Question: I have had difficulty getting in...

Question: I have had difficulty getting in touch with the Contractors State License Board with a complaint. I have written letters and received no answer. I have phoned them and most often, the numbers are busy. You would think that their top priority would be to take care of the consumers and the homeowners.

Answer: Due to lack of personnel, the Licensing Committee, at its recent meeting in San Francisco on July 16, recommended the following priorities on which work would be handled. Priority 1: renewals, bonds, waiver applications, issuance of licenses, additional class applications, classification determination, license modifications, disciplinary actions and examination applications.

Priority 2: Record classification, public assistance at the front counter, phones and public information.

Priority 3: Response to public correspondence. The board approved these licensing priorities.

Needless to say, the consumer is way down the list.

Q: Can you give some good tips on how to hire an interior decorator?

A: The best way to select one is to have someone who is satisfied recommend one.

When you speak with an interior decorator, it is very imiportant that he or she realize your budget and the type of design you are interested in. It would be a good idea to have them show you photos of jobs that they have performed to give you an idea of the type of work that this firm does.

Some interior decorators are not really much more than furniture salesmen and your home can end up looking more like a furniture warehouse than one that had been decorated. A good interior decorator is going to try to fulfill your needs, within your budget and in good taste, no matter what period of furniture you prefer.

I would recommend negotiating a set fee for the project, with your getting the savings that the decorator would normally receive from the manufacturers with which you will be doing business.