Some people may be hesitant about ordering from online stores during their summer vacation, as they may not be at home to receive the deliveries. There are often alternative shipping methods available, however, and delivery to summer homes is also possible. Design Stories’ column seeks answers to questions that puzzle design lovers around the world.
SUMMER IS OFTEN SPENT not only at home but also at the summer cabin, on the water, or traveling with friends. Many may wonder about the best time to order from an online store, as there is not always the time to stay in one place on vacation. Fortunately, Finnish Design Shop’s Customer Service is used to tackling these challenges every day, and strives to find the best solution for each customer. In many cases, the delivery destination can be changed. After all, summer is meant to be enjoyed without a worry, regardless of location!
Design Stories’ column brings up popular questions by our customers, and in the best case, the answers will be helpful and inspiring for others as well. Miina Lindblad from Finnish Design Shop’s Customer Service provides answers to the questions.
1. Can I order products directly from Finnish Design Shop to my summer cabin?
“Certainly – products can be ordered for delivery directly to a summer cabin or other vacation destination. In the information given when placing the order, the invoicing address is the customer’s home address, but any other address can be given for delivery. There are some limitations, of course, as not all delivery methods and transport companies are equally flexible.
“We aim to fulfill all our customers’ wishes, so you should always ask our Customer Service for help.”
Summer is a time of celebration, and many people want to purchase design items as gifts that will withstand the test of time. If you want to send a gift directly to the recipient’s home address, you can do so by changing the delivery address.
We can also arrange more customized shipping if the delivery destination is less accessible than the average, for example in the Finnish archipelago. It may be possible to change the transport company so that an order can delivered directly – even to a boat, for instance. We aim to fulfill all our customers’ wishes, so you should always ask our Customer Service for help.”
2. Why has the dining table I ordered not arrived within the estimated delivery time?
“The past year has been quite difficult for both manufacturers and suppliers. Product delays have occurred occasionally due to the shortage of flights by transport companies, or due to a shortage of containers, or safety regulations related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The production chains of some manufacturers have faced surprising difficulties as well. For example, some product batches could not be delivered because the screws or paints needed to complete the product were on the wrong continent!
“The past year has been quite difficult for both manufacturers and suppliers.”
The situation affects us all, and we make every effort to find the best possible solutions by listening carefully to our customers and suppliers. Suppliers sometimes struggle in the face of insurmountable obstacles. As the world gradually opens up, we want to warmly thank our customers for their patience and understanding, which we have witnessed every day.
The delivery time for delivery within Finland of products we have in stock is one to two days. Delivery of other products, such as custom-ordered items, sometimes take several months. We always try to estimate the delivery time as accurately as possible, based on the preliminary information we receive from the manufacturers. We are constantly developing our operations, and we place the highest priority on keeping our customers up to date.”
3. I ordered a glass bird by Iittala. Why was so much packaging material used for the delivery?
“Responsibility for the environment has been one of the cornerstones of Finnish Design Shop from the very beginning, and we are working to do better and better in this regard all the time. It would be a great pity if a valuable design object were to break during transportation. We always aim to choose packaging materials of the right type and amount, so that we can ensure that the product arrives completely intact while at the same time minimizing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
“Delicate design objects and materials in particular need to be protected to withstand all kinds of handling.”
Transportation can sometimes be a bumpy ride, however, and delicate design objects and materials in particular need to be protected to withstand all kinds of handling. This also helps ensure that we can avoid having to send new products to replace ones that have been damaged in transit. In this way too we can reduce emissions.
Our customers also play an important role in this, and our warehousing team is happy to receive feedback on product packaging or other matters. This will help us to continually improve.”
Miina Lindblad works as a design sales representative in Finnish Design Shop’s Customer Service team. Her design treasures include a self-designed lamp based on an old spinning wheel, and underneath it, her latest acquisition, Artek’s Trienna table.
Help with your design purchases:
• Finnish Design Shop’s Customer Service >
Text: Miina Lindblad Illustration: Evi Rinkinen