I'm hurt you didn't email me about this :-)

But really, hand-written orders and a computerized database are two separate things. We hand write orders and have a computerized database.

That depends a lot on the legibility of your handwriting....

Seriously, I prefer computerization, I am impressed when I visit a store and they can look up what paint I ordered for the living room in 1998, or what dining chairs I purchased years ago and now want to add to. I know that some people prefer hand written notes etc., I just want the most accurate information as fast as I can get it.

I like the trend of companies that are offering bills in Adobe Acrobat pdf files. I can retrieve them almost instantly and search for any relevant text with ease. My bank statement is about 16 pages and includes images of all the cancelled checks. Recently, I got a notice from IRS that I owed them several thousand dollars, I printed out and faxed a copy of the cancelled check while the agent was on the phone and cleared it up immediately. They had credited my payment to someone else.

By the way, J.L. Treharn is giving a 5% discount on orders placed directly on their new web site from Jan 15th. through Jan 25th. I see that you are a dealer for them.

Do you attend the Valley Forge market?

Ed

BWhaaaaaaa!! Now you REALLY want to make me work, Steve. Hand-write AND go into a database!

-Duane

I know exactly what you're saying on the hazards of a hand-written order. Just last week we attempted to deliver a Hancock and Moore Austin High Back Sofa for a customer - and the wrong brass nails were on it. How did that happen?! She wanted the "A" nail and it came in with the "H" nail on it. I clearly remember the specs and writing the order correctly, who screwed up? I pull out my original handwritten purchase order that I faxed to H&M and I specified the "A" nail. Then I looked closely at my hand-writing. Argh! I didn't fully close the top of the "A" and though it looked fine to me that way, it was seen by someone at H&M as an "H" and there ya go...wrong nail trim. My, my....Re-order - Quick Ship.

Silver Lining: Put it back in the store Saturday at lunch and have sold two of that model since then (it was a model I have never floor stocked before) from customers coming in and trying it out (Hi Chris!).

Yes, I usually go to the Valley Forge Market but have been coming away empty-handed for the past few years. What used to be fine American-made crafts/furniture in Bob Goodrich's event has morphed into becoming what I call the 5-C show (Cheap - Chinese - Cutesy - Country - Clones). How many resin-mold, stenciled chickens and cows does one really need? Ugh. Theres a new show in Reading PA that same weekend I'm going to instead, by a new promoter that saw the same thing I did and won't have the imports there (so they say). Not sure if I have time to go to Valley Forge that same trip but I'll do Reading first.

JLT has always offered 5 % off inventory items as long as I can remember. Thats not new to the website (which is vastly improved over the old one, isn't it?)

What part of the trade are you in, ED? Store? Sales Rep? Company?

-Duane

I'm a rep Duane, I will be at the Valley Forge booth for JLT. They are also showing in Reading. I think the split show does not bode well for the show in general.

The 5% discount I refer to includes special orders placed on the dealer section of the new web site.

Here is a link that might be useful: more about me

When there is a computer system (pick an industry), and you want x and y, but there is only a place to enter x and no one knows how to include y. Then five other people come by to try to help and no one knows but one person says to add it in the comments section and the factory will see it and everything will be ok. But it invariable is not ok.

I guess it depends on your volume, the complexity of the product and the reliability of the computer system.

I think all of my furniture orders have been written by hand, so it doesn't seem like there is a big movement towards computerization in this field.

I'm all for using technology to make your work life easier and FASTER... more time you'll be able to spend, "one on one", with a customer.

I think you should "go for it" and get "automated". Using available technologies to make your life easier makes SENSE.

Duane, I would be so impressed with a hand-written receipt. Apparently that doesn't work for orders, but please, stay with the personal receipt. It would be a treasure. We keep receipts for probably 20 years (in the process at the moment at purging the file cabinet). But understand, we don't buy much furniture, just really good furniture!

Duane,

Saw this thread and had to comment even though it hasn't seen any activity for awhile. As said earlier you can do both computer documents and hand written receipts. There are probably applications that a POS vendor could sell you, or you could purchase a good pc with a backup system (dvd rewriter is nice) and get a program suite suite such as Openoffice (free) or Mircrosoft Office. You could then hire a computer whiz (usually a young college student) to design a database for you in either Excel or Access. Either way you could still do the hand written receipt then type it in the computer later and print it out to fax or even send the order through email. You also will have the option to do queries on customers and what they bought.

I prefer computer generated both as a vendor and a customer.

I use Quickbooks and it suits me nicely. I can't see ever going back to double entry bookkeeping.

Not only can I type faster than I can write, it's more legible and when I do a "save" it automatically spell checks for me.

I don't care what kind of paperwork is done. Other things about the purchase are much more important.