by Partnership with TruCare aims to simplify how customers manage repairs and damages for company’s upper-end product mix
WILSON, N.C. — Luxury furniture resource Sarreid Ltd. has begun offering its customers an extended warranty program it says is a first of its kind available to designers and their clients that is ultimately aimed at simplifying how damages and repairs get handled at the high end.
The company has partnered with furniture repair experts TruCare Protection on a program that will allow TruCare repair technicians to service calls in the town, city or region where Sarreid customers live.
By contracting with TruCare, the customer does not have to wait on the designer or Sarreid to find a repair technician. Instead, they can simply deal with a professional service company that in this case has been educated about the materials, finishes and construction of the Sarreid product, thus providing them the knowledge they need to fix specific problems based on the company’s exact specifications.
The extended warranty goes beyond the basic warranty available from the manufacturer and is available at specific prices based on one-, three- and five-year terms. Its current standard warranty is one to three years based on the vendor.
“As a product development company and a distributor, we are not a manufacturer and are subject to what our vendors have as a warranty,” said Brad Cates, Sarreid Ltd. president and chief executive officer. “We always go above and beyond to be fair to the consumer and the interior designer. But there are only so many things you can do because we are not a repair company.”
Cates said the company looked at several vendors before deciding on TruCare.
“And we took several months to go through the process,” Cates said. “We wanted to make sure they absolutely understood by vendor what wood species we are using, what finish process we are using, what leathers, what fabrics and how we want that Sarreid customer to be treated. TruCare has a nationwide network of repair techs, and they are all educated on what the Sarreid standard is.”
Given the investment customers are making in Sarreid products, Cates said it made sense to offer them more protection now available with the extended warranty. And he believes TruCare is the best among its peers to handle any claims.
“You want to protect it over and above and you want that repair technician to come into your home and you want to have a great experience when they come in — shoes covered, ‘I understand your problem, I understand how it works.’ And the repair will go from scratch and dent all the way to the full replacement value and mechanical,” Cates said. “The whole nine yards.”
The interior designer will ask the consumer if they want to purchase the warranty and if they decide to sign up, TruCare takes over from there, having instantaneous contact directly with the consumer, versus having a designer or retailer as the middleman.
“It is that relationship with TruCare that takes the interior designer out of the equation and takes Sarreid out of the equation,” Cates said, noting that TruCare has a presence in all 50 states. “We are always going to be there if there is a question, but by and large, we want a professional network of repair techs, which this company has. We are really excited about it.
While he said there may be some overlap between the standard and extended warranty, he said the extended warranty will give the customer additional peace of mind with their investment in Sarreid product.
“We want a real pro coming in there and fixing the problem, fixing it quickly, taking care of your home and understanding the environment where Sarreid product is found. … With all the designers we talked to at market, it is almost like an ‘aha’ moment. It makes so much sense — it is like ‘Why hasn’t this been done before.’ Because we are the first in the industry doing this, there are going to be some glitches and we are prepared for that. We are also prepared to make it easier for the interior designer and make it easier for the consumer. And that is why we took months to build a partnership with TruCare and to make sure they understand our product. We are very confident. We would not have turned it on if we weren’t confident.”
