I scoured the internet for any kind of upholstery or drapery business within 100 miles and came up empty. Well, almost empty. There were only three that appeared have the skill sets I needed. I emailed all three. One was out of business. The second I had high hopes for, and the third seemed, well, kinda dubious. They had a very homemade website featuring a video of a rather scrawny young man running curtains through a sewing machine.
Within two hours of sending out the emails I received a reply back from the third option. He could definitely do what I wanted, but could we chat on the telephone? I emailed him my phone number and within minutes I got a call. “Hello? This is Emrah. Is this Alan?” “Sorry to call, but my English is not so good for writing. I can make what you want. But I need to see the bed and take measurements to give you price. When can I come to do this?” I was a bit taken aback. There was an eagerness in his voice that I found both charming and alarming. That, combined with his bare-bones website, gave me pause. Was I in for another amateur-hour time waster? “Um, any time I guess” was my response. “Okay, it will take me 2 hours to get to you. I will bring friend to help me with measurements. Perhaps I could come in 3 hours?” I could have said no, I could have scheduled it for another time, but instead I said “sure” and gave him specific directions on how to get to the farm. I was a bit skeptical of the value of doing this when I still hoped for a response from the second option, but that afternoon Emrah and his buddy showed up carrying notebooks and measure tape. Emrah was all of 5’5” and his friend was about the same size. They were both skinny little things with bright smiles and a fierce determination to put me at ease. “Don’t worry! We will take care of you!” They tried valiantly to project cool professional competence but their eagerness for my business kept bursting through. They were too adorable for words. I showed them the bed, the material, and sketches of what I wanted. They measured and took notes and spoke in rapid fire Turkish as they argued about the best way to proceed. After two hours they declared themselves satisfied that they had everything they needed. Emrah stressed that he would get me pricing and a contract within a week – maybe sooner. They then took their leave.
So, I waited. I still hadn’t heard from my second option when I heard back from Emrah two days later. “I have proposal for you. I will send in email.” I checked my email and found his proposal. Everything we discussed was all laid out and the various fees for each component neatly broken down, but when added all up at the end they formed a figure that left me staggering! How could a few draperies cost so much to sew together? Now, I get sticker shock all the time these days. Honestly, I’m convinced half of our “inflation” is just other people getting sticker shock too, so they just raise the prices on their goods and services without any regard to their actual costs. But still, how could I justify spending roughly 7 times the cost of the actual bed on foofy curtains to cover it? Plus, I hadn’t even seen any of this guy’s work. I shot him back an email saying that I’d think about it. And I thought about it. My thinking went along the lines of ‘you don’t have that kind of money for fripperies! There are more important things that need to be done!’
I then heard back from the second company. They had several employees and seemed very competent, and showed a track record of curtains and draperies stretching back 20 years. They were happy to send someone out to take measurements and quote me an estimate. This second time, thanks to Emrah’s visit, I had all the measurements ready for them, and answers to any questions they might have. I figured they were going to get the job – and they were – until I got their estimate. A full $2K over Emrah’s figures! How could this be?
Resigned that this was not to be, I called them back and told them ‘thanks, but no thanks.’ I called Emrah to say the same thing. But he wasn’t having it. “I will do very good job for you! I need work! I have no other work right now. I will give you $1,000 discount if you give me good reviews on google. You will see! I will do good job!” So the next day Emrah and his buddy showed up to take away a hefty deposit check and my bolt of fabric. They then disappeared. I feared I had been scammed. But two weeks later, I got a call, “Your curtains and canopy are ready.” Can we come to install? We can come today!” Three hours later they arrived with a big suitcase, some big lights, and other equipment. They lugged it all upstairs and unpacked. I was very nervous that I had just paid a small fortune for third rate work. But inside was the most beautifully crafted draperies, canopy, and bedskirt. The two of them fussed about hanging it ‘just so’ and then using a steam iron to remove all the wrinkles. Beaming with pride, Emrah showed me how he had made all the pleats face a certain way and made sure he had gotten each scene of the toile fabric centered on each pleated panel of the canopy and then on the bed skirt as well. Even the curtain tie backs were cut to reveal a separate scene on each one. I was in awe of the craftsmanship and thought that went into every little detail. “What do you think?” he asked nervously when they were finished. “It’s beautiful! Better than I could have imagined” I said with true awe in my voice. They both visibly relaxed when they heard this. Then the truth came tumbling out. They had left Turkey for unspecified reasons (though I had a hunch why). They had a lot of experience back in Istanbul, but it was hard starting a new business in a new country where you didn’t have a contact network. There was a lot riding on my acceptance of their work. It was kind of a make-or-break deal for them. I told him not to worry, I would not only give him the google review he wanted, I would recommend him highly to everyone I knew, and I would certainly give him more business as well. As a matter of fact, he could start making a matching bedspread right now. So, after several photos from all angles to use on their new ‘improved’ website, I wrote him a check for the balance and included a hefty bonus for a job well done. It’s wonderful to see people willing to work hard to get ahead, sure of their talents, and just needing a break to get started. Five Stars all around. Hire Emrah. You will be pleased too.
