Melhanna Collection - Skandia Window Fashions

Melhanna CollectionE25Retail and Consumer Product ExpectationsFAQsAt Skandia, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our product quality and customer service and in doing so have compiledsome very interesting statistics. Nearly one third of our customers experience virtually no problems that require Skandia’s assistance. Thisfact so intrigued us that we did a little investigating. What turned up was not totally unexpected. These satisfied customers had one thingin common. They informed their customer during the sale process, not only about the features and benefits, but also about the limitations.In other words, they did not oversell the product. Our goal is to help you achieve greater profits by informing you, your sales personneland consequently the consumer of the performance expectations for each of our products. This eliminates 97% of consumer complaintsand helps you become the most knowledgeable window covering professional in the industry. Please take the time to review ourfrequently asked question section and use the information to educate and inform your customers about product expectations.Melhanna Woven Wood• Will the new woven woods match in color andtexture to the ones you installed for me last month?When our suppliers paint, dye or extrude the materialswe use to fabricate our products, there are slight colorationchanges from each run. For example, when our woodfinisher paints slats in our color pure white, the final color isaffected by both temperature and humidity. If one run is producedwhen the temperature is 78º and the humidity is 60%and the next run is produced when the temperature is 82ºand the humidity is 78%, the differences in temperature andhumidity, will cause each run of pure white slats to varyslightly in color.• Will my window covering discolor or fade?Discoloration is usually defined as a color that changesnegatively and is generally used to describe a loss in a colorsintensity or the yellowing of the color. Discoloration or fadingcan be caused by many factors including but not limited to thetemperature and humidity of the home, chemical cleaningagents, long-term sun exposure, cigarette or cigar smoke, generalcleanliness of the home, and the age of the product. Eventhough we use the finest materials available, including the latestUV (ultraviolet) resistant finishes, a reasonable amount of discolorationover time is to be expected. The sun’s rays are verydamaging to vinyl and fabric materials. Over time, you canexpect the side of the product that faces the sun to becomeslightly faded and a yellow cast or tint may become apparent.• Will my woven woods match the sample that is shownin the sample book?Many woven wood materials will gradually changecolor over time naturally. Bamboo, starts out green, slowlychanges to yellow, and finally to a brownish yellow. Thesun’s rays are very damaging and, over time, you can expectthat the side of the product that faces the sun will becomeslightly faded and a yellow cast or tint may become apparent.Even though we use the finest materials, a reasonableamount of discoloration over time is to be expected.• Will the slats and yarns on my woven woods bestraight and stay straight?Woven wood material is constructed using a combinationof far eastern wood slats and yarn. The yarn holds theslats in position but not tightly. Pushing on either side of theshade will cause the slats to create a bulging out effect on theopposite side. You can press on the bulge and straighten thesides of the shade, but the yarns will be slightly out of theirvertical position. This happens to some degree every timethe shade is raised or lowered. The movement is slight, but,over time, the cumulative effect can become noticeable.This is an inherent by-product in the construction of allwoven woods and considered acceptable.• How are the liners on the Melhanna Woven Woodsattached?We attach ourwoven wood liner usingthe standard industrymethod. However, weagree there must be a betterway to provide a linedwoven wood. Check outour new twin rail systemthat uses a pleated or cellularshade as the liner.• What is considered an acceptable tolerance for color ortexture match?The commercial tolerance for an acceptable color ortexture match is a 2-foot separation. If there is no discernible differencebetween two colors or textures when placed two feetapart the difference is considered acceptable. The many factorsthat influence color and texture make it impossible to paint, dye,or extrude materials that match perfectly from run to run. Therewill always be slight differences. However, our experience hasshown that these differences are not significant and can only beseen if the materials are placed next to each other. Holding thematerials 2 feet apart, you will not be able to see a discernible difference.This is the standard we hold our vendors to. It shouldnot be an issue as long as your customer orders all the window7/03