Humble Abode, Inc. (humbleabode.com) has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau for over a decade and maintains an A+ rating. That’s no easy task for a nationwide business selling furniture online for over 15 years. Taking a closer look at Humble Abode’s most recent 100,000 orders of large furniture delivered to homes in the United States, you will find the company does not get it perfect every time, but reveals a lot for consumers to consider before buying.
- How will the furniture be shipped and delivered to your home? Humble Abode: “This may be the most important question you can ask. Most furniture is too large for UPS or FedEx Ground. Few consumers understand freight so many online retailers take advantage by using cheap shipping with common carriers, also known as Curbside Delivery or Back of Truck Delivery, who haul anything from cinder blocks to barrels of oil with large semi-trucks not capable of getting in many residential neighborhoods and often leave customer waiting for many hours. With Curbside Delivery, the one driver drops the furniture on the street leaving the consumer to figure out how to get it in the home. The biggest problem with Curbside Delivery is their high damage rate causing delays and another day of waiting for the truck to arrive, and it often gets damaged again. Instead of Curbside Delivery, Humble Abode ships large furniture with specialty carriers at no additional charge. Once the furniture arrives in your local area, an appointment person will call to schedule a time for delivery. The minimum service level for large freight furniture is Threshold Delivery, where a two man team will help place the furniture inside the ground floor front door. Humble Abode also offers white glove services with complete assembly and removal of packaging.”
- How long has the retailer been in business? Humble Abode “In business over 15 years, Humble Abode was founded in 1999 as an online furniture retailer”
- Are customer service professionals that understand furniture available to speak with, or is the retailer a mass merchant? Humble Abode: “The Humble Abode call center is open seven days a week, and every person that answers the phone has a four-year college degree with furniture training and full authority to do whatever necessary to take care of customers. Imagine stopping an employee in the hallway at your local discount mart store to ask them a question about the quality of a ceramic vase. Mass merchant retailers sell millions of things for the home like treadmills, spark plugs, garden hoses, pencils, groceries, cleaning supplies and home decor, so chances are the employee will know very little about the item. Because Humble Abode only sells furniture and home furnishings, all staff is trained specifically for furniture and knows the difference between French vs English Dovetail drawers, for example. Humble Abode Furniture Service Professionals love to help customers match furniture quality and design with a budget.”
For many customers, furniture accounts for their largest online purchase. Furniture represents your fashion, helps your life function and lasts a long time. Regardless of where you buy, we encourage you to use some precaution to ensure you have a good experience.
