After 10 years of selling aftermarket furniture care products to retailers I am still amazed as to how little importance is given to value adding products for creating extra sales to their customers.
It seems for many furniture retailers aftercare products are only an after thought. I believe that this under utilised form of untapped sales is money going begging.
The main purpose of any retail business is to sell products…as many of them as possible, big or small, but many furniture retailers ignore this, only concentrating on the large furniture sale and missing out on all the small one’s, that over a year could add up to a substantial amount of money.
The retailer must be proactive and make sure their staff are trained to offer add on products before completing the furniture sale and positioning small product displays that compliment the major sale on or near the counter.
Why do supermarkets keep small items at the checkout?
Why are McDonalds staff trained to ask ”Would you like fries with that”?
Because this is where and when the impulse buying occurs!
At the point of sale!
By the correct positioning of merchandise and asking their customers that simple question these companies add millions of dollars to there bottom line every year.
In a furniture store this is where the customer is most likely to purchase aftercare products as well.
Consider this…they’ve just bought a piece of furniture and more than likely wondering what would be the best way to look after it, so wouldn’t having a display at point of sale and training your staff to offer an after care product make perfect sense?
Many sales people are afraid to ask that simple question and fail to realise that they are doing the customer a disservice. Many customers see the salesperson as a trusted advisor and will not be offended by being offered products that compliment their purchase, especially if it in some way extends the life of the furniture or makes it look better.
It is a win – win situation, the customer doesn’t go off to the supermarket and buy the wrong furniture care products and the retailer has added value to each sale, offered the right products and improved customer service as well as decreased the chance of after sales problems occurring in the future.
Chris Green has been involved in the Australian Furniture Industry since 1982 and has vast experience in furniture transport, furniture warehousing and wholesale distribution of furniture care products.
For more tips, articles and product info go http://www.furniturecareproducts.com.au/
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Friday, September 7, 2007
12 Simple Wood Furniture Care Tips for Long Lasting Furniture.
Proper wood furniture care is essential if you want it to last, with some good information and the right furniture care products, fine wood furniture can really last for many years.
Below are some valuable care tips and links to products that will help you to get the most life and enjoyment out of your furniture.
(1) Do not place drink glasses, jugs or vases etc on the furniture's surface without a coaster or place mat to protect it.
(2) Never put hot, pots, pans, dishes, cups or mugs on wood furniture, always use place mats, coasters or heat proof pads to protect the surface. Heat marks and damage can be very difficult to remove and usually require a professional restorer to repair.
(3) Always keep coasters handy to prevent water rings.
(4) Keep wood furniture dry. If wood gets really wet for too long it can cause damage to the finish and actually warp the wood.
(5) Be sure to clean up any spills as soon as they occur. Using a blotting action rather than wiping is a better solution. Do not let spills dry or you could end up with a permanent stain.
(6) Never use any type of cover that has a rubber, plastic or vinyl backing on wood furniture, many of these materials have chemicals in them that can react with the wood's finish and cause major damage.
(7) When burning candles, it's advisable to use a felt protector with a plastic top. Candle wax will not run as much when it makes contact with plastic. If candle wax does happen to drop onto the wood surface wait until the wax has cooled and hardened before trying to remove it. For best results apply an ice cube onto the spilt wax until it goes hard and brittle then get an old credit card or smooth plastic spatula and gently scrape the wax off the surface. Once the candle wax is removed polish the area with a good quality beeswax polish and buff away any remaining residue.
(8) Keep furniture out of direct sunlight. When furniture is exposed to the sun for long periods of time it's possible for the furniture to fade and age prematurely. You may want to close the curtains or blinds during certain parts of the day to keep the direct sunlight off.
(9) If possible try to avoid extreme changes in temperature. Always arrange furniture away from radiators and air conditioning units.
(10) Dust your furniture regularly to keep the surface clean. Always use pure cotton polishing cloth to avoid scratching and use a good quality silicone and petro-chemical free furniture polish for excellent long term wood furniture care. Click here to find out how to select the right furniture polish
(11) Never do your nails on any painted, finished or stained furniture. Nail polish and especially nail polish remover will strip the finish right down to the wood. Please don't think that putting down newspaper will eliminate the problem, it will not. As a matter of fact the newspaper will probably glue it self to the top of the furniture creating just as big a problem as the nail polish falling straight onto the bare surface.
(12) Minor scratches and dents can often be removed by using furniture touch up products.
Chris Green
Superior Furniture Care Products
http://www.furniturecareproducts.com.au/
Below are some valuable care tips and links to products that will help you to get the most life and enjoyment out of your furniture.
(1) Do not place drink glasses, jugs or vases etc on the furniture's surface without a coaster or place mat to protect it.
(2) Never put hot, pots, pans, dishes, cups or mugs on wood furniture, always use place mats, coasters or heat proof pads to protect the surface. Heat marks and damage can be very difficult to remove and usually require a professional restorer to repair.
(3) Always keep coasters handy to prevent water rings.
(4) Keep wood furniture dry. If wood gets really wet for too long it can cause damage to the finish and actually warp the wood.
(5) Be sure to clean up any spills as soon as they occur. Using a blotting action rather than wiping is a better solution. Do not let spills dry or you could end up with a permanent stain.
(6) Never use any type of cover that has a rubber, plastic or vinyl backing on wood furniture, many of these materials have chemicals in them that can react with the wood's finish and cause major damage.
(7) When burning candles, it's advisable to use a felt protector with a plastic top. Candle wax will not run as much when it makes contact with plastic. If candle wax does happen to drop onto the wood surface wait until the wax has cooled and hardened before trying to remove it. For best results apply an ice cube onto the spilt wax until it goes hard and brittle then get an old credit card or smooth plastic spatula and gently scrape the wax off the surface. Once the candle wax is removed polish the area with a good quality beeswax polish and buff away any remaining residue.
(8) Keep furniture out of direct sunlight. When furniture is exposed to the sun for long periods of time it's possible for the furniture to fade and age prematurely. You may want to close the curtains or blinds during certain parts of the day to keep the direct sunlight off.
(9) If possible try to avoid extreme changes in temperature. Always arrange furniture away from radiators and air conditioning units.
(10) Dust your furniture regularly to keep the surface clean. Always use pure cotton polishing cloth to avoid scratching and use a good quality silicone and petro-chemical free furniture polish for excellent long term wood furniture care. Click here to find out how to select the right furniture polish
(11) Never do your nails on any painted, finished or stained furniture. Nail polish and especially nail polish remover will strip the finish right down to the wood. Please don't think that putting down newspaper will eliminate the problem, it will not. As a matter of fact the newspaper will probably glue it self to the top of the furniture creating just as big a problem as the nail polish falling straight onto the bare surface.
(12) Minor scratches and dents can often be removed by using furniture touch up products.
Chris Green
Superior Furniture Care Products
http://www.furniturecareproducts.com.au/
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