3 Questions You May Not Think to Ask When Buying Office Furniture
Buying office furniture may turn into a headache if you haven’t considered the delivery details, furniture assembly, and how warranty repairs are handled. Here are a few questions you’ll be happy you asked before buying office furniture.
1) Do you offer support after the sale?
If you’ve found a bargain deal online that you just can’t pass up, consider what might happen if the furniture is damaged during delivery or just doesn’t fit in your office. Working with a local office furniture supplier that offers support after the sale will help you avoid headaches you may not even foresee. Common types of support after the sale would be installation, assembly, repairs, replacements and warranty service. Make sure to ask about these up-front to avoid unplanned costs and unpleasant conversations after the sale.
2) What is the total cost of ownership?
When comparing the costs of furniture from one vendor to the next, it’s important to compare apples to apples. Making sure the quotes you’re reviewing include taxes and delivery are pretty obvious questions to ask. But, don’t forget to ask if the delivery price quoted includes getting the furniture into your office, and not just to a delivery dock in your city or to your warehouse. Does the price include furniture assembly? In the case of cubicles, installation is a large part of the project. If your layout needs change, will your vendor be available to reconfigure your layout? And, if so, what are the fees involved?
3) What exactly is covered by the warranty?
First, you’ll want to ensure the office furniture in Houston you’re purchasing does come with a warranty. Then, compare the warranty period to your expected use of the furniture and your planned depreciation period for the purchase. It’s a good practice to be prepared for future warranty repairs by asking what is covered by the warranty and how you would go about initiating a warranty request. Does the vendor provide in-office warranty repairs or will the furniture need to be sent out for repairs? Who arranges for pick up and return delivery? If a chair needs to go in for a warranty repair, will your vendor provide a loaner chair? Not all vendors will have the same answers to these questions so make sure that you’re comfortable with the answers, and any expected costs or downtime that you may incur.
ROSI Office Systems, with locations in Houston, San Antonio and Austin, Texas, can help you equip your facility with office furniture in Houston and provide you with service after the sale. Contact us today and we’ll help take you through a needs analysis process and then provide you with a proposal for best-in-class office furniture, accessories and design solutions.