Bedding warranties: Mention or not?
David Perry, Bedding Editor -- Furniture Today, April 16, 2006
Today's topic: Bedding warranties pose both a challenge and an opportunity.
Overview: Warranties are a topic of some controversy in the industry. Some say that they are the crutch of weak sales associates, while others note that consumers do want to know about bedding warranties. It is important to remember that warranties are not guarantees of useful product life, although that is how some consumers perceive them. Warranties spell out the period of time in which manufacturer defects will be covered.
Challenges: Many consumers are conditioned to ask about warranties, since many consumer products tout the warranties they offer. Is a longer bedding warranty better than a shorter one? Not necessarily. Some producers use warranty length as a way to differentiate their products on the sales floor. But a longer warranty doesn't make a mattress more comfortable.
Opportunities: The knowledgeable sales associate can tackle the warranty question with ease, explaining the various warranties offered on different product lines. Warranties may consist of two parts: a shorter, non-prorated portion, and a longer, pro-rated portion. The details matter. It is often a good idea to introduce the subject of body impressions when consumers are asking about warranties. Consumers who know that body impressions can occur are less likely to demand a new mattress when they see those impressions.
What sales associates say:
First focus on the right mattress: "I don't bring up warranties in the beginning. This is an afterthought to support the sale and is based on features and benefits. Get the customer the right mattress first."
Tie warranties into the sales presentation: "I almost always mention the warranties our mattresses carry when selling to a customer. I've found that most customers ask anyway, and so I've just tied it into my sales presentation. I also explain to the customer that there are situations that will void a warranty and so that using a mattress pad and taking care of their mattress set is extremely important. I am often asked if there is a trial period in which the customer can bring the bed back if they don't like it. I explain that we don't have a trial period in which the bed can be returned because we would then have to resell the bed to an unsuspecting customer. We prefer to spend more time with our customers in the store to help them find the best bed for their needs and within their budget rather than rush the sales process and have returns a few weeks later. Customers respond well when I tell them the reasoning behind our no-return policy and they seem to trust me a little more."
Don't bring them up: "I never bring up warranties. After all, a $3,000 bed and a $600 bed are often warrantied for the same length of time."
Bring up body impressions: "Often times, customers bring warranties up. I give them a summary of the warranty. I say that they can expect a body impression on an innerspring mattress, so that they will anticipate that. They appreciate that honesty. It also reduces customer service calls later."
Calling all sales associates
Attention retail bedding sales associates: We want to hear from you.
The page you are reading now is part of our commitment at Furniture/Today to address key issues facing bedding sales associates. Over the years, we've published a number of features aimed directly at retail sales associates. We've heard from dozens of retail sales associates across the country and passed their knowledge on to our readers.
Now we invite you to join our education campaign. Tell us about the successes you achieve and the challenges that you face. What are some of your closing strategies? How do you handle the customer who is "just looking"? How do you suggest add-on sales such as pillows, bed frames and mattress pads?
E-mail your comments to David Perry, Furniture/Today's executive editor, at dperry@reedbusiness.com. Or you can write him at: Furniture/Today, 7025 Albert Pick Road, Suite 200, Greensboro, N.C., 27409.
Your online bedding resource
There are many good Web sites to help you learn more about the bedding industry. May we take this opportunity to recommend our very own —www.beddingtoday.com. This site is devoted solely to news about the mattress industry. It was designed to give you a handy resource for news, features and expert opinions.
The site includes searchable archives by key topics. It also includes some of the latest bedding news stories from the pages of Furniture/Today.
In addition, we are archiving our new feature for bedding retail sales associates, Mattress Retailing 101, on our bedding site. Simply click on the icon and you will find the features that have run this year.
One top bedding executive told us this site could become an online classroom for new retail sales associates. We think he's on to something. We also think experienced sales associates would benefit by reading through these features online and in our print editions. Anyone who thinks they know it all is almost certainly wrong about that.
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Bedding warranties: Mention or not?
Apr 27, 2006
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