It is with a heavy heart that I must update my previous 5-star review of Budget Blinds…read more
The original reason for that rating was simple, a saleswoman named Heidi. She was absolutely wonderful to work with. Professional, responsive, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in helping me find a solution that worked for my space and budget. She made me feel like a valued customer, and at the time, I truly believed this was a company I could confidently recommend.
Unfortunately, the experience completely unraveled from there.
Once it became apparent that my new apartment technically fell outside Heidi's ZIP code "territory" by what feels like an arbitrary boundary line, she was abruptly removed from the project entirely and I was forced into working with another installer, Caleb. Mind you, this was essentially right across the street from the original service area. Same city. Same project. Same customer. Yet apparently internal franchise politics mattered more than continuity or customer experience. I even tried to escalate this to the owner, and no exceptions were made.
The difference in professionalism and urgency was immediate and obvious.
Where Heidi had been proactive and communicative, the new experience felt cold, slow, transactional, and heavily focused on pushing extremely expensive proprietary systems with price tags that made absolutely no sense for a rental apartment. I was very transparent from the beginning about my goals and budget, yet it quickly became clear there was little interest in helping unless I was willing to spend a small fortune.
And once it became obvious I had no intention of moving forward with outrageously priced luxury options, communication practically disappeared altogether.
That was honestly the most disappointing part. The feeling that the moment I was no longer seen as a massive sale, the customer service vanished with it.
Ironically, I was able to order my own blinds online, and ultimately found another installer willing to simply measure and install shades I independently purchased myself, without all the territorial nonsense, sales pressure, and inflated pricing.
So to be clear, this review is NOT about Heidi. She was excellent, and frankly deserved better than the situation she was put in as well.
This review is about a company structure that prioritizes ZIP code ownership, aggressive upselling, and franchise politics over actual customer care.
I don't leave negative reviews lightly, especially after previously leaving such a glowing one. But this entire experience left an incredibly bad taste in my mouth, and I think future customers deserve to know exactly what they may be walking into.
