Should I get what I pay for, or pay for what I get?

[Mojo]

Doc, come on! pulling stapes is very challenging, especially if you have not had 1/3 of your brain removed or killed it with recreational drugs 8) :D 

Your so right Scotty. If I can pull staples anyone can. :)
I had a third of my brain removed from strokes and to much time in the 70's. :)

Chris

[kodydog]

Ahh the 70's

[scottymc]

Your so right Scotty. If I can pull staples anyone can. :)
I had a third of my brain removed from strokes and to much time in the 70's. :)

Chris
[/quote]

Ahh but Chris you have used what is left of your brain better than the rest of us , as you don't pull any staples do you?

[Mojo]

I try and avoid it Scotty. :)

Chris

[kodydog]

And when I get a customer on the phone, I'm ready to deliver their furniture IMMEDIATELY.

I know what you mean Doc. I believe the two most important things in this business are customer service and quality.

My wife was apprehensive when we first started our business. I told her if you treat people how you like to be treated we'll be alright.

I worked for a fellow several years ago. He had a good business with 4 or 5 employees. I enjoyed working for him. But he'd do something that would drive me crazy. He'd pick up a piece of furniture and tell the customer he'd have it back in 2 weeks. I'd get the piece done and then it would sit on the floor for 5 or 6 weeks. Sometimes their would be 6 or 7 thousand dollars siting on the floor waiting for delivery.

Oh well! I guess everybody's different. Thank God.   

[sofadoc]

He'd pick up a piece of furniture and tell the customer he'd have it back in 2 weeks. I'd get the piece done and then it would sit on the floor for 5 or 6 weeks.

My grandmother did the same thing. She did it because she was afraid that the customer would feel cheated if we didn't take several weeks to do their furniture.
Sure enough, when I took over the business, I did a job for one of my grandmother's old customers. I picked a chair up on Monday, and then called the lady on Friday to tell her that it was ready. She freaked. She said that I MUST have cut a lot of corners to get it done that fast. She nitpicked it to pieces. My grandmother called her and assured her that she would personally oversee the re-work. All we did was put the chair in the store room for a couple of weeks, and then  my grandmother called her to tell her that everything had been fixed.
The lady was THRILLED with it when I delivered it (I did have to listen to a rather lengthy lecture from her about taking the proper time to do a quality job). ;)

[kodydog]

That's funny. When I deliver a piece in less than a week my customers usually get an attitude like I must be making $500 an hour. Everyone knows upholsterers only make $5.

I just did a repair for a furniture store. Three piece sectional. I had to replace the foam on a tight seat. The sectional is only 3 months old and the seat is already sagging.

The furniture company sent me the new foam. When I got the old foam out I laid the new piece next to it on my table. I swear their was a 1 1/2" difference in height. The springs and frame were fine.  I went ahead and put the new foam in knowing it was going to make the rest of the sectional look like crap. Normally I would have suggested sending the whole thing back to the furniture company and let them worry about it but the piece is discontinued (and this is probably why). I should have kept it for 3 or 4 weeks like you said but we picked it up a week before thanksgiving and they wanted it back before the holiday.

Sure enough when I delivered it the customer said , "now I want the other 2 seats done". I do a lot of work for this store and just happened to be there yesterday when the guy called. He didn't say anything about the other two pieces but said the one I delivered looked great for about two days and now looks like it did when I first picked it up.

Nobody's blaming me, they know I always do a first rate job, but their besides themselves trying to figure out what to do. I felt the furniture company, and their one of the biggies, needs to take the furniture back and refund the costumer. Any other suggestions.

[Darren Henry]

needs to take the furniture back and refund the costumer. Any other suggestions.

I would try to convince them to have you add a layer of "uni-deck" [it may be called something else down there; looks like a roll of dryer lint or really cheap snow boot liner] to keep the springs from eating the foam and some decent quality foam.

[kodydog]

I know I said it was a tight seat but it's a semi-attached cushion with 6" foam. Their is no spring cover but the casing has that thin, kind of like muslin fabric on the bottom. I could replace the foam but we all know how expensive 6" foam is and I'd have to charge to cut and wrap it. The last time I took one piece apart I spent about 4 hours on it. Their stuck because its discontinued. I don't think their going to have me do any more work on it. I just felt bad for the furniture store because their spending all this time and the whole deal makes them look bad.

[sofadoc]

I don't think their going to have me do any more work on it. I just felt bad for the furniture store because their spending all this time and the whole deal makes them look bad.

Cheap furniture has to be fixed at a cheap price. I do similar repairs for a local retailer all the time.
They USED to get snippy with me when a piece came back multiple times for repair.
So, I "fixed it right", and presented them a bill. Now, they tell me to just "fix what's broke".
I don't think they worry too much about "looking bad". They're selling cheap furniture at cheap prices.
The sad thing is that in many cases, the factory could've built a decent sofa for just about $100 more.

[kodydog]

I hear ya Doc.