It  is important to establish a clear, working relationship with decorators and designers before ever getting into contract with them. Otherwise, far too often, the wall designer, decorative painter, faux finisher, gilder, etc. is relegated to common laborer status, treated as inferior and not respected as an equal professional on a live project. As an example, I am frequently asked to reduce my rates or pricing so as to allow a decorator or designer to add an exorbitant, personal mark-up to my standard rates. Since this designer based mark-up is rarely disclosed to the client, it invariably misleads clients into believing that the wall designer is outrageously overpriced. Or, just as often we are instructed never to engage the client in any direct communications regarding project aesthetics or creative decision making. Repeatedly decorators refer to us as “my wall designer” or “my faux finisher.” I’ve even had decorators intentionally refuse to disclose my name or company to clients! This attitude is demeaning, rude, condescending and unprofessional.

Here are some excerpts from our basic operating guidelines; our credo or manifesto. I hope this will help clarify some things for others and I’m sure it will stimulate some meaningful feedback as well:

• We presume that decorators/designers come to us because they want US to do the work; Because we’re the best choice for the project, not because we might give the lowest job quote.
• We earnestly believe in the principal that you get what you pay for! If a client wants “cheap” we will rarely get the job. And that’s perfectly fine with us. We don’t do “cheap.”
• I always inform decorators/designers that I will work in partnership with them on their projects. I am not a subcontractor or trade worker. As a professional, I am their equal and in most cases have as much, if not more, experience and time-in-grade as do most of the decorators/designers I work with.
• We do not engage in “Blind Bidding”contests. If the decorator/designer insists on getting bids we wait until all bids are in and then we ask for a meet-it-or-beat-it bottom line. This eliminates manipulative pricing and puts our clients in the best possible position by giving them a high probability that they will get the best wall designer available for the best rate.
• I am more interested in integrity and credibility than in how much profit I might be able to milk out of a given client.
• We don’t disclose our method of pricing on any job. That information is confidential. That said, we will explain that we don’t use a “modular” or compartmentalized  approach to pricing multifaceted projects. This may well work for designers, decorators and other participants in our profession. But it doesn’t work for most of us in Wall Design. There are too many “crossover” factors that influence the final pricing such as professional discounts, consultations, multiple use of materials, sample time and costs, travel time, subcontractor splits, scaffolding, drying time delays, and so forth. All these factors, as as well as many more, influence my pricing methodology and  can’t easily be individually broken out. Even if I could break out the pricing I’m under no professional obligation to detail specifically how I arrived at the final numbers.
• We give absolutely NO CREDENCE  to “carrot-dangling” or empty “blue sky” promises of future business as an enticement for us to low-ball or bid low on a project. It’s insulting at best and is nothing more than a hustle that only the most naive business operator would fall prey to. Future jobs and partnerships should develop based on the fact that our reputation precedes us, we are the best artists in our market area, we integrate closely with our clients and offer the most realistic pricing for the services we provide.
• Lastly (and of utmost importance), on those occasions where, for some reason our proposal is not accepted, we always make direct contact with the client after the fact to determine the reasons why. We do this whether or not a decorator or designer was originally in the loop regardless of what explanation may be given us by said decorator/designer. We do this in a gracious, non-intimidating manner as a legitimate means of growing our ability to continually maximize customer satisfaction. We find almost unanimously that clients appreciate our after-the-fact humility and professionalism.

Please note that most of the professionals I work with are all wonderful decorators and designers. They know who they are. Unfortunately it is the few who challenge my resolve that necessitate scrutiny such as this. Your constructive comments are welcome

As Sean Connery said in the movie The Untouchables. . .

“Here Endeth The Lesson.”