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Thursday, September 23, 2010

I Am Fu@#ked!!



It started out with the ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ drapery workroom showing up
at my fave clients house. 
AGAIN!!!!
  • My fave client, who by the way is a wonderful candidate for me as a love interest.
Of course the roman blinds that 'Shop of Horrors' brought back
were definitely not up to my standards and not up to my clients. 
I could tell in his eyes and body language.
The woman from the shop/workroom just URKS ME!!!
There is a 'tension' between us.
.....Could it be that I think that she is inept 
and she probably knows I feel that way?
AND she had to completely remove the draperies
in the same room because the fabric had a snag
and were not made as per my instruction -
stacked on the wall.
Not inside the slider ...  
thank you very much!!!!!
But I work for a company that doesn’t want to hear
about my standards.
I get this from the owner;
“ Did the customer complain?” 
(:O HUH???)
But you know and I know.......
you can tell when it’s not perfect
and a semi conscious  client knows it too.
So I get back to work -

the phone is ringing off the wall for me
with ridiculous tedious bull crap problems
that should be handled by customer service.
I mean stupid stuff.
...but once a client has you on the phone.....
Now while the phones are ringing 
and I am being paged CONSTANTLY 
even though I have asked my calls to be sent to my voice-mail
I mean it, it was like someone was goofing on me.
(I was in the middle of a crazy and bad dream of sorts)
The phone never rings off the wall for me!
But, on this day it did!
During all this chaos
and I mean it gets crazy, 
you would think 
that I worked in an ER.

I am trying to work on
and finish a presentation
for a client that is coming in at 4:30 PM,
and it is now 2:15pm -  
which leaves me 2 hours. OMG!!!!
Let the freak out begin!!!!!!
(and yes, I tried to reschedule the client)
I always get nervous before a presentation to begin with.
It is some sort of stage fright I get.....
but once I am on the stage I am fine.
The client loved it all,
and I sold the entire concept to her-
including the window treatments.
Big Smile :)
Then Frown :(
After she left I went over my figures and...
I F@#$%*ed up
on the window treatment numbers.
Now I have to face the music today at some point.....
I don’t have an excuse except for
I haven’t written a drapery order with rings,
poles, brackets, finials and medallions in a while.
Remember ?
I have had the ‘window lady from the dark side‘ at work do it.
And now, after fighting to get my own workroom,
and the capability to write my own orders....I do this.
What should I do?
I think I will call my workroom and see if they can work with me.....
I’ m thinking.
The design wheels are turning.
I will probably pay this difference directly to my workroom
out my own pocket,
I just can't deal with anymore attitude from my company.

So here it is......
Renee Finberg ‘TELLS ALL’ in her BLOG of her Adventures in Design.

now, wasn't that fun? :O


Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her BLOG..... Interior Design, Palm Beach, Boca Raton,Ft.Lauderdale,Design Service, Window Treatments, TurnKey Interior Design Service,Paint selection, Floor-Plans,Online Interior Design, Design Center of The Americas, D.C.O.T.A., window treatment nightmares, attitude, standards, pleasing clients
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23 comments:

  1. Ouch! Ok, when it's not your screw-up...always say the client is unhappy and so are you! And, when it is...apologize and cover the cost to fix it...no other way around this.

    After I figure out the design of the window treatments, I leave ALL the measuring & installation to the work room...I am not particulary good at this either.

    Have a good stiff drink tonight, watch mindless TV, take 2 Advil PM, and tomorrow will look so much better!
    xo,
    ~R

    ReplyDelete
  2. All in a day's work, my dear. All of us perfectionists know MOST of the rest of the world just doesn't get it! If I were your client I wouldn't mind paying for an honest miscalculation; tell her there was a mistake made, tell her the upcharge, see what she says. If she screams THEN tell her you will absorb it. This is the professional way. I would die if I thought someone I had retained was going to be out-of-pocket for a miscalculation. (Except for Realtors, they are my only exception as they make too much money anyway). xx's

    ReplyDelete
  3. Blame it on Mercury gone retro-grade.
    We just finally got out of that backward spiral but, still we feel all the left over effects of any contracts, scheduling, and agendas we planned during that time zone. It happens 3-4 times a year, and it lasts for 3-4 weeks. So, if we pay attention we jump through a few less fire hoops, duck, tuck and roll...to save our Self.

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Except for Deb in Houston. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. WHAT?
    Perils of Pauline?
    I read Marsha's comment , that is good advise. Anybody can get preoccupied with all the other things. It was an honest mistake.
    Get make sure the hardware is the right price. Extra..?

    ReplyDelete
  6. WHAT?
    Perils of Pauline?
    I read Marsha's comment , that is good advise. Anybody can get preoccupied with all the other things. It was an honest mistake.
    Get make sure the hardware is the right price. Extra..?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ok...first off...your post title got my attention. Second...how about finding the difference...bringing your honest mistake to the clients attention...(feeling them out to see if they will foot the difference) and suggest that you are *willing* to pay for your error. Ya might be surprised...they may have no prob and pay the corrected price (I would).

    ReplyDelete
  8. Poor you! You seem to be having such a hard time in this business. Honestly that is why I dropped out, and I decided to write full time. I just am constitutionally not cut out to deal with this level of stress and crap all the time. If it was just the creative side, I would be in heaven. Dealing with idiots at every turn who won't do what they are supposed to do -- I just can't handle it. Life is too short.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Acanthus and Acorn

    great advice.
    i will take it all!

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. SPLENDEROSA

    when i had my own biz that is exactly what i would do.
    but i am working for a huge furniture store with small design firm of which i am part.

    they just don't work that way.

    ugh!

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  11. Absolutely;
    Just explain the difference and then you will feel better. Everyone makes mistakes and most reputable clients will understand.
    L.

    ReplyDelete
  12. linda,
    that's exactly what i want to do.
    i just am not sure what the store's policy is.....
    i don't feel like getting dressed down again.

    big hugs xx

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sorry mate, but I reckon there must be an easier way to make a living. I know my dear friend the I.D. just about camps in the workroom who do all her fabric work & she watches them like a bunch of kindergarten children. It drives her & them crazy, but it gets her the results. I cried when she delivered all our romans & drapes, they were so perfect.... exactly as I'd envisaged them. But I know it didn't happen without some back-room drama. Sell your concept to a network, I feel a reality TV show about a year in the life of Miss Renee Finberg coming up!
    Millie ^_^

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh Renee to do all that work and then have to pay out of your own pocket seems so unfair. Maybe you can explain to your client that you figured it wrong. I've done that and they always understand. Hey s**t happens..we're human!

    xx
    C

    ReplyDelete
  15. Crap! I hate when stuff like this happens. I hope you get it worked out. :(

    ReplyDelete
  16. yes, well.
    i am still trying to decide on telling the client...
    it will hjust get back to my boss.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hey bud- I know you and I know where you work and the conditions.
    Follow your instinct - the one you wrote about initially.
    Everyone's advice works here if it were your own business; right now its not and its viper-land. How much more skin do you want exposed for fangs to dig in? In front of and behind your back takes an exhausting toll.

    XXOO R

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hey been there done that!!!!!It is hard with drapery because other than sewing it yourself if you don't have a great workroom you are, well, the TITLE of this post...Shame on your boss for not getting it!!!!!!It is the people that stand and take responsibility for their work that make a difference in this business.......Hang in there sister! Maryanne xo

    ReplyDelete
  19. roslyn

    oooooh excellent comment.

    and only one who knows my working condition could leave on this post.

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  20. roslyn

    oooooh excellent comment.

    and only one who knows my working condition could leave on this post.

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  21. I'm having heart palpitations just reading this. You know these vipers (co-workers) best & your workroom folk, you will make the right decision. I'm holding out for hearing that the workroom cut you some slack on this one & took the problem off your hands. Sounds like an easy mistake to me & soon you'll be laughing about this or at least drinking over it. Let us know how it all turns out kiddo. Hugs & white wine xo xo

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  22. I've used several decorators over the years and the best one had an assistant whose sole job was to kick ass with the workrooms.

    Whenever something came in that was anywhere short of perfect, the assistant made them eat it. And a couple of the finest workrooms in DC and NYC -- upholstery, curtains -- did just that. (And one or two installation people.)

    P.S. The poor assistant, who had a better eye than the decorator, burned out with the stress and left the profession altogether.

    ReplyDelete
  23. The Ancient

    thank you

    your comment was great!!

    ReplyDelete


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Thanks for participating!!

About Renée Finberg

I have been in this business since the age of 22.

I love what I do and cannot imagine my life without Design.

Design Challenges are great.

And because of those challenges

I have imported fine antique pieces from Paris,

Designed and Manufactured Furniture,

Created Fantastic Window Treatments,

And solved all kinds of spatial & architectural issues

With my unique style.

If I can't find it, I create it.

My rooms would make excellent movie sets.

I am a visual, tactile and audio sensitive individual.

Creating is what I live for, not math, not spelling, not science.

Just Great Design.

Just imagine how it would be if each of us,

If only for a few hours of everyday,We could be in a space that is our very own.A place that is exactly the way we want it to be

Surrounded by all the things we wanted to see,

The atmosphere we wanted feel, smell and the sound we wanted to listen to.

Private Paradise

AS FEATURED IN:

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Creative Commons License

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Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her Adventures in Design by Renee Finberg is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.reneefinberg.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at reneefinberg@gmail.ocm.

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