carolina furniture
I have always heard advertisements on my television for Carolina furniture, but for the longest time I had the wrong idea. While there may indeed by furniture that is called “Carolina”, the store in my area was actually named after the owner, not a brand or type. The commercials have been around for as long as I can remember, and they feature the owner singing a really horrible jingle. I have noticed lately that he is no longer in the commercials, so I think he may have retired and left the business to his sons.
I don’t know if the ads done for Carolina furniture where done this way on purpose or not. Though the commercials are somewhat horrible, they do stick in your head. I would think that would be the whole point. I’m not in advertising, but it stands to reason that something sticking in your head is more important than the quality of the ad. If you were to think of the Carolina furniture ad each time you think about new furniture, you may indeed end up going there, just to see if they really can offer the prices they advertise.
I think the only reason I have not visited Carolina furniture is because of where they are located. They are not in Carolina, but rather in a very rural area of Pennsylvania. I don’t know how they do business out there, but they must be doing something right, as they have been in business for a very long time. They couldn’t have this type of success if their commercials did not make people want to visit. I’m just not sure what it is about the commercials that inspires this type of loyalty. You may have seen ads like these in your own community, but they may have been for used cars rather than furniture.
Though the commercials for Carolina furniture are pretty cheesy, those who have shopped there tell me they do have great stuff, and you can get a great deal there. They advertise that you can get “more for your money every day” and I guess they do live up to the promise. I have yet to shop at Carolina furniture, but I think I might go there some time soon. I have gone to many other places in my community that offer great deals, but either the deals aren’t that great, or what you get for your money is not what is should be.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Childrens Chair,
Childrens Chair
My daughter is spoiled by my entire family. This is why I often have a problem walking through her room. She doesn’t know it yet, but there is a big change coming. She has too much stuff, and a lot of it has to go, especially before the holidays come and they try to give her another pile of stuff that we simply do not have room for, and stuff that she really doesn’t need to have in the first place. One thing I will never get rid of however is the childrens chair that she picked out herself and uses all the time.
Her childrens chair is something she got when we decided that should could pick out something so she would have a chair her own size to sit in the living room with us when we watch a movie or television show together. This childrens chair was set among a whole variety of other chairs, but it didn’t take her long to figure out which one she wanted. This chair is soft, just her size, and has the Wiggles on it. When she sees something with the Wiggles, there is not much you can do to change her mind when she wants it. Luckily for her, that is not a problem for me.
You can find childrens chair of all types almost anywhere you buy kids toys and accessories. Many stores have different types and different themes, and it is often a matter of buying a childrens chair that works for you and your family. You can get a soft one like my daughter has, though remember it may get dirty easily. You can also buy the wooden kind that is easy to clean, but they may not find it very comfortable if you all settle down to watch something together.
You can even find a childrens chair that is a smaller replica of what you already have in your home. You can get a mini recliner that will sit in your living room and look quite cute there. These are often more expensive than almost any other childrens chair, but if you want to spend the money, your child can get many years of use out of it, and any small visitors you have will love to sit in it as well. These will be durable, sturdy, and will be able to be cleaned just like you do when you clean the rest of your living room furniture.
My daughter is spoiled by my entire family. This is why I often have a problem walking through her room. She doesn’t know it yet, but there is a big change coming. She has too much stuff, and a lot of it has to go, especially before the holidays come and they try to give her another pile of stuff that we simply do not have room for, and stuff that she really doesn’t need to have in the first place. One thing I will never get rid of however is the childrens chair that she picked out herself and uses all the time.
Her childrens chair is something she got when we decided that should could pick out something so she would have a chair her own size to sit in the living room with us when we watch a movie or television show together. This childrens chair was set among a whole variety of other chairs, but it didn’t take her long to figure out which one she wanted. This chair is soft, just her size, and has the Wiggles on it. When she sees something with the Wiggles, there is not much you can do to change her mind when she wants it. Luckily for her, that is not a problem for me.
You can find childrens chair of all types almost anywhere you buy kids toys and accessories. Many stores have different types and different themes, and it is often a matter of buying a childrens chair that works for you and your family. You can get a soft one like my daughter has, though remember it may get dirty easily. You can also buy the wooden kind that is easy to clean, but they may not find it very comfortable if you all settle down to watch something together.
You can even find a childrens chair that is a smaller replica of what you already have in your home. You can get a mini recliner that will sit in your living room and look quite cute there. These are often more expensive than almost any other childrens chair, but if you want to spend the money, your child can get many years of use out of it, and any small visitors you have will love to sit in it as well. These will be durable, sturdy, and will be able to be cleaned just like you do when you clean the rest of your living room furniture.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Guidelines Of Shipments In Online Furniture Sale
Having been a part of e-commerce now for over 10 years. I've had the wonderful opportunity of speaking with folks all across the country who have been in the market for new furniture over the years. Many of these individuals were seasoned web shoppers with a lot of knowledge about how products are shipped and what to expect at the time of delivery. They had purchased large ticket items before and shopping online came very natural to them. There are also customers I talked with who were making furniture their first online purchase. They had never purchased so much as a CD or DVD online before and were starting out pretty big so to speak. These customers were always very pleased to find what they were looking for but may have been somewhat unprepared or perhaps didn't get a chance to read some of the information online about what to expect at the time of delivery or how the product would be packaged when it arrives. I'd like this article to be a guide for consumers who are new to purchasing furniture online and perhaps this will answer some more common questions related to buying furniture online that aren't normally addressed when shopping furniture stores online and take the mystery out buying furniture online.
How is furniture shipped?
Furniture is shipped several different ways when you purchase it online and when you buy online it is important to read on the website how the product is being shipped so that you are prepared at the time of delivery to receive your new furniture. Most sites are pretty good about sharing this information to their customers so that they will have an idea of how the furniture is coming and who will need to be home to receive it when it comes. Below are the three common ways furniture is shipped when you purchase it online.
UPS/FedEx/DHL/ Ground Services
These are common services used by many online retailers and is used typically for items that are RTA (Ready to Assemble) furniture. [More about this later.] This packaging is small enough that one person can easily manage it and the retailer will usually provide you a tracking number that you can use online to track your package for the date of delivery. The delivery driver will usually bring it to your door but if you live in an large apartment complex or on a second floor they usually deliver to a central location.
These delivery drivers usually run the same routes every day and typically will come with the delivery around the same time frames of the usual deliveries they do in that area. There isn't a way to schedule a delivery time with this type of delivery as these companies are just too large with too many packages going through their systems to be able to set up timed deliveries so it is best to be able to have someone home to receive delivery on the day they specify or if you know your delivery driver and you live in a safe area where packages can be left at your door you can always leave a note to leave your package.
Standard Truckline Curbside Delivery
These services are usually done through a truckline like Roadway, Yellow, Overnite, Estes, Conway, USF and so many more. Many of the products shipped with these carriers are too large for FedEx or UPS and need to be shipped with a carrier able to handle larger packages. Many of the products shipped with this service are RTA (Ready to Assemble) furniture but many others come fully assembled when being shipped with this method so it is very important to know from the retailer how your product comes packaged. The nice thing about this service though is you can schedule your own delivery for a day that works for you in most cases within a time window of several hours.
Standard curbside delivery service is just that. These are often delivered on semi-trucks with 50 foot long trailers that are not going to be able to back into your drive let alone go through neighborhoods with low telephone or powerlines or where semi trucks are prohibited from being used or can't turn around. The driver will bring your furniture to the back of the truck but someone will need to be able to receive it and take it inside. Sometimes a service to help customers get it to their front door is available and can be added for a fee to the order. It is referred to by many different names. Lift-gate, inside first threshold, inside residential delivery and many more. The fees for this can vary greatly and if you can have help at the time of delivery this is something that is worth saving as most often your furniture will be in several boxes and typically one to two people can manage most of the furniture products shipped.
White Glove Delivery
This one has always brought a smile to my face as I remember years ago a customer telling me she was rather disappointed. I asked why and she told me that the delivery folks weren't wearing white gloves when they delivered her furniture. Well... white glove delivery is just an expression used that indicates the furniture is being handled by moving professionals into your home. This is actually a very premium service that not many online retailers offer due to the high costs of the service. The advantage though is that a professional moving company is hired to pickup your furniture and bring it to your home where two professional furniture movers will bring your furniture into the room you need it and help un-box it. If your furniture comes already assembled then you are ready to go as this service usually doesn't include setup or assembly of furniture. The important thing about this service though is it gets the furniture right into the room where you need it. Much like truckline delivery you can setup a day and time window with the shipping company to schedule delivery.
Is my furniture assembled when it is delivered?
Furniture retailers often ship furniture RTA which in the industry is short for (ready to assemble). This means that the product is shipped unassembled in parts and that there is some assembly required by the person receiving the furniture before they can use it. The reason for this is not to make it difficult on the person buying the furniture but as a means of packaging it in such a way to prevent shipping damage and by packaging it smaller it can ship by a less expensive means which helps to keep the pricing lower for the furniture. Some furniture is shipped assembled in the box though and depending on the size of the piece of furniture purchased you may need assistance receiving it so double check with the retailer if you are unsure. I always liked the retailer joke that said they tried shipping people with the furniture to assemble it but they often got lost or never made it back so they don't ship people to assemble the furniture anymore. (Anyone need me shipped to Hawaii to assemble some beds?)
What happens if my furniture arrives damaged?
A very good question. Fortunately most furniture arrives just fine when shipped and rare is it that problems happen. However there are times when perhaps a forklift accidentally runs through a box or an item is accidentally impacted and it's best to be prepared for what to do when this happens. Since it doesn't happen often, customers are not always prepared for what to do if their furniture has suffered damage in shipping.
Whether an item is shipped UPS/FedEx/DHL or truckline retailers usually ask that customers look over the product themselves since the retailer can't be there to help should there be an issue. Signs to look for are crushed ends on a box, impact through the box or areas of the box that have been taped over by the shipping company. These are sometimes signs that the furniture may have had an issue in shipping. It is actually best to open up the packaging and inspect the surfaces of the furniture to be free from scratches, dings and dents before you accept it. If you find something you can't live with, it's best to note that while the driver is present on the receipt the driver has you sign or to simply refuse the product due to damage. That way a replacement can be sent to you at no charge. Many customers aren't aware that this is an important extra step in receiving their furniture much in the same way the retailer receives it at the warehouse when it is first inspected. It's your furniture after all and you want to make sure it's exactly the way you want it before accepting it.
When ordering furniture online you can take much of the mystery of delivery away by finding out several things. First, find out how it is being shipped and with what carrier. This will help you understand the information you'll be getting and how to best use it. Second, ask how it comes packaged and if possible the weight of the packages so you can decide if you need to have someone there at the time of delivery to help you. That way you'll know ahead of time how to plan for getting the furniture into your home. Third, when your furniture is delivered check it over well to make sure everything arrived safely and if you find anything make a note of it on the delivery receipt you sign. Ask the retailer up front before you buy what things you should do in case of damage. It's a perfectly reasonable question to ask to be prepared in that rare instance that something does happen to your furniture during shipping. Fourth, enjoy your new furniture! It can be very rewarding to find exactly what you're looking for online when you were unable to find it locally. This is the reason online retailers exist so that they can offer products that their customers want but can't find anywhere else. If you keep these things in mind when ordering your furniture online, you're sure to become a seasoned web shopper.
How is furniture shipped?
Furniture is shipped several different ways when you purchase it online and when you buy online it is important to read on the website how the product is being shipped so that you are prepared at the time of delivery to receive your new furniture. Most sites are pretty good about sharing this information to their customers so that they will have an idea of how the furniture is coming and who will need to be home to receive it when it comes. Below are the three common ways furniture is shipped when you purchase it online.
UPS/FedEx/DHL/ Ground Services
These are common services used by many online retailers and is used typically for items that are RTA (Ready to Assemble) furniture. [More about this later.] This packaging is small enough that one person can easily manage it and the retailer will usually provide you a tracking number that you can use online to track your package for the date of delivery. The delivery driver will usually bring it to your door but if you live in an large apartment complex or on a second floor they usually deliver to a central location.
These delivery drivers usually run the same routes every day and typically will come with the delivery around the same time frames of the usual deliveries they do in that area. There isn't a way to schedule a delivery time with this type of delivery as these companies are just too large with too many packages going through their systems to be able to set up timed deliveries so it is best to be able to have someone home to receive delivery on the day they specify or if you know your delivery driver and you live in a safe area where packages can be left at your door you can always leave a note to leave your package.
Standard Truckline Curbside Delivery
These services are usually done through a truckline like Roadway, Yellow, Overnite, Estes, Conway, USF and so many more. Many of the products shipped with these carriers are too large for FedEx or UPS and need to be shipped with a carrier able to handle larger packages. Many of the products shipped with this service are RTA (Ready to Assemble) furniture but many others come fully assembled when being shipped with this method so it is very important to know from the retailer how your product comes packaged. The nice thing about this service though is you can schedule your own delivery for a day that works for you in most cases within a time window of several hours.
Standard curbside delivery service is just that. These are often delivered on semi-trucks with 50 foot long trailers that are not going to be able to back into your drive let alone go through neighborhoods with low telephone or powerlines or where semi trucks are prohibited from being used or can't turn around. The driver will bring your furniture to the back of the truck but someone will need to be able to receive it and take it inside. Sometimes a service to help customers get it to their front door is available and can be added for a fee to the order. It is referred to by many different names. Lift-gate, inside first threshold, inside residential delivery and many more. The fees for this can vary greatly and if you can have help at the time of delivery this is something that is worth saving as most often your furniture will be in several boxes and typically one to two people can manage most of the furniture products shipped.
White Glove Delivery
This one has always brought a smile to my face as I remember years ago a customer telling me she was rather disappointed. I asked why and she told me that the delivery folks weren't wearing white gloves when they delivered her furniture. Well... white glove delivery is just an expression used that indicates the furniture is being handled by moving professionals into your home. This is actually a very premium service that not many online retailers offer due to the high costs of the service. The advantage though is that a professional moving company is hired to pickup your furniture and bring it to your home where two professional furniture movers will bring your furniture into the room you need it and help un-box it. If your furniture comes already assembled then you are ready to go as this service usually doesn't include setup or assembly of furniture. The important thing about this service though is it gets the furniture right into the room where you need it. Much like truckline delivery you can setup a day and time window with the shipping company to schedule delivery.
Is my furniture assembled when it is delivered?
Furniture retailers often ship furniture RTA which in the industry is short for (ready to assemble). This means that the product is shipped unassembled in parts and that there is some assembly required by the person receiving the furniture before they can use it. The reason for this is not to make it difficult on the person buying the furniture but as a means of packaging it in such a way to prevent shipping damage and by packaging it smaller it can ship by a less expensive means which helps to keep the pricing lower for the furniture. Some furniture is shipped assembled in the box though and depending on the size of the piece of furniture purchased you may need assistance receiving it so double check with the retailer if you are unsure. I always liked the retailer joke that said they tried shipping people with the furniture to assemble it but they often got lost or never made it back so they don't ship people to assemble the furniture anymore. (Anyone need me shipped to Hawaii to assemble some beds?)
What happens if my furniture arrives damaged?
A very good question. Fortunately most furniture arrives just fine when shipped and rare is it that problems happen. However there are times when perhaps a forklift accidentally runs through a box or an item is accidentally impacted and it's best to be prepared for what to do when this happens. Since it doesn't happen often, customers are not always prepared for what to do if their furniture has suffered damage in shipping.
Whether an item is shipped UPS/FedEx/DHL or truckline retailers usually ask that customers look over the product themselves since the retailer can't be there to help should there be an issue. Signs to look for are crushed ends on a box, impact through the box or areas of the box that have been taped over by the shipping company. These are sometimes signs that the furniture may have had an issue in shipping. It is actually best to open up the packaging and inspect the surfaces of the furniture to be free from scratches, dings and dents before you accept it. If you find something you can't live with, it's best to note that while the driver is present on the receipt the driver has you sign or to simply refuse the product due to damage. That way a replacement can be sent to you at no charge. Many customers aren't aware that this is an important extra step in receiving their furniture much in the same way the retailer receives it at the warehouse when it is first inspected. It's your furniture after all and you want to make sure it's exactly the way you want it before accepting it.
When ordering furniture online you can take much of the mystery of delivery away by finding out several things. First, find out how it is being shipped and with what carrier. This will help you understand the information you'll be getting and how to best use it. Second, ask how it comes packaged and if possible the weight of the packages so you can decide if you need to have someone there at the time of delivery to help you. That way you'll know ahead of time how to plan for getting the furniture into your home. Third, when your furniture is delivered check it over well to make sure everything arrived safely and if you find anything make a note of it on the delivery receipt you sign. Ask the retailer up front before you buy what things you should do in case of damage. It's a perfectly reasonable question to ask to be prepared in that rare instance that something does happen to your furniture during shipping. Fourth, enjoy your new furniture! It can be very rewarding to find exactly what you're looking for online when you were unable to find it locally. This is the reason online retailers exist so that they can offer products that their customers want but can't find anywhere else. If you keep these things in mind when ordering your furniture online, you're sure to become a seasoned web shopper.
Online Furniture Sales For Individual Customers Interests
The furniture industry, like most other industries, has gone online. Shopping online for furniture at various featured websites finds favor among customers because of the convenience of shopping from home.
It is easier to find specific stores on the web that sell furniture according to an individual customer’s taste, style preferences and requirements. Most websites provide digital images and product sample pictures, which provide a fair idea of the style and look. Store locators enable a customer to personally scrutinize the quality of the product ordered, check the durability and material used, and determine the functional aspects (comfort, storage space etc) of the ordered product. Most sites also have room planners and style guides to aid the customer in choosing the right style, kind and size of furniture depending on expectations, room size, an individual personality and taste. One can find a host of online stores with furniture of every imaginable style and type.
While shopping online for furniture one has to be careful about fake deals and other unwanted transaction hurdles and business aberrations. Most of the time, online shopping is secure if due caution is maintained. Most online stores accept credit cards. In case of any unexpected irregularities, the credit card companies can aid in sorting out money-related issues like refunds. There are also product trackers that help a customer to keep track of the whereabouts of the shipped product. It is not advisable to opt for any financing deals offered by the store without crosschecking the reputation of the store and the financial implications of the deal.
One should read the terms, conditions and other policies meticulously before embarking on the deal. It is also advisable to look for the BBB logo. The BBB (Better Business Bureau) is a non-governmental mediating organization. Most business organizations with a good name are members of this organization. It seeks to resolve disputes between the consumer and the organization or store. It is not a law-enforcing body that penalizes offenders, but it has influence.
It is easier to find specific stores on the web that sell furniture according to an individual customer’s taste, style preferences and requirements. Most websites provide digital images and product sample pictures, which provide a fair idea of the style and look. Store locators enable a customer to personally scrutinize the quality of the product ordered, check the durability and material used, and determine the functional aspects (comfort, storage space etc) of the ordered product. Most sites also have room planners and style guides to aid the customer in choosing the right style, kind and size of furniture depending on expectations, room size, an individual personality and taste. One can find a host of online stores with furniture of every imaginable style and type.
While shopping online for furniture one has to be careful about fake deals and other unwanted transaction hurdles and business aberrations. Most of the time, online shopping is secure if due caution is maintained. Most online stores accept credit cards. In case of any unexpected irregularities, the credit card companies can aid in sorting out money-related issues like refunds. There are also product trackers that help a customer to keep track of the whereabouts of the shipped product. It is not advisable to opt for any financing deals offered by the store without crosschecking the reputation of the store and the financial implications of the deal.
One should read the terms, conditions and other policies meticulously before embarking on the deal. It is also advisable to look for the BBB logo. The BBB (Better Business Bureau) is a non-governmental mediating organization. Most business organizations with a good name are members of this organization. It seeks to resolve disputes between the consumer and the organization or store. It is not a law-enforcing body that penalizes offenders, but it has influence.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)