Changing your window coverings to reflect the latest industry trends can be a great way to breathe new life into a drab room, but hiring the wrong installation company can stall a project and cause unnecessary stress. Once you decide to take on the job, says Chun Wong, owner of Draperies by Susan in Emeryville, you should first make every effort to verify the professional certifications of the company you choose.
“This is a trade that’s relatively easy to enter with little cost, so it’s really important that customers check a company’s qualifications and reputation,” she explains. “Since everything in this industry is custom-made, it’s not unusual to find unqualified people who try to take advantage of unaware customers.”
Watch out for a designer who requests to be paid in full before work even begins. Ms. Wong says it’s a typical industry practice to require a down payment of half the cost of a total project at the time the order is placed. “I’ve heard of some businesses requiring full payment upfront, which you should never agree to,” she says.
Also be wary of companies that offer too-good-to-be-true estimates. “An affordable price is important, but you want to make sure you don’t sacrifice service,” says Ms. Wong. “Even though you get a low price, you might not get the expertise or selection you want.” Unqualified installers won’t necessarily know what’s available in the ever-evolving window coverings scene, because they’ll only be exposed to mainstream, limited displays.
It’s also important for a window replacement company to offer a free in-home consultation, no matter the distance between its office and your house. This ensures the company’s professionalism and gives you an idea of how they’ll perform in your home. Make sure you get a free consultation before a company produces a price quote.
Even though there are warning signs to be aware of, Ms. Wong is quick to stress that most window replacement companies are very transparent when it comes to proficiency and experience, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find a trustworthy one. “If you make sure you’re dealing with a reputable company that knows what it’s doing and has a good record of making its customers happy, you’ll be fine,” she says. “It all comes down to whether the company is willing to stand behind what it sells and find a way to resolve problems.”
