Ideally, you’d never have to use it. But a hotel furniture warranty is a critical piece to your hospitality design project.
Imagine the horror of returning to the drawing board with zero vendor accountability after your initial investment -- perhaps even several years after receiving the original shipment.
Like failing to control your links in the supply chain, a failure to acquire excellent furniture and insure its life cycle could hit your bottom line and risk future design jobs.
There’s an unwritten agreement between you and the vendor when making a large purchase: An implied warranty. At the point of sale, you expect the product is of a certain condition or quality -- but that legal liability is minimal and uncertain, at best.
For a documented period of time (the industry standard is 5 years), a good contract warranty should cover:
It likely would not apply for:
Here are some tips to get the most out of the time that your hotel furniture is guaranteed. Time passes quickly, but if you get it right long-term maintenance costs shouldn’t impact other financial decisions.
It’s a legal contract. Per the FTC, it should be available for any major purchase.
Avoid signing a deal with the Devil. The last thing you need to hear from your manufacturer/vendor is, “Sorry, but the warranty doesn’t cover that.”
Some warranties:
Anticipate the unforeseen circumstances that could damage your furniture to find a deal covering your needs. If your original manufacturer/vendor can’t make that happen, find one that can.
Your hotel furniture will be useless unless it’s put together correctly. You can also risk serious damage.
But instructions should extend beyond installation. For the industry standard 5 years, you and/or the hotel will be responsible for routine maintenance and upkeep.
An experienced commercial furniture vendor will detail a plan to protect your order and avoid future unexpected costs. Keep your copy of the warranty to resolve potential coverage disagreements, just in case.
You have a powerful tool in the digital age: A world of information at your fingertips.
Research the reputation of your potential hotel furniture manufacturer/vendor. Read online reviews and hospitality design industry publications. Then ask around some more.
Is it well documented that the manufacturer has promised to cover a certain problems in the past, but crafty fine print assumed no liability or responsibility to fix/replace them?
If so:
A warranty is the company’s guarantee it’ll come to the rescue if something goes wrong. It’s also a legal document crafted carefully to assume a fair (or potentially unfair) amount of responsibility.
The best warranties protect both the seller and buyer from undue repairs or replacements. Choose a one-stop-shop manufacturer/vendor that will be your partner throughout and will provide a warranty (and other services) against: