Customer Connections - Batesville Furniture
In the almost 15 years since we began providing superior commercial grade furnishings online, we have had the honor to serve thousands of properties all over the USA and even abroad! This includes Parks, Hotels, Schools & Universities, Government Facilities, Offices, Shopping Malls, Amusement Parks and much more. Places large and small that we all visit in our daily lives. Sometimes we work with customers who are just opening a new business and other times we get to work with some of the oldest institutions in our country such as Duke University. Because of these numerous connections, we thought we’d like to profile some of our current and former customers in a new blog series entitled “Customer Connections”. This series will cover the broad range of customers that we serve and document how we assisted them in completing their projects and enhancing their business or location.
The first “customer connection” in this series will focus on our partnership with Batesville Furniture in Arkansas to help furnish the newly opened Community Center and Aquatics Park in Batesville, Arkansas. Furniture Leisure had the pleasure to partner with Mr. Charles Covington of Batesville Furniture to secure the bid and complete the project. This process began way back in July of 2016 when Charles called our office and spoke to the head of the sales department, Charlene Schwarz. At this stage, the community center project was still being put out to bid and several companies were competing for the business.
This is where we stepped in and Charlene provided Mr. Covington with all necessary pricing, product information, and tools to make an effective presentation to the city's board. After discussing which product types were needed we sent a customized sample kit containing catalogs and materials from multiple product lines to showcase a variety of different options. This allowed the city to review the different types of products and materials, comparing their quality completely risk-free. Some of the materials contained in the sample kit were umbrella fabrics, umbrella poles, thermoplastic coated steel, recycled plastic pieces, and more.
In addition to the sample kit, we provided Mr. Covington with complimentary furniture to display at his presentations. A full recycled plastic picnic table was provided and delivered to demonstrate the quality of the leading recycled plastic furniture in the industry. We also provided Mr. Covington with one of the most popular umbrellas in the industry, the 7.5 ft. octagonal patio umbrella with fiberglass ribs. This allowed the board to understand the true value of the solution dyed marine grade fabric canopy and flexible fiberglass ribs. We also sent a metal-thermoplastic steel bench seat to demonstrate the plastic coating. Together this provided Mr. Covington with plenty of material to make an effective presentation. After many meetings with the city's board, Mr. Covington was successfully awarded the bid for the outdoor dining and seating areas and Batesville Furniture took on the job to supply the new Batesville Community Center with their outdoor furniture.
Following the city's final decision, we worked closely with Mr. Covington and provided several quote revisions to stay within the budget. One of the main goals was to provide as much seating as possible for the waterpark without compromising quality. A dozen of our popular 46" round expanded metal picnic tables were picked to furnish most of the areas outdoor dining needs. To accommodate those with disabilities, four of the ADA compliant models of the 46" round picnic table were added. For larger parties, six of the 8 ft. rectangular picnic tables were included in the order along with two ADA versions with wheelchair access on both ends. Sixteen 4 ft. portable expanded metal benches would supply the rest of the seating for the park, with a total capacity of 64 adults. Everything included, Mr. Covington was able to accommodate seating for over 200 guests to meet the water park's outdoor dining needs, including ADA accessibility. Additionally, twelve matching 32 gallon expanded metal trash receptacles were ordered as the water park's primary outdoor waste management system. Six 7.5 ft. Catalina fiberglass ribbed patio umbrellas, similar to the one provided for the presentation to the city, were added along with matching 50 lb. aluminum umbrella bases. Finally, three 72" Chippendale recycled plastic benches furnished the entrance of the Community Center and completed the total order for the new community center.
Lead time for the total order was 3-4 weeks and it was scheduled to be shipped on time, however, due to delays in the water park's completion, the Batesville's Aquatics Center asked that we hold the order until construction was complete. We agreed and warehoused their order until Mr. Covington was able to give us a final shipping date. After a few weeks, we received the approval to ship the complete order, which arrived on time and without any damages or incidents.
A few days after the delivery, Charlene contacted Mr. Covington with our routine customer courtesy follow up. These follow-ups give us the perfect opportunity to get valuable feedback from our customers regarding their delivery experience, the satisfaction of the products, and to answer any further questions that they may have about their products. Mr. Covington along with the city of Batesville were very pleased with their order stating, "Everything looks great!" They even added an additional order of 6 patio umbrellas. Batesville Furniture graciously provided us with beautiful pictures of the newly furnished community center, weeks before the official grand opening. The light blue polyethylene coating on the picnic tables, benches, and trash receptacles, along with the marine grade fabric on the umbrella, coordinated perfectly with the water park's color scheme. Additionally, all products are covered by multi-year warranties, so the citizens of Batesville will surely be enjoying their furniture for years to come!
In the end, no expense was spared to bring the best investments possible to the Batesville Community Center and we are honored that we could be a part of this project supporting a new gathering place in the community of Batesville, Arkansas. Thank you, Batesville Furniture, for giving us this opportunity to serve you and your community with the best personal and professional care in the industry. We look forward to working with you again in the future and supporting your community center for years to come.
The city of Batesville, Arkansas official opened their Community Center and Aquatics Park on June 8th, 2017. This public water park was completely funded by its citizens, who accepted a one cent tax increase to better improve their quality of life. There are plenty of fun and relaxing activities for the whole family to enjoy. Complete with waterslides, lazy rivers, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, kid's splash zones, and more.
Here's a link from Arkansasmatters.com covering this exciting addition to the city of Batesville.
Also, check out Batesville Parks Community Center and Aquatics for further information and updates.
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