How do you find an upholstery shop?
Recently I found myself scratching my head trying to get some upholstery work done. I for the life of me simply could not seem to find them in the phone book and no one I knew at work had any clue where to go. After nearly an hour of procrastinating I finally turned to the internet and found quite a few upholstery shops in my area capable of doing the work I needed. Unfortunately that's when the real work began. With seven or eight shops to chose from how was I to know which one would be best suited for my needs. It took nearly a week of calling around, asking for testimonials and portfolio pictures, comparing prices and getting quotes before I finally settled on a reputable shop to redo the interior on my 1969 Cadillac Coupe Deville project restoration. I was very pleased with the upholstery shop that finally did the work but I just wished that I didn't have to go through so much research. While there is no substitute for doing your due diligence in selecting the right people to trust there are several things your going to want to keep in mind during the selection process.
First of all you want to ensure that the shop your thinking about going to has a good reputation and has been around for awhile (these two things go hand and hand). Before you even spend time to stop by and talk with someone ring them on the phone and ask them how long they have been in business. I very particular with my classic car restoration projects so I would not trust anyone who has been in business for less than ten years. When you get there make sure to ask if you can talk to one of their recent customers and see pictures of similar work done.
After you have narrowed you list of potential upholstery specialist down it's time to start getting quotes. During this process make sure you talking with someone that can give an accurate and realistic quote, not just a shop boy. Pay attention to how this person is treating you, are they respectful and professional? Do they seem to know what they are talking about? Do they offer you more than one option instead of just trying to sell you the most expensive package?
Once you've gotten a few quotes you need to take two more things into consideration; time and cost. How long is it going to take them to get the job completed and how much is it going to cost you. Luckily for me the car I was restoring was not my daily driver so I was able to negotiate a better price in exchange for leaving it there for them to work on for several weeks. Lastly you need to find a place that isn't going to break the bank. I feel as that's pretty self explanatory.
Well I do hope this impromptu guide has been helpful. If your in the St Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater metropolitan area and your looking for Upholstery work make sure to give Rayco Upholstery a shot. That's who I chose. http://raycoupholstery.com
First of all you want to ensure that the shop your thinking about going to has a good reputation and has been around for awhile (these two things go hand and hand). Before you even spend time to stop by and talk with someone ring them on the phone and ask them how long they have been in business. I very particular with my classic car restoration projects so I would not trust anyone who has been in business for less than ten years. When you get there make sure to ask if you can talk to one of their recent customers and see pictures of similar work done.
After you have narrowed you list of potential upholstery specialist down it's time to start getting quotes. During this process make sure you talking with someone that can give an accurate and realistic quote, not just a shop boy. Pay attention to how this person is treating you, are they respectful and professional? Do they seem to know what they are talking about? Do they offer you more than one option instead of just trying to sell you the most expensive package?
Once you've gotten a few quotes you need to take two more things into consideration; time and cost. How long is it going to take them to get the job completed and how much is it going to cost you. Luckily for me the car I was restoring was not my daily driver so I was able to negotiate a better price in exchange for leaving it there for them to work on for several weeks. Lastly you need to find a place that isn't going to break the bank. I feel as that's pretty self explanatory.
Well I do hope this impromptu guide has been helpful. If your in the St Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater metropolitan area and your looking for Upholstery work make sure to give Rayco Upholstery a shot. That's who I chose. http://raycoupholstery.com