There is something really special about buying a new piece of furniture for your home, shopping around and comparing all of the possible options before finally making your selection. For many consumers, this isn’t a decision that is taken lightly, particularly in the current economic climate. Whether purchasing new furniture in store or through an e-commerce site, once a consumer has made up their mind, having that item of furniture in the home promptly is always a plus.
Statistics for furniture purchases indicate that the single biggest number of furniture sales are made in store (41%), with the customer opting for home delivery, with 38% purchasing online for home delivery. The remainder of furniture purchases are made either in-store and taken home or made online for collection in person. With customers increasingly preferring speedy delivery, any furniture company offering same-day delivery could find itself very popular.
Of course, selling is only part of the process. Ensuring that the furniture arrives with customers on time and in perfect condition is essential. With this in mind, here are some of our tips for expert furniture delivery.
Selecting the right delivery company to deliver any item is essential. After all, you are placing your reputation in their hands. However, when it comes to larger items, particularly those that may be heavier, bulkier or simply a slightly more interesting shape (such as a couch) then you want to know they will handle your delivery properly. At DeliveryApp, all of our drivers are checked and approved before they begin working with us to ensure professionalism at every stage of your delivery and that all protocols are followed.
It may seem obvious, but if the address is wrong, then delivery will be difficult. If the order has come in via a website, then there is a good chance the customer has added it themselves, and it is correct, but checking never hurts. If the purchase was made in person, double-check the details. One incorrect digit on a postcode could send the delivery to the wrong street.
Large, heavy items of furniture are not easy to deliver, so being able to get as close to the property as possible is a must. Check with the customer that this is possible and also where the furniture is going to. If it’s a fourth floor flat, you want to be prepared!
Everyone has seen the sofa scene from Friends with the infamous sofa and the staircase, haven’t they? Check with the customer that the furniture in question will fit through narrow access-ways and around corners, because life really is too short to pivot!
A well-packaged item of furniture is far more likely to arrive in perfect condition than one that you pop into a cardboard box. The cost of replacing a damaged item, and the cost to your reputation is far greater than the cost of decent packaging materials. Corners are particularly prone to damage, so make sure these are covered fully.
There is nothing worse than waiting all day for a delivery, especially when you have something to do. Providing tracking details, and a time slot, to your customers is great customer service. In this day and age, this is something many customers expect, and this is something DeliveryApp can definitely help with.
Make sure you keep them in the loop, and if a problem occurs with a delivery, then tell them. It is always better to advise customers of issues rather than wait for them to ring you.
Don’t be caught out by a courier company that thinks they have enough room in their vehicle to fit your furniture delivery. If they are not informed of the dimensions and have a relatively full vehicle or send a vehicle that is too small, you may not be able to have the item delivered to the customer in the promised time frame. When using DeliveryApp we provide the dimensions of the vehicles so you know the right fit for your delivery. With this the customer can fill out the quote and we can give a competitive price in the market to make sure you delivery is the right price and with you on the same-day.
It should be evident that a larger item like a piece of furniture will need a two-person crew for delivery, but it is always best to check. If the item in question is particularly heavy, then you should also advise the courier company of this so that they can a lot the appropriate manpower and vehicle to deal with this.
GPS is a great tool that makes finding addresses easier than ever, but occasionally some addresses can defeat even the best GPS system. A postcode may not always take you to the correct property. Make sure if this is the case that you have detailed instructions from the customer to help find the correct property.
Sometimes even the best-laid plans can encounter issues. Check that you have a phone number for the customer that you can provide to the delivery courier if necessary. This way, they will be able to contact the customer if they might be a little early with the delivery, or if they arrive to find nobody is home.
The larger the item that is being delivered, the more likelihood there is that you could encounter a problem along the way. If you follow all of the suggestions on our checklist, then you will hopefully avoid most of these happening. There is never a guarantee that a large delivery will go without a hitch, but at DeliveryApp, we like to be prepared for all eventualities and pride ourselves on helping arrange deliveries to customers on time and without issues where possible.
One thing is for certain, just like Ross, Rachel and Chandler in Friends, or the poor unfortunate gentleman who was in the news recently, with the right information, we will certainly do our best to ensure that your customers’ furniture doesn’t get stuck during the delivery.
Written by Joe Ferris
