Furniture plays a crucial role in creating a comfortable environment around the house. When selecting furniture, it is essential to choose a reputable supplier who will help you make the best decision for your home. Here are 12 critical questions to ask before purchasing from a furniture supplier.
With competitive price and timely delivery, JE Group sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.
What is your experience in the furniture
industry?
Experience is a key factor when choosing a furniture supplier. A supplier with many years of experience is likely to have a better understanding of the market and be able to offer better advice and guidance on the best products to suit your needs.
Can you provide references from previous clients?
References from previous clients can give you an insight into the quality of service provided by the supplier. You can ask for referrals from clients with similar requirements to yours to get a better idea of what to expect.
Do you offer a warranty for your products?
A warranty assures that the furniture is of good quality and that the supplier is committed to customer satisfaction. Ask your supplier about the warranty terms and what it covers.
What is the lead time for delivery and installation?
Delivery and installation times are crucial when planning a project. It is essential to know the lead time to ensure that your project is not delayed due to the late delivery of furniture.
Can you customise the furniture to meet my specific requirements?
Customization options can help you achieve the exact look and feel you want for your space. Ask your supplier about customization options, such as size, colour, and material.
Do you offer a trial period for the furniture?
A trial period allows you to test the furniture and decide if it meets your needs. Ask your supplier if they offer a trial period and the terms and conditions associated with it.
What is the process for returns or exchanges?
It is important to know the supplier's policy on returns or exchanges in case the furniture does not meet your expectations.
How do you handle damage or defects during shipping and delivery?
Ask your supplier about their policy on handling damage or defects during shipping and delivery. A good supplier will have measures in place to ensure that you receive your furniture in good condition.
Can you provide a detailed quote that includes all costs, such as delivery and installation?
A detailed quote will help you avoid surprises and budget accordingly. Make sure the quote includes all costs, including delivery and installation.
What are your payment process and terms?
Ask your supplier about their payment process and terms. It is important to know the payment schedule and any fees associated with the payment process.
Do you offer ongoing support and maintenance services?
Ongoing support and maintenance services can help extend the life of your furniture. Ask your supplier about any support and maintenance services they offer.
Can we confirm arrival dates, is it possible to hold off on orders leaving the factory until the site is ready to receive the order?
It is important to know if a furniture supplier is willing to work with you to meet your specific delivery needs and if they are flexible enough to make changes if necessary. This can help avoid potential delays and ensure a smoother delivery process.
How do you stay current with the latest trends and technology in office furniture?
Staying up to date with the latest trends and technology in office furniture can help suppliers offer better products and services. Ask your supplier about their approach to staying current with industry trends and technology.
In conclusion, choosing the right furniture supplier is a crucial decision that can impact the comfort and productivity of your home/business. By asking the right questions and choosing a reputable supplier with experience, a warranty, customisable options, a fair payment process, and ongoing support and maintenance services, you can find a supplier who will help you create a comfortable and productive work environment.
This guide aims to share with you how to choose an office furniture supplier effectively.
You will learn:
If you&#;re looking for an office furniture supplier from China, this article is tailored for you.
There are tens of thousands of office furniture suppliers in China.
According to China&#;s company data service, until July 17, , there are 33,094 operating office furniture companies across China.
This does not include companies with only &#;furniture&#; in their company name. If those are added, there will be many more office furniture suppliers because many office furniture factories don&#;t actually have the word &#;office&#; in their company name.
Filter one office furniture company out of so many companies is obviously not an easy job.
But, there should be effective ways.
And the first step would be to be clear with what you need.
We can briefly divide the office furniture industry into 5 categories:
CategoryDescriptionExamplesDesksVarious types of desks designed for different purposes and work environments.Executive desks, computer desks, standing desks, conference tables.ChairsA range of chairs designed to support different tasks and user needs in the office.Ergonomic chairs, executive chairs, task chairs, visitor chairs.StorageFurniture designed to organize and store office materials and documents.Filing cabinets, bookshelves, credenzas, storage units.Modular SystemsFlexible and adaptable furniture systems that can be reconfigured to suit changing office layouts.Cubicles, partitions, modular workstations.AccessoriesAdditional items that enhance the functionality and organization of office workspaces.Keyboard trays, monitor arms, cable management systems.There are big office furniture companies that produce most or all of the 5 categories of products, but it&#;s more common that a furniture company produces only 1 category or even a sub-category of the main category.
For example.
The techniques in producing office desks is very different from chairs.
The techniques in producing modern office desks is very different from traditional desks.
The techniques in producing mesh chairs is also different from leather chairs.
The techniques in producing sofa, storage products like cabinet, modular systems and accessories are way different from each other.
That&#;s the fact in the industry.
And if you know it, the rest steps become clearer and easier for you to move on to.
The company is the world’s best Office Sofa China Manufacturer supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
Note: this article isn&#;t a list of all possible ways, but some practical methods based on the our experience and understanding.
There are 3 routes you can follow
(1) Find a big supplier in the industry
a: Check with your family or trustworthy friends.
This is usually the most reliable and effective method.
If you have someone from your family or close friends who&#;ve worked with certain suppliers, you can get rid of the need of building trust and get the best price possible with their referral.
b: Refer to top office furniture lists.
To make it easy for you, we&#;ve writen a post on this and you can check it out directly.
c: Google &#;top office furniture suppliers in China&#; and you&#;ll see different pages of similar results. The companies that show up on the lists are more possible to be big furniture suppliers. &#;
d: use B2B platforms like Alibaba, Made-in-China, Global Sources, browse the furniture category and located companies with more years on the platform.
The pros of working with big players in the field is that some of them can offer complete categories of products and that you don&#;t need to deal with different vendors, which can save you some time.
However, you can also get higher prices with such suppliers.
(2) Find one company for each category or product
a: Check with your family or trustworthy friends.
Again, this is the best way.
b: use B2B platforms like Alibaba, Made-in-China, Global Sources, search the product you need and check supplier profiles with longer years and those that only supply the product you need.
c: Google &#;your product + manufacturer / factory / supplier in China&#;
(3) Find a furniture sourcing agent or one-stop furniture supplier
Working with a furniture sourcing agent or a one-stop supplier has become increasingly popular among small buyers.
These players in the field are usually very knowledgeable in the furniture industry. They have large supplier network and know the pros and cons of differnet suppliers.
So they&#;re more flexible in meeting customers&#; expectations.
a: Consider Sorse Furniture. We pride ourselves on keeping creating value for our customers.
b: Swift Horse Sourcing is a trustworthy furniture sourcing agent in Foshan, China.
c: Google &#;furniture sourcing agent in China&#; or &#;foshan sourcing agent&#;.
Think about your own industry.
Say you sell cell phones. Two &#;customers&#; A and B came to the store.
A said, &#;How much is a cell ?&#;
B said: &#;How much is HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro 8GB+128GB, is there any stock?&#;
Faced with the above situation, I think you are most likely to have the same idea as me:
Customer B should be taken seriously, because he is likely to buy a mobile and is very clear about his needs.
And customer A is either just asking the price, comparing the price, or he could be a price sensitive customer; Or maybe he wants to buy, but because of his lack of understanding of the product, it&#;s needed to guide him step by step, and the probability of closing the deal is also very low; or he can be someone who doesn&#;t even know what he wants.
It&#;s a similar story in the office furniture industry.
Some clients come up and ask, &#;How much is your chair?&#;
When asked about such questions, most suppliers don&#;t really know how to deal with them.
So it&#;s very important to know how to ask for prices.
For suppliers to quote accurately, you need to tell them what you need with as many details as you can.
Product name, image, quantity, specifications (materials, colors, sizes etc.), packing requirements are the information that suppliers need.
You may not have all that, and it&#;s OK.
Just provide them with as much as you can for the sake of getting the best possible quotation in the most efficient way.
DOs
If you&#;re serious about your business, know that you&#;re doing business with people and you need to show fundamental respect to your suppliers.
This will also bring you good deals because sellers like doing business with customers who respect them.
Do show respect to your suppliers
Do keep your word. If you say something today and change it tomorrow and keep repeating, no one will take you seriously.
DON&#;Ts
Don&#;t be mean to share your request details: the more suppliers have, the more accurate prices you get.
Don&#;t exaggerate your order quantity: don&#;t say pcs when you only order 10 or 100. These tricks sometimes work; but in most cases they will harm your credibility.
Don&#;t ask for everything: everything means nothing. Suppliers know that, too.
Don&#;t over promise: promise only what you can. Over promising will eventually harm your credibility.
Hello,
This is XXX from XXX company. [brief industroduction of your company]
I&#;m looking for XXX and details are attached to the . Could you send me your quotation? Let me know if anything is unclear.
Thank you
XXX
Whether you&#;re new to the furntiure industry or if you are already an experienced buyer, there are some points to pay attention to.
Don&#;t be too surprised if the prices you got are higher than your expectations, because you can lose a potentially good supplier.
There are too many factors affecting the cost of an office furniture piece and it&#;s not possible for all furniture suppliers to have the same cost and qutoation.
If you think the prices you get are too high or doesn&#;t make sense, don&#;t hurry to block the supplier yet.
When you receive quatations higher than expected, the best way is to ask a few more furniture companies for quotations.
This way, you&#;ll get to know if you understood the industry enough or if the previous company was really offering crazy prices.
But maybe higher prices are with higher quality.
Do you want better quality or better price?
This is where you need to make an evaluation.
If you&#;re biding for a furniture project, maybe good enough quality is OK.
If you&#;re building your own brand, you may want to make sure you&#;re getting the quality that meets your target market first, and then consider prices.
Quality furniture come at a price.
Plus different companies have different managing costs, it&#;s very hard to evaluate the offer just from the matter of price.
So, for such rquests, it&#;s necessary to consider other factors like the qualification, experience, expertise and whether the people you deal with are professional and active in answering your questions and taking actions to meet your expectations.
Do not be too surprised for unbelieveably low prices, as this may be the beginning of headache.
Everything comes at a cost. Office furniture is no exemption, of course.
If some quotations are obviously much lower, it&#;s better to be cautious!
Maybe the quotation was based on low quality materials or cut workmanship.
Or maybe there are other unknow reasons.
More often than not, you&#;ll receive unqualified products.
The result is: you paid for the products, but because they can&#;t really do the job, you have to buy again from another supplier, at a normal price.
Not worth it!
Consider asking for better prices after confirming product quality (and not the other way around)
If the high quote company is indeed better at other aspects, it&#;s feasible to discuss the product details and business matters first. And then, after you&#;re clear with everything, consider talking about prices.
Focusing too much on prices before product specifications are confirmed will more likely affect you to the negative side.
On the one hand, a normally running business might offer high prices, but usually they won&#;t be crazy. After all, they got competitors around.
On the other hand, to keep enough profit, a furniture supplier has to cut corners by using lower grade materials, thinner materials (without letting you know) etc., which isn&#;t what the furniture manufacturer wanted to do.
So, if product details are confirmed before bargaining on prices, the furniture factory may consider readucing the profit margin a little bit to potentially win a new customer.
After all, who doesn&#;t want a sincere customer?
But if you&#;re very price sensitive, suppliers will want to know what you need as quickly as possible. If you&#;re target customer, good. If not, they will stop putting more manpower in your case.
Whether you found the supplier through your family or friends, or google searches, it&#;s best to understand them as much as possible to avoid possible problems afterwards.
In many cases, suppliers will send you a PI (Proforma Invoice) to serve as both an agreement and a request for payment.
However, you can also consider signing a contract. This is especially important for big orders.
Even if both parties decided not to sign a contract, it&#;s suggested to keep and back up all your conversations by , and WeChat etc.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment or contact us directly.
For more information, please visit Sleek design meeting chairs.