There are many factors to consider when ordering furniture that would benefit most buyers. In this blog, I hope to help my dedicated clients and other customers understand a few things to consider when ordering furniture.
There are three top things buyers should know when ordering furniture:
- Paperwork. This may seem a bit silly in this electronic age, but paperwork is critical. The paperwork ordering stage usually lasts a few days but it can take up to 2 weeks of back and forth communications. As an interior designer, I write up a Purchase Order and email it to the furniture manufacturer. The Purchase Order includes all the item numbers, names, finishes, fabrics, and the shipping destination. The manufacture then sends back an “Acknowledgement,” which restates the order and includes a tracking number. It’s my job to make sure the manufacturer has all of the correct details and then I send them payment in full. Once the manufacturer has payment, the order goes into the system.
- Stock. When an item shows up on a computer as being in stock there is a good chance the order will be filled quickly, BUT that is no guarantee. There are lots of factors to consider — for example how many people placed their order before you and how many items were in stock to begin with? If the computer shows stock they usually don’t say how many so it can be unintentionally disappointing.
- Delivery. This is the most misunderstood part of ordering furniture for clients. Everyone wants their items to just magically appear without any cost to them. In fact, this invisible part of your furniture order takes longer then you think and costs more than you might imagine. The reasons for this are understandable once you know what’s involved.
To begin with, let’s say the sofa you ordered was made in North Carolina. That sofa is delivered to your home via freight. The freight carrier is an 18-wheel truck that picks up many orders from the factory for delivery to several local receivers along the way. To get my client’s sofa to NJ the truck might stop at five locations before getting to my local receiver/delivery location.
That means it can take an average of 1-2 weeks before my client’s sofa is delivered locally…and we are not done yet. The local receiver unpacks and inspects each item and determines an efficient delivery route. At this point I receive an email from a white glove delivery service indicating that the item is in and we can then set up a delivery date for the next week.
The white glove delivery service features a large box truck and two to three men who deliver goods at several stops. Each delivery man is insured and is skilled at getting items into your home (which can be a challenge). Following my direction, they position the heavy item in place and remove all the packing materials so my client doesn’t have to dispose of packing materials. If needed, the deliverymen will install or assemble items as needed.
When my clients order items too small for shipping, those packages are delivered to their front door and the homeowner takes care of the rest.
I hope my blog helps shed some light on the behind the scenes processes that are involved when you order furniture. From order to delivery, a lot happens that my clients need never be concerned about. My clients love my concierge service, which means they never have to miss work to wait for deliveries.
