Now This is What a Furniture Warranty Should Look Like!

My VP of Sales was teasing me the other day about never following our written warranty guidelines. After a few moments of thinking about it, I realized she was right -- and here is the result.

http://www.prlog.org/10501690-simpli...y-program.html

I'm somewhat split on this article. Although I love the return policy as a consumer, as someone in the industry...shouldn't we hold people somewhat responsible for their special orders? We can't take back every piece of upholstery just because "we don't like the way it looks".

I am going to hazard a guess maybe they feel it's best for them to do this since they are direct from the manufacturer to customer business model and customers are ordering off a website never having the chance to see the furniture in person.

I know it's not always common for furniture stores to take back custom/build to order stuff just because it doesn't fit or look right.

WOW! That's a bold policy, Jeff - good for you to offer that. The "Nordstrom's' model! <g>

You're going to get a few back, but probably not many. It boosts confidence in your potential customers who might have reservations of buying sight unseen, for sure. I'm guessing that the increase is sales because of that will offset the occasional return you experience.

A long time ago when I first started this store I had the same policy, that "Nordstroms" one of "return it anytime for any reason." I love the concept. But word got out and I was soon targeted as an easy mark for the local area. What some people began doing was come to the store and furnishing their homes with my goods for large parties, and if they were here for a short term renting a home they were using us as a free rental store. Buy $ 30,000 worth of furniture and bring it all back later on. Sometimes a week, sometimes in six months. It almost drove me out of business. Much of it was non-sale-able as first quality goods when returned. Not only furniture, they'd take rugs, lamps, placements, bedding, decorative items, the whole store. And it would all come back, even the placemats! I had to stop offering it because of the actions of some who abused the privilege.

It think you are better positioned to offer than than a retail store however, because one household can only install so much upholstered furniture and that limits the exposure with such a generous policy.

Thank you all for your comments. One other advantage I have is a 3500 sq.ft. "Outlet Store" in the back of my office. (Rents are very cheap in High Point at the moment) and less than half a mile from the factory.

Usually I keep the outlet store stocked with items made up of discontinued end-of-roll fabrics (or some fabric I was able to buy as a closeout at $1/yd. But there is always room for the occasional return. A lot of the new stuff in the outlet store is sold to website customers at full-price when they don't want to wait the normal 4 weeks for a custom sofa. The returned stuff is sold at below cost prices only to people who come through the door who can see and feel the furniture.

One thing I left out of my article -- if a retailer and a manufacturer have a particularly close relationship, that can solve most of the normal customer service problems that arise in the industry.

One other thought -- in response to Duane's comment about customers taking advantage of the warranty, I actually have an advantage in that area also. Most of my customers (60%) buy from us because they have small doors or stairways that normal sofas will not fit through. If they return my sofa, there is really nothing else they can replace it with -- the only alternatives are futons or cheap IKEA type knock-down couches at much lower quality levels.