In conversation with Nest Contracts
Would you like to find out more about Nest Contracts and what we can offer? We sat down for a chat with Gemma Trebble, Nest Contracts’ New Business Consultant to get the answers to some of our most commonly asked questions.
What is it you do at Nest Contracts?
My role is to look after our interior design customers. It encompasses the account manager role, but my main focus is to develop and build on existing customer relationships and create new business relationships with interior designers that we don’t yet work with.
What’s the story behind Nest? How long has the company been going?
Our CEO and founder, Christian Hawley, set nest up in 2003 after travelling the world. He wanted to bring the beautiful, contemporary furniture he discovered on his travels to the people of Sheffield. He started with a small shop called ‘Living Rooms’ in a popular area of the city, and two years later, set up nest.co.uk. Nest now works with hundreds of sought-after brands and ships to more than 100 countries worldwide. Our website is highly regarded within the industry, but we also have a dedicated sales team on hand to personally help you with any purchases you might want to make.
What about Nest Contracts?
We’ve offered discounts to interior professionals and have had a dedicated ‘trade team’ for many years now, but as the company expanded and the level of enquiries and projects grew, it became more and more apparent that the world of contracts had additional requirements. It needed another level of service to the e-commerce side of the business, with a specialist team that could deliver bespoke solutions for the B2B market. Nest is not just an eCommerce site anymore - we deliver a very competitive contract offering thanks to our long-standing relationships with established suppliers.
You mentioned big projects…. are there any worth mentioning?
Yes, we have been very lucky to work with a lot of influential companies and brands, across a wide range of sectors, including residential, hospitality and workplace projects. We’ve supplied furniture and lighting for brands such as HSBC, Lexus and Bose to name just a few. We’ve also worked with the award-winning Clerkenwell Grind, specifying and supplying key pieces of furniture for their restaurants, as well as supplying outdoor furniture for Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s Stirling Prize shortlisted Weston Building.
Are you primarily UK based?
Far from it. We pride ourselves on our knowledge and experience in shipping goods worldwide. If it’s possible to ship to a country, Nest will ship there! As a company, we have a very strong global presence, working with designers in many countries. Our logistics, customers services and sales teams are all very experienced in working with international orders, so if you are working on an overseas project and would like some guidance, we would love to help.
Is there a limit to the size of my order?
No order is too big or too small - we have an online portal for professional customers, which is a fantastic tool for quick or small orders, but larger orders will be handled by your dedicated account manager.
What will my account manager do for me?
You’ll be looked after from start to finish, with a care service that is second to none. From the initial specification to pricing and budgeting, all the way through to delivery and after service consultations.
Our account managers will even oversee the delivery and installation on site for your key projects if required, to ensure that everything runs smoothly. They’ll be your point of contact should you require data sheets, certifications, finish samples, lead times or updates. They’ll liaise with the brands on your behalf, meaning you don’t need to keep track of multiple suppliers and contacts. You’ll receive one consolidated invoice, even if you’ve ordered multiple brands with differing lead times, making it easy to keep track of your finances and paperwork.
What is your trade discount?
We don’t have a set discount amount. Your account manager will tailor each quote individually, and the discount offered will depend on the size and value of the order, and our terms with the brands we are supplying. Rest assured we will always do our best to offer the most competitive pricing we can.
My client wants an item from your website, but it’s not in the fabric they want …. can you get hold of it for me?
Absolutely. Our website is vast and shows thousands of products, but this is only a small portion of what we can supply. We select the bestsellers and most popular instances to display online, but if you require an item in a different spec or finish, just ask and we’ll provide a quote. Many of our brands offer COM or COL upholstery (subject to suitability testing), and some will even work on complete customisation for contracts.
It’s always worth asking if you want something altering or making in a custom colour for example - the brand may say no, but we’re always willing to ask on your behalf. If we supply a brand but you can’t see a particular product by that brand on the website, we can still supply it. We are also happy to approach brands that we don’t currently have terms with, so even if you don’t see a particular one online, include them on your schedule regardless and we’ll do what we can to supply them.
Can I see your products in person before I place an order?
We keep a large selection of samples in our head office, including wood and metal finishes and fabric samples. If you require a sample of something more bespoke – often we can arrange for this to be sent to you in the post, directly from a brand. Many of our brands also have dedicated showrooms in London where you can see their range of products in person. We are always happy to help you arrange a visit.
My projects’ site completion date is months away, but some of the items I want to order are in stock. What should I do?
Unless asked otherwise, we will always delay despatch until all items on your order have arrived with us and passed quality control. If you would like us to hold on to your order until a certain date, we do offer warehousing. This is free for the first month after your order completes, and there is a small pre-arranged fee per week should we need to hold on to your order for longer periods.
I’ve been let down and I need something quick. What do you suggest?
We have a large selection of In-Stock items, which can be viewed in one place on our website. These can be filtered by product type, colour, material etc. If you don’t have time to search through this area, we are more than happy to specify items for you. Our sales team are highly experienced and will be able to recommend specific products and brands that they know can facilitate a quick turnaround.
Have you got another question you’d like to put to our team? Get in touch with Nest Contracts via email, call us on 0114 243 3000 or over message us via Live Chat.