Questions operators ask before they furnish a room

These are the questions that come up most when a general manager or an owner is furnishing a dining room, a bar or a whole venue. Each answer is short on purpose. The full terms sit on the pages linked inside them.

If your question is about one particular room, a club dining room that doubles as an event space, say, or a dining hall that seats three meals a day, the answer may depend on the seating mix more than on the policy. Write to us with the room in the first line and we will answer for that room.

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How long until the furniture leaves?

A standard line is on its way after 14 to 21 business days. A custom line can need up to about 8 weeks. Road time comes on top of either, and since it is only ever an estimate, leave the opening date some slack.

How is the freight priced?

By LTL carrier, for the pallets of your order and the address they go to. Every address on the order is quoted separately, and the quotes arrive with the confirmed order. The furniture price you see on the site never has freight folded into it.

Is a liftgate part of standard delivery?

It is an extra. The standard service ends at your dock, or at the truck's tailgate, and the address has to be a business. A liftgate is an extra you choose at submission, as are inside delivery, restricted sites and home addresses. The delivery page lists them.

Does the furniture arrive assembled?

Plan as though your crew will open the cartons and put the pieces together. The driver's job ends with the pallets; unpacking the cartons, assembling the pieces and clearing away the cardboard always stay with your crew.

When do we pay, and how?

After a person has read the order. Pressing submit costs nothing. The email that follows the review holds the confirmed order, the freight figures and the payment steps, and the invoice comes with it. You can settle by Visa, Mastercard or American Express, by wire, by check or by money order. Standard orders are paid in full before they leave.

Is there a minimum order?

For tables and chairs, yes: 8 pieces, mixed any way the room needs, so five chairs and three tables are enough. Booths sit outside the rule, and one booth can be ordered by itself.

Can furniture go to a home address?

Yes. Choose residential service at submission and the order is carried by the residential delivery service, at an extra charge.

We buy tax-exempt or with a PO. Where does that go?

Both belong in the order notes, written in before you press submit. Add the PO number, and state there that the business is exempt from tax or buying the furniture for resale.

Can we see the finishes before we commit?

Yes, at no cost. Vinyl and fabric swatches, metal finish chips, wood stains and finishes, and small pieces of each top material all go out by UPS Ground; the trip usually takes 2 to 3 business days. Ask on the samples page.

Do you take custom upholstery?

Yes. Any fabric or vinyl that the product page does not list counts as custom, as do special-order finishes and sizes beyond the standard range. Allow up to about 8 weeks, put down a deposit of 40% when the order is confirmed, and know that a custom line is final the moment it is confirmed: no cancelling it, no sending it back.

Which seat height goes with which table?

Seats of 17 to 19 inches suit a dining table standing about 29 to 30 inches tall. Counters at roughly 34 to 36 inches call for stools of 24 to 26 inches. At the bar, about 40 to 42 inches, the stools run near 29 to 31 inches. Between seat and tabletop, keep 10 to 12 inches. The planning guide has the rest.

Can the dining chairs go out on the terrace?

Only the pieces listed for patio use, which means frames of aluminum, coated steel, resin or synthetic teak. Weather turns an indoor chair against itself: the wood frame swells, the upholstery fades, the steel rusts, and none of it is covered by the warranty. Patio pieces still need rinsing, a way for rainwater to run off, and covering or indoor storage once the terrace season ends. Browse outdoor furniture.

How do we clean vinyl and fabric seats?

Vinyl wants warm water with a little mild soap on a soft cloth, then plain water to lift the soap, then a towel. Blot fabric spills at once rather than rubbing them in. Harsh cleaners crack vinyl, and harm done by an unsuitable cleaner is not a warranty matter. The materials guide goes piece by piece.

Can the bar use one finish and the dining room another, or add to a room later?

Both are fine. Lay samples of the two finishes side by side in the room's own light, and remember that each finish of a product is its own line. Adding to a room you furnished earlier? Order a new swatch before anything else, because the lists of finish and upholstery colors shift over the years, then check the color against the chairs already on the floor.

How do you handle a very large order?

The same way as a small one, with more care at the dock. A big order can travel in several loads; receive each with the same count and the same inspection. Several venues mean several addresses, each priced on its own. A call with a specialist helps on a job of that size.

Can you deliver beyond the lower 48 states?

To most of Canada, yes. A customs broker you appoint clears the shipment, and the house that orders pays the brokerage fee, the duties and any Canadian taxes. For a large order bound for Hawaii, Alaska or Puerto Rico, start with the specialist form; the route and its price come to you by email, in writing, before you commit.

A carton arrived damaged. What now?

Write each damaged or missing carton onto the bill of lading, then sign. Take photos and hold on to the packaging. Damage you only find once the carton is open has to reach us within 24 hours. Shortages and defects follow a slower clock, three days, but must be put in writing. Put CLAIM at the start of the subject line, send it to sales@commercialhospitalityfurniture.com, and we help you build the carrier claim.

Can we return furniture, or change an order?

Stock items can come back if nobody has used them and they sit in the cartons they arrived in, which you pack and set on pallets. We keep a 35% restocking fee on what is returned, and the freight in both directions is yours. Custom items cannot be returned. To alter a confirmed order, ask us first and wait for a written yes; the change may bring freight and restocking costs with it, and a custom line, from the day its making begins, keeps every detail it was ordered with. Every term is on the returns page, in full.

What does the warranty protect?

Faults of workmanship or material that a piece already carried when it was delivered. It applies to normal commercial use and to the original buyer, for between 6 months and 7 years depending on the kind of furniture. See the warranty.

How quickly do you reply?

Inside one business day, for a single chair or a whole venue. Mail that comes in after 6 PM Central or over a weekend is read the next business morning, in the order it arrived. A subject line led by ORDER, FREIGHT or CLAIM finds the right reader sooner.