Everything About Blinds and ShuttersHello, my name is Mason. My wife Rebecca, and I own All About Blinds and Shutters in Albuquerque, NM. We specialize in customer satisfaction and window treatments - in that order. We have found that there is a large audience on the internet looking for information on our industry. I hope to use this blog to pass on information that will help people in their search for window treatments.
Let's start with the Number 1 thing you must do when looking for a window treatment company:
Check Out The Company Before You Hire Them! Blinds companies come and go. You have to check out the company before you buy. Here's why: When you order window treatments you will be asked to put down a deposit, usually 50%. After you have paid the deposit, the blinds company has your money. If they go out of business, you will be stuck with no blinds and your money will be gone! I've seen it happen, time and again. Also, I get calls every day from people who purchased from a company that has gone out of business and now are having problems with the blinds but no one to help them. You can avoid this kind of pain and frustration by doing a little homework. First, join Angie's List. In the Angie's List website you get all kinds of information on businesses. All the information in Angie's List is written by customers who write about their experiences. Angie's List has helped my company because we have 100% "A" ratings from customers. Its NOT something I pay for. Our customers go on and rate their experiences themselves. The big advantage is that on Angie's List you get to see what others say about their experiences with a company. Also, check the Better Business Bureau. You can do this by looking up the BBB website in your area and then go to the "check out a business" tab. Even if the business in question isn't a member of the BBB, they'll still show up on the website. The BBB, in that case, will state that this company is not a BBB member and you'll still be able to see their track record as far as the BBB is concerned. Next, go to your city business registration website and check to see if the business is licensed to do business. A recent example of this in our town was a local company that has their name plastered all over every search engine page on the internet. Going into their site I found that they say they've been in business 4 years. But, upon further research, I found that they aren't on the BBB website, they aren't on Angie's List and they aren't even registered to do business! Big "Beware." Ok, to close this topic, let's recap.
A reputable company must pass ALL THREE of these requirements: Check back for more information. Got Questions? Feel free to go to our "Contact Us" page and drop me a line. About UsAbout Us Permalink -- click for full blog post "About Us" Angie's List Super Service Award for 2011
12/31/2011
Warranty BluesI get calls almost every day from people looking for someone to do repairs on blinds they purchased from a company who is no longer in business. About 2/3 of the people who call are not aware of what the warranty is and in some cases they aren't aware of who the manufacturer is. A simple way to find out: In most cases there will be a sticker in the top of the blind in the headrail. The sticker will have the manufacturer information, the blind size and usually the date it was manufactured. With this information you can get on line and google the company, get a phone number and you should be in business. One catch is this: Most manufacturer warranties are not transferable so, if you aren't the original purchaser, you may be out of luck. In that case, ask the manufacturer for repair options; maybe they'll do it or they may have a company they recommend in your town. Blinds Manufacturers Work For YouRating Manufacturers from the consumer's point of view is my job. After all, I work for my clients, not the manufacturers. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Blinds Manufacturers Work For You" |
