UM&M is in the FF&E business worldwide. We buy, sell, donate, install, move, warehouse, transport, repair, reconfigure, & re-furbish.
We are a collection of worldwide business owners that have toiled in the industry on average for 25 years plus. We have experience the ups and downs of the industry; compared notes, shared stories, leaned on each other and came up with a list of guiding principals to move successfully forward.
Here is what we would like to share from our collective triumphs and mistakes.
- Never strive for short term gains to the detriment of long term mutually beneficial business relationships.
Then we implemented an action paradigm…
We will not ever try to sell our products or services under the UM&M Umbrella. We wholesale our FF&E in large lots to industry professionals. Thus, we have no vested interest in a specific product. Rather than sell, we listen to our client’s needs and then utilize our collective resources to fill that need at a value price point.
2. The Client is always Right!!!
Only after, we have vetted the client to understand and to be understood. Our best clients are well informed, reasonable industry veterans that actually believe in a mutually beneficial relationship built on transparency and understanding.
3. We all know the 80%/20% Rule.
By choosing the right Preferred Providers and Best Clients; we strive to significantly reduce the distractions of dealing with partners from both sides of the table whose goals are not suited to the long term sustainability of the Plan.
4. Show me the Money
We discuss the Money aspect clearly and in an open format from the very beginning. Payment terms and commissions are always a negotiating tool. If Clients want the best service at the best price the Providers will want to be paid quickly. We open discussions to create the best plan. There is not one great answer.
5. Add Value In Every Aspect of the Relationship.
If the Client is happy that they received exactly what they paid for; they are not a client, they are an uninformed customer. Our job is to make them a Client. If the provider delivers exactly what they were paid to do; we do not have a preferred provider, we have a mistake in judgement and a former provider. Value beats price every time if you are in a Relationship. Our value is delivered by leveraging our collective experience and delivering it to our contacts whether they use our service or not. Don’t hold anything back.
6. Mistakes…we’ve made a few but then again, too few to mention.
We are not Frank Sinatra. All vendors make mistakes and UM&M is no exception. Our pledge is that when a mistake occurs; we will communicate clearly and promptly and deliver a remediation plan. We further, pledge that YOU will never pay for our mistakes. By choosing the correct Clients and Preferred Providers we eliminate a large % of mistakes before they occur; but things happen and we will be there to correct all scenarios.
7. What do we bring to the Table:
UM&M Worldwide FF&E Service Providers
A Global Commercial Furniture General Contractor