The Curtain Shop: Growing from Local to National

By partnering with Optimum, a neighborhood business now serves a nation in search of home décor. The Curtain Shop’s co-owner—and former stock boy—Louis Vaccaro depends on Optimum Business services to fulfill thousands of online orders, earn rave reviews on Facebook, and more.

Louis Vaccaro and his store, The Curtain Shop, share a story of mutual growth. Starting in 1989, Vaccaro worked his way up from stock boy to co-owner of the store. And from humble beginnings in New Rochelle, New York in 1976, the shop has steadily grown as well. Now, after launching an online store in 2006, The Curtain Shop offers an unbeatable selection of home décor products to customers across the country—with the help of unparalleled reliability and connectivity of Optimum Business Services.

Optimum...The best business internet provider you don’t see

“For the past 40 years, we’ve provided the immediate area with decorative window coverings and things for the home,” says Vaccaro. “And, thanks to our online store, for ten years we’ve been offering that selection to the rest of the world as well.” He recalls getting Optimum Business services. “They assessed our needs and put together a package that addressed our specific requirements at a price that wasn’t going to change. We signed up and they’ve been true to their word.” According to Vaccaro, on any given day, he and his staff are talking to people across the country, responding to emails, receiving electronic orders, and shipping products throughout most of North America. “We need high-speed internet connections with no downtime,” says Vaccaro. “Our previous carrier wasn’t reliable.” When asked about his experience with Optimum Business and their 24/7/365 live technical support and their same day service guarantee, Vaccaro laughs. “I can’t tell you, because I haven’t had to call them. That’s my favorite kind of provider—the one you don’t see.”

The business internet provider understanding customer needs

Optimum and The Curtain Shop both understand their customers’ need for flexibility. Optimum Business proves their commitment to their customers with no annual contract, early termination fees and a same day service guarantee. And Vaccaro understands that colors and patterns which may look great in the store or website don’t always match customers’ real-life needs. “We expect a certain number of returns,” says Vaccaro. “It has nothing to do with quality, it’s just the nature of the business.” So The Curtain Shop is forgiving, and customers appreciate this, awarding them 4.7 out of 5 stars on the shop’s busy Facebook page

Driving growth through commitment and technology

Running a business takes serious commitment. Growing that business from a local storefront to a national web-based presence requires going above and beyond—and having similar high standards for your suppliers and business internet providers. While The Curtain Shop’s brick-and-mortar presence, in Vaccaro’s words, “continues to move along,” the biggest growth is online. “We love Optimum Business because their reliable connection processes orders fast and provides a consistently positive customer experience. Former providers’ outages left us unable to process orders or connect with customers. But with Optimum Business, I have peace of mind that I am always able to serve my customers.”