What I'm seeing
These come up again and again on my visits.
We walk in knowing very little
Most of the time I don't know which rooms the customer wants done, what they hope to spend, whether they're able to install, or who will be home. I find out once I'm already there.
Some visits were never going to close
Some customers rent and can't install without their landlord's okay. Some are just browsing. Some have a budget that doesn't fit the size of the job. We only learn that after the drive and an hour or more in the home.
Price comes as a surprise
Customers usually don't see options or price ranges until the middle of the visit. When the number is a shock, the conversation stalls. Some people also assume the nicer designs are out of reach and stop asking.
We go in without knowing the conditions
We don't know ahead of time whether the home is ready for a visit, who will be there, or whether it's a comfortable place to work. There's no clear, agreed way to reschedule or step away when it isn't.
I also understand the concerns on the other side
Questions can scare people off
Marketing has seen people leave the website when we ask too much up front. That's real, so the flow below saves its questions for the very end, after the customer has already picked a time and entered their details.
We can't pick and choose customers
Agreed. In this flow every customer still gets a consultation. The questions only shape what the first conversation looks like.
How this could help
More sales
When customers see real options and price ranges at their level early, the visit isn't the first time money comes up. They can plan, and they're more likely to say yes.
Better use of everyone's time
Customers ready to buy get the in-home visit just like today. Customers still deciding start with a short video call, so nobody blocks off an afternoon too early.
Lower cost per sale
Fewer drives and fewer hours spent on visits that were never going to close.
Safer, smoother visits
Designers know what to expect before they arrive, and every customer agrees to the same simple checklist ahead of time.
Fair to every customer
Everyone gets the same questions. Their answers decide the first step, never the neighborhood or anything about who they are.
The booking flow I'd suggest
Steps 1, 5 and 6 are what we already do today. Steps 2, 3 and 4 are the new parts.
The customer picks a time
Online or by phone, the same way they do now. They choose a date and time and enter their contact details.
One last step confirms the booking
The final screen says: "One last step and you're all set! A few quick questions so your designer comes prepared." There are six questions, all multiple choice: which rooms, how many windows, whether they can install, their timeline, who'll be home, and a comfortable budget range. Then a short checklist for getting the home ready. The Confirm button turns on once everything is answered and checked.
By this point they've already chosen their time and entered their details, so a minute of questions feels like finishing up, not a hurdle. It can be offered in English or Spanish. Customers who book by phone answer the same questions on the call.
Their answers decide the first appointment
There are two paths. Both end with a friendly confirmation message, and neither one tells the customer why they got that path.
They can install, want the blinds within 3 months, and their budget fits the size of the job.
They need to check with a landlord, are just exploring, or their budget is tight for the size of the job.
When they're ready, the designer books the in-home visit ↓
The designer confirms the visit
A quick call or text one to two days ahead. The designer confirms the rooms and budget, asks who will be home, and sends the readiness checklist so the customer knows what to have ready.
Safety The designer knows who will be there before arriving.The in-home visit
The designer arrives with samples already matched to the customer's rooms and budget, so the visit starts with real options instead of a list of questions.
Safety Check in with the store on arrival and check out on leaving. Reschedule if the home isn't ready.Order or follow-up
The customer places the order, or gets their options by email with a set follow-up date.
How we could start
We don't have to change everything at once. The first part needs no website changes and could start this week.
Confirm and check in
- Confirmation call or text before every visit
- Readiness checklist sent to every customer
- Designers check in and out with the store
Pilot the full flow
- Add the questionnaire after booking
- Offer the Design Preview to customers still deciding
- Compare against a baseline of recent visits
What we'd track: bookings per week, how many customers finish the questionnaire, close rate, average sale, hours on the road per sale, and visits rescheduled for readiness or safety.
More detail, if you want it
The exact questions, messages and scripts. Tap any one to open it.
What are the questionnaire questions?
The last screen before the booking is confirmed: "One last step and you're all set! A few quick questions so your designer comes prepared." The Confirm button turns on once every question is answered and the readiness checklist is checked.
- Which rooms are you thinking about? Living room / Bedrooms / Kitchen / Bathroom / Whole home
- About how many windows? 1 to 3 / 4 to 8 / 9 to 15 / 16+
- Can you install on your windows? I own / I rent and have permission / I need to check with my landlord or building
- When would you love these up? Within a month / 1 to 3 months / Just exploring
- Who'll be home for the visit? Just me / Me and others helping decide / Other adults will be home too. Plus: Any pets? Yes / No
- We carry options at every level, from simple and clean to fully motorized. To match you with the right ones, which range feels comfortable for the whole project? [ranges from the catalog]
Sometimes there's a great fit just outside your range. Open to seeing those too?
Yes, show me what's possible / No, please keep me within my range
What do customers see after booking?
Both messages have the same shape and warmth. Neither explains why the customer got that first step.
Ready now
You're all set! Thanks for sharing a few details about your space. Your designer will reach out within 24 hours to confirm your in-home design consultation. They'll come with samples picked for the rooms and style you told us about. See you soon!
Still deciding
You're all set! Thanks for sharing a few details about your space. Your designer will reach out within 24 hours to set up a quick Design Preview by video. You'll see options picked for your rooms and range, ask anything, and choose what you love before anyone comes out to measure. Prefer to see everything in person? You're always welcome at our showroom instead.
What's in the readiness checklist?
Every customer sees the same list and checks a box to agree before they can confirm.
Getting ready for your in-home consultation
To make your visit smooth and comfortable for everyone, please make sure:
- An adult (18+) who can make decisions is home for the whole visit
- There's a clear path to every window we're measuring
- Pets are secured in another room
- No one smokes during the visit
- The rooms we're measuring are clean and pest-free
- Everyone in the home treats your designer with respect
If the space isn't ready, or the visit can't continue comfortably, your designer may reschedule or move your consultation to video or to our showroom.
Because every customer agreed to the same list, a designer who reschedules is following the agreement, not making a personal judgment call.
What does the confirmation call sound like?
Open: "Hi [name], this is [designer] from Blinds To Go, confirming your design consultation on [day] at [time]. I want to bring the right samples, so I have a few quick questions."
- "Which rooms are we looking at, and about how many windows?"
- "Who'll be home for the visit? Will everyone who's helping decide be there? Any pets?"
- "Are you able to install on your windows, or do you need to check with a landlord or building first?"
- "When would you love to have these up?"
- "We have options at every level, from simple and clean to fully motorized. So I bring the right samples, what range feels comfortable for the whole project? And if there's a great fit just outside that, would you want to see it?"
Close: "Perfect. I'm texting you a short list to have ready before I come. See you [day]!"
If the customer is still deciding
"Would it help to see the options first? I can do a quick 20-minute video call and walk you through everything, or you can visit the showroom. Then we'll set up the measurement when you're ready."
What happens on a Design Preview?
A 20-minute video call. It never replaces the in-home measurement. It shows the customer what's possible at their level and books the measurement when it's a fit.
- Free sample kit. Blinds To Go already mails these. When timing allows, the kit arrives before the call so the customer can hold the fabrics.
- Tiered lookbook. One page per product family from the designer catalog: entry, mid and premium tiers, a price range per window, and ways to adapt a look to a budget (a chain instead of a motor, a different material). The lifetime warranty and lowest price guarantee go on every page.
| Minutes | Step | What the designer does |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 | Welcome | Confirms rooms and window count from the questionnaire |
| 2 to 7 | Window walk | Customer walks the phone to each window. Designer notes light, privacy, kids or pets, and the frames |
| 7 to 13 | The lookbook | Shows every tier, entry to fully motorized, and how a look adapts to a budget |
| 13 to 17 | The match | Narrows to 2 or 3 options in range, plus one stretch option if they said yes to seeing more |
| 17 to 20 | Next step | Books the in-home measurement, or emails the options |
How does this protect designers?
- Know who's home. From the questionnaire or the confirmation call, before every visit.
- Check in and out. Text the store on arrival with the address and expected end time, and again on leaving. No check-out within 30 minutes of the end time means the manager calls.
- A help phrase. One agreed phrase on a normal-sounding call to the store that means "call me back with a reason to leave" or "send help."
- The right to leave. A designer may end any visit for safety, conduct or conditions.
- No penalty. A visit ended for safety or readiness doesn't count against close rate or targets.
- Report and respond. Same-day report, manager follow-up within 24 hours. Any later visit with that customer happens by video, in the showroom, or with two staff.
- Training. In-home safety becomes part of onboarding and refreshers.
This is also a compliance question. Under federal EEOC rules, an employer can be responsible when a customer harasses an employee if the company knew or should have known and didn't act promptly (Polsinelli). New York's Retail Worker Safety Act requires retail employers with 10 or more retail employees in the state to have a workplace violence prevention policy and training (NY Department of Labor). How these apply to designers working in customers' homes is a question for HR. This is a summary, not legal advice.
How do we keep it fair?
- Same questions, same checklist, for everyone.
- Answers only. The first step depends on install permission, timeline, and range compared with the size of the job. Never zip code, neighborhood, name, language, or how someone sounds on the phone.
- Renters are customers. A renter with permission gets the in-home visit like anyone else, and can connect us to their building owner for a bigger job.
- Conduct, not people. A conduct report is about behavior during a visit, written up the same day.
- A monthly check. Review which first step customers got and why, to confirm the rules are applied the same way every time.
What do we still need to decide?
- The price ranges per window for each tier in the current catalog
- What counts as a range that fits the size of the job (a simple chart by window count)
- Who books and confirms appointments today: a call center, the store, or the designer
- Whether the designer catalog can become a customer-facing lookbook
- Whether a written in-home safety policy already exists for Shop-at-Home designers
- Which territory and start date for the pilot