Requirement:
I needed blinds in my living room and 2 bedrooms and it had to be done by a certain date. My timeline was very tight as I was leaving for a trip and wanted quality blinds without having to pay an arm and a leg.
What I was looking for:
- A competitive quote for vertical blinds (including installation) in 2 bedrooms and a living area
- Friendly/professional staff who would help incase there were any problems with the blinds AFTER the installation had taken place
- Middle of the range quality blinds..nothing too expensive but nothing so cheap that it would break straight away
- Staff who were knowledgeable and honest about the good/bad of blinds and upfront about costs
What surprised me:
I had visited approximately 5 stores in the GTA and Fasada was the last store I went to. I was expecting Fasada to be expensive - because they were located in Oakville - boy was I wrong! They turned out to have the cheapest quote. The staff were very knowledgeable, friendly, down-to-earth (I don't care for people who are trying to get me to spend $$$ when I only want $) and they were upfront about costs.
The process:
- I visited the Oakville store to get a feel for the staff and service being offered
- Free onsite quote by Fasada staff (to finalize quote and make preliminary measurements). Payment made (partial/full).
- Free onsite visit from Hunter Douglas installer to check and confirm measurements
- Installer calls customer and arranges a date/time to install blinds
My thanks:
In general the Fasada staff were great but I would like to give a special thanks to Janet, who chased up Hunter Douglas so that I could get my blinds before I left for my trip! You are an absolute star Janet! Thanks for your perseverance and being so professional!
Also thanks to Ephraim, the installer from Hunter Douglas, who was responsive to my calls, courteous and professional.
To those who are buying blinds - here's my 2 cents:
- Don't forget to ask about extra costs. If a longer ladder is needed or something has to be pulled out of the wall there may be an extra charge
- Never pay for someone to do an onsite visit and provide a quote
- Ask about warranty and post-installation problems. i.e who deals with it..you or the store? It should be the store because its their reputation on the line and you are their direct customer.
- Pay attention to the knowledge level of staff and if they are open and honest about costs.
- Don't dwell on $50-100 difference. In the long term it may cost you more if you go with someone who doesn't care about their customers.
- Don't assume (like I did) that Oakville will be expensive. I got a quote from a major home improvement chain in Ontario and they were more expensive than Fasada....go figure!
