Customer Handbook - Hammonds

Customer Handbook

Introduction We’d like to just take a few minutes to say a big thank you for choosing Hammonds. We’d also like to ask you for a few minutes of your time to have a quick read through this handbook.

You’ll find lots of useful information on how your order will proceed, as well as useful tips like how to look after your furniture (actually all it takes is a damp cloth).

Hammonds began way back in 1926 with Thomas Stanley Hammonds; so we’re a family run business with over 90 years of experience in making the finest furniture in the country for thousands of customers.

In fact, we have many satisfied customers returning to us year after year, who also recommend us to their friends and family, so we must be doing something right.

The first step is to keep you informed of exactly how we’ll be transforming your home. By following our advice on how to plan and prepare for the fitting, you’ll help to ensure a high quality installation that’s completed on time.

You’ll also be able to find out lots of useful stuff, such as how to contact us to ensure that any queries you may have are dealt with quickly. Don’t worry – we’ve successfully transformed tens of thousands of homes!

I’m sure you’ll find everything you’ll need to know here and I hope you continue to enjoy your furniture for many years to come.

Richard Hammonds Chairman

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Handbook Contents The Steps to a Successful Installation 4The Features and Differences between the Three Wardrobe Systems 5 Front Frame 5Premium Storage Solution 6 Contemporary Closet System 7 Order Acknowledgement and Account Number 8 Survey 8

Arranging a Survey Appointment 8What the Surveyor Does 9Amending Your Order 9 Booking Fitting Dates 10

2nd Payment 10 Preparing for the Installation 11

Clearing the Room 11 Building and Preparatory Works 12 Noise 12Dust 13 Decoration 13 Parking and Access 13

Delivery of the Furniture 14The Installation 14

Health and Safety 15Tall Freestanding Units 15 Security 16 Design Amendments during Fitting 16Waste removal 16

Completion and Final Payment 16 Customer Feedback 17Taking Care of your Hammonds Furniture 18 Adjustments to Doors and Drawers 19

Understanding and Taking Care of Veneered Furniture 19How to Maintain and Care for the Hammonds Easy Care Surfaces 20Handles and Glass 20 Palladian Care Guide 21

Adding to your Furniture 22 10 Year Guarantee 22Making a Claim 23Complaints Procedure 24 Contacting Hammonds 26Top Tips 27

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The Steps to a Successful Installation

We want to make the process of installing your fitted bedroom or home office furniture as trouble free and enjoyable as possible. Through our years of experience we know that the most successful installations are where there is good understanding of who must do what and by when. The table below summarises the steps. You’ll note there are a number of tasks requiring your attention that are vital to the success.

Don’t worry, the process is quite straightforward and we’ll be helping you through it.

The Step What will we do What we ask you to do

Survey Measure the room, confirm the design, discuss, agree and document any changes and specify all components required.

Check that the final design presented to you by the surveyor meets your requirements and expectations. Make payment if required for any changes to the order.

You must sign all documents given to you at this point.

Manufacture Manufacture and assemble all the required components.

2nd Payment

(if not on a Hammonds Home Improvement account)

Due 15 working days before delivery. You can pay by credit/ debit card, cheque or bank transfer unless your order is placed through a designated store. Please see page I0 for details.

Prepare the room for installation

Clear the room of furniture and carpets. Decorate behind where front frame wardrobes are to be installed. Move electrics, radiators etc as required.

Delivery Delivered by a fitter at the start of the installation or occasionally in advance direct to the home.

Clear or protect the access route from the external door to the room of installation.

Installation Fit furniture to Hammonds standards. Remove waste and clear up.

Assist in creating a safe and suitable working environment for the fitter whilst home.

Final Payment (if not a Hammonds Home Improvement Account)

Due on completion. Payment guide as 2nd payment above 4

The Features and Differences between

the Three Wardrobe Systems There are three types of furniture construction available from Hammonds. These are known as:

• Front Frame• Premium Storage Solution• Sliding Wardrobes System

With care, it is possible to mix the Front Frame and Premium Storage systems within the design for a room, although some products/ranges are only available in one or the other system. Your designer or surveyor can advise you if you have any questions.

Front Frame This system comprises a frame on which doors are hung on hinges. With this system, each wardrobe has a floor, but no sides, backs or top. Thus the existing wall and ceiling finishes can be seen inside, though in practice little is visible due to the clothes being stored. Interiors (shelves and hanging arrangements) and division panels have to be specified separately depending on your requirements.

ADVANTAGES• Greatest amount of storage space.• Suitable for in front of existing apertures and

sloping ceilings.

DISADVANTAGES • There are no sides, backs or tops so walls and

ceilings are visible inside the robes.• You may need to redecorate the space where the

wardrobes are to be located before installation, especially if removing existing furniture.

• Each shelf and division panel must be cut and fitted in the room at the time of installation.

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Premium Storage Solution Each wardrobe is essentially a box with floor, sides, back and top. Doors are hung on hinges from the side panels. Premium storage wardrobes are generally more expensive than front frame systems due to the extra material and labour involved. Some ranges and some specific products are only available in premium storage, for example, the Veneer range.

ADVANTAGES• Aesthetically pleasing, dust free interiors.• Interior layouts can be changed after installation in

many standard wardrobes.• The majority of preparation happens on our

premises, therefore less work and time in your home is required.

• Decoration behind the wardrobes is not required so you have less preparation.

DISADVANTAGES • There may be unusable voids at the sides, above

and behind the carcass.

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Contemporary Closet System This system comprises sliding wardrobe doors mounted usually in a front frame. There are no backs, sides, tops or floors so the existing wall, ceiling and floor finishes will be visible. The interiors are very different from the other systems in that they are suspended from aluminium columns which sit on the floor and are secured to the walls by cross beams at approximately head height.

ADVANTAGES• Modern styling.• Does not need space in the room to open doors.• Shelf and interior chest heights can be adjusted

after installation.• Can be used as a walk in wardrobe where

room allows.

DISADVANTAGES • There are no sides, backs, tops or floors so walls,

ceilings and floors are visible inside the robes.• You may need to redecorate the space where the

wardrobes are to be located before installation, especially if removing existing furniture.

• Flooring in the wardrobe is best laid after installation.

Please check the order form to ensure that the design and specification matches your requirements. Should the order not match your requirements, please discuss this with your designer or the surveyor.

Please note we are unable to change the type of robe system after the survey has been completed as manufacturing may commence immediately thereafter.

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Order Acknowledgement You will receive a letter from our Sales Department which will

• confirm your order• inform you of your customer reference number

Please quote your customer account number with any correspondence or enquiry.

SurveyBefore we commence manufacture of your furniture it is vital that we have accurate measurements of where the furniture is to be fitted and a thorough understanding of your precise requirements and expectations. We therefore deploy highly trained furniture surveyors who take the design concept through to a detailed specification using a CAD system of your furniture and installation instructions. A survey appointment typically lasts 2 hours.

Please note our surveyors are not building surveyors and therefore cannot advise you on matters not related to our furniture.

Our surveyor will need to discuss the design with a person knowledgeable about your requirements and authorised to make decisions about the order, therefore it is imperative that someone who understands your order is present at the survey appointment.

Arranging a Survey Appointment Usually at the end of the visit, the designer will help arrange an appointment for the survey with you. If for some reason this is not possible our Pre Fit Team will be in touch to arrange this. If you wish to call the Pre Fit Team, they can be contacted on 0800 021 4368.

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What the Surveyor Does The following is the process which our surveyor will follow:

• Discuss the design with you – you will therefore need to provide the set of drawings left with you by the designer.

• Take detailed measurements of your room(s) – in order to identify all the components required and sizes to which we must make them for you.

• Establish the methods by which your new bedroom will be installed and record instructions for the fitter – please make the surveyor aware of any hidden pipes or cables that may be affected by the installation.

• Check the details of the order – it is essential that you confirm your requirements and expectations. Please check carefully that the styles, colours and opening arrangements of doors, etc., are exactly as you require. For example, that glazed mirrors (if ordered) are on the correct doors and the correct side (inside or outside) of the door.

• Produce a detailed drawing and exact specification, recorded on the Survey Form and supporting documentation, confirming your order – please sign this order. Your order will be manufactured and installed according to these survey documents. You are therefore requested to check that the details on the survey documents are exactly as you wish and discuss any concerns with the surveyor. The company cannot accept responsibility for error or omission on the order or agree to any alterations after the survey is completed.

• Estimate the number of days required for the installation. This will depend upon the scale and complexity of the furniture to be installed, and should only be considered as an estimate.

• We ask that you take this opportunity to discuss with your surveyor any queries you may have reference any electrical sockets and switches or the relocation of radiators.

Amending Your Order If you require any changes at this stage (e.g. accurate measurement reveals that chest sizes need to be changed to fit the available space or you wish to add a tie rail), then you will be asked to sign a “Variation to Order Form”. This simple form details the changes and any additional charges, which are usually small, and will become an integral part of your agreement with us.

Payment for any amendment to the order must be made at the time of the survey. We regret it cannot be added to your final balance or Hammonds Home Improvement Account.

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Booking Fitting Dates Before leaving your home, our surveyor will discuss installation dates with you and then telephone our Pre Fit Team to schedule an appointment. We will endeavour to provide installation dates to match your preference but this will depend on demand in your area.

If you are purchasing the furniture via a Hammonds Home Improvement Account, the installation date can only be booked once the agreement has been formally accepted by the finance company. Therefore if the survey has been conducted prior to acceptance, the surveyor will be unable to arrange a fitting date and we will contact you as soon as acceptance is received.

We are proud of the fact that the vast majority of our installations start on the scheduled date and time, however delays very occasionally arise due to unforeseen reasons. We therefore cannot give an absolute guarantee that the installation dates will commence on time, but we promise to keep you informed as soon as we are aware of any potential delay.

As your installation is allocated to a specific fitter within your area it is important that you don’t move your fit date. In the unlikely event that you need to do this, and it is within 21 working days of installation date, you need to be aware that a cancellation fee of £150 is payable by you for moving this date.

2nd Payment Unless you are purchasing using a Hammonds Home Improvement Account, your second payment of 64% of the total price is due 15 working days before the delivery of the furniture.

Payment may be made by cheque payable to Hammonds Furniture Ltd or by bank transfer or credit/debit card unless your order is placed through one of the following stores:

• Leekes: Melksham, Crosshands, Llantrisant, Bilston and Coventry• Bentalls: Kingston• Fenwick: Newcastle

In which case you will need to make payment directly to the store. We will inform you in writing if this is the case.

If you have placed an order through Fenwick Newcastle you will be notified about payment directly by the store.

Please note that failure to make this payment on time may lead to the suspension of your order and an incurred penalty of £150.

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Preparing for the Installation Preparation by you is critical to the success of the installation of your furniture. This section is intended to lessen any worries which you may have and help you to prepare.

Clearing the Room Fitted furniture is ideally laid on bare floors; therefore it is essential that you remove any floor coverings where the furniture is to be fitted. If you request that the furniture is laid on top of carpets or other floor finishes, then you must accept that holes will be created in the flooring for fixings and that there Is a risk of settlement of the fitted furniture that may cause slight cracking at the joints with the walls and ceiling, which Hammonds will be unable to accept responsibility for.

You can be assured that our installers are skilled craftsmen and are instructed to treat your home and furnishings with respect. However to avoid any possibility of damage to your property and provide the fitter with a safe working environment, we request that the room where the furniture is to be fitted is completely emptied of your belongings, room dressings and furniture. If you have any difficulties moving large or heavy furniture, please contact Customer Care for advice. We recommend that any carpet is removed where possible. We regret that we are unable to refit your carpet and would advise you to liaise with a skilled carpet fitter.

Hammonds are unable to accept responsibility for furniture, carpets, ornaments etc left in the room.

Hammonds installers will not remove or dispose of any existing unwanted fitted furniture, nor can we guarantee that any existing Hammonds furniture can be removed in a condition suitable for re-use.

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Building and Preparatory Works It is often the case that having fitted furniture installed requires a small amount of preparatory work to be completed before our fitter arrives. The most common tasks for you to arrange are:

• Removal and disposal of existing fitted and/or freestanding furniture• The ‘making good’ (filling or plastering) of the walls and ceiling following rip out of

existing robes.• If you are having front frame robes fitted, you may want to decorate the walls

and ceiling before the installation, as these will be visible inside the robe.• the moving of electrical sockets and switches, or the relocation of radiators.

Our surveyor is able to give you advice.

We recommend you schedule the completion of all such work to be at least a couple of days in advance of the installation. This will give you contingency time in case of delay or overrun by your contractor. Should the room not be ready to commence installation on the agreed date, we will have to reschedule your appointment, which may not be until several weeks later.

We are often asked to supply services in addition to the supply and installation of new furniture. However due to the diversity of the potential tasks and our nationwide coverage, it is our policy not to offer such services directly, through subcontractors or to endorse as competent any company or individual. Our designers and surveyors sometimes know of companies or individuals that may assist you with these works, however this is not an element of your contract with Hammonds and we cannot take any responsibility for their activities.

Noise We will take care to carry out your installation with as little fuss and disruption to your environment as possible. However, like most home improvement projects, there will inevitably be some noise from power tools, banging etc. We suggest you consider warning your neighbours and recommend that young children and pets are kept safely in a place where they will not be affected by the noise.

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Dust Our experience is that, even with the utmost care, dust is produced during every installation due to a reasonable amount of trimming, cutting and drilling where necessary. Our fitters have dustsheets to protect exceptionally large items left in the room and entrance routes, but please clear all objects from surfaces. Any coverings that you may wish to place over any fixtures and fittings prior to installation will help to protect them.

One further tip: To avoid dust penetrating other rooms in your home, it is wise to keep doors and windows elsewhere in the house closed as much as possible during the installation process. The fitter may need to open a window in the room whilst fitting for ventilation.

Decoration Due to the close fitting of the furniture, some markings to the walls, floorboards and ceiling may occur. The room is therefore best decorated after installation. However, if you have ordered front frame robes (no sides, tops or back panels), we suggest that you paint/paper the walls and ceiling where the robes are to be fitted several days before installation as this is more difficult with the robes in situ.

We will take every reasonable precaution to avoid any disturbance to the decoration during the installation. However, even with the utmost care, some localised disturbance to plaster and wallpaper can occur in the immediate vicinity of the installation. If this should occur, we undertake to make good where necessary, but any re-decoration required is considered your responsibility.

It is recommended that any redecoration or carpet fitting is not scheduled immediately after the due completion date in case of any unforeseen delay.

Parking and Access Our fitter will arrive in a large van, to which they will need access frequently during the installation. It is therefore highly desirable that they are able to park their van as close to the house entrance as possible. If the house does not have its own off road parking, then please endeavour to secure nearby parking by allowing use of your allocated space, or reserving a nearby space on the public road, or gaining agreement to use a neighbour’s space, or arranging a parking permit with the controlling authority. If parking for the fitter is going to be difficult, please discuss this with the surveyor during their visit.

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Delivery of the Furniture Normally our fitter will arrive with the furniture. However depending on the product range, volume of order, production schedules and if you live in one of the following central London postcodes SW, E/EC, SE, N/NW, W/WC, at Hammonds discretion, we will deliver direct to your home using our Home Delivery Service. This will be prior to the date of your installation. Your surveyor will advise you of this at point of survey. If we do deliver in advance, it is highly preferable to deliver the furniture directly into the cleared room where the furniture is being fitted.

Many of the components delivered will be large and can sometimes be difficult to manoeuvre along narrow halls and up stairs. Immediately prior to delivery we recommend that you clear the route through your home that will be used to move the furniture into the room of fitting. You should remove or protect curtains, ornaments, paintings, furniture, light fittings and such like.

For health and safety reasons, our fitters and delivery crews can only deliver by normal doorways, stairways and lifts, and cannot remove their footwear. Therefore, we kindly request that you make every effort to cover any carpet area which may be used by our fitter or delivery crew.

The Installation Our fitters will normally arrive between 8:00 and I 0:00 am but will endeavour to telephone you if they intend to arrive earlier or have been delayed. The fitter will discuss with you the hours they intend to work. Your co-operation and flexibility will greatly assist them to complete on time and to our usual high standards.

It is helpful if the person providing access is fully conversant with all details of your order requirements.

Our fitter will need reasonable unrestricted access to all rooms in which work is to be carried out and the use of a WC.

Any furniture that includes electric lighting or power sockets is supplied ready to connect to your mains supply. Our fitters are not electricians and cannot undertake any electrical work.

If you have any concerns during fitting, please discuss them first with the fitter who should be able to resolve most issues. In the unlikely event that you have any reason to be dissatisfied with the workmanship, cleanliness or courtesy of our fitter, please inform our Customer Service Team during or as soon after the installation as possible.

If you ask the fitter to perform any service other than those detailed on the order, you are entering into a private arrangement with the fitter, for which Hammonds will not bear any responsibility.

Please note that you will be required to sign the installation report form before our fitter leaves at the end of the installation. 14

Health and Safety Health and safety legislation requires that Hammonds and you must consider and protect the health and safety of our fitter and anyone else in the house during the period of installation. Our fitters are trained to work safely, but they must have your co-operation.

Specifically, your responsibilities under this legislation include the provision of: • A sufficient sized cleared working area in the room where the furniture is to be

fitted or an agreed suitable location.• A safe electric supply.• Adequate lighting and ventilation.• Identification of any known risks, such as below surface pipes and wiring.

Please consult the surveyor if you have any questions.

Should the fitter consider that the environment or task they have been requested to perform would place them or anyone else at risk of injury, they are required under the legislation to suspend the activity until the risk is reduced to a safe level.

If the fitting is due to take two days or more, we recommend that you make arrangements not to use the room where the fitting is being conducted. If it is unavoidable, please discuss this with the fitter at the start of the first day so that they can plan the work and leave the room in a safe and reasonably tidy state each evening.

Our fitters work most efficiently when left to get on with the job (however few will decline the offer of a cup of tea or coffee!). The door to the room will normally be kept closed during fitting to contain the dust. Please knock to attract the fitter’s attention. Enter with extreme caution due to the use of potentially hazardous tools and other objects in the room.

Tall Freestanding Units Whilst these items can be freestanding we recommend for extra stability that they are fitted. If you choose your chests not to be fitted then we ask the fitter to attach a small safety strap, which can be unattached and re-secured should you wish to move the item. Customer safety is of paramount concern to us, risks of toppling come from small children who may find fun climbing up open drawers or if heavy items are stored in the upper drawers with the lower drawers being empty. The safety strap is there to protect you and your loved ones.

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Security We strongly recommend that you or a representative (not a child) be on the premises throughout the fitting. Please secure all personal valuables. Should you choose to leave our fitter working in the house unaccompanied, this is at your risk. The fitter is not authorised by Hammonds to take responsibility for your house and contents in your absence.

Design Amendments during Fitting

It is not normally possible to make any additions, deletions or changes to your order or design during the fitting. Any exceptional changes should be discussed with the fitter but in any case must be agreed by the Customer Services Team. If we do agree to any changes, you will be liable for any additional costs for materials, delivery, and fitting labour, plus any other costs incurred if the changes delay completion such that a return visit is required.

Waste Removal Our fitter will tidy up after the installation is completed and will remove waste resulting from the installation (but not furniture existing prior to fitting). Inevitably there may still be some airborne dust that may take a few days to settle. This may be easily cleaned off by adhering to the instructions overleaf.

Completion and Final Payment When they have finished the installation, our fitter will be proud to show you your new furniture. Please make a thorough inspection and bring to our fitter’s attention anything that concerns you so that they can resolve it promptly. We are sure that you will be delighted! The fitter will ask you to sign an Installation report to confirm that you are fully satisfied with both the product and fitting workmanship.

In the unlikely event that an element of the installation is not entirely to your satisfaction, we ask that you make a note of this on the installation report. You can be assured that we will do our utmost to resolve any issues quickly and efficiently.

Your installation report form must be signed at the end of the Installation. Any issues must be noted on the form and reported to our customer services team within 48hrs of the end of the installation. You can contact our team by calling 0800 021 4363.

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Unless you have made the purchase by a Hammonds Home Improvement Account, we will require payment of the final balance (16% of the total price) when the installation has been completed. We will send you a final invoice shortly before your delivery/installation takes place. Our fitters are not authorised to collect payments, so we ask that once the installation has been completed you forward the payment in accordance with the final invoice. We prefer payment by cheque or credit/debit card or bank transfer, unless your order is placed through a designated store. Please see page 10 for further details.

If you have purchased via the Hammonds Home Improvement Account, then no action is required by you.

Customer Feedback As a leading retailer in customer service we would love to hear from you. Over the years, our customer feedback has provided an important role in how we have grown the family business.

We appreciate that taking time out of your busy can be time consuming, but your response is valuable to us.

We would really appreciate it if you could spare us sometime to write to us and let us know your experience with your bedroom or home office installation. This gives us an idea of how we are performing and also gives others, who may be considering buying from Hammonds now or in the future, valuable feedback from the people that matter the most; you.

Your comments can be sent to [email protected]

Alternatively, if you prefer to put pen to paper, you can write to: Hammonds Feedback Consumer Division Nutts Lane Hinckley Leicestershire LEIO 3QQ

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Taking Care of your Hammonds Furniture

Hammonds produces furniture in veneer and easy care finishes, there are different considerations for each. Please take a moment to read the following and this way you will have years of trouble free enjoyment from your furniture.

Taking care of your Gloss and High Sheen Furniture

All of our gloss and high sheen products are delivered and installed with a protective film over the fascia surfaces. The protective cover will be removed on the day of installation. It is recommended that these fascias are not cleaned until a further 48hrs after the installation. This will allow the material to acclimatise, reduce the natural static that will occur on these high gloss surfaces and aid in the initial clean and removal of the dust that the high sheen surface will attract.

48hrs after installation it is recommended that all fascias are cleaned with a cloth dampened with mild detergent and then is cleaned with a soft lint free cloth.

The high sheen and gloss surfaces all have a natural tendency to scratch and mark easily. Whilst this is the norm for this type of finish, please be advised that scratches and marks caused through natural wear and tear are not covered under our warranty. Should you wish to protect your worksurface from scratches and marks then it is recommend that you use a protective surface to place your items onto.

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Adjustments to Doors and Drawers Your wardrobe doors and drawer fronts would have been aligned by the fitted during the installation. However, overtime it may be necessary to realign them.

This is considered as normal wear and tear and therefore is not covered under the terms of your guarantee.

Instructions of how to carry out these adjustments will be emailed to you upon completion of your installation as part of your Guarantee Claim Pack. You can also view them via

www.hammonds-uk.com/my-account

Hammonds also offer an aftercare service. For a cost of £150 per room/visit, a Hammond’s fitter can carry out any of the following work for you

a All door and drawer adjustment.b Replacement of any caulking required. c Replacement of small items such as shelf pegs, hanging rails or hinge

Should you have any questions regarding these adjustments or are unable to view the instruction guide, please contact the Guarantee Claims Team

Understanding and Taking Care of Veneered Furniture

Hammonds uses natural timbers to manufacture its furniture. This means that no two pieces are identical, since the figure and colouration of the timber grain varies naturally. Our process of manufacture selects, grades and colour matches the timbers, but nevertheless, grain and hue will vary from piece to piece.

Natural timbers all mature in colour as they age in normal lighting conditions, and this occurs to a greater or lesser degree according to species. With paler woods it is more obvious and appears to happen over a shorter period of time. Darker woods mature more slowly and colour changes are less marked.

Both these attributes of natural grain variation and colour maturation are intrinsic to timbers. They are prized features of these natural materials and help to ensure the value and uniqueness of your Hammonds furniture.

Hammonds uses durable lacquers to finish and seal the solid timbers and veneers that go into the making of its furniture. These surface finishes protect from liquids, staining and warm objects providing that any spills are wiped up straight away and excessive heat is not applied directly to the surface.

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How to Maintain and Care for the Hammonds Easy Care Surfaces

If you have bought Hammonds furniture with our easy care finish, then looking after it couldn’t be simpler. To maintain the furniture’s fine appearance, wipe over occasionally with a cloth dampened with a mild detergent solution and polish off with a soft, lint-free cloth. Should any spillages occur, we advise that they are wiped up straight away and that you refrain from applying any heat directly to the surface.

Handles and Glass Metal handles are finished with a clear lacquer. Regular dusting with a soft cloth is the only maintenance needed. Do not use metal polishes or abrasives as these will remove the lacquer coating and might result in a patchy or discoloured appearance. Once the lacquer has been removed, the metal will require more frequent cleaning with a brass cleaner. When you are cleaning your glass, use only branded glass/mirror cleaner or a damp cloth with a small amount of detergent. Avoid using harsh spirit based cleaners as this will damage surface coatings.

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Palladian Care Guide Important Information

Ageing This painted product is handmade from natural and man-made materials and is therefore subject to ageing. This process may result in small cracks appearing in paintwork as the product expands and contracts due to changes in the environment. To minimise the effects of ageing please read the following information:

General Care • Keep your furniture out of direct sunlight. Prolonged exposure may cause the colour

to fade over time

• Avoid sighting furniture directly next to a heat source e.g. radiator, as this may cause the paint to crack or discolour over time.

• Please use the protective mats provided to prevent any damage to paintwork.

• Never slam drawers shut, as this will cause significant damage to the wood and paintwork.

Regular Maintenance To ensure continued smooth operation of drawer runners, good quality beeswax should be applied to them every 6 months.

Should paintwork become chipped or damaged a French polisher should be employed to carry out repairs.

Regular Cleaning For everyday cleaning, wipe the surface with a damp cloth or sponge. You may use a mild soap or detergent. Wipe completely dry with a soft rag using a straight-line motion. Waxes and polishes are usually not needed. If waxes are used, use a white, creamy type to avoid discolouration. Never use oil or any polish containing oil. Avoid oil treated cloths. Hand rubbing any polish can damage painted surfaces.

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Adding to your Furniture Many of our customers are so satisfied that they return again and again to Hammonds for additional items or to have more rooms fitted. If desired, we will endeavour to supply matching furniture, however we cannot guarantee that this will be available due to ongoing product development and changing style fashions.

If you wish to buy additional items to complement your room or request a design and quote for an additional room, then please telephone 0800 251505, or call into one of our nationwide showrooms. Don’t forget we also offer fitted home office and kitchen furniture.

10 Year Guarantee Your new Hammonds fitted furniture has the benefit of a manufacturer’s guarantee which covers the failure of materials purchased for up to I0 years. Your guarantee will commence 7 days after the completion of your installation and only if you do not owe us any money under the contract.

You can view the full terms of the guarantee via

www.hammonds-uk.com/my-account

AS A CONSUMER YOU HAVE STATUTORY PROTECTION REGARDING FAULTY OR MISDESCRIBED GOODS OR IN ADEQUATE SERVICES SUCH AS INSTALLATION THESE TERMS DO NOT AFFECT THOSE RIGHTS.

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Making a Claim All claims will be subject to the correct Guarantee Form being completed and sent electronically to our Guarantee Department via

www.hammonds-uk.com/my-account

Your log in details will be provided within your Guarantee Claim pack which will be emailed to you upon completion of your installation. The Guarantee Claim Pack includes:

• Your account log in details• Your Hammonds Guarantee Policy• Instructions of how to carry out various adjustments on your Hammonds Furniture

that are not covered under your guarantee

Photographic evidence of the issue must be provided to allow Hammonds to confirm the claim is covered under the guarantee. Should you be unable to provide photos, a £100 non- refundable call out charge will be payable to Hammonds.

Should an inspection be required to access the validity of a claim, a £I00 call out charge will be payable to Hammonds. Hammonds will confirm the validity of any claim within 7 working days and should the claim be deemed as valid, the £I00 call out charge will be refunded.

Hammonds will aim to rectify all valid claims within 45 days of receipt of the Guarantee Form.

Should you have any further queries regarding your claim, please email [email protected]

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In the Unlikely Event You Have a Problem We have a complaints procedure that is there to help you resolve your problem and to allow us to deal with the issue efficiently.

Complaints Procedure We understand that there may be times when an installation has not gone to plan, with the nature of the product and complexity of an installation, sometimes mistakes happen. Our promise to you is that we will strive to recover this situation within our reasonable endeavours.

However, should there be an occasion when you feel that we have failed to honour our promise, we will do everything possible to ensure that your complaint is dealt with quickly and fairly.

In order for us to efficiently access your account upon receipt of your complaint, we ask that you provide your name, account number and address details when writing to us.

GETTING IN TOUCHThe easiest way to advise us of your complaint is simply to access our complaint form via the ‘contacts’ section on ‘My Account’. You can access ‘My Account’ by visiting www.hammonds-uk.com/my-account. A member of our Support Team will then contact you regarding your concerns.

ESCALATING YOUR COMPLAINTIn the unlikely event that a member of our Support Team has been unable to resolve your complaint, you can then formally escalate your complaint by writing to our Aftercare Team at the address below:Aftercare Team Consumer Division Nutts Lane Hinckley Leicestershire LE10 [email protected]

We promise to acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days of receipt and advise you of the team member your complaint has been allocated to. Our Aftercare Team will attempt to provide a prompt response and reply as soon as their investigations are complete and our aim is to do this within 15 working days.

In the unlikely event that your complaint has not been resolved within 4 weeks of its receipt, we will write and let you know the reasons why and the further action we will take.

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Sometimes it is not always possible to come to a mutual agreement on a resolution. Therefore, if we cannot resolve the differences between us, we will issue a final response letter.

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTIONWhilst we would prefer to deal with any concerns directly with our customers, we know that sometimes this is not always possible, which is why we are a full member of The Furniture Ombudsman.

Following receipt of our final response letter you may refer your complaint to The Furniture Ombudsman.

The Furniture Ombudsman is an independent not-for-profit organisation which raises standards and is approved by the government to provide alternative dispute resolution services. We follow their Code of Practice which provides you with additional protection and we are bound to follow any decision that they make. Referral to The Furniture Ombudsman will not prejudice your right to take subsequent legal proceedings.

If you would like to find out more about The Furniture Ombudsman and how to use their service, visit www.thefurnitureombudsman.org or you can contact them via the below details:Furniture Ombudsman Maxwell Road Stevenage Hertfordshire SG1 2EW 0333 241 3209info@thefurnitureombudsman

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How to Contact Hammonds Furniture

If you need to contact Hammonds with regard to the fitting of your room, please call us on:

0800 021 4363

Hammonds Future Ltd Nutts Lane

Nutts Lane Industrial Estate Hinckley

Leicestershire LE10 3QQ

Contact us via our ‘Contact Form’ at: www.hammonds-uk.com/my-account

Our sales terms are available online at: www.hammonds-uk.com

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Top Tips It’s important that you read your Customer Handbook in full before your installation date, as it will help to make everyone’s life easier. However, to get you started, here’s our list of top tips.

I. Please ensure that your room is completely clear of all furniture and soft furnishings before we start.

2. Any building or preparatory work must be complete before our fitter arrives. This includes the moving of electrical sockets and any pipework.

3. To prevent the possible build up of condensation, please ensure that your room is well ventilated and generates a constant air flow at all times.

4. Please let your neighbours know we are coming, as we will be making some noise whilst we are working in your home. Obviously we will keep this to a minimum, however; some disturbance is inevitable.

5. While our fitters always try to keep dust to a minimum, there will be some mess in the short term. We therefore advise that you keep other rooms and windows closed during this period.

6. Check when you should decorate your room by reading the recommendations on Page 13 of this booklet.

7. The same goes for the fitting of carpets.

8. Please make sure that our fitter can park near your property. If necessary arrange for a parking permit whilst he is with you.

9. Ensure there is a clear route to the room where your furniture is being installed.

I0. We’ll be working from around 8.00am until 6.30pm daily, although there may be times when we need to work beyond these hours. Please make sure there is someone at home to let the fitter in and someone at home to sign for the work undertaken before the fitter leaves.

II. The working area must be safe and not a Health & Safety hazard.

If you need to contact Hammonds with regards to your installation then please call us on:

0800 021 4363Hammonds Furniture Ltd. Nutts Lane, Hinckley, Leicestershire, LE 10 3QQ

www.hammonds-uk.com

Registered Office: Manor Court Chambers, Townsend Drive, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV 11 6RU Registered in England No. 1320508

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