SEE THE STORE, OR GET IN TOUCH 

Visit Ambassador Blind N’ Shutter at 1048 Independent Ave., Unit A-111.

For more information go online to ambassadorblindsgj.com or ambassadorblindnshutter.com, or call 970-523-4566.

SMART DECISIONS

David and Patty Deters started Ambassador Blind N’ Shutter from their home in 2004, and the business has grown steadily since then in large part due to smart decision-making.

For one, they didn’t get in over their head, which is easy to do with a new business.

“David went to an entrepreneur magazine at Barnes & Noble or something, looked in the back and found Blind Broker Network,” Patty said, adding it’s not in existence anymore. “And that was only like four-thousand dollars, three-thousand dollars to join that and become a dealer. So, Budget Blinds was like maybe 30-40-thousand to buy into that. And we didn’t have that kind of money.”

They went with what they could afford, and they’ve operated Ambassador Blind N’ Shutter that way ever since.

“We don’t operate in debt,” Patty said. “Everything here is paid for. Our vans are paid for. We have a no-debt policy, which absolutely helps us when the economy turns down.”

After about six years of selling a variety of blinds, the Deters decided to commit to one brand: Hunter Douglas.

“We decided we only wanted to sell Hunter Douglas because we believed they were the best quality, the best warranty, the best guarantee,” Patty said. “And you could tell when you were selling multiple brands, they were definitely higher quality.” 

CUSTOMER SERVICE WORTH THE PRICE

Selling a higher-quality product like Hunter Douglas means charging a higher price, but Patty Deters said the prices reflect quality and the excellent customer service that Ambassador Blind N’ Shutter is committed to providing.

Patty said some competitors “should be able to beat us, but that service that we give is what makes the difference.”

She added, “What I want our company to be known for more than anything is customer service.”

Ambassador Blind N’ Shutter doesn’t automate its phones, so callers can count on speaking to a person during business hours.

GOODBYE HOME, HELLO STORE

When Ambassador Blind N’ Shutter moved from the Deters’ home to a store in 2022, Patty Deters said it was hard to say goodbye to the convenience of home. Of course, she had to help David operate the business, but she got to be a stay-at-home mom, and that was important to the Deters.

“It was a big change for me, but in a good way,” she said. “You know, it just took some adjusting. But having a location in a place where people can walk in and actually see the product before they buy the product, it’s been really nice.”

STAFF, MEET DALE CARNEGIE

In the run-up to installing the new, larger showroom, Patty Deters said all of the staff members just completed the Dale Carnegie Course.

“Three days, eight hours a day,” Patty said, “and that is all about communication, improving communication, like remembering a person’s name, overcoming stress. It’s a good course. 

“We’re just constantly training and seeing what else we can do to make them better individuals.”

BENEFIT OF GALLAGHER’S FLOORING FOCUS

Gallagher’s Flooring, 1100 Pitkin Ave., installed new flooring at Ambassador Blind N’ Shutter in November, and that’s when Patty Deters learned Gallagher’s is no longer selling window coverings.

Instead, Gallagher’s is referring those customers to Ambassador.

Gallagher’s Flooring co-owner Pat Smith said the decision to stop selling blinds was a matter of narrowing his company’s focus to flooring, kitchen and bath.

“Our focus,” Smith said, “really was flooring, right? But there was such a need for blinds as far as like when we’re in the home and the customers are like, ‘Man, I really want to remodel my house. I want a new carpet, I want new hardwood,’ and then: ‘Do you guys do blinds?’

“And I have done blinds since I was a kid, and so it was just that I’ve always done it. But really our focus needed to be flooring, and now like we are really focused on kitchen and bath and flooring, just those. I didn’t want to be spread too thin.”