With competitive price and timely delivery, JE Group sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.
When buying furniture of your furniture supplier in China its nowhere near as simple as you may think. This is why we have compiled this list of 73 questions you ask your furniture supplier before and after buying your furniture.
In general, there are some simple questions to ask your furniture supplier such as the ones below to get a general feel of how things are and if working with them is a good idea or not.
1.Where is your factory?
2.When are you suitable for a factory audit?
3.Before the final payment, we will have a third party agency inspecting before paying if that is okay?
4.Do you participate in any trade shows? (if yes a quick google search will show their name)
5.Have you ever participated in any trade shows before if so when? (same as above)
6.Can you make a sample? (this question has multiple parts to it)
7.Can I pay to your company&#;s bank account? (You can check the company bank information matches)
8.Can I have your address to pick up the sample? (You are double-checking the address is the same, if not red flags are flying)
9.How many employees does the factory have? (This question is important! You can tell a lot about their scaleability, from this. For example, does their catalog have 100s of different types of products but they only have a few hundred staff? Make sure the numbers add up)
10.Do you have an export license? (All of these facts can be checked up on their Alibaba/global sources account)
11.Do you have any customer references from my country? (here you are checking if they are making stuff up or are the real deal, sadly a lot of companies will make up reviews).
12.I want to export to X country what regulations are you able to provide? (You are checking they know your local market regulations instead of just saying yes yes yes)
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So in addition to the 12 questions above, there are also certain extra things you can do to make sure the furniture from your furniture supplier you are getting is top quality.
If you manage to do these check-ups on all of your furniture suppliers you&#;ll be onto the right path of knowing who exactly you are working with.
Now we understand certain parts of these questions you may not feel comfortable asking, however, this guide is to give you a complete list of potential questions to ask to minimize your risk.
So on we go with some more questions to ask your potential furniture supplier.
14.How many employees in total? (before it was the factory but knowing the total amount will give a good idea of how many sales, support staff, etc)
15.Please, could you tell me what is your total domestic market sales?
16.What is your total export sales? (This will give you a good idea of their real capabilities, in larger companies sometimes the domestic market can be larger than the export market)
17.What furniture product do you mainly sell to the X market?
18.Which furniture product do you recommend for the X market?
19.Which product do you sell best globally?
20.What is the main furniture manufacturing process for the X product?
21.Are there any parts that are subcontracted out? If so which parts?
22.Are there parts of the product which are half-made here?
23.What is made entirely in the house?
24.Do you accept signing legally binding contracts? (best to get Chinese lawyers involved at this point)
25.Are there any products that you have exclusive agreements within the X geographical area?
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We have already got to the 25 question stage so naturally, we want to give you some extra things to think about before choosing your furniture supplier.
In their factory its best to take note of what their main product is. For example, if you are looking to buy coffee tables but the majority of their staff/machinery is based on making sofas then its expertise is sofas, not coffee tables.
So you&#;ve noticed a fantastic piece of furniture in their showroom and want it. Who designed it? Make sure they have the rights to it before buying to save yourself a law case back home.
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So we are guessing if you are talking to someone on Alibaba via so here&#;s our own Alibaba template take on the initial message. (if you google Alibaba template you&#;ll find plenty of similar samples)
Subject: Would like some more information about (product name)
Dear (name),
My name is (your name), I am representing (company name) we are interesting in receiving more information about (product code and name),
Please could you send a quotation including:
Thank you
Yours sincerely
(your name, company name)
Feel free to copy and paste this template.
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Back to question 26.
So far we have had 32 questions which aren&#;t 100% dedicated to just furniture. Don&#;t worry the next bunch is.
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Next up we have another 25+ question which is more specific to furniture and will help you choose the best supplier for your needs.
33.What is the MOQ to work with your company?
34.How many different types of furniture can I purchase from you to put into a single container?
35.What is EXW furniture price?
36.Do you also help with shipping?
37.What price is the FOB price?
38.What is this furniture weight per piece?
39.How will you package the furniture? What care instructions do I need to pay attention to for this furniture?
40.What certifications does it have?
41.Do you have any other company brand names (many furniture businesses have multiple brands under different company names)
42.When was your company established? (The older they are the more established but it also means more fixed rules)
43.Do you have an Alibaba or company website? (their company website on average doesn&#;t give a lot of information but is helpful to learn a little bit more about them)
44.What are your main products? (If there are too many types of furniture its a red flag they are a trading company pretending to be a furniture factory)
45.Can I see some pictures of your company such as your employees, finished products, office, and factory? (take them and do a google reverse image search to check they aren&#;t stock images/from another factory)
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Hopefully, you can already see there are a lot of questions that need to be answered when buying furniture from China. If you would like some help why not let Simonsense do the hard work for you?
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Office Sofa China Manufacturer.
53.How many people work here? (Will give you a scale of their capabilities)
54.Have you ever sold to (your) country? If so to who?
55.What certifications does your company have?
56.To what standard quality are you able to make the furniture too?
57.What payment schemes do you accept?
58.Can I get an invoice for my furniture purchase?
59.Do you issue receipts?
60.If the furniture is not up to standard will you issue a refund?
61.Does the price include taxes?
Okay, so far we have covered over 50 different questions to ask, but what about the shipping part? (This is the final bunch of questions doesn&#;t worry, we promise)
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So the questions above are more to do with buying furniture from your furniture supplier, as well some more general questions to ask, the final 11 questions are to help you ensure you get the products back home!
First off let&#;s start with 6 generic questions to ask about shipping furniture
62.How long will it take you to package the furniture?
63.What is the timeframe it will take you to ship the furniture?
64.What materials will you be using to package the furniture?
65.From what port will you be shipping the furniture from?
66.What type of container will you be using?
67.What guarantees can you give on the safety of the furniture?
68.Before shipping can I inspect the furniture to ensure it is the quality I paid for?
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Shipping furniture by itself is a headache and there are some questions which you need to confirm directly with the shipping company you choose.
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Hopefully, after you have read all of those questions you&#;ll be inspired to do more research and hopefully will have a lower chance of being buying from the wrong furniture supplier. To sum up, remember to do your research, and don&#;t be afraid to ask some more difficult questions.
What do you think of our comments? Do you think we have missed any questions? If so leave them in the comments below and we will add them to the list.
Simonsense is a furniture supply chain management company that specializes in furniture. Simonsen&#;s has had over 10 years of experience in the furniture industry and supply chain market to help their customers find the best possible deal in terms of price and quality. Contact Simonsense today for a free one-hour consultation and see how we can help your business today.
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Planning a commercial project anywhere in the world is a complex endeavour and requires a range of activities and skills to converge together in a synchronous manner so that the end result is aesthetically pleasing and functionally efficient. If you are planning to execute an interior design or renovation project for any commercial property worldwide, here are the 10 top things you must consider or ask your office chairs and furniture provider.
1. What is your long-term vision?
Furniture is more than just decoration or the colour of your walls that can be changed easily as and when desired. It is a larger investment that needs to be supported with repairs, maintenance and upgrades. Also as your organization grows, you need to buy more furniture and it may be important for you to ensure that your office furniture provider is a manufacturer that invests in its own moulds and designs so that it can support your long term needs and supply the same/similar designs as your needs grow. On the other hand, if you decide to work with a trader you may/may not get long term support and every batch of furniture you buy in the future may stick out like a sore thumb.
2. Do you have experience furnishing a variety of spaces?
Does your office furniture manufacturing partner have experience with various types of workspaces and an understanding of your own unique needs to plan your workspace and ensure your aesthetic and style are consistent throughout your office?
3. What&#;s the range of products of the office chairs provider?
While many manufacturers focus on specific types of furniture like chairs or desks because they sell in higher volumes, does your furniture provider take your needs into account and also give you reception tables, boardroom furniture, breakout rooms furniture, couches and waiting-area chairs so that you can get complete solutions under one roof?
4. Can you fit within my budget?
You can&#;t go for caviar when your budget is that for pasta! Does your furniture manufacturer or provider have the ability to give you lower-cost options without compromising on quality or aesthetics? Does he/she demonstrate an innovative approach to providing alternatives to high-end items if you are on a tight budget. Perhaps you can buy marble laminate top tables instead of real marble, which are impossible to differentiate with the naked eye, but help reduce the cost by a major percentage.
5. What&#;s your delivery time frame?
It&#;s important to know how long it will take for the furniture to be delivered, especially when you need it by a particular time or want to set up client meetings in the newly furnished rooms. Even if you are not in a rush, you should act soon because selecting furniture is time-consuming and logistic hurdles have made manufacturing, shipping and delivery a bit more complicated these days. So advance planning & placing orders in time are important for you as the buyer while order planning, just in time manufacturing and efficient logistics coordination is important for the commercial furniture manufacturer or provider.
6. Are you a manufacturer or trader?
Obviously, if you need to buy a small quantity of furniture for your office you may need to contact a local dealer or distributor but if your office is larger or the amount of furniture you need is larger, you may be able to deal directly with a manufacturer and take advantage of direct factory rates which will result in huge cost savings even including the extra cost of shipping. Moreover, a manufacturer can provide you with better service in terms of spares, warranties and long term support.
7. What&#;s the durability of your products?
Experts say to check specification sheets that detail the durability tests, loading capacity, components and dimensions, including the thickness of the panels. If you are not already aware of the technical components of your office furniture you can also ask your furniture provider to help you understand the advantages/disadvantages and cost implications of using A1 boards or Grade 3 Gas lifts or Melamine finish Vs Veneer finish tables. This thorough understanding of materials, designs and cost by your furniture provider demonstrates their credibility and helps establish trust.
8. What&#;s the quality of your furniture?
A desk&#;s quality is often most evident in the construction of the drawers, which should open and close easily while bearing weight. You can save yourself possible long-term costs by investing in ergonomic furniture to reduce strains, aches and other work-related ailments. You also want furniture that is easily transportable to avoid breakdown costs if you move. Since furniture is a heavy-duty item and especially if you are buying it in bulk, let's say a few containers, it is equally important to know how your furniture provider packs it and ensures there are no damages in transit.
9. Is the warranty included?
Warranties vary by manufacturer and product. Often when you're buying from low-cost furniture manufacturers you may get no warranty at all. The warranty itself will give you a good idea of the quality, durability and life expectancy of the furniture.
10. How can you help?
Does your furniture manufacturer or partner look at you as a cash cow and is only interested in closing the order and collecting the cash, or do they look at you as a partner and are truly interested in solving your problems? If you need help with 3D designs or AI-assisted rendering of how your workspace will look after furniture installation, does your office furniture provider have the capability and willingness to help?
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Stellar Global is an international office and hospital furniture manufacturing company that has been in the business for over 32 years and exports furniture to over 80 countries worldwide. We have helped plan and execute hundreds of large scale projects in different parts of the world from co-working places to commercial offices, government buildings, educational institutions - schools & colleges, libraries, auditoria, hospitals, operation theatres and clinics. Get in touch with us if you're planning any large scale commercial project and need help with any type of commercial furniture.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Sleek design meeting chairs. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.