A drawer that sticks
A few weeks after the fitted wardrobes were installed, the client texts a photo: one door is slightly out of line, and a drawer sticks when the heating is on. You reply that you will pop round. Then a new commission starts, a delivery goes wrong, and the text is buried under dozens of others. A month later the client emails, politely but clearly annoyed.
When you finally visit, you need to know what hinges were used, which finish was applied and which board the drawer front came from. The details are in a notebook from last year.
Aftercare has no home
Solid timber moves with the seasons, hinges settle, and clients notice small things once a piece is in daily use. Most makers are happy to help. The problem is that aftercare arrives after the job is 'done'.
- Requests come by text, email or phone, to whoever the client knows.
- Nothing links a request to the original commission's details.
- Small fixes are not scheduled, so they wait for a convenient moment that never comes.
- There is no record of what was done on a visit.
- Nobody knows how many aftercare visits happen or what causes them.
What forgotten snags cost
A client who waits for a small fix loses some of the goodwill that a beautiful piece earned, and bespoke furniture depends heavily on recommendations. Unplanned visits disrupt the workshop. Without a record, you cannot see whether a particular hinge, runner or detail keeps causing trouble. And whether a fix is chargeable depends on your own terms, which are hard to apply without knowing when the piece was delivered and what was agreed.
Aftercare tracking for delivered pieces
- Every delivered commission keeps its details: drawings, timber, finish recipe, hardware and delivery photos.
- Clients report a problem through a link in their handover email, with photos, or you log a text or call in a few seconds.
- Each request is linked to the piece, with the original details shown alongside the client's photos.
- You choose the next step: advice by message, a visit, or bringing the piece back. Visits are booked into your schedule.
- What was done is recorded with photos, along with whether it was chargeable under your terms.
- Reports show requests by piece type, hardware and cause, so recurring issues can be designed out.
| Step | Today | With aftercare tracking |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Text to whoever | Logged against the piece |
| Original details | Old notebook | Shown with the request |
| Scheduling | When convenient | Booked visit or reply |
| What was done | Not recorded | Notes and photos |
| Patterns | Unknown | Requests by cause |
Aftercare that builds reputation
Clients get a quick, organised response, which often matters more to them than the snag itself. You arrive at a visit with the right hinge and the finish recipe. Nothing is forgotten in a busy week. And the patterns in your requests help you choose hardware and details that cause fewer callbacks.
Aftercare records also help when a client sells a house with fitted furniture or passes a piece on. A new owner asking about the finish or a replacement hinge can be answered from the record. Small touches like that, and the care reminders, keep your name in front of people who already like your work, which is where many new commissions come from.
Do snags slip through?
- Clients have had to chase you for a small fix.
- Aftercare requests arrive by text and get buried.
- You cannot find the original details when you visit.
- Nobody records what was done on a visit.
- The same kind of issue keeps coming back.