What should I know about a furniture store’s custom order lead times and customer expectations?
Review open custom orders and compare promised delivery dates with actual ones. Late orders, unhappy customers and deposits already spent are the main risks. Find out how the store sets lead times, who manages the makers, and whether customers get regular updates. These habits show how reliably the shop keeps its word.
Ask for a list of every open custom order, with the date placed, the promised date, the deposit held and the current status. Orders that are well past their dates deserve a conversation with the customer. These obligations would become yours. Ask to see a few customer files in full, with names removed if the seller prefers.
Look at how lead times are set. Does the store ask makers for firm dates, or quote what customers want to hear? Review a sample of finished orders to see how often reality matched the promise. Ask how the store communicates delays. Customers forgive waits more easily than silence, so a store that tells people early and often is in a stronger position than one that waits for complaints.
Check the money. Deposits taken for undelivered orders are owed to customers in goods or refunds. Ask where that cash is and how it is treated in the books. Your accountant can help you see whether it was spent on other costs. Finally, read complaints, reviews and any refund history. Ask about damaged deliveries, wrong finishes and cancelled orders. Your lawyer can advise how the purchase agreement should treat open orders and deposits, so you do not take on problems that belong to the seller.
Key takeaways
- List open custom orders with dates, deposits and status.
- Compare promised delivery dates with what actually happened.
- Decide in writing who owns deposits and unfinished orders at closing.
Related reading
12 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
Due diligence
- Expert answerHow do I check a furniture store’s customer deposits on special orders?
- Expert answerWhat should I ask about a furniture store’s custom upholstery fabric supply?
- Expert answerHow do I check a furniture store’s damaged goods and customer complaint records?
- Expert answerHow can I tell if a furniture store’s showroom floor stock is mostly unsold clearance?
- Expert answerWhat should I ask about a furniture store’s delivery and assembly team?
- Expert answerWhat should I check about a furniture store’s warehouse space and layout?
Buying
- Expert answerHow do I judge a furniture store’s financing offers for customers?
- Expert answerWhat should I ask about a cabinet shop’s lead times and backlog of orders?
- Expert answerHow do I check a sporting goods store’s team uniform and custom printing orders?
- Expert answerWhat should I check about a furniture store’s lease, showroom layout and loading dock?
Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
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