1. Cost Overruns
When the numbers are crunched, an amateur FF&E installation company is not just likely to exceed the estimated cost: it’s a foregone conclusion. This is because amateurs are notorious for offering as little as possible, and tacking on a variety of extra fees.
But really, is this a surprise? Yes, it’s one thing for an FF&E installation company to offer a price that may be (for example) 5-10% or so lower than a competitor. But when the difference is 30%-50% or more, it really begs the question: “Where is the savings coming from?” The answer is that the savings are an illusion – and the trick is played on the customer, as it always it. Some sage and timeless advice from 19th century social thinker John Ruskin is appropriate:
“It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot - it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.”
2. Schedule Overruns
Just as you can expect cost overruns, an amateur FF&E installation company will invariable trigger schedule overruns as well. Simply put: items will take much longer than standard industry benchmarks to move and install.
What’s more, while schedule overruns are unacceptable in any situation (save for natural disasters and other completely unforeseen events), it’s even more of a problem if your hotel is open to guests during the moving process. As you know, optimizing guest experience is your top priority, and this is impossible to do if unprofessional FF&E installation crews are working days or weeks after they should have wrapped up.
3. Damaged Items
As you know, FF&E isn’t just part of your inventory: it’s a major corporate investment that likely runs well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not the millions. And if you are moving more than one hotel, the value of goods on-the-move is even greater.
The reason we mention this is because – again, it is the norm, not the exception – that amateur FF&E installation companies will damage items. Even if this is covered by insurance, it will nevertheless add to your costs and inconvenience. After all, you want to have a streamlined move. Not go through a claims process and possibly get your legal team in the mix.
4. Lack of Communication
Amateur FF&E installation companies may seem very agreeable, but if you look closer you’ll see that they have an ulterior motive: they want to limit communication, because the fewer questions you ask, the better!
To that end, they will avoid and restricted interaction with your management team, or any other key stakeholders. There is nothing “agreeable” about this. It’s purely tactical, and designed to keep you from realizing what amateur FF&E installers already know: you’re about to choose a company that, quite simply, cannot get the job done the way it should be done.
5. Lack of Project Management
FF&E installation is about much more than moving items from point A to point B. There are multiple processes and strategies that must be implemented before, during and after the move, including: asset and inventory management, tracking and reporting, quality assurance, punch list development, and the list goes on.
Amateur FF&E installation companies don’t have the project management systems, technologies or experts in place to handle everything properly from end-to-end. There will be major breakdowns and bottlenecks along the way.
Precision: Professional FF&E Installation for Over 30 Years
At Precision, we’ve proudly set the standard for professional FF&E installation for more than 30 years. We understand that we aren’t just moving our clients’ items. We’re safeguarding their assets and protecting their reputation.
In this way, it’s never “just another FF&E installation” project to us. It’s an opportunity for us to do what we do best, which is inspire our client to say: “This was the most professional and stress-free moving experience we’ve ever had!”
If these are words that you and your management team would like to be confidently saying in the near future, contact us today. Your consultation is free.
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