Pennsylvania House: A good deed done quickly
Powell Slaughter, Case goods editor -- Furniture Today, February 16, 2004
I'm not the first to say it, and I hope I won't be the last, but to Michael Foster and his colleagues at Pennsylvania House, I say, "Well done."
Rather than take chances with dissatisfied consumers, Pennsylvania House recently pulled 10 defective dining room pieces off retail floors. That's not unheard of, but the furniture in question was part of New Standards, a smash hit among case goods introductions at last year's April High Point market.
Foster, president of Pennsylvania House, part of La-Z-Boy's Case Goods Division, wouldn't last long in politics. For those who don't recognize that as a compliment, that means he's willing to recognize a problem, accept responsibility, absorb the problem's costs, and take quick action to fix it.
The dining component of New Standards began hitting retail floors in December. Within two weeks, veneer had started checking on some case pieces, and a chair design showed a tendency to break.
Fortunately, the defects came to light on retail floors and not in consumers' homes. Rather than take a chance, Pennsylvania House protected its reputation — and that of its dealers — by temporarily pulling the plug on part of one the company's most successful introductions in years.
Buyers should see examples of production from the re-engineered pieces at this April's market.
I hope retailers reward Pennsylvania House for acting quickly and decisively, and so far that seems to be the case. Foster said dealers who bought New Standards remain committed to the entire collection, including the dining room.
I can hear skeptics saying the product in question should never have made it as far as it did. Maybe they're right. But what matters here is accountability and acceptance of the consequences of a mistake. Pennsylvania House gave 100% credit on all the pieces that made it to retail floors and saved itself and its retailers a black eye among consumers.
If Pennsylvania House's actions keep one consumer from going through the ordeal of returning their furniture, the company has done this industry a service. For its part, the company turned a headache into an opportunity to show it values not only its good name, but also consumer perceptions of its dealer base.
As I said earlier, product recalls are not unheard of, but this case involves a high-profile collection that dealers will use to throw their best pitch. The temptation must have existed to hope the problem would restrict itself to a few pieces, and that any resulting consumer issues could be taken care of without the expense of reworking a significant portion of the New Standards dining category.
Thank you, Pennsylvania House, for ignoring that whisper and listening to the better side of human nature. I hope you realize the benefits of a good deed.
