CORPORATE OVERVIEW
Maine Cottage Furniture headquartered in Yarmouth, ME specializes in retailing furniture that stimulates the imagination. Recognized by their bold palate of colors, Maine Cottage's products are well-designed, premium quality home furnishings perfect for coastal homes.
Maine
Cottage Furniture
Differentiating
Delivery
A
case study
CHALLENGE
Maine Cottage Furniture utilized an agent organized vanline for in-home deliveries. David Petersen, General Manager, states that the structure of the vanline resulted in "irregular service, unreliable communication and unrefined delivery personnel." The service provided was inconsistent and did not match the product or experience the company delivered otherwise: While one agent provided complimenting furniture transport services, another fell short.
Customers associated inadequate
delivery experiences with the Maine Cottage
brand. Costly problems such as damage, lost
or misplaced items were not addressed and individual
agents were not taking responsibility. The
expectations created during the highly personalized
sales process were not met during the final
delivery in their customers' homes.
SOLUTION
Maine Cottage Furniture was introduced to Clark & Reid Fine Furniture Services in 2003. At the onset of the relationship it was understood that 'speed' was not the major concern, yet predictability was a priority.
Clark & Reid provides warehousing and consolidation services for the furniture retailer. Conforming to consumer purchasing trends that indicate 'whole rooms' are ordered in lieu of one piece, this added service allows Maine Cottage to make each piece and have them staged until the entire order is complete. "This is enormously beneficial to Maine Cottage in terms of logistics, productivity and space allocation," Petersen noted. "Clark & Reid Fine Furniture Services is a premium, customizable service provider and our customer experience is a great example of how the company has adapted their offer to maximize their value to us and our customer."
Exhibiting the same professional, thoughtful service experienced during the sales process, Clark & Reid delivery personnel allow the customer's imagination to be met (an essential component to the Maine Cottage experience). The professional contact made by the Clark & Reid scheduler while coordinating furniture delivery appointments is unsurpassed and a precise delivery schedule allows delivery within a customer friendly window.
In the handful of occurrences involving damaged or misplaced items, Clark & Reid's readiness for recovery is an exceptional improvement for Maine Cottage Furniture and extraordinary for the industry.
BENEFITS
The furniture transportation service provided by Clark & Reid Fine Furniture Services has been a resounding differentiator for Maine Cottage. Clark & Reid's warehousing and consolidation services, resounding commitment to customer service in addition to precision delivery patterns have improved logistics, space allocation and productivity.
Overall, the delivery experience provided by Clark & Reid has been consistent and highly regarded by the Maine Cottage customer, instilling consumer confidence in the company, and delivering an exceptional service experience from the start of the transaction all the way through to the all important day of delivery.
Learn more about our Furniture Transport Services
