Delivery and Set Up Standards

Paul Wagenaar

WANT TO BE THE BEST – You have to do more than everyone else.

“Champions do ordinary things better than everyone else” – Chuck Noll

Too often we are guilty of assuming that everyone understands what we mean when we tell our customer’s that we will “do a basic setup”. 

The following notes are intended to be a guide for all of our staff, whether sales, office, service, warehouse, and/or delivery, and they outline the minimum standards that we consider acceptable to meet our customer’s expectations of “a basic setup”. 

These guidelines are a tool to be used during the sales process and promises to be kept by our other associates to guarantee our future as the “best furniture retailer” in the country. 

The detail and service can be extrapolated to other industries and sectors.

Some standards will apply regardless of the type of merchandise including: 

  • being friendly and courteous to all customers;
  • placing the merchandise in the location requested by the customer;
  • contacting the store if completing the delivery will endanger the delivery crew’s health and safety;
  • contacting the store if any damage occurs to the merchandise or customer’s home;
  • and trying to bring the merchandise into the home through the largest openings possible to minimize damage to their purchase or their home.

1.  Refrigerators:

  • Plug in and ensure the compressor starts.
  • Install handles,
  • Level, unpack the shelves. and put the kickplate on,
  • Remove all packing material, hand customer the manual,
  • Use blankets to prevent damage to floor, and note it may be necessary to remove and reinstall appliance or house doors.

2.  Ranges: 

  • Plug in if proper plug is present,
  • Remove packing materials and tape,
  • Make sure clock is working and set time,
  • Hand the customer the manual,
  • Use blankets to prevent damage to floors

3.  Washers: 

  • Remember we require the connection waiver to be signed prior to any connections being made.
  • Check all hoses to ensure washers are in place,
  • Remove shipping bolts and other packaging,
  • Plug in,
  • Level across and diagonally,
  • Hand the customer the manual,
  • Tell the customer to monitor the first complete cycle to check for leaks and water temperatures (cold/hot)
  • Use blankets to prevent damage to floors.

4.  Dryers: 

  • Make sure venting is a 4inch hole and not plastic,
  • Plug in, please note delivery crews will only connect dryers to existing ducting and cannot install new ducting or drill holes in holes for ducting,
  • Remove all packaging,
  • Hand customer the manual,
  • Test,
  • Use blankets to prevent damage to the floors.

5.  Freezers,

  • Plug in and set to coolest settings to ensure that the compressor is functioning,
  • Advise customer that it takes 24 hours for the appliance to cool completely,
  • Hand the customer the manual,
  • Use blankets to prevent damage to the floors,
  • Remove any packaging,
  • If you have to remove the doors ensure that you reinstall, and if you have to remove the freezer door – beware of spring loading.

6.  Dishwashers,

  • Remove packaging,
  • Be careful where you set it down as the unfinished bottom can cut flooring, remove the blue protective packing strip,
  • When they have it installed by a licensed installer advise the customer to monitor the appliance for the first complete cycle after it is installed by a licensed technician.

7.  Microwaves,

  • For both OTR and counter top microwaves, leave in box for customer to unpack and install.

8.  Televisions,

  • Plug in and turn on,
  • Attach the base, unless it is a wall mount.
  • For liability reasons we are unable to attach wall brackets or TV’s to wall brackets/
  • Hand customer the manual and the remote, often the remote is in the packaging.
  • Remove packing materials, 
  • Connect TV to one signal source using the same cabling as their old television.

9.  HTiB/Sound Bar

  • We do not set up sound bars, deliver in box and set in the room desired. 

10.  Ready to assembly products (anything with the “RTA” code – TV stands, Chairside tables, certain wall units)

  • Unless the customer has paid the “assembly fee” any item with an RTA code is assembled by the customer.

11.  Accessories

  • We encourage customers to take small items such as lamps, plants, home décor, and rugs; however, we will deliver “larger and awkward” items for our customers.  

12.  Wall Units/Sleep Chests/Entertainment Units

  • Remove all packing materials including wooden skids,
  • Plug in lights, electric fire boxes and test,
  • Remove rubber bands and paper light bulb protectors, for multiple piece units, use the clips to keep the tops together, use the shims provided to level, install the shelves and handles,
  • We strongly recommend that delivery crews use glass cleaner on this type of furniture prior to leaving to wipe off excess fingerprints.

13.  Recliners

  • Connect top & bottom pieces & lock into place
  • Hand the customer any arm covers,
  • Plug in if it is a lift or power recliner,
  • Test mechanism to ensure that it functions properly.

14.  Sofa beds

  • Check and ensure that the protective feet have not broken
  • Remove the holding wire or material to release the mechanism.
  • Test to ensure that it opens freely, put the toss cushions onto the sofa bed.

15.  Motion Upholstery

  • Check to ensure the protective feet have not broken off
  • Attach the backs and lock into place
  • Plug in any cords, mention to the customer that from time to time they should check under the sofa to tighten any bolts that become loose,
  • Test and ensure mechanisms work freely.
  • Mention that the mechanisms are completely independent of each other and that it is normal for them not to lineup exactly on the back of the sofa (1/4 inch to ½ inch is not uncommon)

16.  Regular Upholstery

  • Check to ensure the protective feet have not broken off.
  • In the truck, check dust cover and reattach with a stapler if necessary.
  • Ensure that all the seat cushions are in place correctly
  • Check that all legs are securely attached,
  • Tuck in the fabric content tag,
  • Put the toss cushions in place,
  • Trim any loose threads and remove excess staples,
  • Recommend to customers that they use felt pads on the feet of the upholstery if they are putting it on hardwood floors.

17.  Mattress/Box springs

  • Put the product content tags at the head of the bed and the manufacturers labels at the foot of the bed. 
  • Trim off any obvious loose threads that are a byproduct of the manufacturing process,
  • Hand the customer the warranty information,
  • Recommend that the customer turn the bed as the manufacturer recommends.

18.  Bed frames

  • Assemble for the customer
  • Place their bed onto the frame unless they are buying just the frame
  • Caution the customer that we do not drill into existing headboards to make attachments

19.  Futon Frames

  • Assemble, ensure protective feet are in place
  • Test
  • Remove all packing materials

20.  Bunk beds and futon bunk beds

  • Regular bunkbeds, for liability issues we do not assemble bunk beds
  • Our Crate bunk beds are assembled.

21.  Bedroom Furniture

  • Assemble, attach knobs and handles, attach slats on mates’ beds and on adult beds, attach mirrors.
  • Mention to customers that they should not drag large items to protect veneer,
  • Remove all packing material and skids carefully watching for nails and staples,
  • Do not over-tighten screws on mirror slats.

22.  Dining Room/Dinettes

  • Recommend that any table leaves be stored flat under a bed and not upright
  • Assemble, attach all knobs, plug in hutch and buffets and put shelves in place – remove light bulb protectors, when attaching brackets to hold hutch and buffets together check to see if the angle of the screws may need to be fastened on an angle,
  • Remove any tape from the glass in the home to give the glass additional strength (it’s also easier to take off when its warm),
  • Adjust any chairs that do not sit level if possible. 

23.  Coffee & End Tables,

  • Assemble
  • Remove from packing materials,

24.  Magi-seal Spray

  • Apply thoroughly, fabric should be damp to the touch.
  • Please tell all customers to let the merchandise dry for a minimum of 2 hours prior to using after it has been sprayed and that if they spill something on the set to call the 1-800 number immediately.

If it seems like a lot, it is, but if you want to be the best, you have to do more than everyone else, and for many years, these were some of the things we did to be the best!