By Chris Cowman

When I opened my furniture store about two years ago, I asked many other shop owners if they do pickups and deliveries, if they had a truck or how they handled getting items into the store. I got a mixed response but mostly I found that other shops did not offer this service. Since I was just opening, I figured I would play it by ear and see how many calls we got for the service.

Over the past couple years we have had no problems getting furniture in the store but I wanted to add another great customer benefit. So we decided to offer pickup and delivery. It got a great response, unfortunately my dad’s small pickup was not really beneficial and my employees were unable to work and go on deliveries at the same time. I decided to look into buying a delivery truck. I bought a 20-foot cargo truck, with a ramp, for a very reasonable price. I had our name put on the side and went to town.

I have hired delivery guys and schedule deliveries on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

► We offer cash or consignment.

► My managers go out on appraisals.

► We usually book about two weeks in advance.

► We charge a flat fee and charge for extra care items.

► We pickup and deliver within a 20-mile radius of the store (or within reason).

It has been four months since I bought the truck and ¼ of the truck has been paid off just by the delivery charges alone . . . that doesn’t include the money made from selling the items.

I must say that this has really worked for my store. It has added a customer perk and is also a great selling tool for someone who otherwise would have no way to get a sofa in their BMW. I am glad I took the plunge!

Chris Cowman owns one more time and one more time, etc. in Columbus, OH. She is NARTS President and Conference Chairperson. This experienced resaler was honored with the NARTS Outstanding Service Award in 1996.

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