Dealing with Designers/Decorators?

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C

Curly's Mom

MGF, Master Grumble Framer
Joined
Nov 11, 2000
Posts
788
Loc
Morristown, NJ
I recently had to change my rules on dealing with designers/decorators that come in to have framing done (or to buy art)(Which I will list on a later post). Anyone want to put in their 2 cents on their rules and regulations?
 
Short List

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  1. If you expect any special consideration or discount to accomodate your demanding and irrational attitude, come back on Sunday </font>
  2. I am <U>never</U> open on Sunday (and very rarely in my shop) </font>
 
Hi, Curly. Check the archives on this: there is a ton of information there.
 
I do not extend any "special" cosideration to designers & decorators. I treat them like any other customer. I have said much on the subject in the past and I don't want to get going on it again. Their usuall request is for a discount, imediate service and the red carpet treatment. Like any customer, they get the red carpet. My back log is usually about ten days. Discounts are based on the size of the order they have with them.

John
 
We offer a 15% discount. If its a rush order..no discount. If the designer/decorator uses my expertise...i dont feel like they should get the discount. To me, the discount is given becasue they SHOULD be able to come in and put together exactly what they are looking for, without me picking it all out for them.
Kirsty
 
I was going to stay out of this topic because recently I've been dealing with actual real life honest and for true professional designers rather that the usual bored individual who pays $20 for a resale number so she can redecorate her house without paying retail for anything. BUT...
(c'mon, you knew that was coming)

Today a designer came in to borrow samples she had taken to a client's home yesterday. "To be honest," she said "I'm going to have Beverly (the Framer 3 doors down) make the frames. I just want to run these down there so she can see the colors."

Hey, Beverly can make all the frames she wants. This town IS big enough for both of us, along with the 2 other frame shops I can see from my front door. However, there is a difference between friendly competition and being a complete doormat.

So, today's answer to your question Curly is that they will all be escorted to the nearest door and warned not to let it hit their keesters as they leave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If I had my own shop here's what the policy would be: A set percentage discount only to designers who provide valid resale information AND 3 trade references. The discount would be determined by the volume of sales brought in by that designer. Everybody starts the same, but discount increases as volume increases.

Many of my favorite industry educators say no discounts to anyone ever, but the real design trade is so used to getting a discount that I am certain if I said "None" when asked what discount I give I would lose that business.
 
If the designer/decorator does the designing.... it goes into our computer (ie: they don't get the mat/moulding #s) and they get a token break in price.

If we do the design, full price.

The only designer we work with usually drops off the piece, says call her with the price and let her know when its done. When done, she picks it up with check in hand, takes a business card, installs the piece and gives the card to her client recommending that the client call us direct for future framing work.
 
We offer a discount of 10 to 30 percent depending on dollar amount of the order. More and more the designers are sending their clients in to work with us directly, which works out the best.

Sincerely,
Jack
 
Jack, if the customer comes directly to you, do you still give a discount? You're doing all the work, so it seems that would be granting the designer a finder's fee. We stopped doing that as we spend quite a lot of time with the client and regard this as time the designer does not have to spend with him/her. Additionally, we don't discount our labor, which in the case of shadowboxes, can be significant. Am I doing something different from others and how they view it?
 
If it were up to me, I would charge extra for working with decorators.

My goal is to design the best possible presentation for the art; their goal is to achieve a unified look in any given room. More often that not, we are working at cross purposes.

How often have you heard something like ...

The kitchen is terra cotta and copper, so those are the colors we want to use for matting and frame. (The art work is school bus yellow and fuschia.)

This will hang in a very small space so we don't want much mat. Maybe just 1/2 an inch.

We should use a frame like that (pointing to a fillet) so it doesn't overwhelm the artwork.

AAARUGH!

Thank you. I feel much better now.

Kit
 
Hate to admit it, we used to discount for trade accounts (still do for some products) with our custom framing. This stopped when it got too busy-but not busy enough to cover more staff, we now offer no discounts and have maintained almost all of the customers, including photographers and designers.
We do have one account that we still discount for, this is a special arrangement for the duration of the "start-up" period of a young owner.
 
Thanks all for responding. As promised here are my policy's regarding designers.
1) Valid sales tax #.
2) Business card and Letterhead.
3) $5000.00 in sales before discount.
4) 20% Discount. If they come in alone or bring their client in. 5% "finders fee" if they just send in their client. I don't keep track of whose client is whose. If the designer calls me and says their client is going to come in, 5%. No call, no finders fee.

This works well for us, but one designer who in the past has given me at least $15,000. a year, recently sent in two clients and expected a check from me for $2,000. (the jobs totalled $10K). I had to remind him what our policy was. On one hand I do appreciate the business, on the other i'm a little miffed that someone who I thought had respect for me and my work would try to take advantage of me. He (the designer) admitted that he did know my policy, but he's been so busy that he thought..... It will be interesting to see if we continue to get work from him.
Thanks all for letting me "grumble".
I think I just came up with a new signature line for the Grumble... "Life is grand and people are weird."
 
I gave out lots of discounts in the first couple of years, in order to get business. I then realized I was not making very much money. I raised my prices, and quit giving discounts with very few exceptions. How can any one give a 30% discount and make money? I have come to resent the "decorators" who want 20 - 50% discounts off my labor. I guess its the attitude that gets me. I notice they do not offer me a discount off their goods & services! I do get some business from a design shop around the corner who never asked for a discount. In return for the several nice clients they have sent my way, I will fix stuff for their shop if it comes in with broken glass for very little, or send that designer a gift certificate for lunch in one of the local restaurants,or tickets to the movies...that just about exhausts the entertainment opportunities available in Waxahachie! By the way, I have often noticed that deigners often don't have very good taste when it comes to framing!
Leslie
 
Originally posted by Leslie S.:
I have often noticed that deigners often don't have very good taste when it comes to framing!
Click to expand...
Kit mentioned the designer's goal to create a unified look throughout a room, which is quite different from the framer's goal to respect, enhance and protect the item being framed. I think of the designer's work as visual 'elevator music.' There are certainly exceptions and I've actually encountered two or three in my lifetime.
 
Originally posted by Curly:
I think I just came up with a new signature line for the Grumble... "Life is grand and people are weird."
Click to expand...
I like this from "Peanuts" I think it was Linus who said "I love mankind, it's people I can't stand!"
:rolleyes:
Betty
 
The one thing that I check on with designers is whether they are ASID certified. If they are then they automatically receive a 10% discount on the job that they bring in at that time. If they or anyone from there firm brings in there personal framing I always extend the 10% off to them also. In checking the ASID credentials has helped keeping the bored housewife that thinks she can do her friends houses and save them all some money. As a close friend calls them, "Interior Desicrators."
:(
Roxanne
Langley House Gallery
 
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