ACCENT DRAPERIES

After a room remodel, I wanted to rehang a previously used drape on a new custom rod. Accent Draperies sent a salesperson right out and she took measurements of the drape and window. She had difficulty using a new catalog that she was unfamiliar with so she decided to use an old one. We quickly made a selection for the rod. She said she had to take the drapery to the shop so new pins could be installed. Cost an additional $30. In the end, the new pins were the exact same pins I had just removed. I asked how long it would be until installation and was told 3 to 6 weeks because they were extremely busy. A week later the salesperson called saying we would need to reorder because she had used a discontinued catalog. She came the next day and we selected another rod with a 40% increase in cost. Seven weeks later I had heard nothing from Accent Draperies so I called them. My order was checked and found to have a part missing. The missing part was ordered and during week 8 installation was scheduled. The installer was prompt and he got right to work following the written work order. The holes were drilled, the braces installed and the rod unpacked, but the finial ends were missing. Well the drape could still be hung, except the drape did not fit the rod. The salesperson had measured incorrectly. The installer knew how to correct the problem and took everything down and started over. He finished the installation correctly but could not repair the extra holes in the newly painted wall.

The window treatments were completed in the time promised and were delivered and installed very professionally. The job is beautiful and we're thrilled with the way the cornices and sheers look. The workmanship is excellent and the installation was perfect.

In early June, I called Accent Draperies about some Roman shades and blinds that needed restringing. I was most concerned about the shades as the blinds were not in as bad shape as the shades. I was informed that there would be a trip charge even if they could not fix them. However, they did not tell me that they would not fix shades that were past a certain age.The Accent representative came on June 9. He looked at the Roman shades but said he couldn't do anything with them. He then looked at the blinds, pulling them up and down several times, examined them, etc., then said they couldn't be repaired. I paid the $75.00 charge and he left. The next time we tried to pull the blinds up and down they were in worse shape than before, so much so that we would no longer be able to pull them up and down easily. We thought we would have to replace them (which we would not have done previously). We checked Angie's list and called one of the companies with good reports. The company co-owner came, looked at the blinds, and said he could restring them. He got the string from his van, came back, and did the restringing. They are now like new. The charge was $80.00, the trip charge. Given that the Accent Draperies representative did further damage to the blinds and they could have easily been restrung, it seemed evident that we are entitled to a refund of the $75.00 that was paid. My letter to the owner of the company included all the information above. In his reply, he implied that they were not worth repairing because they are over 18 years old. Our contention is that if they do not repair blinds that are over a certain age, they should tell you that up front and not send out someone who will charge you $75.00 for doing nothing (and further damaging your shades).

On 6/26/09 I phoned Accent Draperies to inquire about the status of the drapes (I had sent an email to Jennifer Jeffers that had gone unanswered) and spoke to a very aggressive gentleman who stated that the drapes would be returned to me but that Accent Draperies refuses to alter the length (despite being too short) because they were custom and cannot be altered. My counter was that the measurements were taken by one of his professionals and that it was agreed with those measurements the drapes would just clear the floor. I maintain that the associate did not allow for the change in method used to hang the drapes (the original was 2-3 inch drop from the ceiling; the modification was a track installed flush with the ceiling). [Note: reference the “Custom Drapery Guarantee” attached that states “for standard floor length installations it is normal for the drapery to finish anywhere from ¼ inch to one inch above the floor or carpeting”. My drapes are over 2 inches above the floor and leave a very distinct gap.] I inquired why I was charged the remainder of the balance when I still did not have the drapes (nonperformance on the part of Accent Draperies). His response was that I had no claim and he would contact me later for a delivery date (remember, I still do not have the drapes!). I, too, inquired as to why my card had been charged for the $1,250 remaining balance when in fact the work had not completed. His response was they had intended to charge my card at time of original installation. The conversation was heated. I am still dumbfounded at his lack of respect for a customer and his unwillingness to deliver a product in accordance with his Company’s supposed standards and guarantee. Apparently the ethic of the owner transcends to his employees because Linda Greene Diaz, who was so eager to sell me the drapes, now refuses to answer my calls. I have over 20 pictures of the poor workmanship that I shared with Accent Draperies. The response was that my claims are unfounded and that I had agreed to the length. What I had agreed to was a professional that knows how to measure windows, allow for the drop from the ceiling, and calculate correctly the amount of fabric needed to complete the job. If I could do it myself, I would have done so, gone to JoAnn Fabrics and made my own drapes. But I relied on the expertise of a company that was given As on Angie's List. HUGE MISTAKE on my part and I will regret this for a long long time.

They did an excellent job in designing the blinds and installing them in my condo. They installed all blinds in a short time. They were very professional cleaning up after the job was done.

This was a good experience.

I APPRECIATED THAT THE COMPANY SENT OUT TWO INSTALLERS TO DOUBLE CHECK THE MEASUREMENTS ON THE WINDOWS TO ENSURE THE SIZES WERE CORRECT. THEY TRACKED MUD IN ON MY CARPETS WITHOUT WIPING THEIR FEET, AND DID NOT SEEM TO BE TOO CONCERNED WITH REMOVING SHOES OR CLEANING THEIR MESS. AT LEAST AN APOLOGY WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE.

THEY DIDN'T SHOW UP AND DIDN'T CALL UNTIL MONDAY MORNING.

THEY FOUND THE RECORD OF MY PREVIOUS REQUEST AND WERE EXTREMELY POLITE AND HELPFUL. I WAS IMMEDIATELY GIVEN A DATE, APPOINTMENT TIME AND COST ESTIMATE. JUST A FEW DAYS LATER A YOUNG "ACCENT" MAN CAME TO MY HOUSE TO SOLVE MY PROBLEMS. HE TOOK CARE OF THE PULLEYS, REPLACED CORDS AND MADE GENERAL ADJUSTMENT. NOT ONLY DID THE YOUNG MAN DO WHAT WAS REQUESTED BUT, ALSO, FOR NO ADDITIONAL COST, CORRECTED A PROBLEM THAT THE DRAPERY CLEANERS HAD LEFT HAVING RE-HUNG THE DRAPERIES INCORRECTLY. VALUE FOR MONEY WAS THE BEST. I WOULD GIVE ACCENT DRAPERIES THE HIGHEST RATING

THOUGHT PRICE WAS A LITTLE HIGH.

THE WORKMANSHIP WAS EXCELLENT AND JOSH WAS WONDERFUL. HE MADE A LASTING IMPRESSION ON ME I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

THEY CAME DID A GREAT JOB. LIKED THEM A LOT.

THE CONSULTANT WAS EXCELLENT AND THEY WERE INSTALLED TO PERFECTION.. ACROSS THE BOARD GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE. THE BLINDS EVEN ARRIVED EARLY AND THEY HAD TO WAIT FOR ME TO INSTALL THEM DUE TO PRIOR PAINTING. THEY WERE VERY EASY TO WORK WITH OVERALL.

NEW SHEERS. PROMPT, GOOD QUALITY FABRIC. CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN OTHER ESTIMATES.