doesn't mean they're actually getting value.

[MinUph]

You nailed it Paul. Using an ID is a luxury and you should expect to pay.

OK.....but what if you are paying for a luxury.........and the ID is just shopping from the rack?

Any moron can pick fabric off a discount rack or buy a mass-produced couch at a bargain store.

Just because the customer is naive enough to perceive a value from the service they're getting, it doesn't mean they're actually getting value.

Sure it does.

[SteveA]

I work for a few ID's and they provide good service and make good decisions for their clients.  The clients aren't concerned about the price at that level.
What makes me crazy is that they want to be too involved.  Be at the house when I visit - coordinate appointments, come by to check progress, too many calls for status -, etc.  I'd prefer to work without them but it's not smart to burn bridges.
SA

[sofadoc]

You guys seem to be a lot higher on "perception of value" than I am.

Furniture makers like Ashley are not only kicking our ass pricewise, but also in perceived value.

The average customer has the perception that Ashley is high quality furniture. And they think that they're paying a lot of money for it.

[kodydog]

Why does a customer perceive the value if a sofa @ $600 at an antique store a good deal but the labor to restore it is not worth $1000?

It is our job to change that perception of value. The lady who's Duncan Phyfe sofa I am upholstering  was first surprised  by the price. But I walked her through the restoration steps so she could understand where that price came from. She has called several times for updates and I gladly respond. I also compared what we are doing vs a new sofa at a furniture store. She understood and agreed.

BTW here is the photo of the infamous sofa I keep referring to.

[SteveA]

Looks perfect and worth the money - what no throw cushions ?

SA

[MinUph]

You guys seem to be a lot higher on "perception of value" than I am.

Furniture makers like Ashley are not only kicking our ass pricewise, but also in perceived value.

The average customer has the perception that Ashley is high quality furniture. And they think that they're paying a lot of money for it.

I've had customers come in and think they bought good furniture at places like big lots. Talk about misguided perceived value.
point is people have their own idea of what is value. Some will base it on the dollar value. Some will place it on the services offered. Some will find value in quality. It doesnt really matter what we think. It's not our values at the time.
we like the ones that value good service and quality work. But that's not all there is out there and we have to deal with them all if only for a few minutes.
If a client calls a ID and the ID helps them in the way the client wanted there is value to the client.

As a side note and not to put anyone down here, it just fits this post and is fresh in my mind. Freshness fades qyickly ya know :)
where is the value in webbing dinning seats from the bottom and filling the void with foam? Does this offer value to a customer?

[sofadoc]

As a side note and not to put anyone down here, it just fits this post and is fresh in my mind. Freshness fades qyickly ya know :)
where is the value in webbing dinning seats from the bottom and filling the void with foam? Does this offer value to a customer?

IMO it makes the seat 1000% better than it was when it was new. So my answer is yes. It offers tremendous value.

[kodydog]

I love doing dinning seats. I charge $30 -$40 per seat and can do 3 an hour. And the customer sees it as a great value. Win, win.

[gene]

Freshness fades qyickly ya know

The perceived value of a product or service decreases exponentially when that product or service has been received.

I think this may be saying the same thing.
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Everyone is different. Some folks with money couldn't even imagine spending $60,000 on a car. Some folks struggling with their bills wouldn't buy a car for less than $60,000.
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What we experience in life is meaning. And that meaning comes from our beliefs and values, not from the external world. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
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At $50 per hour, Doyle, if she was charged $250 plus 10% commission, that meant she spent 5 hours with an ID just to buy a sofa. Wow. Talk about not being able to make up your mind? :)

gene