Most people look at a desk and see just a desk. But the trained eyes of office furniture dealers see much more: whether the desk is too high or too low to fit a user’s body type, or whether it will fit physically as well as aesthetically in a customer’s office space.
Choosing the right office furniture dealer
Dealers look at a desk and see a status symbol to distinguish a vice president from a receptionist, a branding and marketing tool for customers to impress their own clients, and an investment.
Many office furniture dealers are consultants as much as they are retailers, offering value-added services such as interior design, space configuration, color and fabric analysis, repair, deliver, and installation.
So when it comes to buying or renting office furniture, businesses should be prepared for a process rather than a quick transaction. Following through on several important steps will ensure they’ll have an ensemble they can build on as their workforce grows, say office furniture dealers.
Business owners should first establish a firm idea of what they want. It’s common sense, says John Ewine, president of Innovative Furniture Solutions Inc., St. Paul, but setting parameters is half the battle.
“Try and understand what it is you’re trying to accomplish,” he says. Is a business looking for a certain kind of look, or is it all about function? Does the staff work better as a team, which would require an open, unobstructed space, or is privacy more important? Should business leaders work with the rest of the staff in cubicles in one large room, or should they receive their own offices with desks? Should the fax machine and mail area be close at hand, or tucked away in its own space?
Also, a company’s industry affects the picture and scope of the process, says John Jacobs, president of Commercial Environments Inc. in Eagan. High-tech companies go through a lot of changes, law firms rarely change, and no one ever sees or cares what manufacturers’ offices look like, he says.
Once boundaries are set, companies have several options when it comes to choosing furniture. Dealers offer new, used, and refurbished or remanufactured furniture (used furniture that is repainted, re-upholstered, fixed and freshened up for sale or lease). Some offer just one option; others offer all three. Furniture can be bought, rented or leased.
Each option has its advantages and disadvantages. New furniture often is not available right out of a dealer’s store; it needs to be ordered and shipped from another site. Also, some new furniture dealers are beholden to just one or two brands or lines. Yet, there are huge tax breaks — up to a $100,000 deduction these days — for those companies willing to invest in new furniture. It’s government’s way of spurring the economy, says Ewine.
Remanufactured and used furniture is usually available for quick sale, rental or lease.
“If you’re going with remanufactured furniture, picking a dealer that does all of the remanufacturing in their own facility is a must,” says Ken Theisen, owner and principal of Alternative Business Furniture in Eden Prairie. “They are able to control not only costs, but more importantly, lead times. Lead time is a large advantage for a remanufacturer that does its own work over a new dealer.”
However, remanufactured furniture can have limited looks. Fast-growing companies especially might find it difficult to locate additional components that match the existing ensemble as more employees are hired. “You’re limited to what the supply is out there,” says Ewine.
Beware committees
A business leader should assign one or two employees the task of narrowing down the objective. “You don’t need a committee,” says Ewine. “You won’t get anything done; there are so many directions you can go.”
Selecting the right dealer can be as simple as looking one up in the Yellow Pages. Price-driven customers tend to opt for that route, says Theisen.
He and John Sorteberg, president of Commercial Furniture Services in St. Louis Park, instead recommend asking for references from colleagues. It’s smart to shop for a solid, long-term relationship, not a one-time, in-and-out affair, says Theisen: “Ask around, check references, go to the showroom.” Also, ask to view a project they completed one year ago, rather than one month ago, to see how it’s held up over time, he says.
Real estate agents and property managers are great sources because they’re often involved with furniture deals, says Jacobs. Some landlords throw in used furniture as an incentive for a lease, and know who and who not to work with.
Look for a dealer that can handle several tasks. Otherwise, “it’s another phone call,” says Theisen. Service information is usually listed on a dealer’s Web site. Expect larger dealers typically to offer a broader menu of services than smaller dealers.
“Anyone can sell furniture,” says Sorteberg. “But if something goes wrong and you want to change something or need some advice, you’ll want a firm with some services behind it.”
Disaster recovery is one important service some dealers offer. Companies might not consider it very heavily with so many other aspects to consider when furniture shopping. It made a huge difference for a couple clients of Sorteberg’s.
When a flood damaged furniture at a Wells Fargo Mortgage office in Iowa, Sorteberg and his team provided 500 folding tables and desks, seats and files for their employees to get up and running, “until they could figure out what they were going to do,” he says.
Sorteberg negotiated a rental fee for the equipment, which had been warehoused back at his headquarters. “We wanted to help them out and make it reasonable for them.”
His company also helped a Toro Co. office get back to work 10 years ago when a rainstorm and subsequent sewage problem destroyed its furniture. Insurance paid for Sorteberg’s company to rip out the damaged work stations and replace electrical products and panels.
Watch ergonomics
While disasters of this scope aren’t likely to occur at most companies, small injuries to employees’ hands, necks and backs are more common and can incur similarly huge costs. That’s why it’s important for businesses to seek chairs and other furniture that are adjusted for correct ergonomics. Many dealers offer ergonomics as a service.
Jennifer Smith, president of Innovation Office Solutions Inc. in Burnsville, suggests asking each dealer to bring a chair out to try. “Everyone has a different body shape. What feels good to one will be terrible for another,” she says. For large-group task seating, she suggests businesses look at full-function chair mechanisms, “which should be able to fit a vast majority of people.”
As for the entire picture of equipping offices with furniture: “There is really nothing scientific about the whole process,” says Karen Volner, vice president for furniture at New Brighton-based Corporate Express. “But the whole process should be enjoyable.”
