Customer Comments about Interior Decorator service and charges

[baileyuph]

Gene - When this customer stopped in the furniture store to browse, the store called the ID to inform the customer was there.  Then, the ID would show up and charge.  To add, the customer bought from the store several items spending something like $17,000 to redecorate her home.  The store would call the decorator because that was what she wanted, not the customer.  It go so bad, that is the reason the customer had to tell the ID's (yes both), the party is over.  Customer should have been able to browse, as she bought a lot of stuff - spending 5 hrs to make her mind up on a sofa - Not!

Paul, the customer was very satisfied with adding support and foam from the bottom.  Think of the cost difference in total stripping and enhancement.  This was a customer decision and felt it was the best value.  Stripping then exchanging the foam for a much higher grade of foam, then putting the same fabric back on leads to more cost than consumers want to pay - my experience. The customer probably made the best decision, it was hers to make anyway.  These newer chairs aren't the quality stuff to justify spending more and like stated the customer thought the same.

Doyle

[sofadoc]

I've had a few ID's that get furious when they find out that one of their clients has hired me directly without going through them.

They expect me to refuse the client, and refer said client back to ID.............sorry, not gonna happen. I offer ID's no exclusive "dibbs" on a customer.

I wonder if this is why the store in Doyle's case calls the ID and tells them to get down there?


What's next?.............."Attention Wal-Mart shoppers! There's a client on aisle 9 looking at lamps. Any designers in the store better get over there right now so you can bill them for being there"

[SteveA]

  Sure there is no contract and no exclusivity clause but there is an unwritten professional courtesy to abide by.
I think getting work like that is not the best choice for your business interests.  You don't need it to come to you that way - your ability will draw in enough work without stepping on toes. 
SA

[MinUph]

Exactly, what you did was add value to the customer. That was my point. Value is the eyes of the customer.

[kodydog]

I've had a few ID's that get furious when they find out that one of their clients has hired me directly without going through them.

We worked for an ID that would give us little hints by saying, you know my painter is very loyal to me, he would never go behind my back.

The way I look at it is who's to say the customer wouldn't have found me anyway. If they want to keep their customer separated from the upholsterer then they should pick up the furniture and bring it to my shop, they can give the yardage and labor estimate and save me a whole lot of time. That way there is no chance the customer will ever meet me. Unless of course they find me on their own.

[sofadoc]

I normally cater to clientele off the street. I've never put my business in a position where I depend on work from ID's. Around these parts, ID's come and ID's go...........I'm still here. I operate my business on the premise that ID's need me a lot more than I need them.

If an ID's client calls me directly with a job, the ID should direct his/her anger at the client. Not me.

What if I expected the ID's to send ME ALL of their work exclusively?

Loyalty is a 2-way street. After all, if you're doing work for competing ID's, then you are dividing your loyalty between them. 

[MinUph]

I had a Decorator that felt she needed my undivided loyalty. When I took over this business and lettered my van she was so concerned about people seeing my name when on pickups and deliveries. It was almost comical. I no longer work with her. I had to call an end to the partnership. This is one of two bad experiences I have had with decorators in 46 years.

[baileyuph]

The perspective of this customer and ID relationships all happened before the customer found me ( I never asked how that happened, doesn't matter).  So, I didn't and now don't know either of the IDs.  The customer came to me without hesitation and I have finished two projects already for her.  I can tell there will be more - our relationship isn't with me being a salesman.  This customer has learned and seen my diviserfied service and has said her husband wants this and that for his boat and personal car or truck.

What I gained from the customer comments were;  First her expectation was support for her color schemes and since she was buying some new furnitue it would be nice to learn what is available.  She was willing to pay for that service, probably an hour of exchanging information and ID constructive input.  She paid her for that time whatever it was, say an hour or two.  Then, with the ID input, customer wanted to take her husband to the retail store, merely to show him what pieces she was going to buy ( a browse trip).

Instead, someone in the store called the ID at home to inform that the customer had come in the store (customer didn't ask or even know that call had happened).  By the time, the customer had walked her husband through her plan the ID had showed up and kinda got between her and her husband.  By the time the customer and husband got her plan reviewed, they decided it was time to leave and that was when the ID wrote them out a bill and expected to collect.  Remember the ID had not been requested by customer and it wasn't a trip for anything to show her husband what had been decided earlier.

This is the way the customer described her irritation from the ID.  She did say, they aren't designers, she said I knew more about the furniture from frame to finish and knew fabrics by content and pattern repeats.  She is picking up another project from me very soon, and I don't know how she found out about me.  Like I said, doesn't matter.

Most of my customers are like her, repeat business.

If I was going into Interior Designing and liked it, why not just become an architect with the design attached.  Do that instead of running around smelling for anything they can bill someone?   

Doyle

[MinUph]

Doyle if this is what happened to your customer that is disgusting. I would have taken the bill and tore it up in front of this so called professional. It is one thing to request service from anyone but to be ram rodded into it is not right. The stores employee should be fired and the so called decorator should be banned from the store.
  This is of course if this is what happened. I wasn't there and sometimes stories get embellished upon before they reach us. You in the this case.
 

[kodydog]

That's pretty rotten Doyle. I doubt the ID gets much repeat business with that "give me" attitude. Did the client pay for the unsolicited help. I would have dumped the decorator and the store and started over with someone else. Or maybe that is what she did.

[sofadoc]

It isn't like me to take the decorator's side. But it's possible that the basis for the decorator's original fee was contingent on finalizing the sofa (and other items) purchase. If that was the case, then the decorator had every right to run down to the store and hand the client a bill.

Like Paul says, we're only hearing the client's version of how things went down.

If you list your home with a realtor, and then find a buyer for it yourself, guess who still gets the commission? Possibly a similar circumstance here.

Paul says that he's only had a couple of bad experiences with ID's. Truthfully, that's about all that I've had myself (even though I make it sound like I hate all of them). For the most part, me and many ID's have just mutually parted ways over pricing. But not really many that I would call a "bad experience".

I had one ID that was always sending me piddly jobs with the promise of more meaningful work later. I eventually came to realize that the meaningful jobs were going to another upholsterer. And I was just getting the culls.

[baileyuph]

I am above taking sides on this, I said I wasn't there.  But, all the forces working in this story have run through my mind and there is no finger pointing going on from me.l

First the forces of the ID:  The ID, is independent, is not an employee of the retail furniture store.  The customer said the ID got 10% of whatever she(?) sold.  That sounds fair enough.  The ID needs to sell furnitue in the store as well as sell ID service independently.


Next the forces working for the retailer as to why she called the ID:
The ID and retailer working relationship is reasonable to expect the retailer to inform the ID when one of her customers shows up at the store (what if they didn't - ID would feel put out).  Hence the innocent call from the sales person at the store.

Then the forces influencing the Customer:  She had already worked with the ID, a plan was consumated, ID was paid for those services (there was money mentioned in two parts - one @ $250 and the other - probably an initial contact to review the requirements at Customer's home, etc.  - don't know and didn't probe). With that much background - at the time customer just wanted to take the husband through the steps that had been accomplished  (normal expectation I would have to say), the couple merely went to the store to browse and personally discuss things.

Resultant forces:  This was when the ID showed up, customer expained that she was going over and having a review with her husband; then the unrequested action by the ID to feel she was in charge and got in their face.  There was a minimum charge for one hour in the ID operation plan and in spite of being at the store only a few minutes, as customer and husband started to leave the invoice for 1 hour was written out and presented. This did not set well with customer nor husband as evidenced by him tearing up the bill in front of everyone and resolving, privately that the ID services were never to be used again.  

To this date, like explained in previous stuff, I have stayed out of it, even to the point of not prying as to how I got into the picture.  I can say this personal/business relationship has been the best and looks very promising for future work on their futher interior needs as well as their recreational equipment (boat, lake cabin, personal vehicles interior needs, etc.)  Ok, I will show my interest:  If this couple can pay me as readily as they have so far, pay the retail store ( I assume ID fees included) that kind of money ($17,000), the husband and possibly Customer have a very important position somewhere.  My interest doesn't stop with the potential listed above, you know there is likely a corporate structure that needs office, conference room upholstery support potential for me - Ok, call me greedy ......this couple will have friends who have money to spend on upscale reupholstery needs!

Apologies, if needed for anyone offended, so best to frame all this - as just information- and get back to work.

The benefits to me from this include; us business people are encouraged to focus on what is important; providing good service, workmanship, and honesty on our part.  If the story has any validity, my last comment (and that is all it is) is the ID could and probably will benefit from this experience.

Have a good day,  I probably should have entitled this report as "forces at work",
Doyle

BTW, I had an older frame (chair) in the showroom yesterday that was restored for display and potential sale, when a nice middle age couple stopped by at closing time to get me to look at one of their special interest cars, a nice looking Mazda convertible.  He not only placed a complete seat interior redo (this I will patter and do custom as there are no quality kits available $$$), and by golly his wife sat in the restored chair and said to me "can this be mine?"  I responded that you are already the deserving one because husband was handing me the cash as she had asked.  

There are many rewards when one engages in something they like to do.

Gone this time.

[byhammerandhand]

Reminds me of a job I had a few years ago.  Customer went to and interior designer who specified furniture for a dining room.   Customer took the specs to a mom and pop place billed as a "Furniture Store" in an old storefront that sold mainly bric-a-brac for local sports teams, some of which was furniture (like logoed lawn chairs).   They contacted mfr and ordered it and sold it to original customer.  Mom and pop had no idea what they were doing and when pieces came in they had some severe quality issues.  Example, one end of the dining table apron had only stain, no finish on it.    I ended up doing a lot of work to get it to where the factory should have had it.  This was at a time where the big US company had pushed all their mfg offshore and did not have a good handle on the quality control.  Seeing the problems made customer every more picky about quality of stuff.   Result: ID cut out of the transaction, customer unhappy, mom and pop over their heads.  In the end, no one happy.  Perhaps Karma for what the customer did.

[gene]

The best excuse from a homeowner for wanting to cut the ID out of future jobs:

"We just can't afford to fly "insert ID's name here" to our second home in Aspen like other people can."

I knew I had $1.00 in my wallet and I couldn't decide whether to give it to this lady or buy an Arnold Palmer Diet Lemonaide/Ice Tea on my way home. I bought the Arnold Palmer and still feel guilty about it to this day.

gene

[cajunpedaler]

This is a comment to sofadoc's statement about a realtor getting paid even if you sell your own house...
I sold my house 5 yrs back, I did the appropriate staging and landscaping, even had the obligatory garage sale before posting "for sale".  To every person who walked up to the garage sale, I announced "if you buy the house, all of this is free". 

When I was meeting and contracting with the realtor, I stopped her mid form, and told her there was the possibility of an excluded buyer...she rolled her eyes, "said...What's his name, for how long? I'm not doing this shit for nothing."" (truly her words)  I told her the guy's name, gave the deal 10 days and KABLAM...lo and behold, it was the guy from the garage sale, who I had a suspicion would be a serious buyer. I paid the realtor ZERO..it was in writing, and it's called an excluded buyer. 
Plus, while the bank was doing paperwork, I got the benefit of the MLS listing, and had back up offers if the garage sale guy had fallen through.  Those buyers, I would have had to fork over commission.
According to any lawyer I've ever known..ANYTHING can be a contract.
Perry