Frequently Asked Questions

PRE-DELIVERY FAQ
Q. How can we be sure our order is correct?
A. Upon receipt of your order, we send you an Order Confirmation. This document includes the item numbers, quantity and descriptions of the products you ordered along with your finish choices, shipping method and the inside delivery and assembly options you selected. Before your order can be put into the production schedule, we must have your signed Order Confirmation. Check this document carefully, sign it and fax it to 877-620-7411.
Q. How long will it take to manufacture and deliver our order?
A. Standard delivery time is 5-6 weeks after receipt of your purchase order – dependent, partly on your distance from the factory and on the products you have selected. At certain times of the year, this may extend to 7-8 weeks from receipt and entry of your order. To enter your order, we must have all finish and delivery information. Pre-scheduling (prior to order entry) may be available under certain circumstances. Use the Sales Department Contact Form to obtain pre-scheduling information.
 
Q. Is it possible to obtain rush delivery?
A. We will enter your request for rush delivery (4 weeks or less) for a 10% upcharge at the time of order entry. Indicate “Rush Delivery Required” on the Quote Request Form to obtain a rush quote. If we cannot meet your delivery date, you will not be charged for rush service. After an order is entered and scheduled, we generally cannot add this expedited delivery service.
 
Q. What is the least expensive method of shipping?
A. If we can ship to a 48-52″ high loading dock or you have a forklift and you have receiving personnel on hand during normal business hours (the driver is not required to assist in moving your furniture from the truck) and we can ship without advanced notification, let us know. We will quote delivery at the lowest possible pre-paid rate. We will provide you with the name of the freight forwarding company and “Bill of Lading” number so you can track the shipment.
 
Q. Do we need “Advanced Notification”?
A. If you don’t have a full-time receiving department or the delivery is going directly to the classroom, the Bill of Lading (BOL) will indicate “Advanced Notification Required” or “Notify before Delivery”. This note instructs freight company to call your Primary (or secondary) Pe cannot meet your delivery date, you will not be charged for rush service. After an order is entered and scheduled, we generally cannot add this expedited delivery service.
 
Q. What is the least expensive method of shipping?
A. If we can ship to a 48-52″ high loading dock or you have a forklift and you have receiving personnel on hand during normal business hours (the driver is not required to assist in moving your furniture from the truck) and we can ship without advanced notification, let us know. We will quote delivery at the lowest possible pre-paid rate. We will provide you with the name of the freight forwarding company and “Bill of Lading” number so you can track the shipment.
 
Q. Do we need “Advanced Notification”?
A. If you don’t have a full-time receiving department or the delivery is going directly to the classroom, the Bill of Lading (BOL) will indicate “Advanced Notification Required” or “Notify before Delivery”. This note instructs freight company to call your Primary (or secondary) Point of Contact – usually the day before your furniture is to arrive – to confirm shipping arrangements and verify that you are ready to receive delivery.
 
Q. What if no one is available to schedule delivery?
A. If the Advance Notification call is not answered or the Point of Contact is unavailable, the freight company may not load or attempt your delivery until this is accomplished. Therefore, be sure to provide both Primary and Secondary Points of Contact as soon as you receive your Purchase Order Confirmation from our sales department and keep us up-to-date if these contacts change. This significantly helps to ensure a timely and properly-communicated delivery.
 
Q. How will we know when our furniture will arrive?
A. If you are expecting a shipment with “Advance Notification”, you will be contacted prior to the delivery by the SMARTdesks Shipping Department after your order has been manufactured and as soon as the freight forwarding company issues a Bill of Lading (BOL). The BOL confirms with certainty that your shipment has been picked up, is on route to you, and projects the service date, your delivery date.
 
Q. Can we request a specific time of delivery?
A. You may request a guaranteed delivery window of two hours for a slight upcharge. The guarantee does not cover events beyond the shipping company’s control (weather, road conditions and other factors) and you will be notified in advance if rescheduling is necessary.
 
Q. What if we must delay delivery after our shipment is on route?
A. Shipments that cannot be delivered because your classroom renovation is not finished, your loading dock is unavailable or for other reasons, may be subject to applicable storage or detentions fees based upon weight of shipment and days stored at the freight forwarder’s local terminal. If you are too late to stop a final delivery to your location, redelivery charges may apply as well. Be sure to notify us and the shipping company that you are unable to receive delivery as soon as you can.
 
Q. How soon must we notify SMARTdesks of a delay to avoid storage charges?
A. As soon as you know you need to delay a scheduled delivery, contact SMARTdesks using the Shipping Department Contact Form. We may be able to delay your order. Once a job is in production, however, we cannot hold shipment very long and if we must store your furniture there will be a small storage fee including charges to move your furniture to our storage facility. The SMARTdesks Shipping Department will work with you to help you rearrange the schedule and explain all of the options available to you.
 
SECURITY AND SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FAQ
Q. What must we do if our facility has special security requirements?
A. Fax us at 877-620-7411 with all of your special requirements when you receive your Order Confirmation. Typically, requirements include some or all of these: Photo identification, SS#, DOB, Full name and Work permit number of each laborer, Driver’s CDL#, Whether and when escort is required, Proof of insurance, Up-to-date vehicle registration, Bill of lading (BOL) and/or work order from their company identifying what is being delivered and/or what is to be done on site (etc.).
 
Q. What if we need this information prior to delivery?
A. Be sure to indicate whether we must notify your designated Primary or Secondary Point of Contact with any or all of the above in advance. If you do not inform us in writing of special requirements and delivery cannot be completed, you may incur redelivery charges.
 
Q. Why must we supply special delivery requirements in writing?
A. We need to supply this information to the shipping company, the labor service and the installers and everyone involved is responsible for meeting the requirements. We want to be sure your instructions are followed to the letter and that delivery is completed without any delays.
 
DELIVERY FAQ
Q. How do we determine if our loading dock is adequate?
A. We ship on trailers that are generally 50-54′ long and require 75-80′ with the tractor included. Your loading dock’s length, available turning radius, access for backing-up to the dock and from the street must accommodate the truck’s dimensions. Standard loading docks are commonly 48-52″ in height. Is your dock within these parameters? If not, you will need a fork–lift and the ability to move furniture from the trailer. If you do not have the equipment or man-power, you will require Lift Gate Service.
 
Q. How do we know if we need Lift-Gate Service?
A. When there is no loading dock, a truck with a hydraulic lift-gate enables the pallets of furniture to be brought safely to ground level. Generally, these are smaller trucks which are able to access other potential receiving areas in your facility, enabling a delivery near front or side doors or ramps – closer to the room where the units are going or to nearby elevator access. Lift-Gate Service may add a day or two to delivery time to allow for the transfer to a lift-gate equipped vehicle.
 
Q. What if Lift-Gate Service isn’t available in our area?
A. If Lift-Gate Service is not available at your location, pallets or pre-assembled units must be off-loaded by several people. The driver is not required to assist in moving your furniture from the truck. We will advise you of this in your Order Confirmation along with the charges for personnel to accomplish the unloading safely.
 
Q. What if we have a forklift or pallet jack?
A. If you have access to a forklift or pallet jack to off-load the pallets capable of bringing them to ground level instead of using lift gate service, you will not need Lift-Gate Service.
 
Q. What is Basic Inside Delivery Service?
A. Trucking companies deliver to your loading dock. The driver is not automatically expected to unload your furniture. If you request basic Inside Delivery Service, the driver will use a pallet jack to move furniture from the interior of the truck to your receiving area if it is level with the trailer bed. In some instances (not normally), the driver can be retained to move the palletized items to a nearby first floor location and rarely (at best and if a large enough freight elevator is available) the driver will transport the pallet to another floor. The trucking company will never un-crate and unpack the merchandise nor will they cart away the refuse.
 
Q. When might we need Special Inside Delivery Service?
A. Special Inside Delivery Service includes bringing the unit to the ultimate destination within the building. It also includes uncrating and unpacking of pallets and disposal of packing materials in an appropriate receptacle that you designate and provide. If you do not have the capability to move and uncrate the furniture, you will need Special Inside Delivery Service. If you wish, we will contract with a local labor force to meet the truck and perform the necessary moving, unpacking and disposal functions.
 
Q. Will our furniture arrive ready to use?
A. Based on the quantities shipped, your distance from the factory and other specific factors you supply, SMARTdesks will determine the best and least expensive method to help you get your classroom set up. In most cases, the least expensive method is to ship furniture in the most compact form possible with assembly occurring onsite, rather than at the factory. Our furniture is designed to be easily assembled on site and we provide relatively simple assembly instructions if you and your staff are willing and able to do this. You may wish to review the Assembly Instructions to decide if you can do this.
 
Q. Is Assembly Service available as an option?
A. Although our RTA construction is engineered to be fast and very simple, Optional Assembly Service is available at an upcharge for most locations in the US. Note that, for some areas and small projects, an additional charge for travel time may be applied.
 
Q. Can you ship the furniture pre-assembled?
A. Yes. Generally this incurs a more expensive freight rate, but, depending on the quantity, type and accessibility of the final location of the furniture, set-up delivery is sometimes the best method. However, when set-up delivery is too costly or not feasible, we can arrange for Optional Assembly Service to set up the furniture after it has reached it’s final location at the job site. This service is especially useful if you plan to store the furniture until the space is ready.
 
Q. For Inside Delivery Service; what should we tell you about our facility?
A. To provide accurate inside delivery costs and to have the necessary equipment on hand to facilitate moving the furniture, we ask you the following in the Delivery Questionnaire:
• To whom and where should delivery workers report?
• On what floor/level will the furniture be placed?
• Provide the room number. A diagram of the delivery pathway is also helpful.
• Provide W x H of doorways. (we assume doorways will be 36″w x 80″h)
• Provide W x H of elevator door and W x D x H of the elevator cab.
• Notify us of tight turns in halls or other features that may impede delivery
including possible obstruction by construction contractors or
computer equipment deliveries.
• Is there a 4-wheel dolly or hand-truck available to facilitate movement of
furniture within your facility?
Our delivery teams are very resourceful and can work through most problem areas but anything about the site that causes our workers delays in completing their tasks (that we do not plan for) may result in additional charges.
 
Q. Why should we supply specific features about the building?
A. If we did not know certain specific building features when the job was initially quoted, inside delivery charges would have been based on the assumption that your delivery would go to the first level, or an upper level with the use of an elevator. However, the cost of “Inside Delivery” must be adjusted if it has to be hand-carried up or down stairs or around difficult obstacles.
 
Q. Where can we locate the Shipping Department Contact Form?
A. Click here to go to the Shipping Department Contact Form now.
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WARRANTY REPAIRS AND RETURNS FAQ
Q. What do we do about concealed damage and/or missing parts or hardware?
A. Because it is a major component of our Quality Control System to package each shipment carefully based on many years of experience and trucking industry recommendations, concealed damage and missing items are a rarity at SMARTdesks. Nevertheless, damages may occur and on rare occasions items are omitted from the shipment or the wrong item is shipped in error. To expedite the shipment of replacement parts, you will need to print out the first sheet of the Assembly Instructions for the affected product and note the items damaged or missing from the list of parts. If the item is shipped set-up, use the drawings in the Assembly Instructions to locate the damaged area on the unit. The Service department will determine the best way to solve the problem as quickly as possible to meet your time-critical needs. Print out the Fix-It Form (PDF) and fax it along with the marked-up Assembly Instructions sheet(s) to 877-620-7411. If you can, email us digital photos of the damaged part(s) or unit as well.
 
Q. What should we do if there is visible damage to crates or cartons?
A. Sign for the shipment; briefly describe damage and add “Accepted Subject to Inspection” so you are covered for any resulting claim. Our experience has shown that although typical freight damage to the crate may have resulted in the need for a few replacement parts; they didn’t affect the entire contents. Often, in fact, because of the encasing foam cushioning, there was no damage to contents at all.
 
Q. What do we do if we discover damage to any parts?
A. Call our shipping department at 866-511-2122. Then, send a detailed report by using the Fix-It Form or fax a note to the Shipping Department (noting the damaged components on the parts list of the appropriate Assembly Instructions) to 800-770-7042. We will immediately order your replacement parts and help you file a claim for the damaged items. We cannot help you if you do not note the missing items and we may need you to fax your copy of the receiving documents to help you file a claim, but we will see that your classroom is up and running as fast as possible.
 
Q. Why must we file the claim? Can’t SMARTdesks file the claim for us?
A. When we ship something to you via Common Carrier (the trucking company), by law, ownership transfers to the consignee (you) when the merchandise leaves our loading dock. You must file the claim but we will be happy help you.
 
Q. We arranged for “just in time” delivery and made a claim, but we need to set up our classroom now. What can you do to help?
A. SMARTdesks goes to extraordinary lengths “to make things right” as quickly as possible. As soon as you present us with a copy of the freight claim on the BOL and a Fix-It Form for missing or damaged items, we will institute a trace or, if necessary, ship out replacements on an expedited basis. We know your business depends on timely delivery and installation of our furniture and we will do everything we can to be sure this occurs.
 
Q. Where can we locate the Shipping Department Contact Form?
A. Click here to go to the Shipping Department Contact Form now.
 
Q. Where can we find the Fix-It Form?
A. It is best to use the Fix-It Form to initiate a repair, obtain missing or replacement parts or a return authorization. The form is designed to gather and organize all necessary information to expedite your request. Click here to go to the Fix-It Form now.
 
CLAIMS FAQ FOR FREIGHT DAMAGE AND MISSING ITEMS
Q. What should we do if items are missing that are listed on the Bill of Lading (BOL)?
A. First, you must make a note of the missing items on the receipt you sign for the goods. Then, use the Shipping Department Contact Form or fax us at 800-770-7042 and we will help you trace the missing items. We cannot help you if you do not note the missing items on the shipping receipt and we may need you to fax your copy of the receiving documents to help you file a claim.
 
Q. What if we don’t receive what we ordered?
A. Contact the shipping department in writing with a description of the issue via the Shipping Department Contact Form or by fax (800-770-7042). Do not refuse the shipment or attempt to return the item(s) to us without a Return Authorization. We will rectify the error or omission as quickly as possible to meet your time-critical needs.
 
Q. What if the furniture does not fit in our room according to the original plan?
A. The layouts provided by the design studio are drawn to scale based on the information you provide us and specific standards and codes concerning classroom design. Most problems occur because the room location changed after you placed your order or wasn’t built as specified. If this is the case, contact the design department in writing with a description of the issue via the Design Studio Contact Form. We will give your project priority attention and work with you to adjust the layout to solve the problem as best we can. If the furniture was not specified according to the plan by our sales department or manufactured incorrectly, we will do whatever is necessary to modify the items needed to get the job to fit your space.
 
Q. What if we just don’t like what we get?
A. First, please refer to SMARTdesks Terms and Conditions of Sale. Because all SMARTdesks products are built to order and we make every effort on our website and in our personal contact with you to provide you with complete specifications and the opportunity to view actual material samples before you order, we generally cannot authorize a return. We will, however, do everything we can to help you realize your goal of achieving the best learning environment possible by suggesting ways for you to work around problems that occur and ways that we can help with estimated cost (if any). Contact the sales department in writing with a description of the issue and reference the Design, Quote Request or Job Number in the subject area on the Sales Department Contact Form or by fax (800-770-7042).
 
Q. What if something fails under warranty?
A. If the damage occurs during normal use, it is likely that it is covered under the SMARTdesks warranty. Contact the service department using the Fix-It Form and use the parts list in the Assembly Instructions to note the affected part. We will get you a replacement as soon as we can. Note that certain options, accessories and seating may be covered under separate manufacturers’ warranty. Upon receipt of the Fix-It form we will discuss the problem with you to provide as rapid and satisfactory a solution as possible.
 
Q. What can we do if the damage is not covered by the warranty?
A. If a piece is damaged while moving it, by your cleaning crew or by misuse, vandalism, etc, and SMARTdesks is not responsible, you will find that because of our modular construction, you need only specify the damaged or missing part and we can send it to you at a very modest charge. We keep the programs for everything we make, so even if your job was customized, replacement parts should not be an issue. The only problem may be if the finish has been discontinued. Click here to go to the Fix-It Form now.
 
Q. Where can we find the SMARTdesks Fix-It Form regarding repairs and returns?
A. It is best to use the Fix-It Form to initiate a repair, obtain missing or replacement parts or a return authorization. The form is designed to gather and organize all necessary information to expedite your request. Click here to go to the Fix-It Form now.
 
Q. Where can we find SMARTdesks Terms and Conditions of Sale
A. The SMARTdesks Terms and Conditions of Sale is published on our website and appended to our price lists. It spells out your responsibilities and ours. Click here to go to the Terms and Conditions Page now.
 
Q. Can you provide us with a link to the Warranties Index?
A. In addition to the general warranty covering SMARTdesks products, we also list the individual warranties from a number of our suppliers which supercede our coverage. Click here to go to the Warranty Index Page now.
 
CONTACT FAQ
Q. Is there a list of all SMARTdesks contact forms, phone and fax numbers?
A. The most efficient way to contact any of the SMARTdesks departments is through our contact forms. This assures you that your transmittal will be read by the appropriate member of our staff and archived with your order information. Nevertheless, there are moments when the telephone is your best tool. Go to the Contact SMARTdesks page to see all contact information.
 
Q. Where can we find the SMARTdesks Delivery Questionnaire?
A. The information on the Delivery Questionnaire is required to provide a final price quote and enter your order if the information hasn’t been previously entered, if there are special requirements or it is different from the information you provided when you registered (Update Registration). Click here to go to the Delivery Questionnaire now.
 
Q. Where can we find the SMARTdesks Fix-It Form?
A. It is best to use the Fix-It Form to initiate a repair, obtain missing or replacement parts or a return authorization. The form is designed to gather and organize all necessary information to expedite your request. Click here to go to the Fix-It Form now.
 
Q. Where can we find the SMARTdesks Shipping Department Contact Form?
A. Click here to go to the Shipping Department Contact Form now.
 
Q. Where can we find the SMARTdesks Sales Department Contact Form?
A. Click here to go to the Sales Department Contact Form now.
 
Q. Where can we find the SMARTdesks Contact Design Studio Contact Form?
A. Click here to go to the Design Studio Contact Form now.