Blog posts from December, 2014

Most people are resistant to change. But with change comes opportunities of growth and improvements. In January of this year, we took the big leap from a traditional brick and mortar store with a website, to an ecommerce model to embrace the changing business environment. In our personal lives, shopping online has become a natural way of life, so why not in business? Being new to the ecommerce world we had some hiccups as with any website launch and it quickly became clear that if we wanted to make our customer service even better, we needed a better website platform.

We wanted a platform that enabled us to overcome issues such as being able to differentiate which warehouse each product was located. We wanted to improve usability of the site, change the way pricing and products were displayed, and enable a true differentiation between residential shipping charges and commercial shipping charges so our customers were able to take advantage of lower commercial shipping rates. Really what it all boiled down to was wanting to make the customer experience better.

I'm happy to say we're in the process of implementing a new website that we hope is easier to use. Our blog is going to be silent until we get up the new site – so I hope you bear with us in our transition. I wanted to use this post as a way of keep you in the loop so you weren't in the dark. And when we've unveiled our new look, I hope you'll take the time to let us know what you like or dislike about the site and how we can improve the experience further. Stay tuned for National Event Supply's new look.

Chances are that if you've ever considered purchasing plastic folding chairs, you've also considered the problems you may eventually face with the chairs. To avoid prospects and customers having to search for all the problems that may exist, we've compiled them all into a post to optimize your time and energy.

Folding Chair Feet can Fall Off

While folding chair feet don't normally just fall right off, they can be pulled off unintentionally. This generally happens if the plastic folding chairs are being set up on soft grass or ground. When a guest sits down on the chair, the feet sink into the ground. Then when the event is being torn down, if a staff member isn't paying attention, the feet can stay in the ground while the rest of the chair is folded and stacked. Replacement chair feet are available in the market should this occur. They are normally $0.25 each and come in black, white, tan, and grey in colours. Alternatively it's just a matter of training your customers or staff to ensure all chair feet are on the chairs.

Folding Chair Backs or Seats can Break

If the folding chair is made with recycled plastic, this form of plastic is often too brittle to be able to properly flex. We learned of a test to be able to tell whether a plastic folding chair is susceptible to damage. You can read more about how to tell the difference between recycled plastic folding chairs and regular plastic folding chairs here.

Plastic Folding Chairs Frames & Rivets can Rust

Plastic folding chair legs are powder coated to avoid rusting from occurring on a regular basis. If a chair starts to show signs of wear and tear such as scratches through the powder coating or is being left outside on a consistent basis rusting can occur. In order to avoid rusting from occurring make sure you’re properly storing your folding chairs in a dry location and either re-powder coating or replacing your chairs to avoid rust.

Rivets can be poor quality

Rivets, the metal pin that allows the chairs to fold, are generally of high quality. However, as suppliers continue to push manufacturers to decrease their costs, the trade-off is a lower quality folding chair. Metal rivets become thinner, chair legs have a thinner metal gauge, and plastic becomes recycled. Try testing out a sample chair the way we do – stacking lots of salt bags on it to see at what point it breaks. This helps you determine whether the rivets are strong enough for your organization's needs.

It's not mere coincidence that we have legitimate solutions to the problems associated with plastic folding chairs. At National Event Supply we constantly pore over our products to eliminate any potential problems and make life easier for everyone.

With different varieties of restaurant quality flatware for full service restaurants and event rental, it can be confusing knowing the difference between all varieties as well as their standard usage. To make it easier for our customers and prospects who are full service restaurants and event rental we've pulled together this pro/con list for the difference between stainless steel flatware and silver plated flatware. This list should educate you on what to expect with each type of flatware so you can determine which best meets your organization's needs.

Stainless Steel Flatware

• Durable
• Low maintenance
• Rust and stain resistant
• Dishwasher safe
• Most frequently used in restaurant and event settings
• Wide range of patterns that function well in everything from casual to luxury atmospheres
• Available in 18/10 (highest quality), 18/8 and 18/0 (lowest quality) stainless steel compositions made of chromium and nickel
• Lasts 100 years with proper care
• Cost effective

Silver Plated Flatware

• Composed of layers of silver over another metal – oftentimes copper or brass
• More expensive than stainless steel
• Bright, shiny finish that is lighter
• Adds refinement to a table setting
• Generally used for higher-end events or expensive restaurants
• Requires hand-washing most often
• Should be polished occasionally to maintain lustre
• Needs to be stored properly to avoid corrosion or scratches
• Lasts 20 years or less with proper care depending on use.

This list should provide the general differences that exist between the two types of flatware. Using this list should help you decide which best meets your needs.

Image by Josh Gruetzmacher Photography via Style Me Pretty

Dark fruitwood folding chairs have become quite a popular event chair in the past year. Also known as walnut folding chairs, dark fruitwood folding chairs have the traditional design of a white resin folding chair but in wood. They feature a similar padded seat that is replaceable and compliment a wood harvest table at a rustic event. Because white resin folding chairs are one of our top selling chairs we often get asked how much dark fruitwood folding chairs cost in Canada. We've answered this important question below.

Cost of Dark Fruitwood Folding Chairs

A dark fruitwood folding chair range in price from $29.95 to $32.95. This average is a fairly small range compared to some of the other cost / pricing blog posts we've written about. The range in this case is due more to the volume discounts associated with the product being purchased than the quality or brand of the chairs. Often suppliers of event chairs provide volume discounts that discount the price per chair as the quantity of chairs purchased increases.

Hopefully this post allows you to budget the approximate amount you’re looking to spend on dark fruitwood folding chairs.