Learned It From Experience: L.I.F.E. Lesson #6
Designing a room or entire home for a client still gets me so excited. I love pulling everything together, selecting furniture, fabrics, side chairs, end tables, lighting.
Ahh, I digress… One of the most exciting days as a designer is install day! The project we have worked so long and hard on is getting delivered. The pieces we ordered months ago have arrived! I’m excited, the clients are excited. But, along with the excitement comes stress.
Why, you ask? Well, we have spent endless hours designing, re-designing, selecting, planning, ordering, then waiting…
Waiting for items to come off the truck is like Christmas morning! The last thing you need, want, or expect is damaged furniture!!
Seeing a damaged piece of furniture is devastating in itself. But, seeing it come off the truck to your client damaged?! I have no words.
My first thought is usually ‘oh crap.’ My second is where is the client, and my third is usually ‘why is a damaged piece of furniture being delivered?’ This is when I usually shift from excited designer to serious business owner mode.
Step 1. Don’t accept the delivery. This is almost 100 % of the time correct. Though there are times, depending on the item I may want it delivered so the client can at least have something while we wait weeks for a new one to arrive. You need to use your judgment on this one. Is this the sectional that they have been waiting on and are sitting in lawn furniture until it arrives? Or is it a small side table they can do without for a while longer?
Step 2. Acknowledge the problem with your client and reassure them that you’ll take care of it. Because no matter what you have to do, you are ultimately in customer service.
Step 3. Contact the receiver and find out why it left in the damaged condition.
Step 4. Contact the vendor to discuss how to get it fixed or a replacement sent.
Life happens, accidents happen, freight damage happens. The steps you take after this happens will either make you a hero or a zero in your clients’ eyes.
Let’s continue the conversation in MYDB.
