The recession has encouraged (for lack of a better word) nearly every industry to join in on the Groupon and Living Social discount movements offering consumers hefty discounts on services. I've been receiving offers from both of these websites for over a year now and besides the window washing and landscaping deals that popped up in my area every now and then, I had not seen much in the world of interior design until now.
Living Social was offering a consultation with an interior decorator/planner to design and plan a home renovation of your choice. The price? A very low $99 compared to the $799 it usually retails for. We are planning to redo our kitchen and definitely needed someone to come in and help us plan for it. The only caveat: it was a "Grade B" design group. I wasn't even sure what that meant but I have to admit as good as the deal was it initially turned me off for these reasons:
• The drastically reduced pricing made me seriously wonder about the effort the consultant would really put into the project.
• Many, many, many people are purchasing this deal diluting the resources available when you plan on redeeming your voucher.
• The "Grade B" rating of the design group.
I talked myself in circles over this deal (I mean it was only $99, I wouldn't have lost terribly much if it was a disaster) but I finally decided to pass. Would you, or have you, purchased a discounted home improvement or interior design deal? If you have, was it a success?
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I don't mind using these deep discounts for things like recreation...i.e. a round of golf, dinner and a movie, 6 mos. gym membership or for a tangible good...i.e. throw pillows, a t-shirt, candles, groceries
I would not use one of these discount sites for services like design for the very reasons you stated. Is a massage therapist really going to give you a $100 massage for $40? Probably not and they probably aren't going to be that good. Same with interior design services. How good of a plan can you get for $99 when it would normally cost $799. I'm beating there is a hook in there about using their products and you get the plan after you agreed to buy their stuff, but the desing probably won't be very good. It will probably be "grade B"....if that.
The massage therapist probably is going to give you a $100 massage for $40--its an hour of his/her time either way and the point of the discount deal is to get repeat business. They aren't really making anything off the original deal.
As for the design consultant, you're not paying for a set amount of time, but rather a general service, where they really can cut corners and spend less time on you. I'd probably pass.
Sure, I'd spend $99 for another set of eyes and opinions. No, I wouldn't assume I'd be getting $800 worth of work, but rather the thoughts of a smart and creative person who has seen a lot. For $100, I'd feel free to reject the design ideas, too.
I would have researched and glanced at their portfolio before making that decision. There's no point in wasting $100 on someone whose design sense is dissimilar to your own or has no design sense at all.
Even if you did purchase the deal, they could give you insight on cost savings and maybe some insider designers that you wouldn't have been privy to otherwise.
Regardless of the investment, most professionals want to do a good job and any improvements you made based on their advice could have been been used in the designers portfolio. Who knows? They may have even invested more if they were able to actually USE your discounted session to benefit their business.
No matter what I or anyone says, you went with your gut which is better because you aren't left second guessing your purchase, their investment or their advice.
I hope that helps. Happy designing ;)
I wish I had seen that deal. It may eventually cost me more to correct mistakes made with just going with a general contractor for a gut kitchen renovation.
@studioren you can usually get a general consult for a decent price. there are many different levels in which i can get hired onto a project.
The $99 design consultation discounted fee likely buys a single 1-4 hour in-home consultation. If you're simply rearranging a room, adding furniture or changing your decor, this could be a great deal. Alternatively if you're considering a renovation or major work, it's efectively a come-on designed to impress you so you'll continue with their services at full price. Since you have to live with the results, selecting and hiring a designer for a major project is an involved process which should be carefully considered and not driven by the availability of a discount.
Don't think I'd spend it on design/decor, but definitely I do take advantage of lots of other types of DOD specials in the area.. there is a new one launching soon in Chicago area focused on only supporting local businesses (no big chains).. now that .. I like! http://www.juiceinthecity.com/markets/chicago/deals?referrer=0nsfp306p6
@reclaimedspaces, I should have gone with my gut to at least get a consultation. Now, nearing the end of renovation, I see mistakess that could probably have been avoided working with a designer.
I am an interior designer, so I can't say I'd buy that myself. On the other side of things though, my husband and I also own an auto detailing business and DH details the vehicles himself. We used one of these voucher sites to get our name out there and drive some business. We got the gamut (sp?) of customers - but we got several that brought us more vehicles and customers. It really drove sales and brought us more business that we never would have gotten otherwise. Why? Because we did provide the same service to them as we would a full paying customer. But that's us. I don't know that everyone has the same work ethic and puts the amount of effort into our customer service as we do, but for $99, it's worth finding out.
I dunno...I'd feel guilty if I didn't buy the rest of the service that the 99.00 initial offering was trying to pull in. But that's just me.
Frankly-I think, no-I KNOW, all the hyming and hawing is BS! If you do your research, as anyone should on a company, and it looks up to snuff, go for it! Otherwise, why sit back and ponder the whole "is it too good to be true?" Grade B? Yeah probably. Use your logic here. OK, they're probably not going to send out a seasoned pro, it'll be an intern or a newby, Is that so bad? Just use it to your advantage. As a small business owner doing custom lighting and furniture it KILLS ME when people whine "it's too much!" Then when I start cutting my bottom line so I can offer the same quality at lower prices the customers think they are getting ripped off. Then I can't pay my bills and have to raise my prices again just to afford my new down graded llifestyle. What is wrong with you? The product is the same, the life guarantee is the same. And you think your getting duped? The state of this market is psychotic.
In short- Be smart. Be bold. Be honest. Do it right the first time.
I purchased one of these interior design deals for 2 hours worth of services, knowing that I only needed a bit of advice on a few things, rather than a lot of advice on furniture. I was still incredibly unhappy with it. The designer didn't take any time to listen to what I wanted and instead dove in planning a house for someone other than me. I like a very sophisticated soft color palette and her recommendations were to purchase a turquoise chair, some pumpkin ottomans, and paint the walls yellow. She clearly didn't even take the time to listen to me. Also, all of the furniture she sourced for me isn't available at a nearby retailer so there is no way I can even follow-up. Avoid making the same mistake I did, skip the "deal" and hire someone with some better accountability.
Do it. Heck, you could spend more than $99 on a throw pillow. And the investment is so small, I wouldn’t feel like I lost anything if I completely disregarded the advice.
And what does “grade B” mean anyway? Is Michael Smith grade A? Is it based on the number of years the designer has been in business, or the number of referrals they can produce? I imagine a lot of young professionals would jump at the opportunity to get some business and start building a portfolio of projects and references. Especially in this economy.
And I think
Sadly. many houses I've seen could have used the hour consultation from a trained professional. Although I think the regular price is closer to $100 you're paying, not $800. I wish I could get $880 and hour just for a consultation. It would be time to open Consultations 'R Us...
@ARROYO, THANK YOU!!!! We are a new residential interior design firm in Denver. Our marketing person recommended we do one of those "deals" to help build our portfolio. We are building our reputation so we wouldn't give bad service at any price. That said, it's always good to research. Don't be afraid to call the designer and chat with them to get a feel for their personality and see if you are a good match.
Best wishes on your kitchen remodel! And have fun! You are supposed enjoy design :)