How Direct Buy Works : The new ( and old) member orientaion

If I have heard it once I have heard it a hundred times,

" I never knew that, I was never told this, etc, etc".

Most of the time these response are because a member has never had a new member orientation.

This is a very important step and should have been provided to you on your first visit back to the center after joining.

If it was not I do apologize and know, that even if you have been a member for 10 years, 5 years or 5 weeks you can always request and book a new member orientation ( for those who have been with us awhile I will call it a refresher course, lol)

The new member orientation is so important, it  teaches members how to use the showroom, place orders and find information.

So why this post you ask..?

Well I thought I would create  a member orientation post with most of the information you would receive in the orientation .

Just a warning this may be longer than my window treatment post so you are warned! Bahahahahaha

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First the rules of the showroom

Our showroom and Catalogs are for members ONLY

• Non-members may not enter the Showroom or use the catalogs
• Your membership includes your spouse and dependent children to age 18  who live at home and dependents full-time students to age 23

Pricing Information is Confidential

• Confidential pricing information is for use inside the showroom ONLY
• Pricing and catalogs may not be copied or taken outside the showroom, or disclosed to non-members

Buy for Yourself and Your Family

• Purchasing items on behalf of others, or for resale is not permitted
• Purchasing gifts to present to family and friends is encouraged

Respect the Retail Community

• Never use confidential pricing or the Directions catalog to negotiate with stores
• Never shop a store knowing you are going to buy through DirectBuy
• Never use retail personnel, or their services, unless you intend to buy from them.

Call Us for Information, Not Suppliers

• Suppliers are not prepared to handle questions about orders direct from members. However, many suppliers do have websites with comprehensive product information.
• For order status and product inquiries, contact Member Services

Protect the Privilege of Your DiretBuy Membership

 

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Outside Suppliers, Contractors, & Installers

Your membership benefits don’t end after the merchandise has been delivered to your local showroom or home. DirectBuy’s Local Provider program provides members with an extensive list of professional services, including Design, Delivery and Installation.

· Installation Services include:

· Flooring –carpet, hardwood, laminate, cork, tile

· Fireplace, Furnace, Air Conditioning

· Plumbing

· Electrical

· Window Coverings– blinds, shutters, custom draperies

· Windows & Doors

· Painting

· Cabinetry Installation

· Etc.

We have included in your new member packet and orientation packet a list of our Local Provider and Installation services. If you ever need an update copy, please do not hesitate to contact the centre via phone or email

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Choosing a Manufacturer’s Catalog

When choosing a catalog, you can narrow down your searches by price range. Price Range Codes can be found on the spine and front of each catalog.

PRICE RANGE CODES

$ -      Economically priced merchandise

$$ -    Quality merchandise at a mid-range price

$$$ -   Merchandise exclusive to high-end suppliers

$$ - $$$ -    Range of prices from economical to high-end

Marginal Savings -       Competitively priced industries

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Always Look at the Supplier

Information Sheet

The Supplier Information Sheet tells you how long an item will typically take to be delivered to the club and whether or not the merchandise cost is As Shown in the catalog. If Cost As Shown is “No,” as in this example, simply consult the  Ordering Comments section for information on how to determine the merchandise cost. Calculating your base cost is really as simple

(unfortunately I am unable to attach a supplier information page

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Calculating Your Merchandise Cost:

It’s as Easy as 1 – 2 – 3

Just look at the Cost As Shown section at the top of the Supplier Information Sheet. If “NO”, your merchandise cost will typically be calculated by either applying a multiplier to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price or consulting a special price column as outlined in the Ordering Comments section of the Supplier Information Sheet.

1. Cost As Shown – “NO” – Price with Multiplier

These catalogs will contain a Retail Price List only. To calculate your merchandise cost, simply apply the multiplier found in the Ordering Comments Section.

• Example: Retail x .58

Multiply a Retail price of $1,000 by .58 to get your merchandise cost of $580.

• Example: Retail less 40

Subtract 40% from a Retail price of $1,000 to get your base cost of $600.

On occasion, you may find a wholesale price list with a multiplier. That means that your merchandise cost is actually less than the Wholesale Price.

2. Cost As Shown – “NO” – Multiple Columns

The price lists in these catalogs show multiple pricing columns. Consult the Ordering Comments section to determine which column contains your merchandise cost.

• Examples: “DirectBuy Column” or “Dealer Column”

3. Cost As Shown – “YES”

The price lists contained in these catalogs are already expressed in terms of Merchandise Cost because they are the manufacturer’s wholesale prices. Simply look up a model number in the wholesale price list to find the base cost of the item.

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Supplier Information Sheet

Explained!

The Supplier Information Sheet shows you everything at a glance that may apply to your order. The example on the opposite page contains every possible added cost. To make it easy for you to understand, here’s an explanation of what the key line items mean.

uVendor Number – This is also known as the Vendor ID. Orders are placed per manufacturer so this number is critical when placing orders.

vHandling Fee – The handling fee, which will never exceed 8%, for most appliances and electronics, it will show 0% or 4%. The handling fee is to offset all costs associated with processing orders

wCost As Shown – If “Yes”, it means the catalog contains a wholesale price list. If “No”, look at the Ordering Comments section for information on how to determine your cost.

xLead Time – This is the estimated time it will ship from the manufacturer’s warehouse. Actual time may be earlier or later.

yStandard Packs – This means that the product comes in packages containing multiple pieces of the same item in which the packaging cannot be opened and the quantity cannot be split. The standard pack requirements are generally noted in the price list for Retail purposes, and are only applied to DirectBuy by very few suppliers.

zFreight Comments – This section explains how to calculate freight charges if they apply.

{Ordering Comments – This section will indicate how to determine your member cost for the merchandise in the catalog. Other information in this section is generally intended to help our Product Specialists input your orders correctly in our ordering system.

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How to Borrow Samples

One of the BENEFITS of your DirectBuy membership is the opportunity to take samples home to make sure they work with your decor. Simply bring any samples you wish to borrow to the front reception desk and the Receptionist will help you sign them out.

Please help us ensure that samples are readily available to all members by returning them to the Receptionist within the following time frames.

Within 5 Business Days or Next Business Day.

·         For out of town members we can extend the time frame

Within 4 Business Days                                                 Within 2 Business Days Upholstery                                                                         Window Coverings Leather Wood Metal Tiles Flooring Carpeting Cabinetry Counter tops

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Pricing Promise

DirectBuy conducts proactive retail price comparison studies to ensure that our members experience maximum savings. While DirectBuy doesn’t guarantee to always have the lowest price, if you should ever find a lower price from a legitimate, local retailer on an identical item that is currently available from DirectBuy Club supplier, even if it’s an “advertised special,” we will work with the supplier to obtain the best possible price as quickly as possible.

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Receiving Information

Pick Up and Delivery Time Frames

To ensure that we have enough space for the large volume of merchandise received at our club on a weekly basis, we require that you pick up your merchandise or arrange for delivery within 3 business days of being notified that it has been received. Accordingly, for multiple orders placed at the same time, items must be picked up as they are received, and cannot be stored awaiting the arrival of remaining orders.

Please note that DirectBuy of Winnipeg reserves the right to charge storage fees at the end of 5 business days.

INSPECTION GUIDELINES

When you arrive to pick up your merchandise, we ask you to inspect the merchandise:

·         Double check that the merchandise is exactly what you ordered.

·         Visually inspect the merchandise to make sure there is no damage or commercially unacceptable defects. Please keep in mind that certain materials including leather, wood and metals may contain variations that are considered to be part of the natural beauty of the product, and therefore are not classified as defects.

·         Sign the Receiving Report acknowledging that the order has been received by you in good condition.

·         DirectBuy of Winnipeg does not accept responsibility for merchandise once it has been removed from the warehouse (except for electronics). Electronics orders must be fully tested within 48 hours of pick-up from the warehouse, and any defects reported within that period.

DELIVERY OPTIONS

Our Receiving Team can provide you with contact information for our Local Delivery Services, or you can choose to use your own delivery service

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Policy for Purchasing Gifts

One of the PRIVILEGES of your DirectBuy membership is the opportunity to purchase bona fide gifts for special occasions, including birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and holidays. Another special benefit is the ability to have gifts shipped to the showroom closest to the intended recipients’ home (certain conditions apply).

We will accept orders for gifts that are no more than 500.00 in value. If your potential gift is more than this amount, it will be at the discretion of the franchise owners whether we can place the order. Please see the front desk staff with any other questions

Please understand that the furnishing of someone else’s home, or the purchase of home improvement items such as kitchen cabinetry or window coverings for a non-member’s home would not be within the spirit of our Gift Policy.

It is a serious breach of your membership agreement to purchase merchandise with the intention of being reimbursed by the recipient.

 

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Guidelines…Non-Member Access to Showroom

In order to maintain our Club as an exclusive Members-Only showroom, we cannot allow guests or other non-members to enter the showroom or use the catalogs.

You may, however, make arrangements with us in advance if you would like to visit the Club with your decorator/designer and/or contractor as long as you agree to follow a few simple guidelines as outlined below.

1. Please call reception at least 24 hours in advance to let us know that you’d like to bring your designer with you during your visit.

2. Your decorator/designer or contractor must be accompanied by you at all times during your visit to the showroom.

3. Upon arrival at the showroom, our Receptionist will ask for your home design professional’s business card to establish his or her credentials.

4. Pricing MUST be kept confidential at all times. Interior decorators/designers and contractors may be allowed into the showroom to view pictures and samples only.

Privileged access to confidential materials, such as price lists, is restricted to members only.

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6 Reasons

…To Refer Your Friends and Family

Savings

They will be able to buy almost everything they need for in and around their home directly from the manufacturers at the same price they would charge the stores. That means they will be able to save themselves a lifetime of retail markups.

Selection

The selection found in the stores is just the tip of the iceberg compared to what they’ll be able to shop for at DirectBuy, because in most cases, they’ll have access to the entire product line of more than [700] brand name manufacturers, not just the few items from each that buyers decide to stock and sell retail.

One-Stop Shopping Convenience

As a DirectBuy member, they’ll be able to do all of their shopping from one comfortable place rather than driving around to visit dozens of stores.

Personalized Shopping Service

Our Product Specialists are knowledgeable on the latest products and services available, and are trained to help members use the catalogs and samples in our Design Center to find what they’re looking for.

Outside Suppliers and Installer Services

They’ll have access to our discounted local services for kitchen or interior design, merchandise delivery, and installation.

Trust and Peace of Mind

Because DirectBuy makes no money from the sale of any merchandise, and our staff makes no commissions and have no sales quotas to meet, they can rest assured that any advice they receive from our Member Service Team is honest, unbiased, and always in their best interest.

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REFERRAL REWARDS PROGRAM

Referrals from members are really our lifeblood because DirectBuy does NOT make any money from the sale of merchandise. It’s the resulting growth in membership that allows us to continue to attract the reputable brand name manufacturers that you see in the showroom and to continuously improve our member service levels.

In appreciation for referrals from wonderful members like yourselves, we have a great Referral Rewards Program to thank you for introducing your family, friends and co-workers to DirectBuy.

You Refer. You Win. Simply visit refer.directbuy.com

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And last but certainly not least

Remeber the order desk closes an hour before the showroom does so the service staff has time to do nights end


If it is a small order like a toaster and we have 10 minutes we most definatley can key the order. If however it is 2 pages of plumbing we may ask if we can key the order the next day and email the final copy to you or have you drop back into the showroom

DIRECTBUY OF WINNIPEG

Club Shopping  Hours

Tuesday – Friday              1:00 pm – 9:00 pm (order desk closes at 8:00pm)

Saturday              10:00 am – 5:00 pm (order desk closes at 4:00pm)

Closed Sunday and Monday

Warehouse Pick Up Hours

Monday               10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Tuesday – Friday              10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Saturday              10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Closed Sunday

 



FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Will the prices At DirectBuy always be the lowest?

Finding a lower price outside would obviously be an uncommon occurrence given that DirectBuy delivers tremendous savings opportunities by eliminating traditional retail markups. On occasion, retailers will sell items at or below cost for various reasons. For example, they may be doing so in order to attract you into their store with the hope that you will purchase other items at marked up prices at the same time (a practice commonly known as a Loss Leader Sale.)

 

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Q. What happens if you find something in retail that’s less expensive?

Even in these unusual circumstances, we would like you to benefit from your DirectBuy membership. That’s why at DirectBuy of [Club Name], we offer our members a Pricing Promise. Please see Pricing Promise in this guide.

 

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Q. What if a product is discontinued after I’ve placed my order?

The manufacturers represented in DirectBuy showrooms are continuously adding new products to their lines and discontinuing older models. DirectBuy receives updates weekly from manufacturers and distributes this information to showrooms to ensure product catalogs are up-to-date and accurate for members.

If a product is discontinued during the selection process, DirectBuy will attempt to find an acceptable replacement product.

If a product is discontinued after you’ve placed an order, DirectBuy will work with the manufacturer in an attempt to find an acceptable replacement product, or, if you prefer, cancel the order and provide a full refund.

Pricing integrity - How I can always get you the best price

I have had many a member contact me upset and in a flurry about how they saw an item in a store that we carry in the showroom, but; there was either no savings or extremely minimum savings. The member than feel that they have been mislead and how can this be as DirectBuy should always have the better price.

 

Well on the last point they are right, we should have the better price and this is where the price integrity comes in.

Price Integrity

 

Sometimes manufacturers think they can be sneaky and offer deals to their retailers, this is where members who shop in the retail community come in. Although we tell you not to shop stores, you are still our eyes and ears in the retail community and one of our ways of keeping manufacturers honest.

 

If ( and when) you find a product that you know we carry ( it is an apples to apples comparison) and you notice that the price is really good and there is little to no savings .

 

LET US KNOW!!

 

We will take all your information, what the model # and manufacturer is and where you saw this product ( online, flier and in store pricing  is OK, Craig's list and EBay not acceptable)

 

Any of the service staff will submit this info to our corporate office, they will than contact the store to verify the item. If they find that this is a legit pricing situation, ( it is not discontinued product or a loss leader sale - stores offer select items at or below cost for a limited time frame to attract customers in order to sell them other products) than the manufacturer will offer a concession price.

 

Here is an  example,

 

 

A member was looking at a camera, the price in the centre was $800.00 + 4% handling, $12.00 freight and 12% taxes, a total of $945.25

 

At a camera shop in the city, they were selling the same unit for $820.00 after taxes $918.40

 

Our cost was $26.85 more than the retail store.

 

I submitted a price integrity, once all the information was confirmed the manufacturer came back with an offer of $600.00 to the member to purchase the camera through us. They knocked off an additional $200.00!!!

 

 

There are many more situations that I could go into but I do not want to bore you, lol.

 

So when shopping for products, if you notice that there is little to know savings for an item ( or items) LET US KNOW and we will do all we can to either get you a better price or explain the reason behind ( again usually a discontinued product or loss leader sale) the lack of savings .

 

If you have any questions feel free to comment or email me at the centre

ashley.w@directbuywinnipeg.ca

 

 

 

Window Treatments

 

So this topic is a little bit of a doozy and usually boggles many a mind. I hope this post will help to clarify "window treatments" for some. So where to start...

 

How do I measure?

Well you have two options,

 

1) the centre can put you in touch with an installer who will also do the measurements or

2) you can measure yourself

 

here is how it works.

 

Inside mount

You should measure all three widths of the window, top, middle and base. This is in case the window is not the same width all the way down and will help avoid the window treatment scraping the casing in areas that are more narrow . You will order the smallest of the three measurements

 

FYI, manufacturers will take off deductions on inside mount measurements ("tight" measurements) unless we specify not to. I do not recommend ordering exact for inside as something always goes wrong.

An installer will measure inside mount blinds with deductions in mind.

Deductions are usually and 1/8" of an inch off of each side, so a total of 1/4" usually

Please measure to the 8th as if you measure to the 16th I will just have to convert back to 8ths.

 

Outside Mount

 

Depending on what you want to cover will determine your measurements, whether you want to only cover the glass and leave the casing visible or cover the total casing.

 

Also, when measuring take into account if you are not mounting onto casing that you need to know the head rail height so you can add this to your overall height.

 

No deductions will be taken from outside mount blinds

 

 

Bay Windows

You will have to first identify the depth of your head rail . it is vital with bay windows as the blinds meet in the corners of the bay and they should not overlap or touch for  perfect operation of the blinds.   Square Bay There are three options as below:   For option A you will measure tight corner to corner and then deduct the size of the head rail from each of the side blinds and select inside recess option. For the drop will be ceiling to window sill/floor or from where you would like the  blind to hang from to where you would like it to finish and always select inside recess option.   For option B you will measure tight corner to corner and then deduct the size of the head rail from each side of the front blind measurement and select inside recess option. For the drop will be ceiling to window sill/floor or from where you would like the blind  to hang from to where you would like it to finish and always select inside recess option.   For option C you will take two pieces of cardboard cut at the size of the head rail and meet  them head to head in the corner of your bay as in the picture above and then mark on the  window frame where the cardboard touches the frame. Select inside option for recess.   NOTE: Please make sure the cardboard pieces touch when measuring.   For the drop will be ceiling to window sill/floor or from where you would like the blind to hang from to where you would like it to finish and always select inside recess option.   Any other bay   You will have to measure each window using a piece of cardboard cut square at the size of the head rail and following the diagram below. NOTE: Please make sure the cardboard pieces touch when measuring.     Cardboard pieces cut at the size of the head rail Once you have decided where each blind will sit you will mark on your window frame and measure between the markings. Always give us the measurements as inside recess.   For the drop will be ceiling to window sill/floor or from where you would like the blind to hang from to where you would like it to finish and always select inside recess option.

 

Budget?

• Depending on your budget may determine the window treatments you choose

What is the application?

• The type of treatment you choose will usually be determined by the application,

 

here are some suggestions.

 

 

Bedrooms where you do not want any light

 Cellular/Honeycomb Shade

 

•  Cellular/Honeycomb shades. Not only will you get the tightest fit in the window and the least amount of "halo" light  but they are also very clean and simple in looks.

 

• Cellular/Honeycomb shades also have the most features available. You can do top down, bottom up

 

• Cordless
• Top down, bottom up cordless
• veriglide (only one or two suppliers do this)

dual shade ( duo lite, day/night) - This is usually a sheer or semi-opaque (light filtering) window treatment on top and a semi-opaque ( light filtering) or opaque ( room darkening) treatment on the bottom. Keep in mind this version you will be paying for two window treatments in one window



 

 

Faux and Real Wood

 

 

• Another option for bedrooms that is more reasonable is the real or faux wood blinds. These can look lovely depending on the colour and application. For bedrooms most manufacturers now have an option of "no router holes" for their wood blinds. This means, there will be no holes in the slats that the strings run through. Instead the slats will sit on what is termed "ladders". The slats do move more but they will close tighter and not let light through.
• This is also a great option instead of doing the tapes to cover the holes ( they look like suspenders)

 

 No Router Holes

With router holes

 



 

• FYI - Wood blinds stack really thick so if you are wanting to be able to clear most of your window for a great view, these would not be the window treatments for you. Wood blinds are meant to be tilted more than lifted
 
• Most manufacturers will also offer their tilt option as either a wand or a cord
• This (for most) is not an up charge.

 

Pleated shades

• Pleated shades are nice if you want a similar look to a cellular/honeycomb but less cost. I find that they are pretty but not as substantial as a cellular as they are just one piece of fabric, plus you will have router holes as this is the only way to hang them and you can not cover them up 

Options :

• Cordless
• Top Down Bottom Up
 

 

Metal Venetians

 

• Metal blinds will essential have the same options as a wood blind when it comes to function, the only different is  you will always have router holes on a metal blind.
• There is also the sound that they will make when touched, however metal blinds have come a long way when it comes to colour and texture. There are companies that will make these window treatments with wood valances and even finished wood trim

• These window treatments are very inexpensive and are great for areas where they may get dirty or wet like, the bathroom, garage, kitchen, laundry room and so forth.

 

Roller Shades

Roller shades have come along way from the 70's PVC look that hung in your grandma's bathroom. You know have many tactile options,

• Fabric
• PVC
• PVC Sunscreen
• woven wood
 
• I will usually suggest roller shades in kitchens and bathrooms as they are usually ( if you go with the PVC material) much easier to clean than most.

 

 
• The sunscreens are great for sun rooms or rooms that have alot of heat caused by sun exposure. You can go from a 1% ( only 1% of light is allowed through) all the way up to a 14%. This application is great for windows where you would still like to see out during the day but have UV protection and privacy.

This is an example of a screen weave.

 

 

• If you want privacy in the evenings once the sun goes down I would not recommend a screen weave. All of a sudden you can not see out, but everyone who looks in can see in your home.

 

• Some manufacturers offer a dual shade roller system which can alleviate this problem as you can get a translucent or sheer weave fabric and also a black out for privacy

 

 

 

 

example of a dual roller shade

 

 

 

 

 

• The one downside to roller shades is that no matter how tight you get your measurement, you will always loose around 1/2" on either side as the fabric is on a roll and this caused the blind to start further in.

 

 

See the gap?

 

 

Not great for bedrooms where complete room darkening is required.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You could avoid this by doing an outside mount so the fabric covers the opening completely

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most companies will offer what they call a "black out" system for their rollers which is channels that are installed into the casing and the shade runs through the track so there is no light

 

example of a track system

 

 

 

Valances

 

• Although I really like the open roll look as it is very clean and modern some still enjoy the finished look of a valance. Here are some options for the top of your blind

 

 

 

 

Open roll

 

 

Fabric Valance

 

 

 Cassette Valance

 

 

 

Pocket valance

 

Panel Track

• Panel track is somewhat of a new concept for a vertical. What is great is most fabrics that are for the roller shade programs are also available in panel track which can make coordinating window treatments very easy.

• The only issue is the panels are usually 20" wide so if you do not have the space to stack the blinds off the window you will need to decide if you are still interested in this treatment.

• It is the same as verticals, they will always have a certain width of stack that will ether cover the window ( or the patio door) unless you mount them and order them to be larger than the window treatment

FYI they also make awesome room dividers!!

 

 

Multiple blinds on one head rail.

• Sometimes you will run into windows that are to wide or tall for a single blind. In these cases you may have the option of a multiple blind on one head rail option
• what this option allows for it 2 things

1) you will have less of a gap between the blinds than if they were mounted separately

2) you will have one continuous head rail instead of separate head rails

 

 

 

 

There are quite a few suppliers that do their own unique window treatments that I would be more than happy to show you in our showroom.

 

Just and FYI : To order blinds you must make an appointment as it takes around 5 to 15 minutes to order each blind.

 

 

I really hope this post helps, and if there are any questions please do not hesitate to post in comments : D