There are many important questions when it comes to office furniture, and we are always delighted to help our customers by providing the right answers.
It really doesn’t matter how complex or how simple you think your query to be; it’s always best to seek the right advice in answering all those burning questions you may have . . . and the best advice is available right here at Chrisbeon.
There are many things we are asked, but today will look at four subjects which crop up frequently and have our customers scratching their heads:
What happens when employees lose their office furniture keys?
Here’s an interesting stat for you: A total of 99% of what we sell has locks! Each of those items comes with two keys as standard, but we are able to provide extra keys for staff if more people need access. However, it is important to remember that office furniture needs to be locked at all times to conform to GDPR.
So, for example, if a cupboard contains private data that needs to be accessed by four members of the HR department, we will ensure each of those permitted members has a key so that it can be locked all of the time.
If a company orders 10 drawer cabinets, we can have the same lock on each one so that all of the keys are suited. We can also provide master keys – override keys – which can be very useful for lockers in workplaces, meaning each staff member has a key, but there is also a master key available that can override them should the need arise.
Reassuringly, we also offer a spare locks and keys service for office furniture, and this doesn’t just apply to furniture bought from Chrisbeon. As long as you can provide us with the serial number, then we can help. Most items carry a partial serial number that we are able to work with.
Can chairs be re-gassed?
Yes! We can do that. We can obviously replace chairs if needed, but often having a chair re-gassed is a more popular and viable option, and we stock a range of different size replacement gas cylinders. If a chair keeps going down, many people think it needs changing but this is not necessarily the case.
Re-gassing your chair can often be done while you wait or, failing that, the next day. It is more sustainable to have the chair re-gassed as it is not discarded as waste – all it requires is the ordering of the necessary part to solve the problem.
What category is office furniture in accounting?
We are often asked what type of asset office furniture is – and if you can claim office furniture on tax.
Furniture and fixtures such as bookcases, chairs, desks and tables are larger items of moveable equipment used to furnish an office and, when it comes to accounting, are categorised as a long-term assets.
You can take a look back at our blog office furniture, depreciation and tax information for both furniture and stationery to find out more.
What are the trends and popular colour schemes in office furniture?
Each year you can find reports and information on what trends are surfacing and how offices are incorporating them.
In January 2023, the leading trends highlighted were:
- Natural lighting and light colours
- Collaborative office design
- A mixing of new with the old
- An active workplace with ergonomic interior
- Flexibility within the workplace
- Technology and data connectivity
- Architectural interiors
- Lounge spaces reflecting the values of a company
- Living walls and wallcoverings
- Nature and sustainability in the office
For us here at Chrisbeon we look to our customer needs to work out what trends we may see – and often, what we are already working on gives us an insight. The resimercial trend – described as making work look more homelike – has been one we have seen impact on requests and designs.
