Caught Between Slothful Suppliers & Upset Clients

Ah, the glamorous life of an interior designer! If only it were all mood boards and scenic renders. Today, let’s dive into a little tale of woe featuring an apartment renovation in New York, some very patient clients, and a comedy of errors starring our suppliers.

I’ve been working on this fabulous apartment downtown for what feels like an eternity. It’s been a marathon, not a sprint, with clients who wanted to take things step-by-step. Along the way, we’ve encountered production delays and supply chain snafus that would test the patience of a saint.

My clients fell in love with the style of a Spanish furniture design company when I showed them their work. We ordered a media unit for the living area from their retailer here in the city and decided to complement it with a big library unit for the gallery wall. We placed the order in August 2023, and now it's July, and that wall is still empty.

To be honest, their promised three-month lead time was actually delivered. In December, the items arrived – incomplete. Three out of six main elements were missing. We sent it back and contacted the gallery. Communication wasn’t the best, as they barely reacted to the mishap, without any urgency. It took me three weeks to get a straight truthful answer. By January, when they were able to reach the Spanish designers, they notified us that they had reordered the missing parts. The lost ones? Your guess is as good as mine.

My clients had paid nearly $20K for that custom piece. Another two months passed. And another month. And another. Frustration levels were skyrocketing. They were about to rip their hair out—and might have tried to pull mine out too! All I could do was keep pushing the gallery for answers, while they ghosted my calls and emails like a bad date. They made me regret ever bringing them in. They managed to respond once out of every five times. Obviously, they lost us as clients, but I needed this resolved ASAP. I tried reaching the actual manufacturers – crickets. They were as useful as a tape measure with no numbers.

Four months later, the missing items finally arrived, but guess what? The original elements were now AWOL! My clients were livid, I was fuming, and customer service was… well, it was a masterclass in incompetence. We got a half-hearted apology and a promise to reorder the missing pieces, again.

So, we escalated the situation—what else was there to do? They sent their studio manager, who offered a partial refund until the pieces were complete and ensure no further letdowns. My clients, however, had reached their breaking point and wanted nothing more to do with them. I would have done the same. This is when the company’s director stepped in. They miraculously agreed to a full refund, cancellation of the contract (which is practically unheard of for custom orders), and a hefty discount on future orders. A huge weight was lifted.

As a temporary measure, I went behind the scenes and asked the manager to send me two gorgeous and possible replacements I had scoped out earlier during the furniture selection phase. Luckily (for once), they were both available with short lead times. The showroom did have a unique collection, just not the best supplier management and communication. Given how disappointed we all were, the boutique was finally treating this project with the urgency it deserved. And let's face it, this beautiful apartment still needed a spot for my clients' impressive book collection. When I first suggested it, they gave it a hard pass. But here’s the kicker—they’d get a huge discount, making it cheaper than the first unit that never showed up. I asked them to mull it over, reminding them of that vacant wall and the potential wait with a new supplier. It was a reality check they hadn’t considered.

Two weeks later, after receiving the promised complete reimbursement, they softened. They asked about one of the libraries – the one I preferred, on one condition: the director would handle the order directly, bypassing the salespeople. Fair enough. So, here we are, eagerly awaiting the new shelves and hoping to finally wrap up this project. I genuinely believe this one will look even better in the space we have. Fingers crossed!

In Hindsight…

Thorough Vetting of Suppliers and Furniture Designers. We should have played detective before committing to custom orders, especially international ones- checking reviews, asking for references, and assessing their communication and reliability.

Expect Delays and Plan Accordingly. Imagine every project as a slow-cooked meal—worth the wait, but oh boy, it takes time. Especially with international suppliers. Set realistic expectations with clients and have contingency plans in place; it's not all HGTV magic!

Always Have Backup Options. Think of backup options as your superhero sidekick. When the primary manufacturer decides to ghost you, having alternative solutions ready can save the day and mitigate delays.

Remember, hindsight might be 20/20, but in design, it's also about keeping our sanity intact and our clients happy!

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