THERE he was, a fully-suited corporate executive, jumping up and down in a filing-cabinet drawer, just to make sure it was going to withstand his weight. It did. And with that, Rachel Jones and the company she represents had managed to preserve their reputation.
As the regional representative for Steelcase, a brand of furniture as sturdy as it sounds, Jones has witnessed some strange tests performed by people interested in buying from the range, whether for offices or homes. Bouncing in a drawer is one, as is banging cupboard doors, sitting on bookshelves, and standing on sofas.
Like with buying a refrigerator or personal computer, and unlike most furniture outlets in Hong Kong, Steelcase sofas, chairs and tables come with guarantees - some are for two years, while others are intended to prove the products last a lifetime.
Retailed in Hong Kong through Lamex in Wan Chai, the company brings together some of the most noted names in long-lasting furniture: Brayton of North Carolina gives a lifetime warranty on any of its products which have foam or wood interiors.
'This means there is a low cost of ownership. You are not going to be replacing things all the time. They are designed to last,' Jones said.
The bulk of the company's business is in the corporate sector. Large companies looking to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars for an efficient office environment want to be assured it is going to last. The panels, desks and cabinets come with lifetime guarantees.
'They are supposed to last for keeps, which is handy in the case of companies where departments are constantly shrinking or growing and the space needs to be changed,' she said.