Information for Repeat Customers
Every year, we send out a letter to all of our repeat customers between mid August and early September that details all of our current processes and policies. If you are a repeat customer and have questions about how our service works, there is a good chance you will find the answers to your questions in your letter. For your convenience, we have also listed our policies and processes for repeat customers below.
Update January 2024: We are currently working on finishing taking down lights for the season.
If you have questions specific to your display or your re-install price, please call or text us at 1-800-537-8962 or email us at JCoHolidayLighting.cs@gmail.com.
Your Scheduling Options
Due to the many factors that affect our installers’ schedules, we do not schedule installs for specific days. Instead, we schedule them based on your choice of install time frames (early, standard, or late). If knowing exactly what day your installer will arrive is important to you, please let us know that and we will do our best to call you the night before install or when we are on our way.
Please note that while these scheduling time frames are available to all of our repeat customers, there are select circumstances that apply to some customers in which we cannot offer the re-install discounts shown below. If your letter did not offer you a $25 discount for early or late install, it is most likely because your service is already at or even below our $300 minimum charge, in which case, you may select any time frame you wish from our options, but there will not be any discounts based on your selection. (The information you received in your letter IS correct - if your letter offered you these discounts, then these ARE available to you.)
Early Installs: Installation between October 11th - October 31st, with a $25 discount
Please notify us by September 26th to secure your place on our October install schedule.
- If you schedule an early install, we will install the lights on your house during the October 11th – October 31st install period and return in November (before Thanksgiving) to install wreaths, garland, and path lights. Mini-lights may be installed during October or November, at your installer’s discretion.
- IF we get behind schedule on our early installs (which can sometimes happen if there are multiple days of bad weather), we MIGHT not install your lights until early November (though definitely before Thanksgiving), in which case you WILL still receive the early install discount. (If it is important to you that your lights are installed by any date prior to Thanksgiving, please let us know that when you schedule, and we will make sure your lights are installed by your requested event date.)
Standard Installs: Installation between November 1st and December 5th, with the option of a Thanksgiving guarantee
Please notify us by October 10th to secure your place on our November install schedule.
- While a standard install does not come with a discount (this is the most popular install window), it DOES come with the option of a Thanksgiving guarantee for no additional charge.
- If you would like us to guarantee that your lights will be ready for turn-on by Thanksgiving Day (November 26th), just let us know that and we will guarantee that your lights will be installed during the month of November, before Thanksgiving. (If you do not request the Thanksgiving guarantee, we will still have your lights installed by December 5th at the latest, and while we will not promise any specific dates for an install, it is possible that your lights might be installed later in November as opposed to earlier in the month as thanks for giving us those extra days of schedule flexibility!)
Late Installs: Installation between December 6th and December 16th, with a $25 discount
Please notify us ASAP to secure your place on our late install schedule. Because this is such a brief install window, space is limited.
- While we do offer the late install option, this is NOT a good fit for everyone. For safety and efficiency reasons, our installers do not work when snow is on the roof nor when temperatures are below 35°F, and the later we get into the holiday season, the greater a problem weather becomes. For those reasons and the fact that this is a little less than a two-week install window, we ONLY accept a few customers a year for late install.
- Customers who would like a late install should notify us of that as soon as possible, as there are very few slots in this window. Additionally, customers who would like a late install should be aware that they are agreeing to have their lights installed as late as December 16th, with the exact install date between December 6th and December 16th being determined entirely by us, depending on the weather and our schedules at that point.
-
A Few Reminders about How Our Service Works
Turn-On and Timers: How We Set Your Timer and How to Turn On Your Display
Although we will begin early installs on October 11th, we do not usually “turn-on” displays unless we do the install within 1 week of Thanksgiving. When we install your lights (unless it is November 22nd or later), we will plug in the timer, set it for 4pm – 11pm (or for a different time of your choosing), and then leave the light strand(s) unplugged, right next to the timer, so that all you have to do when you are ready to turn your lights on for the season is plug the cord from the lights into the timer.
About Wreaths and Garland
If your display includes wreaths and/or garland, you will need to provide those for us to install. If you schedule an October install, we will install your lights in October and then return in November, before Thanksgiving, to hang your wreaths and/or garland. No matter when we install your wreaths and/or garland, we will call you the night before (or possibly earlier) to let you know that you need to put your items on the porch for us. If you do not answer your phone, your installer will leave a message. If your installer leaves a message, Please DO call or text him back to let him know that you received the message and will put the requested items outside. We ask you to PLEASE do this so that our installer does not make an unnecessary trip.
Wreath Repair Policy: If your wreath has lights on it, your installer will check to make sure the lights are working before putting up the wreath. If the lights on your wreath are not turning on, then your installer will wrap the wreath with 1 strand of our warm, clear mini lights for a 1-time charge of $30 and then hang your wreath.
About Repairs
Your service includes repairs for no additional charge, so long as the repair is not due to human error by you or by someone working for you. (For example, if you or your delivery driver knocks over your path lights or your landscaper accidentally cuts your display’s wires with a lawn mower, there will be a charge for that repair. If, however, we made a mistake, a light bulb is out, your timer isn’t working properly, wind damages your display, etc., we are happy to help for no additional charge.) Please be aware, however, that we do NOT drive around just checking displays, so if you need repair services, you DO need to call, text or email us to let us know.
The best way to notify us of repairs is by sending us a text message to 314-718-0105 or by emailing us at Nick@STLHolidayLighting.com. If you choose to call us and we do not answer, please DO leave a message and we will add your requested repair to our schedule.
When you contact us to request a repair, whether it is by text message, email, or phone call, please DO include your full name in the message and a complete, detailed description of the problem. If one or more light bulbs are not turning on, we ask that you please either send us a picture showing exactly which bulbs are out or describe the exact location(s) of the bulbs that are out when you request a repair – you CAN text a photo to us at 314-718-0105. Our installers thoroughly check all lights before installing them, but once the lights have been installed, it is sometimes VERY hard for us to see which bulbs are out on your roof on a bright, sunny day, which is why we ask you to please show or tell us exactly which bulbs are out when you request a repair.
About Take Downs and Turning Off Your Display
Our installers will take down your Christmas lights between January 2nd and January 31st. If you wish to keep your display up after January 2nd for any reason, please call or email us your request before December 15th. (While we can promise to leave your display up until as late as January 20th at your request, there may be an additional charge if you want us to guarantee that your display will stay up past that date.)
IF you want to turn off your lights before our installers take-down your display, we ask that you please LEAVE the timer where it is and simply unplug the lights from the timer - please do not set the timer on the ground. To turn off your display prior to take-down, all you have to do is unplug the lighting wires from the bottom of the timer. Please do not unplug the timer or set it on the ground. (The timer was installed in an upright position off of the ground to prevent water damage.)
Our Billing and Payment Policies
Our Payment Policy: Your Bill is Due Within 2 Weeks of Receipt
For repeat customers whose accounts are in good standing, we do not require any payment or credit card hold in advance of your install. After we have completed your install, we will send you a bill. You may receive your bill on the door when our installers first put up your lights OR you may receive your bill in the mail (or via email if you request it) up to 3 weeks after install. No matter when you receive your bill, however, your bill is due within 2 weeks of receipt, with an additional grace period of up to 2 weeks, unless prior arrangements have been made with us. Please be aware that you will need to take action to pay your bill – we do NOT keep credit card numbers on file from one year to the next. Also, please note that if you pay by charge card, our company will be listed as “Flash Track Lighting” on your charge card statement.
IF we do not receive a payment from you within 1 month of when you receive your bill, we will require a charge card hold in advance next year, and in some cases, we may alternatively require partial or full payment in advance of your install in future years, so PLEASE pay your bill on-time.
Online Payment Option: You have the option of paying your bill online at your convenience. (There is NO additional charge for this service.) If you would like to take advantage of our online payment option, please make sure to provide us with your email address when you contact us to schedule your install. When your invoice is ready, we will then email it to you. Quickbooks automatically puts a “pay” button into invoices that we email, so when you are ready to pay your invoice, simply click the “pay” button in your invoice email, and you will be able to pay your bill online with your charge card, using Quickbooks’ (aka Intuit’s) online payment system. While we hope you will find our online payment option helpful and convenient, if you would prefer to call us with your charge card to pay your bill, you are still welcome to do that.
Our Billing/ Pricing Policy regarding Mini-Lights on Trees and Bushes
When we put up your lights, we usually install the same display as last year unless you have requested a change. However, in the case of mini-lights installed on bushes and trees, WE occasionally need to make a change on-site because foliage sometimes grows bigger over the years.
IF your display includes mini-lights on bushes or trees and our installers feel that more mini-lights are needed to make your display look full and complete, we reserve the right to add a maximum of up to 2 additional strands of mini-lights to your display, at our discretion, for the standard charge. We will ONLY do this if we feel it is absolutely necessary!
In that case, we will continue to bill you at the same rate per strand of mini-lights that you are currently paying (which is usually between $20 - $30 per strand), for the total number of mini-lights installed, including the strand(s) we added. If our installers feel that MORE than two additional strands are needed, rest assured that we WILL discuss this with you prior to finalizing your bill. (You do have the option to “opt out” of this policy. However, if you ask us to exclude your foliage from this policy, then there WILL be an additional service charge if you then ask us to return to add mini-lights to your display after we have finished your install.)
Pricing for Making Changes to Your Display this Year
The pricing listed below is meant to give you a ballpark idea for reference. In some cases, we may offer different pricing options to repeat customers, so please do not hesitate to contact us if you are thinking about making a change to your display.
- Color Change: $0.50/ft
- To change the color of the LED C7 or C9 bulbs in your display (lights on house/buildings and path lights), there will be a 1-time charge of $0.50/foot for the new bulbs and labor change-out costs. Available colors include clear, multi-colored (a mix of red, orange, yellow, green, and blue), candy-cane (alternating red and clear bulbs), and/or custom-schemes made from the above colors.
- Adding lights to the outline of your home or business: $4.00/ft
- To add a new area of your home to your display (such as a side of the house or over the garage), we will charge $4.00/foot this year and reduce that to your standard re-install rate for any future years. (If the area you wish to add is a straight gutter at a 1-story height, we may be able to offer you a discounted rate this year too.)
- Adding Mini-Lights: $20 - $30 per strand
- For mini-lights, we charge $20 per strand to wrap bushes and shrubs, $25 per strand to spiral wrap trees and standard-sized columns, and $30 per strand to wrap columns that are over 8 feet tall and individual tree branches. Color choices include clear, multi-colored, red and green.
- Adding Path Lights: $2.50/ft
- For path lights, we offer our full services at a rate of $2.50/foot this year and $2/foot for re-install for all repeat customers whose displays use C7 LED bulbs. (The path lights will be the same style, size, and color as the lights installed on your home unless you request otherwise.)
- Adding Wreaths: $25 - $50, depending
- We do not provide or sell wreaths, but we can install and take down a wreath that you provide, own, and store.
- We charge $50 the first time we hang your wreath and $25 - $35 for re-installation in future years.
- If we come to hang your wreath and its lights are not working, we will wrap the wreath with 1 strand of our warm clear mini lights before we hang it and plug it in. There will be an additional 1-time charge of $30 if we need to wrap your wreath with mini-lights.
- Adding Garland: $3/ft
- We will hang and take-down garland that you provide, maintain, and store for $3/foot.
- If you do not wish to select your own garland, you also have the option of purchasing garland from us for $7/ft this year for purchase, installation, and take down and $3/ft for future re-installations.
- If you purchase garland from us, we will provide the garland this year, install it, and take it down at the end of the season for you to store. The garland will then become your property, for you to store and maintain.
- Our pre-lit garland has warm clear mini lights and comes in 9-foot sections.