Whether you need furniture to kit out your workplace for the first time or you’re searching for a way to revamp your workspace, your first port of call is most likely going to be a web based search.
Rather than heading to a store or showroom, buying office furniture online is convenient and offers a lot of benefits. From larger product ranges to cheaper prices, Buy Office Furniture Online can make setting up your office less stressful, as well as save money.
But, when buying online, how do you ensure that the furniture you’re ordering is what is being advertised and it is high quality?
To ensure you’re buying from a reputable company, who is prepared to guarantee the quality of your furniture, here’s our advice for buying your business furniture online:
Comparing prices
Unlike shopping in stores, searching for competitive prices online is quick and easy. Between different companies with similar ranges or multiple websites selling the same product, discovering the right bit of office furniture for you and at the best price hasn’t been so simple.
Too often the mistake is made of solely taking a look at the price that is displayed big and bold next to the product. However, when comparing prices online, using only this display price to make your decision may well not be your best option as each company might want to display their prices differently.
To avoid being caught out, and to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your money, it is essential to check if the displayed price includes VAT, what delivery options and charges – if any – can be found and the particular return cost could be for you if your workplace furniture isn’t right.
As you dig deeper, you will be able to understand just what you get for your money, how comparable the prices really are, and understand what charges may apply and how you are protected through each individual returns and replacement policy. This will provide you with an authentic price comparison breakdown of your office furniture.
Office scene with desk, storage and a chair.
Company reputation
Despite the ease of online shopping, it’s important to be cautious when searching for office furniture online. When shopping for everything from desks to storage, purchasing furniture for your office can soon become expensive so that it is important to discover that you are investing in quality furniture from a reputable company.
When researching a company’s reputation, it is good practice to check on their customer reviews. Often these reviews are displayed on the company’s website or can be found by doing a quick search online. Taking the perfect time to read through a selection of reviews and check the company’s star rating provides you with an insight into previous customers’ experience, the company’s ability to resolve issues quickly and successfully, as well as their level of support services.
It can be helpful to check their social media pages. A business’ Facebook page can be considered a mine of information with everything from customer photos, reviews and experiences, as well as allowing you to observe how successfully the company is running and if indeed they can stick to their promises.
If you find a cheap office desk over a company website but see that the reviews are really bad and that the company is not answering complaints, you need to weigh up if the saving will probably be worth the potential problems you could encounter after ordering.
How helpful the company is
As well as knowing their reputation, it is important to gather an understanding concerning how helpful the company is likely to be if you have any questions or issues with your order.
Speaking to their customer service team before placing your order can help you see how quickly they respond and if they’re able to successfully answer your query. This interaction is likely to reassure you that even when you have received your office furniture, you it’s still capable of receive this good level of customer service.
Knowing how helpful the company and customer service team is, can be especially reassuring for those planning to place big orders or those and also require to go through the returns process.
Delivery
The delivery options available when buying office furniture online can be a huge perk to online shopping vs stores. Having your furniture delivered means you don’t suffer from the hassle of trying to fit it in your car! However, due to office furniture being large, bulky and frequently heavy, delivery can soon become very expensive. Luckily, many online companies offer very reasonable delivery costs and many provide free delivery.
When buying online, it is important to ensure that the company is able to deliver over a date that is convenient for you. For your added convenience, maybe it’s useful to know if the company can also provide you with an accurate way to track your workplace furniture package once that it’s out for delivery therefore you know exactly when to anticipate it.
If you’re eager to get your workplace furniture in a big hurry, it is also crucial to research how fast the company are able to deliver to you before committing to your purchase. Do they give an express or following day delivery option? Although convenient for you, a faster delivery option is likely to only be available with an additional charge and should be considered as part of your overall office furniture budget.
Whilst researching the delivery options, it could be useful to know if the company offers installation of your office furniture or not. Specifically for big orders, an installation option can be a hassle-free way of earning sure your office furniture is set up quickly and correctly. Again, this installation will come at an extra cost and may need to be considered as part of your overall budget.
An office with desks and storage.
Furniture guarantee
Due to office furniture often being a fairly reasonable financial investment which should last you a while, before buying online it’s important to understand what guarantee is made available from the company.
A guarantee is usually a good way to gauge just how long a piece of furniture is expected to last during the regular day-to-day office use. It will likewise tell you something about the quality of furniture you can anticipate. After all, if one company is offering a six-month guarantee on a desk but another is providing a 10-year guarantee, it is straightforward to see which furniture was created to last.
Take a look at whether there is a standard guarantee across all of a company’s furniture, if differing types of furniture have different guarantees or if guarantees vary for every single item – which is usually due to several different suppliers. In addition, you want to check what is covered under the guarantee and what would happen if you want replacement parts.
Once again, this is something you need to consider as part of your overall price comparison. After all, it is probably the better option to pay slightly more for a desk that has a longer guarantee and may very well be of better quality than pay less but risk a cheaply-constructed furniture piece that you’ll have to replace much sooner.
Looking for more advice about buying your business furniture online?
If you’re still unsure on what to be aware of when buying your office furniture online or you’re concerned about what you can get for your budget, then our expert customer service team is available to answer your questions.
