The Responsible Business Directory
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The Responsible Business Directory
Part of
Plot 1, Maldon Road
Danes Road Industrial Estate
Romford
Essex
RM7 0JB
Abbey Antiques & Furnishings is a long established family run company, specialising in manufacturing and restoring high quality furniture. Our expertise includes extensice restoration work on furniture damaged by fire, smoke, water and damp, including efficient handling the insurance process for our clients.
Our reputation precedes us as we supply throughout the United Kingdom, purely based on recommendation.
All our products are individually designed and manufactured by our own skilled English craftsmen and women using the best materials and the latest technology available within our workshop.
It is our policy to work in an environmentally sustainable manner. We aim to consider the environment in all areas of operations. We are committed to continually improving our environmental performance and preventing pollution resulting from our activities. We source our wood from a sustainable source and implement waste and energy reduction measures to minimise our environmental impacts.
We comply with all relevant environmental legislation and regulations and where possible we will exceed them.
This policy is communicated to all Abbey Antiques staff members to ensure its effectiveness, is made publicly available, and reviewed on an annual basis to retain relevance and to reflect the changing nature of Abbey Antiques and the services we provide as an organisation.
We provide off cuts of timber to Wood Burner suppliers, sawdust to Stables/Animal Bedding suppliers, off cuts to Cub Camp fires/charity events. All our blankets and wraps are purchased at local jumble sales/boot sales/scout fairs raising more money for charity and reduce packaging costs by reusing the blankets. We also reuse jiffy bags that come through the post as well as glass and leather off cuts for samples and smaller scale projects – we never waste our materials we do our utmost to use them within our factory if not they are forwarded to suppliers/charities. Any fabric samples/swatches which are sent out via our suppliers are returned to ourselves and donated to the local schools/colleges for their textiles courses/students.
By restoring antiques and repairing furniture we are not constantly making new pieces therefore keeping a reduction on timber by restoring same. With new furniture we are either using reclaimed timber wherever possible, as well as using old furniture components. Any new timber used is from sustainable forest so that we are not contributing to the deforestation of the plant and 95% of our quotes are sent by email to reduce printing, postage and packaging costs.
Winner of Essex Business Awards for Customer Care 2009 and Essex Countywide Business Awards 2009 - Upon receipt of an enquiry, we arrange an appointment at the customer’s convenience and send confirmation by email attaching leaflets and 3 references/testimonials from various existing customers. Once we have met with the customer and given a quotation on site, we send a written quotation the next day giving the full description and costs for same, where payment is due upon satisfaction/completion. On every job we provide helpful tips of how to look after their furniture – so that they do not need our assistance in the future and save them money in the long run on tips and helpful advice to protect your furniture. We are a family run business for over 8 family generations that provides a very personal and friendly touch.
When carrying out our customer questionnaire we try and obtain additional information such as birthdays etc. and we ensure that a card is sent to the customer when due as an extra touch. Our main business Fire, Flood, Disaster recovery as well as removal companies. When we send our confirmation letter of the appointment to the client we also enclosed Good Luck in Your New Home as a special touch to those who have relocated.
Another thoughtful gesture is with each piece of furniture that is being made or restored we send various photos by email to the customer showing the different stages and to demonstrate our skills and quality products i.e. solid timber and no mdf or chipboard is being used. We show pictures of our French Polisher refinishing a clients table or chair etc. using the techniques to restore same i.e. not overstained or demonstrating the inners replaced to seats/sofas. This builds up confidence in the customer and can give them an idea of the timescale remaining to complete same. These are emailed to the customer in various stages, stripping, sanding, polishing, foam cutting, new fillings, fabrics cut, reupholstered and finished article