COMMERCIAL BLINDS AND WINDOW FURNISHINGS – THE COUNTRY BLINDS PROFESSIONAL ADVANTAGE

Know your contractor – checking commercial credentials.

In the marketplace today, there are some contractors who have a simplistic viewpoint of commercial blinds. These tend to take the shape of operators whose bread and butter is domestic curtains and blinds, and who see commercial contracts as ‘just like domestic, but bigger’. These suppliers might have only a shallow understanding of the commercial environment, site assessments, project management and programmed installation. A few basic checks will usually show up their true colours – ask to see their Builder’s Licence and ask for details of their experience in the commercial realm. How long have they been working on commercial projects? If they can’t show you photographs, reference testimonials and name the specific projects they’ve worked on, you might be speaking with a domestic contractor who merely dabbles in commercial blinds. Country Blinds have a Builder’s Licence as well as a huge portfolio of completed commercial projects that you are welcome to see.

Engage with a genuine project partner

The commercial blinds specialist you engage with should be able to show you a good depth of commercial experience as well as plenty of options. Country Blinds understands the nature of commercial projects and can fit in with your team and communicate at their level so that you can agree on specifications and timelines. In fact, as a ‘next level’ specialist, Country goes even further, demonstrating innovations, features and techniques that can deliver benefits perhaps even beyond your original stated requirements. Although it’s now a clichéd term, the ideal situation is to be working with someone who can exceed your expectations by delivering even more than was originally specified.

Let’s take a look at some qualities you should look for when choosing commercial blinds or curtains for your next project.

• Experience – the more, the better, and the broader, the better. Country Blinds can show you photographs of the many types of businesses they’ve worked with. A confident operator like Country will be able to give you all of this, name business people who will be happy to provide testimonials, and even name some repeat customers. Built over a span of more than three decades, Country Blind’s portfolio of completed projects is huge.

• Your specifications met – this is all about you and your needs, so don’t be limited by specifications that can’t be met because of product limitations by ‘off the shelf’ products. Select the flexibility that comes with the full custom design and manufacturing capability of Country Blinds.

• Your own Project Manager – anybody in business understands the benefits of one point of contact per project, and it’s no different when it comes to design and installation of commercial blinds. Country Blinds is able to set you up with one specialist person who will be your point of call all the way from the first site visit to project completion.

• Professional site assessments and measurements – Country Blinds will attend your site on an agreed date to conduct an assessment and carry out all necessary measurements. The result of this assessment should be a comprehensive report, including any noted variations from conditions noted during initial discussions, and suggestions on dealing with any variations or challenges that the site assessment might uncover.

• Advice from experts – as a business operator, your expectations of your commercial blinds project are likely limited to a basic idea of placement, size, function and colour. Beyond this, Country Blinds is also able to show you a range of options and discuss their relative advantages. Your Country Blinds expert will be able to suggest innovations in materials, design or installation techniques that might deliver additional benefits beyond your original expectations. In short, a genuine expert has more to bring to the project than just meeting your minimum requirements.

• Warranty, after sales service, parts and components – commercial blinds have a much harder life than their domestic equivalents. The warranty you receive with your installation should be clear, comprehensive and lengthy. It’s a good idea to go beyond your ‘paper warranty’ and ask about how quickly you can expect a representative on site should you have an issue in the future.

Design and manufacturing – consider the local advantage.

For many businesses, it’s taken a pandemic to starkly demonstrate that there can be disadvantages in outsourcing materials, products and components from far away. Virtually everybody operating a business today has a story to tell of supply chain issues and shipping delays leading to disruption, lost opportunities and lost profits.

When you’re considering commercial blinds, curtains, awnings and shutters, take the time to understand the advantages you might leverage through dealing with a business such as Country that designs and manufactures locally. When dealing with warranty issues, a consultant from a company that designs and manufactures locally will be able to provide immediate answers regarding availability of parts, components, and fabrics. Better still, being a local manufacturer ensures fast installation, after sales service and repairs.

Asking the right questions and conducting some thorough research can make all the difference when for your next commercial project. Should you wish to discuss custom Country curtains, blinds, shutters or awnings for any commercial need, simply contact us today.