Economy Contract Beds – Not compromising on quality

It seems that when it comes to the service industry, saving money is always important. Even if you are booked up every single night for 352 days of the year, saving the pennies now certainly saves you the pounds later, but that really doesn’t mean you have to lower your standards to do it.

So in today’s blog Millbrook Contract Beds thought it was about time we revisited the economy contract beds section of our business, so that be you hotelier, healthcare or academic institution you can get all the best tips on finding an economical contract bed without compromising on quality.

We have always supported the idea that if you buy an economical contract bed you should not get lesser quality when it comes to the manufacturing and craftsmanship of your bed.  That’s why we offer superior contract beds at a great price.

Our contract bed range boasts high quality contract beds but at an affordable price.  Of course, we do offer the luxury range, which is perhaps not quite the same price, but none of our more economical options are made with less attention to detail and quality.

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Save money on your contract beds in 2013

Here at Millbrook Contract Beds, we understand that as a business owner saving money is always high on the agenda.

Whether it’s money on contract beds or money on curtains, every penny really counts – especially if you consider the recent spate of companies going into administration. It’s strictly a case of ‘save where you can’.

So in today’s blog we thought we would feature our economical contract beds and how buying direct from the supplier can really help you keep a control of your budget.

Aside from being economical, contract beds from Millbrook are also very comfortable and most importantly offer you as a buyer, excellent quality. After all, just because you want to save money does not mean you should compromise on quality of sleep for your guests.

Or indeed, buy a contract bed that is less than perfect!

So what does buying an economical contract bed mean?

Our contract beds are luxurious and as is synonymous with the Millbrook brand designed with years of understanding in the ways that people sleep!

We have evolved our collections through very careful research and of course by listening to client need. As a result, we have come up with a good mix of practicality AND economy, effectively giving you the best of both worlds.

Therefore, just because you save money buying your contract beds from us, you can be confident in the knowledge that the fact we handcraft the pocket springs, ensures longevity and ultimately great value.

Who might buy an economical contract bed?

Where do we start? We have clients from a multitude of industries including large hotels, small hotels, nursing and care homes, academic institutions, cruise ships and even local authorities – all of which can benefit from our good quality economical contract beds.

So however large or small your business is, you will still get an amazing service, great contract beds and the very best quality of manufacturing available.

What an economical contract bed should do

A good contract bed should provide perfect sleep first and foremost, but it must also withstand the tests of time. That is why our craftsmanship on each and every bed is so important.

While some may claim that their economical contract beds are going to do that – we actually know ours will!

This is why so many people choose Millbrook Contract Beds as their contract bed provider.

So if you want to save money in 2013 and need new contract beds, remember that at Millbrook Contract Beds, you can buy from the supplier and get an array of choices with great service.

This includes colours, finish, size and a lot more!

If you need a contract bed don’t look for the 99p shop.  Look for an experienced manufacturer and get quality that will last!

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Are you replacing your contract bed enough?

The Sleep Council has recently undertaken some research and has looked at whether the average age of a beds life is actual shorter than as previously thought, identifying that many beds (including contract beds) lose the capability to provide adequate support after only a few years – especially if they have seen considerable use.   The average life of a bed is usually about ten years, however this new research could have us looking at whether we are changing our contract beds enough.  In line with National Bed Month, these new findings are helping to raise general awareness of the importance of a good night’s sleep, which any hotelier knows is an essential part of good customer service.

In the hotel and leisure industry it may be difficult to assess the impact of this new information released from the Sleep Council and possibly even more difficult to know what to do. The first problem is that you may not know exactly just how old your hotel room contract beds are. For example you may have recently purchased the business and have not had access to the contract bed purchase records, or you may be a Duty Manager in charge of quality control and you were not working at the hotel when the contract beds were originally bought and furnished in the rooms. The second problem is if you find out that any of your contract beds, or perhaps even all of your contract beds, are older than seven years – how can you assess their actual quality correctly?

In today’s blog we are going to focus on how to identify these issues and give you some advice on managing your quality control.

• Firstly, take a look at all of the contract beds in the hotel / academic institution/ healthcare environment.
• Next identify the types of contract beds you have.  Are they divans?  Frames?  Look at the edges and general stability of the contract beds and keep an eye out for:
  • Beds that look old and worn.
  • Mattresses that feel lumpy, as if the stuffing has moved around.
  • Beds that make noises, e.g. the sound of the springs creaking.
  • A mattress that sags in the middle, causing a dip that can easily be rolled into.
  • Legs that are wobbly/unstable.
  • Is the mattress and bed base from the same manufacturer or are they separate items used together?  Sometimes to save money, people make the mistake of replacing a contract bed mattress and not the base.  This is generally not a good idea as both base and mattress combine to provide support and comfort – so you may need to look at replacing both items to ensure quality and good sleep for your guests.

Once you’ve done this little check list, it’s now time to look at how you can tell just how old your contract beds really are!

• Look for any documentation pertaining to when they were purchased. If it’s over ten years ago, then you will probably need to factor some new purchases into your budget and do some fairly rigorous testing.
• Have the warranties been retained and filed somewhere?
• Are there receipts that state the date of purchase available?
• Do any of the contract beds have labels which might give additional information about the manufacturer?

Probably one of the most common ways to discover if your contract beds are past-it is if you receive any complaints from guests. If you have more than one guest make a comment about a specific contract bed being uncomfortable or a guest telling you they did not get a good night’s sleep,  a bed check should be carried out. The answers to all the above questions will help you determine whether or not any of the beds are in need of replacing. For further advice on testing the suitability of a bed see our previous contract bed blog here or contact us for some help or read our previous blog.

Once you have tested and identified any and all beds that do not meet the standard of quality and comfort, and that you know or suspect have extended past the seven year replacement cycle, it is time to plan on how you will replace and refurnish these beds whilst causing as minimal disruption to the business as possible. We will look at the solutions to these problems and potential scenarios in the second part of this blog, but please see our blogs on disposing of a contract beds and take a look at our range, to see the variety of contract beds that we offer that are economical and can fulfil a number of quality levels.

Remember, changing your contract beds in the UK needn’t be a massive hassle if you choose the right supplier and plan things.

Millbrook Contract Beds offers holistic advice to a range of clients in the UK who run hotels, healthcare establishments and academic / conference styled environments so we have a lot of experience and free advice on contract beds to offer.

Contract Beds that offer economy without compromising comfort

For the service sector, the buying of a contract bed can often impact on what are already tight budgets.  Thus, for some at least there is a certain amount of ‘mattress’ and contract bed swapping in-house, whereby a popular room’s contract bed will be exchanged with that of another, perhaps quieter or less frequently used room.

The idea being that you can ‘evenly wear’ out the beds and get more from them.  But is this really just a false economy?

Although using what is really a second-hand contract bed or mattress may seem like a cost saving activity, it could in fact be a false economy, and end up causing a lot more hassle than it’s worth.

Guests sleeping on older contract bed mattresses are not likely to sleep all that well and for some key reasons.

Using an older contract bed mattress that has seen better days means that you are not serving a variety of sleeping patterns, you’re not offering the same level of comfort and more importantly you risk unhappy clients – who as we all know in hospitality means that they will tell their friends.

So, before immediately spending time swapping beds around, consider whether even the time spent doing it is really worth it.

If you need to spend time (or worse still) get staff to spend time swapping beds around, what will that actually cost you in money?

Perhaps surprisingly, buying a contract bed, needn’t be a massive expense at all and the fact that on average a new contract bed will last from 7 to 10 years, you will end up getting a lot more for your money.

You save time, you don’t have to pay your staff to do any moving and focus on the most important part of your business – running it!

For advice and information on economy contract beds, Millbrook Contract Beds is always happy to offer free, impartial advice to clients and help you purchase a contract bed that fits with your needs and your budget so do contact us if you need help.

What’s the best Contract Bed and mattress to buy?

In today’s blog, we answer one of the most popular questions for clients that are looking to buy a contract bed and don’t know which one is going to suit their needs the most.

In truth this is a question we get asked regularly and there is actually no set answer that serves all.  Buying a contract bed is all about balance of comfort or quality and economical need.  We provide a very good holistic approach to contract bed purchase.  We have been advising people for over sixty years and understand that everyone has different needs to fulfil – whether that’s ultimate luxury in their contract beds, or comfortable budget contract beds.  Essentially the main components though are comfort, space, support and price and we are happy to help you find a contract bed that delivers on all counts!

So whatever you need from your contract bed and whatever your budget, we are happy to offer impartial advice that really delivers and should you wish to CONTACT US we would be delighted to assist.

Millbrook contract beds is a leading supplier of Contract Beds for the Hotel, Leisure Industry, Healthcare Industry and Academic Industry.

What do you need to know when buying a contract bed and mattress?

In our second blog that focuses on some of the fundamental questions you should ask when buying a contract bed, you will find some really useful information that will help you identify what you need to look for when buying a contract bed or mattress.

As we’ve said before, sleep is an important factor in our lives and no more so for the service industries, where positive customer satisfaction is vital!

So without further ado, here is blog two of the series…

What do I need to consider when choosing a new contract bed and mattress?

The key things to consider when looking at mattresses or beds are:

1. Budget – What kind of budget have you got and what do you need to achieve with it?  Are you looking for an economy contract bed or a luxury contract bed?
2. Comfort and support – Generally you need to ensure your contract bed purchase covers the comfort as well as the budget!  A good contract bed will support the body at all points.  It will also be very comfortable of course!
3. Space – You will want to choose a contract bed that gives you enough room for movement in the room.  One of the biggest criticisms that hoteliers suffer from is lack of room in a bedroom, because the bed takes up most of the space!  Contract Beds from Millbrook Contract Beds come in a variety of sizes and can be provided on a bespoke size basis too!
4. Buy Contract Bed and Mattress Together – While it is possible to purchase a contract mattress on its own, very often a Contract bed and Mattress are better off purchased together.  This is not only a longer-term benefit but means that you won’t be left needing to buy a new base in two years while the mattress is going strong.  It is also highly recommended that you do this as often a mattress and bed is designed to work together, so putting a brand new mattress on an old base will not really offer the very best comfort to guests.

So now you are armed with some basic information remember we are always happy to answer questions and offer impartial advice to you if you’re looking to buy your next contract bed.

We can work through your needs and will be happy to help you identify the perfect contract bed.  We can even advise you on the disposal of your old contract beds as well so please do feel free to CONTACT US.