The Reflective Designer — Local services in Stow

The Reflective Designer Stow is the current name of this business, and working with them has been one of the worst customer experiences of my life. In May 2017 Elaine Monaco came to my house to measure and show me some options for window treatments for my kitchen. I selected one that I liked and we completed the paperwork. Elaine was very friendly at that time. We specifically spoke about scheduling installation around my work and family life schedules. Elaine told me it would be absolutely no problem. That all changed after the blinds came in, when I was informed that the only time her installers could do the work was late afternoon on Tuesdays or Saturday mornings, neither of which worked with my schedule. I offered multiple other options, 6 hour windows two weekdays a week on my work from home days. I was willing to wait a few extra weeks, but since she had told me my schedule would be no problem I expected she would work it out. Unfortunately, Elaine did not see it that way. She offered to have him come while I was at work, instructing me to leave my house unlocked for a complete stranger to come in and do work and leave a check or cash for the remainder what I owed. I explained that I was not comfortable with that and asked her to keep trying to find a date and time for installation. Elaine’s whole demeanor changed at this point. She became defensive and even demanding… Offering me a day/time less than a week away and requiring me to respond within 24 hours or lose the spot. At east half of those “offers” were the same Tuesday afternoon/Saturday morning slots I had already said I couldn’t do. Others would have been ok if they hadn’t been so last minute. When I asked if we could book a little further out, thinking that would make it easier for all parties to find an opening that worked. I was told that her installers had a “dynamic schedule,” and that this is the best she can offer me. To make it even more uncomfortable, she repeatedly pointed out that I would need to pay the balance owed before any work could be completed. Having worked with more than a few contractors over the years, I know better than to do that as it leaves you with no recourse in the event of incomplete or shoddy work. Rather than understanding this, she seemed to take it personally and became even more defensive. It is now February 2018 and I still do not have my window treatments nor a date/time for installation. I have asked for a refund, since the paperwork used does NOT say “no refunds,” and was flatly refused. I am at a loss as to how this can ever be resolved. Beware before hiring this...

We recently moved, and had such a good experience with Beverly (the Reflective Designer) and Wayne (the very skilled Installer) for our shades and blinds at our previous house (see below), that we didn't hesitate to reach out again. The new house had different privacy and light control needs. Beverly showed us the Hunter Douglas Duolite shades. These shades provide complete light blocking and privacy sheers in one shade, that can be adjusted between the two. See the photos. Perfect application for our needs. And excellent service from design to installation, once again.

From two years ago: That was easy! We replaced our windows and needed new shades and blinds. We couldn't find what we needed at a big box store, and gave Beverly a call. She was able to come to our house the next day (!) and with her guidance we were able to select the shades and blinds we needed from the samples she brought with her. She measured and then gave us a quote later that day, which was very competitive with pricing we were seeing on line. Within four weeks our shades and blinds were in and installed. They are exactly what we need; they function perfectly and look great. We really enjoyed working...

My wife and i found the Reflective Designer on line and visited the store this summer and met Beverly. We had a great experience in the store picking out the Hunter Douglas blinds thanks to Beverly’s expertise. She then came to our home and did the measurements for the windows in our dinning room and living room. We paid up front and in a few weeks the order came in and she had her installer come over that week. He too did a great job on the installation and we fell in love with the new look. We are extremely happy with the whole experience and highly recommend the Reflective Designer for others who are looking for new...