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By Mitch Wapen, May 16, 2012 12:18 am

The other day a customer sent me this article from WikiHow entitled How to Buy a Sofa Bed.  I found it inspirational reading and thought I’d share it with you.

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, May 7, 2012 11:22 pm

When it comes down to getting paid, I offer quite a few choices: INTERAC Email Money Transfer, cashier’s cheque (bank draft), postal money order, bank wire transfer, or credit card (PayPal).  But most customers opt to pay by credit card, until I explain to them how much I dislike dealing with PayPal.  Especially in the U.S.

PayPal is basically a credit card collection company which allows me to avoid dealing with Visa, Master Card, and American Express separately.  If a customer wants to pay with one of these cards, PayPal will accept their payment and transfer it to my Canadian bank account for a fee of 3%.  What they WON’T do is transfer it from U.S. dollars into my US$ account with the Royal Bank of Canada (most Canadian companies have both US$ and C$ accounts).  I assume it’s because they make so much money charging me AGAIN to transfer the funds into my C$ account at a highly uncompetitive exchange rate.  And then they send out a lovely little note telling me it’ll be another 5-7 business days before the funds are available!  So you can understand why I just love dealing with them….NOT!

And then there’s INTERAC.  It used to be called INTERAC Email Money Transfer, but recently the name got shortened to Interac e-Transfer…God knows why.  In any case, it’s a uniquely Canadian solution to the hassles of wiring money, and probably has something to do with the fact that Canada has far fewer banks (than the U.S.) to deal with.  And it seems to be offered only by the “Big Five”:  the Royal Bank (RBC), Toronto Dominion (TD), Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank), Bank of Montréal (BMO), and Canadian Imperial Bank of Canada (CIBC).

The beauty of Interac e-Transfer is that, unlike a normal bank wire, it doesn’t cost the sender $35 and the recipient $15.  It costs only $1.50, needs merely an email address and a security question to authorize, and takes SECONDS to do!  I mean, what’s not to like?

It’s really too bad it’s not available to Americans, because this is ONE Canadian invention I’m sure they’d love to copy.  The funny thing is, most Canadians I deal with have never heard of it!  Kind of an under-publicized secret, I guess … something like RMC (Royal Military College), which is Canada’s version of West Point, Annapolis, and the Air Force Academy all rolled into one.  And pretty well unknown throughout the country as well.

The last step in receiving a payment via Interac e-Transfer is to accept the payment and forward the sender a note.  I do that with this:

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, April 29, 2012 4:59 pm

I don’t deal with men often (in terms of LofaBed inquiries), but when I do, it’s always special.  Now I’m no social-scientist, but it seems to me that my female customers usually have needs that involve others, like family…while the guys I deal with care mostly about their own needs!  And so it was with Joe Romerowicz.

“Hi, how much to deliver this to my home in Edmonton?”  Which is a very normal question in Canada, considering the distance between Montréal and Edmonton is some 3600 km. (2237 mi.)!  Joe was asking about a loveseat/ottoman LofaBed, and I’m sure, like most customers, he was thinking home delivery would be astronomical.  But it wasn’t.  Shipping to his home came to $250, or alternatively, $185 to Western Logistics’ terminal in Edmonton, where he would have to go and pick it up.  Not bad, eh?

“Thanks for the quick reply. We’ll wait for the swatches and then place the order.  We have not been able to find any sofa bed we really think would work that well in Edmonton…you need a store in the west!  I found your site by just surfing the web. I’m glad I found it before our La-Z-Boy sofa-bed arrived and we were able to cancel the order.  Like I said, it just seems like too much work to pull the bed out, plug in the pump, inflate the mattress, unplug the pump, and put it away. I know that probably only takes 5-10 minutes, but when I get home from work in the morning after a 12-hour shift, I just want to go to bed…quickly!”

So Joe had a particular need that only the LofaBed could meet.  He needed to be able to come home from shiftwork, enter the house without waking anyone else up, turn the sofabed into a bed quickly and easily, and get a good “day’s” sleep.  And he realized how the LofaBed was unique in being able to meet those needs.  So I wrote up a LofaBed Order Summary for a loveseat/ottoman in Rawhide Chocolate with Galaxy arms, and asked for his “OK” to proceed with the order.  When he gave me the “OK,” I wrote:

When it comes to remuneration, I offer lots of choices.  But my favorite is INTERAC Email Money Transfer, which is unique to Canada.  When I mentioned this to Joe, he reacted, “INTERAC Email Money Transfer is fine.  I’ll just have to figure it out…never done it before.  Just guide me to the next step.  If I can’t figure it out, then I’m going to use PayPal.” 

Joe paid by INTERAC, we shipped him his LofaBed, and then, a couple of weeks later, I get this: “Well we’ve had the Lofabed, I believe, for a couple weeks and thought I would send you my thoughts on it. It’s great! The comfort, looks, and construction are all A+. It was very easy to get into our house, the assembly was very simple with a matter of maybe 5-7 minutes. The communication with you was fantastic, the packaging was great, not a mark on it.

Dealing with Western Logistics went very well. I have no problem sleeping on our new Lofabed . I’ve used it to sleep on a number of times after getting off night shifts, and it’s great. I work 12 hr. shifts from 6:30–6:30 both days and nights. When I get home at 7 AM, I don’t want to wake anyone up…I just want to get onto a decent sofabed and get some sleep. We have looked at many sofa beds, but found most looked fine as a sofa but pull it out into a bed and you might as well sleep on the floor!  I’m 5’11” and 220 lbs. My wife thinks I weigh about 230 lbs., but I’m sure she means when I have work boots on and a dozen beers in my hands!  

Anyway, we only found 2 sofa-beds that seemed like they would make pretty good beds…one was built by American Leather. It was a 39” single cushion couch that turned into a decent size comfortable bed.  Problem was it was $2500-$2600!  Pretty hefty price tag…so it was a NO.

Next was a La-Z-Boy loveseat sofa bed with a nice pillow-top mattress with a combination air-filled mattress. It was so comfortable that I put a deposit on this $1700 sofa bed that I thought was the best bet for a good sleep. Went home and started to talk to my wife about whether we made the right desion. The bed was comfortable, looked great, but had one problem…well, at least for me it would have been. It needed to be pumped with air from a supplied pump! The last thing I wanted to do when I got home in the morning was to pull open the bed to know I still need pump it up for the next 5 mins with a noisy pump. And it would be when the house is quiet with all sleeping, and even if the pump doesn’t wake everyone up, I still don’t want to stand around pumping air into my $1700 bed.

So we decided to see if we could find something online, and that’s when I came across the LofaSofa site. We thought about it for a few days, read some reviews, then cancelled our La-Z-Boy order and bought the LofaSofa. We are SO glad we found our LofaSofa because, like I said, it’s………GREAT!!!!” Joe Romerowicz

Joe Romerowicz's loveseat/ottoman LofaBed in Rawhide Chocolate with Galaxy arms

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, April 21, 2012 11:43 pm

When Wendy first contacted me back in September of last year, she was very complimentary: “I was looking for a sofa bed/futon and googled. Your LofaBed came up and looked great.  Your website is very easy to navigate, has tons of information, and is fun.”   With THAT kind of introduction, she had my attention.  So I mailed her some swatches and wrote VA for a couple quotes.  

I always ask for two quotes in Canada because sometimes home delivery is just too much.  And Wendy made it easy for me by living in Hamilton, which has a commercial loading dock I’ve shipped to before (Falla Cartage).  The quotes came in at $81.74 to the “dock,” and $237.80 for home delivery.  Wendy went with the former, “Shipping to the dock will be wonderful,” and I wrote up her order (double size LofaBed in Savoie Saddle with Savannah arms) in mid-September.

And then, less than one week later, she wrote to inquire about the arrival of her cheque: “Hi Mitch, Just checking that you recieved my payment”  Which was a bit optimistic as everyone here knows Canada Post ain’t that fast!  Not Wendy: “I checked with Canada Post…it was misdirected!  I’ll call tomorrow and hopefully you will have it Mon or Tues.”  She was more worried than I was!

The cheque arrived, the LofaBed got shipped, and that was that.  Until this: “We picked up our new LofaSofa this morning. Falla was great to deal with.

Couldn’t have written it better myself.  And, silly me…I thought that was it.  But Wendy wasn’t finished with me.  Two weeks later she wrote: “I wanted to fill you in on some details. The LofaBed is wonderful. We have not had a chance to sit on it much, got married on the 19th and my sister-in-law was here for two weeks sleeping on it each night, she flew home today.

And then, just to make this story complete, this week a friend of Wendy’s (Mary McCall) wrote to tell me that she and Wendy were planning to place an order TOGETHER (a qouble and a queen) in order to get a better freight rate!  And, oh yeah, Mary wanted to know if it was necessary to mail a swatch of Rawhide Taupe…wouldn’t the website photo do?  When I told her no, she asked to see the swatch.

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, April 10, 2012 12:24 am

When Janice Graham first contacted me about a month ago, she was interested in furnishing one of the cabins at Camp L.G. Barnes, a camp in small-town Alberta specializing in adults with developmental disabilities.  She KNEW she needed some kind of convertible furniture, but it wasn’t clear whether a queen or a sectional or even more than one unit would fit her needs.  So we started with the basics…the fabric…and I mailed her some swatches.

Then, about a week later, she wrote, “I imagine the swatches will be here any day?”  Which caused me to immediately check the list I keep of everyone I mail fabric swatches to.  HER NAME WASN’T THERE!  But I remembered mailing them.  Or did I?  Damn this memory loss.  What the hell…so I mailed them again!

As the limerick says, the post office has a large, plastic, geometric tool designed to make sure no envelope can pass if it’s too fat.  And I’ve learned that I can safely mail up to six of my swatches, and the envelope will still pass through that opening.  Which is the main reason I limit my offering to six.

Then two days later Janice writes, “Hey Mitch.  Received the swatches this morning…so all is good EXCEPT – can I get a few more???”  And then she follows up with:

Wow…duelling limericks!  To which I responded:

Well, that was fun.  And, yes, I sent her another set of six swatches.  Which makes 18 in all!   But then confusion set in: “Mitch, I received my original request for swatches, and then a copy of the same ones last week.  I am hoping that the ones you mailed out again were new ones as per the request!!??!!”  Once I assured her that that WAS the case, she responded, “Awesome!!!  We’ll get things moving asap!!”

And the happy ending is that the next day she received her third set of swatches and immediately placed an order for a double AND a twin/ottoman LofaBed in Kiri Moss with Regular arms.

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, April 5, 2012 1:35 am

Sheila and Joseph live in an old farmhouse they renovated in the Laurentian Mountains north of Montréal. And several years ago they added a silo with a clear, acrylic glass roof so they could go there on cloudless nights and virtually sleep under the stars!

They came to visit me in St. Lazare one day, and settled on a LofaBed loveseat/ottoman combination, thinking that would be an easier size to navigate the narrow stairway which leads to the magical glass-ceilinged guest room.

Very narrow staircase that MOST sofa beds would find difficult to navigate.

They also wanted to save some money on delivery, so I suggested they either find me a commercial loading dock to ship to…or go to the factory, themselves, and pick up their order.

But they couldn’t find a loading dock in the town of Saint-Lucie-des-Laurentides, and when they found out how far the factory was from them, they didn’t want the pick-up option either.  So we compromised by shipping their new sofa-bed to a local hardware store (BMR) who was willing to help them take it off the delivery truck with a forklift and bring it to their home.  

Before I ever ask for payment, I ask the customer to “OK” the LofaBed Order Summary.  This is their chance to go over the order carefully and make sure I didn’t make any stupid mistakes.  But Joseph must’ve missed that memo, because he went straight to PayPal on my website, and paid me right away!

Next thing I know it’s been delivered and Joseph writes me this: “We managed to get it up to the tower and installed it last night, but could not satisfy ourselves with the pictures since the room is so small. I went out on the roof today and tried some more pictures. Sheila and I are going through them but I might end up back on the roof :-).  In the meantime, it is very comfortable and the challenges of getting it up there were met with trepidation and success.  At one point it was literally hanging on the railing and we just needed to slowly roll it off!  It really is the perfect fit for the small space.  I think this image will illustrate the problem in getting pictures. It is taken from the roof!”

The view from OUTSIDE the tower...looking in!

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, March 25, 2012 12:56 am

Patricia Bastone Tutino, of Montréal North, first wrote me back on January 7, “Hello, please advise where I can find this product closer to my home.”  For customers outside of Québec, I usually explain that the factory doesn’t offer credit and, therefore, there are no dealers. But for Montréal-area residents, I offer a demonstration at my office in St. Lazare, where they can try out a full/double and peruse all 75 fabric samples.  

When Patricia responded to my email a month later, I was shocked to read, “My husband will definitely come to see you. I would LOVE to see your LofaBed up and close, but I’m too afraid to come that far west!”  Then she followed that by asking if I had anything more “modern” looking. Whoa! No one had ever said that to me before.  Too far west?  Too traditional looking?  OK, so I took a deep breath and decided this was a “sales” challenge, and that I would simply have to treat it as an easy objection, and do my best to overcome it.  

So I sent her a picture of my wife’s garden, along with the “modern” arm we had designed for decorator Leona Gaita back in 2010.  And then I held my breath.

our garden in St. Lazare

7" Leona Arm

…….

…..

…….

And that seemed to do the trick.  “I REALLY like the Leona arm style…however, the colour I can do without (lol).  I like the LOOK of the material, though…what is it?  p.s. Your garden is STUNNING!  Reminds me of a British villa. WOW!  Okay, I will come with Frank and will definitely call you before.”  I was so pleased, I wrote her a limerick:

That was in February when it was still cold and very icy around here.  But just last week I heard from her again, “Hello Mitch.  I would like to know if we can see your sofa-bed this weekend…Sunday morning, if possible.  Please advise.  Patricia.”  So I answered simply:

Patricia, perhaps realizing the finality of her resolve, responded with a simple, “GOD HELP ME!”  

And so last Sunday, Patricia and Frank followed my directions and made the hour long drive west to Saint Lazare.  Of course, being a bit of a wise-ass, I couldn’t help but throw in a little Arrivederci a MEZZOGIORNO (see you at noon) at the end of my instructions. 

Everything went well.  Patricia survived the trip, picked out her favorite fabric (Monet Crimson), and asked me to look into home delivery prices before she placed the order.

Now this is where it gets a little tricky.  Normally, I ask the freight carrier (only in Canada, not the U.S.) for two quotes: one for home delivery and another for “dock” (commercial loading dock) delivery.  If the “dock” quote is significantly lower than the home delivery quote, the customer has the option of picking up her order and saving some money.  But I’ve never done that in Montréal, because if the customer doesn’t want to pay extra for home delivery here, they can always go to the factory in St. Anicet and pick it up for free.  And save the cost of Packaging Plus in the process!  And because of that, I don’t use a “dock” in the Montréal area.

Patricia responded to the home delivery quote with a resigned, “Too bad there isn’t a dock closer!  Please send me the order summary with home delivery.”  Which I found kinda sad.  I had made her come all the way out to Saint Lazare just to see a LofaBed, and now I couldn’t even offer her a simple local loading dock to ship to.  UNLESS I COULD!  Vachon Transport to the rescue!

But that wasn’t enough. First I had to confirm that the “dock” rate was low enough to make shipping to Vachon worthwhile, and then I had to make sure Vachon was willing to accept the order and not charge more than $30 for the handling.  Because if those two prices weren’t much less than home delivery…I mean, what’s the point?

But they were.  About 37% less!

So Patricia OK’d the LofaBed Order Summary (double size LofaBed in Monet Crimson with Galaxy arms), requested “dock” delivery, told me she’d be paying by money order (my favorite way), and then questioned the need for special packaging: “Curious question.  Just want to understand the LofaBed Price List on your site. There is a $30 surcharge (Packaging Plus) added to all LofaBeds shipped out of the province. Does this also apply for customers IN the province?”  

As of this date, Patricia’s order is in the process of being manufactured.

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, March 19, 2012 12:09 am

Christia Hughes, of Durham, North Carolina, wrote me the other day with an unusual request: “Hi, I am very interested in your product and want to get a full size couch and loveseat, or the sectional.  Can you guys ship internationally?  The problem I have is that these items are needed for a flat in the Ukraine!  I KNOW this will be expensive, but I am determined to acquire your product if even REMOTELY possible.”

Wow!  It’s not every day I get an inquiry like this.  I mean, I’m USED to shipping LofaBeds thousands of miles to places like California, Florida, Texas, or British Columbia…but the UKRAINE!?!  That’s not only FAR, that’s on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean!!!  And therein lies the challenge.  Because, while it costs less than $300 to ship to the west coast of North America, shipping only one or two LofaBeds to Europe might run into the thousands…I dunno.  But Christia seems SO determined to have some LofaBeds in the Ukraine, I’m gonna do my best to find out.  How could I not?  Look at what she told me in a follow-up email:

“The reason why I have my heart set on your LofaBed is…I’m a perfectionist.  I have now spent many, many hours with my friend in the Ukraine on countless websites in America and Europe looking at sleeper sofas.  I have still NOT found ANY other products that are as attractive or as well designed as yours.  No one else’s products are even close!  

I fear I will forever regret not getting 2 of your LofaBeds if we are forced to settle for 2nd best due to unimaginably expensive shipping costs. I can tell you right now you need a telescope to see 2nd best, it is so far behind your LofaBed designs!

The way you have a modular system that allows you to match up any combination of pieces and choose matching arm designs is nothing short of pure GENIUS. Your system is so unique in this way, I think it would revolutionize your niche in the industry. I personally think your products should be a household name, they are so fantastic and unique. I am on pins and needles waiting for your reply on the shipping costs to the Ukraine. I hope to be a customer soon (fingers crossed)…”

Christia Hughes

So there you have it.  With compliments like THESE, I’ll do whatever it takes to get Christia’s order to the Ukraine.  Special packaging, fumigation, adhering to Ukrainian customs regulations…whatever.  And, since I KNOW this type of sofa-bed (clic-clac davenport) is popular over there, I’m thinking that when I open my own LofaBed factory, the Ukraine might be a good place to make a sales call!

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, March 11, 2012 8:21 pm

Someone once asked me what my “mission statement” was for the LofaBed.  After thinking about it for a while, I realized that it wasn’t about just selling sofa beds.  Others do THAT.  No, I was offering something far better than just an upholstered convertible sofa; I was offering the consumer something he or she couldn’t get from a Hide-A-Bed or futon or imported clic-clac: A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP!

Our Mission Statement, then, should look something like this:  To develop, manufacture, and market the LofaBed throughout North America and Europe to home owners and apartment dwellers who value the benefit of a good night’s sleep for their overnight guests.

In coming up with this statement, I was reminded of what I had learned many years ago as a Xerox sales manager in Manhattan:  ”People don’t buy product features.  They buy benefits.”  In other words, people don’t care what kind of mechanism your sofa-bed employs unless it’s easy for them to operate and won’t break.  Why would anyone care about your fabric selection if they’re not easy to clean and durable?  And what good is a sofa sleeper that accommodates two adults if it’s so big and heavy it can’t access the room where you want to put it?  This is the difference between FEATURES and BENEFITS.

As an example, the most common type of sofabed on the market is the traditional pull-out hide a bed. They’re made by literally hundreds of manufacturers and sold through furniture stores, department stores, and sleep shops.  They feature an upholstered piece of furniture that looks like the rest of the manufacturer’s product line, but incorporates a skinny, undersized mattress that no one can sleep on because there’s a bar-in-your-back!

Traditional pull-out sofa bed features a skinny mattress and bar-in-your-back design.

Then there’s futon furniture.  This is my true expertise, because for eight years I owned and operated Canada’s largest futon furniture factory.  But, as I am fond of saying, futons have always been perceived as being for students and the financially-challenged…meaning they can’t sell for much more than $499…and for that price you don’t get much.

Pine futon frame and mattress

And, finally, you have those ubiquitous Chinese-made clic-clacs that also sell for under $500.  They’re always cute, in stock, and cheap.  But what they’re NOT is comfortable.  My question is, what’s the benefit of any of these products if you can’t offer your loved ones a good night’s sleep?  Just asking.

Chinese-made click-clack sofa-bed

In another blog I’ll write again about the many feature/benefits incorporated into each and every LofaBed. For now I’ll sign off with this thought: When my mother was alive and visiting us a couple times a year, she never stayed more than two days because she couldn’t get a good night’s sleep on the pull-out sofa bed we put her on.  When I eventually developed the LofaBed, she slept so well she stayed a week!!!  THAT’S what I call a benefit.

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, March 4, 2012 9:48 pm

Last week I was lucky enough to have an article on the LofaBed featured in a special pull-out, home decorating section of the Montréal Gazette.  Journalist Wendy Helfenbaum had called to interview me several weeks earlier, so I KNEW it was coming…but it was still a thrill to see my words quoted in the largest English newspaper in the province of Québec.

I still don’t know how she found ME, but Wendy was clearly looking for stories about new and inventive products in the field of home furnishings designed for sleep.  She started out by asking me “What’s new?” in the world of sofa beds, Hide-a-Beds, wall beds, and futons.  And I told her that as far as I know, not much, except for the LofaBed.  Sofa-beds that sell for $1000, or less, are still amazingly uncomfortable…and still feature skinny mattresses and, for some reason, a damn BAR IN YOUR BACK!  Wall beds are expensive, and futons are still perceived to be for students and the financially-challenged.  So when I listed all the feature/benefits that the LofaBed offers over traditional sofa sleepers (8″ thick standard-sized mattress, storage in the base, knock-down for easy handling, and made-to-order in Canada out of hardwood), Wendy started taking notes.

But the main point I tried to make to her…and I think she captured this in the piece…was that the LofaBed is all about COMFORT.  All the other benefits are nice to talk about, and certainly people want to hear that. But the #1 reason I got into this business in the first place, was to produce a piece of convertible furniture that you could put your Mom on with confidence.  Confidence that she would thank you in the morning for a great night’s sleep.  That’s what the LofaBed is all about, and I think that came across in Wendy’s article.

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, January 14, 2012 5:11 pm

When Lori Bonello, of Howell, New Jersey, first wrote, it was the end of November and the LofaBed factory was closing in three weeks for the Christmas holidays.

“I was just on your website and in addition to looking at your products, I was reading all the rave reviews. The LofaSofa seems like just what I have been looking for!  My sister is moving in to my house with her two boys and we are renovating the basement for them.  Also, she likes the idea of the sectional.  My only problem is that the basement is almost finished and we would need the bed fairly quickly…what is your turnaround time?  Would I also be able to get a rush on sample swatches so we could make a quick decision?”  

So I threw her choice of fabric swatches in the mail the next morning, and waited for her to get back to me. A few days later I received this:

“Hi Mitchell, I spoke with you about the LofaBed for my sister and you were sending me out some swatches.  I still have not received them…do you have any idea when they might arrive?”

She received the swatches a few days later, and then began a back-and-forth discourse with me over the dimensions of her room and the real possibility that a sectional would simply be too big!  Finally, on the 12th of December Lori placed an order for a Mary Miller queen size loveseat/ottoman LofaBed in Monet Chestnut with Galaxy arms.  Of course, by that time I could only promise her SHIPPING before Christmas…not actual delivery.  Which she was OK with.  And then on December 23rd I wrote:

And then Lori paid her bill, and waited patiently to hear from STI Home Express that her new sofa bed had arrived.  And waited.  And waited.  Then on January 6, there was this:

“Thank u thank u…. STI said she will call Monday to set something up.”

Then on January 11, Lori finished up our business transaction with these words:

Lori's sister's Mary Miller queen size LofaBed

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, January 3, 2012 6:15 pm

January LofaBed sales are usually pretty slow.  Probably because people are worn out – and TAPPED out – from the Christmas holidays.  So I thought it might be a good idea to give people an INCENTIVE to place an order now, rather than later. Here’s the deal:

ANY LOFABED ORDER PLACED BEFORE THE END OF JANUARY 2012, WILL RECEIVE A FREE SET OF VELCRO BACKING FOR THE ASKING.  

I say “for the asking” because I’m not sure everyone will want to add Velcro Backing to their new LofaBed. But for those who worry about mattresses “slip-sliding away,” this is a wonderful option.  And a pretty good deal.

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, January 3, 2012 4:04 pm

Over the years, the LofaBed has evolved from the original full/double into the 7 sizes, 75 fabrics, and 8 arm styles featured on the website today.  All of which are reflected on the price list.  But what is NOT reflected on the price list are the many accessories we’ve developed since 1996 in response to customer input.  Here, then, is a summary of the various optional accessories available:

. Velcro Backing…..$53  We have added Velcro to the backside of the mattress AND the seat section of the 4″ platform in order to prevent the mattress from slipping.  Slipping is not a problem for most people, but for those who sit a certain way, it is.  The back section of the 4″ platform remains Velcro-free in order to accommodate some movement during the conversion process.

. Reversible/Removable Mattress Covers:  (zippered and 2-sided)

Queen loveseat (54″ x 60″)…..$155
Queen ottoman (26″ x 60″)…..$70
Qouble (54″ x 80″)…..$173
Full/double (54″ x 75″)…..$144
Loveseat (54″ x 54″)…..$129
Loveseat ottoman (21″ x 54″)…..$59
Twin/single (39″ x 54″)…..$125
Twin/single ottoman (21″ x 39″)…..$53
Chair (28″ x 54″)…..$92
Chair ottoman (21″ x 28″)…..$47
Corner piece of sectional…..n/a

. Reversible Mattress…..$27  For covering the back side of any mattress with the same material as we use on the front and sides.  The normal material used on the back is Rodon…a black, non-slip upholstery fabric.

. Piping:

a)  any size mattress or cover…..$27
b)  any size ottoman or cover…..$20

. 12″ x 24″ Arm Protectors…..$27 per pair

. 18″ x 18″ Pillows…..$29 per pair  (two come with each LofaBed, except the chair)

. 24″ x 24″ Pillows…..$52 per pair

. Upholstery Fabric…..$27 per meter  (1 meter = 1.0936133 yards)

. Extra Arms…..$107 per pair

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, December 31, 2011 1:16 pm

Most people are nervous to order something big online…especially if they can’t “try it before they buy it.”  And so it was with my latest customer, Audrey Diggs of Southern Pines, North Carolina.

When she first contacted me back on November 30, she had already managed to locate and speak with one of the “testimonial” customers featured on my website.  I don’t know how she did this, because I only list the writer’s name and hometown…but she did and, apparently, received a glowing review.  But she let me know that her fears were not fully assuaged when she told me, “I am very uneasy about ordering something unseen.”

Now, even though I get this objection ALL THE TIME, it is not something I have an easy time overcoming. It’s what Xerox used to call “a HARD objection.”  And there is no way around it…because it’s legitimate.  So I collect as many personal experience “testimonials” as possible, make the website friendly and informative, and point out to potential customers that if there were reasons to be worried, they’d be able to read about them on the internet.  But they can’t, because there aren’t any. And that says something…because I’ve been selling LofaBeds since 1996!!!

In any case, Audrey overcame her fears and asked me to mail her several fabric swatches.  When she received them, she wrote, “After drinking a shot of whiskey, and with my toes and fingers crossed, I am going to order a LofaSofa.”  To which I just HAD to respond:

Then I emailed her a LofaBed Order Summary for her approval.  To my surprise, she responded with a poem:

A sofa was ordered, the bill came today.
It contained the bad news of what I should pay.
“Order to be made without even a hitch,”
This proclamation from our guru, Mitch.

Now being a female my mind I can change…
The GREEN that I ordered now seems to be strange.
I looked AGAIN at the swatches, and chose Crimson Red…
Don’t hate me, Dear Mitch, I just want a nice bed.

So, finish the order, get on with the job.
“Cause I MIGHT change my mind and have a long sob.
This buying online is SO full of stress,
It’s no wonder our WORLD is in such a mess.

At the end of which she added, “I am breaking one of my cardinal rules by the action I am taking. I hope my trust in you will be well placed.”  

I wish I could end this blog with some kind of positive insight, but the fact is the factory is closed for the holidays until January 9…so Audrey Diggs will have to hold her breath until then.  I did, however, attempt to allay fears when I sent her this:

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, December 25, 2011 4:01 pm

Whew…I’m sure glad that’s over.  I love Christmas, don’t get me wrong.  It’s just that furniture factories in Québec always close for two weeks just before the big day, and the stress level of making and shipping everyone’s LofaBed orders is – shall we say – high! And the pressure isn’t limited to just manufacturing…oh, no.  At this time of year, getting the trucks to come when they promise is an equally daunting task.

So it was with great trepidation that we entered the week of December 12th with 15 LofaBed orders…with everyone in need of their new sofa bed for the holidays!  Now I’m experienced enough to know NOT to over-promise. So I’ve learned that the MOST I can commit to, is to have someone’s LofaBed made and picked up from the factory before Christmas.  I have enough influence over the factory for that.  But what I can never predict is the freight part of the equation.  We deal with Western Logistics for Western Canada, VA for Eastern Canada, and Normandin Transit for the States.  All of them send 53 footers, and NONE of them comes when they’re called.  Well, not just before Christmas, anyway.

Before I could give any thought to the freight situation, I had to make sure the factory and I were on the same wavelength.  They have other furniture to make besides LofaBeds, and I had to make sure they had my back in terms of keeping my promises to customers.  So I faxed them a list of the 15 pending pre-Christmas orders, and asked them to forecast when each of them would be ready to be picked up.  And I also wrote each customer to ask if waiting for delivery after the holidays was a possibility.  So when Tammy Binder, of Toronto, wrote that I shouldn’t stress out because she was going to be out of town and, therefore, could wait till January, I wrote:

I was able to get two more orders delayed until January, so now SOME of the pressure had been removed. Then came Friday, the 16th, the day VA promised to pick up the majority of our Christmas LofaBeds.  But they never came!  And they didn’t come on Monday either.  Which forced me to communicate THIS little ditty:

By now I was beginning to be worried that customers might think I was giving them the ‘ol runaround because, afterall, they’re still buying a sofa-bed sight unseen, and they don’t know ME from Adam.  So APPEARANCES are almost as important as reality…and at this stage, I didn’t APPEAR to have things in hand. When VA actually SHOWED UP on Tuesday, I was thrilled to be able to write this:

Picking up an order at the factory is step number one.  Step number two is actually shipping it from VA’s warehouse in Montréal to its destination, somewhere between Ontario and the Maritimes.  I realized, by now, that home delivery before Christmas was a pipe dream, but if I could just get them shipped before the 25th, that would be a small miracle.  So when VA called and committed to shipping all of my orders BEFORE the 23rd:

Which made a number of people VERY happy.  Now it came down to Normandin, our furniture-only carrier to the U.S.  Normandin has hundreds of rigs on the road, so when they finally get around to picking up a LofaBed at the factory in St. Anicet, it’s only a matter of DAYS before they get it delivered to virtually anywhere in the States. When they arrived at the factory late in the afternoon of the 22nd…it was a tremendous relief to all of us.  And I was able to finish off my customer correspondence thusly:

Merry Christmas to all!

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, December 21, 2011 5:03 pm

Back in 2009 I sold a double size LofaBed in the California Collection to one Agnes Szabo, of Montréal. And two years later (November 2011), her mother and father (Eva and Peter) placed an order for one of their own.

I suppose because of their background (Hungarian immigrants), they were very cautious people.  So, even though they already had experience with dealing with me and having a LofaBed in the family…they STILL wanted to come over to my place and check things out.  Which was fine by me…I love to have a little company from time to time.

Their visit turned out to be something special.  Because as much as I told them about the feature/benefits of the comfortable sofa-bed I had developed, they talked to me about the “glory of God” and the true meaning of Christmas!  Yes, they were religious conservatives who interpreted the Bible literally and were not shy to share their beliefs with anyone willing to listen.  And I listened – because what the hell? – it’s Christmas time, and I could use a little religion.

And they were frugal.  Most customers prefer the hassle-free option of home delivery, but the Szabos decided to save some money and pick up their new LofaBed at the factory in St. Anicet.  Then at the last minute their help fell through, and Eva called me in a panic to ask if I could add some protective packaging and have her sofa bed home delivered by VA instead.

But I was still feeling INSPIRED by their visit, and so I offered to meet them at the factory and help them with the transport and home assembly myself.  Which turned out to be unnecessary as some unexpected help arrived at the last minute…and Peter and Eva were able to pick up their order yesterday without incident.

And this morning she wrote me the nicest letter:  Dear Mitch, we are so happy that the Lofa Sofa is here now at our place.  We love it.  It’s so perfect for our needs, comfortable, practical, nice colour, just right.  Thank you, so much, for your willingness to help.  We will recommend this excellent product to our friends.  Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Eva and Peter    

Which definitely put ME in the spirit of Christmas, and so I responded accordingly.

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By Mitch Wapen, December 18, 2011 9:01 pm

I pride myself in my ability to sell a high percentage of the people who contact me re buying a LofaBed online. I go out of my way to make them feel comfortable with the whole experience: I mail fabric swatches, write original and personal limericks, and provide as much information as possible about the product, itself, and the ordering process so that no one feels cheated or tricked into buying.  But even so, there is always ONE factor I have a hard time competing with: LOW PRICE.

Not that my sofa-beds are expensive, mind you ($643 for a full/double)…but by the time we add in freight to Texas or the West Coast, we’re no longer really “a bargain.” So I make a big deal over the comfort factor, since most pull-out sofa beds I’ve seen can hardly be thought of as comfortable.  Cheap they might be, but comfortable?…..NOT!!! Whereas our whole claim-to-fame is that our 8″ thick, standard size mattresses are SO comfortable that you can actually get a good night’s sleep…..on a sofabed!

Which brings me to the story of Toni Laurendeau, of Bigfork, Montana.  Back in September, she wrote me an email asking how the ottoman and main mattress stayed together during the night.  I answered that because our mattresses are of standard size, fitted sheets and mattress pads kept the two pieces together very well, but that if she wanted to, she could also avail herself of our newest offering to the Hospitality Industry: the Velcro Strapping System (+$27).

The Velcro Strapping System (shown on a chair/ottoman)

She also was concerned that the closest STI Home Express terminal was some 442 miles away in Billings. But I explained that, unless she wanted to go there and pick up her order, the distance wouldn’t matter because their prices were guaranteed.  $120 for home delivery no matter HOW FAR away the terminal was!  So she asked me to mail some fabric swatches, and shortly thereafter, she placed an order for a LofaBed full/double with 5″ Mini arms in Savoie Camel.

But JUST BEFORE I placed the order with the factory, Toni sent me this:

Dear Mitchell…Thank you for your help, the swatches, your sweet sense of humor, and your patience.  My decorator found me the perfect sofa bed right near me.  It is a floor model and the price was astounding and they will deliver for free Monday!  I hope I didn’t cause you too much trouble AND I want you to know I have told friends about your company.  Good luck, my friend, and thank you again for all…..Toni

Bummer.  I lost the sale to a low cost hide a bed!

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, December 16, 2011 12:36 pm

Back in early November, when I first received the container order for Costa Rica, the buyer put me in contact with Jean-Louis Ferry, of Cole International, the shipping agent.  His job was to coordinate the pick-up and delivery of the container, and to help me with the international paperwork.  His very first email looked like this:

Please acknowledge receipt of this e-mail / Merci de bien vouloir accuser réception de ce courriel

Thank you and best regards / Merci et sincères salutations 

Jean-Louis Ferry / ocean freight coordinator / agent de fret maritime
~~_  ~~_ 
___I_I__I_I____________________________________ 
\____________________________________________/ 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Cole International Inc.
670 Orly Avenue, suite 201
Dorval, Qc, Canada, H9P 1E9

Which I found a bit too formal for my liking.  So I hit him with this:

To my surprise, he wrote back that he LOVED my way of communicating, and that if he could, he would do the same!  But, sadly, he couldn’t, but still “liked the sounds and the music of the words.”  That’s all the encouragement I needed.  Now I knew I could have some fun with this guy.  So when he asked me to provide the email address of the LofaBed factory, I was able to respond:

But as we approached the pick-up date of November 25, things got a little more serious. Jean-Louis insisted that I fill in an electronic version of the Certificate of Origin, which was needed to process the container once it arrived in Costa Rica.  

All during this time the buyer was warning me that any mistakes in the COO would delay the importation of his order, and would have a negative impact on any future business.  So I was nervous about filling in the form.  Especially when I had trouble with some email addresses that wouldn’t fit inside the space provided. But Jean-Louis came to my rescue by allowing me to submit “trial” forms, which he corrected, until I finally got it right. Of course, by then we were up against a deadline, so he asked me to get in my car and actually bring him six copies of the form, all with my original signature.  Which elicited this email:

He agreed immediately, and asked that I be at his office this afternoon, even though he would be out between 1-3.  So I finished off our correspondence with:

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, December 13, 2011 11:52 pm

On September 25 I received a short email from a financial analyst in Brossard, a town on the south shore of Montréal:  “Hello, I would like to place an order for one Mary Miller Queen, Splendor Plum, with Galaxy Arms. For delivery to Brossard.  Steve Legler.”

Normally I engage customers in email conversations in order to answer their many questions about buying an online sofa bed sight unseen.  But I soon realized that this was a man of few words, as his next correspondence stated simply, “OK, let’s do this. I can do INTERAC from my RBC account.”  INTERAC Email Money Transfer, by the way, is a Canadian banking procedure for transferring funds at low cost.  But it requires a password to work, and the one he gave me…didn’t.  So I suggested he use “Brossard” as his password…which worked perfectly.  To which I responded:

By the end of October we had shipped his LofaBed, and the day after it was delivered I received this memo: “MW, WOW. My high expectaions have been more than met. My LofaSofa arrived on time and the guys had it installed quickly and easily. It looks great.  Then I sat on it and found it even more comfortable than it looks. Many thanks for a quality product.  I will be ordering another one very soon. SL”  And ten days later he did: “I told you that I would be back. And this time I am ordering 2 units…one full/double and one twin/ottoman. Both of them in Savoie Black” 

Which is pretty cool when you think about it.  A guy buys THREE LofaBeds inside of one month because he’s so impressed with the first one!?!  Doesn’t happen all the time, I’ll tell you that.  But this time it didn’t go so smoothly.  The factory was busy making other orders, and told me Steve’s would be delayed for a week or two.  And then I landed a CONTAINER order to a resort/hotel in Costa Rica – with a deadline – which delayed Steve’s order another two weeks!  

All during this time, Steve was writing me short notes asking when his order would be ready.  And I was at the mercy of the factory’s schedule, which meant I really couldn’t tell him anything until the container to Costa Rica was gone.  Finally, by the end of November I was able to give him some positive news:

And, FINALLY, they were delivered last week.  Steve wrote, “MW, Received the Lofas yesterday. Perfect as usual. Thanks, SL”  And I responded:

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, December 10, 2011 6:09 pm

It happens infrequently, but it DOES happen.  Every so often, STI Home Express loses one of my LofaBeds INSIDE their own warehouse!  Now they’ve got something like 200 of them throughout the U.S., so it’s understandable that I’m only familiar with a few…but from my experience, I KNOW that some of them are much bigger than others. And I’m guessing that this is where the problem lies.

In late October, Linda Robinson of Rock Hill, South Carolina, ordered a loveseat/ottoman LofaBed in Kiri Cobalt with Savannah arms to be shipped to the closest STI Home Express warehouse, which was in Charlotte, NC…about half an hour away.  She needed it for Christmas company and her husband was planning to drive to Charlotte to pick up her order and save the cost of home delivery.  And then I received a CONTAINER order from a resort in Costa Rica with a deadline!

Normally, I would push this back until after the holidays…but the buyer was threatening to cancel if I did! And so Linda’s order got delayed instead. Now we were pushing the proverbial envelope of time.  We finally shipped Linda’s order at the end of November with an ETA in Charlotte of December 7.  Then on the 9th, I received the following email:

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By Mitch Wapen, November 19, 2011 12:10 am

I’ve written some 482 blog posts since I began in September of 2008.  159 of them were about customer testimonials, LofaBeds, and sofa-bed stuff in general.  And 323 were almost equally divided between “politics” and “general interest.”  The reason I wrote so many more of the latter was simply because I got bored writing about Hide-a-Beds and Murphy Beds, and all the other kinds of sofa sleepers on the market…and politics just interested me more.

The SEO boys in Vancouver didn’t like it because they wanted more original content loaded with keywords, like “sofabed” and “Castro Convertibles” and “comfortable furniture.”  But I was stubborn and refused to change.  I mean, there are SO MANY interesting emails that come my way via friends every day…I just wanted to share some of the BEST of them with my readers.  I figured that if I could develop a following, maybe ONE DAY one of my readers would notice the sofa beds at the top of the page…and order one.  Or, at least, tell a friend.

My modus operandi was to copy someone else’s article (crediting them completely) or video…then write a summarizing or opinionated limerick at the end.  Kinda like a political cartoonist…without the cartoon!

Then Google made me see the light.  They changed their algorithms to punish duplicate content, of which I had a lot.  And all of a sudden, my monthly “visitors” decreased by one third!!!  Which caused me to begin listening to the SEO boys again.  And they said, “Remove the offensive content!”  Bummer.

And so I did.  Now what’s left on THIS site covers davenports, futon furniture, and other sleeper sofas. Which is as it should be, I guess. But if YOU’RE into other stuff…like politics and sports and music…then click on this link: http://www.lofalimericks.wordpress.com, and let me inform and entertain you.

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, November 16, 2011 5:53 pm

Selling sofa-beds over the internet has never been easy.  Buyers (and I don’t blame them) want to actually see…and feel…and try out…a real live (well, maybe not live) sofabed before they decide.  But the factory that currently makes my LofaBed is small and conservative by nature and, therefore, reluctant to offer terms of credit to dealers. No credit = no dealers.  Which is why we have no retail dealers beyond Valleyfield, Québec!

So the only way to motivate potential customers to place an order…is to have an appealing website, to engage them in conversation, mail fabric swatches, and offer up enough glowing testimonials to convince them the risk of being disappointed is minimal.  Which is what this website is really all about.  I KNOW people hate Hide-a-Beds because of the bar-in-your-back and their skinny, too-short mattresses.  And I’m familiar with the perception of futon furniture as being for students and the financially-challenged. And, of course, Chinese-made click-clacks are cute, but too small and horribly uncomfortable. Which leaves the market for COMFORTABLE sofa beds all to us!

Now, for whatever reason, most of my customers are Baby Boomer women.  I can relate because I’m from the same generation, and I’ve been married since birth. Well, not really, it just seems that way.  So we schmooze.  We talk about kids, husbands, politics, moving from a house to a condo…all sorts of things.  But the ONE THING that always comes up that I don’t understand, is the idea of getting their husbands involved in choosing the fabric.  I try to explain why that’s not a good idea.  I mean, I’m in the business, and my wife would NEVER think of asking my advice on anything involving home decor.  She might tell me AFTER she’s already made the decision…in which case my only duty is to go along…but never before.

So for women who don’t understand that husbands cannot be allowed to participate in furniture buying decisions, I invoke the “Sofa Bed Rules.”  These rules have been developed and perfected over years of trial and error, thousands of broken marriages, and untold misery.  And, believe it or not, most husbands are happy to go along with these rules.  To summarize:  THE WIFE CHOOSES.  THE HUSBAND PAYS.  That’s it…simple…uncomplicated…basic…realistic.  All you basically have to realize is that he doesn’t care.  He’s happy if YOU’RE happy.  So why go to all the trouble of asking for his advice, when he’s gonna tell you that whatever you think, is fine with him?

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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By Mitch Wapen, September 16, 2011 10:28 am

I sell LofaBeds all over Canada and the U.S.  And, as you might imagine, HOME DELIVERY is a major challenge.  Most customers are familiar with hide a beds and traditional sofa beds (which weigh several hundred pounds), and are intimidated by the thought of having something that heavy dropped off at their door.  But, unlike the normal sofa sleeper, LofaBeds actually KNOCK DOWN…which means the arms, mattress, and davenport base can all be carried separately.  And the largest of these pieces, the davenport base, measures 54″ x 75″ x 12″ and weighs only 118 lbs., meaning it can be EASILY carried through any door, up or down any staircase, and around any corner.  We didn’t make it KNOCK DOWN for shipping purposes…we did it to make home delivery easier.

We use three separate trucking companies to deliver our sofa-beds: one for eastern Canada (VA/Nesel), one for western Canada (Western Logistics), and one for the 48 contiguous States (Normandin).  By using only three carriers, we get to know them better, which is important in our role as “unpaid” sales representative (we don’t mark up the freight…we pass it along).  It also helps if there’s a problem, because the more business we give each one of them, the more leverage we have.

The most common question I get asked re home delivery is about the price.  But as with everything else in this world, price is not always the best way to judge a product or service.  As you can see from these photos, there are people who are willing to deliver furniture “on the cheap” if that’s what you want.  But all LofaBeds are made-to-order from a selection of 75 upholstery-grade fabrics, 8 arm designs, and 7 sizes…in 2-3 weeks…and shipped by a company that specializes in handling furniture.  We think that if you’re willing to have convertible furniture made just for you, you’ll also want it delivered by a company that CARES how it arrives. However, if that’s NOT the case, I know some guys on bikes I want to tell you about!

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

.

I often get asked on the phone,
“Will my order be trucked or be flown?”
I simply reply,
“It WON’T go awry…
If we ship it with someone well-known.”

.

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By Mitch Wapen, August 23, 2011 10:24 am

When Graham Willsher, of Georgetown, Ontario, first wrote in September of 2009, he was looking for a standard size sofa bed that would accommodate fitted sheets.  His kids had just taken their existing hide a bed off to college, and he was considering a “qouble” size LofaBed to fill the empty space.  I suggested he downsize to a “full/double,” because fitted sheets were much more readily available.

Then, when he wrote again two months ago, I noticed he had taken my advice:

Hello Mitch,

Contacted you a couple of years ago on a basic enquiry – may be slow to order, but have never had a doubt I would…eventually.  Can you quote on the following please:  Double / Savannah 10 inch arm / St. Clair Multi fabric throughout, including cushions. 

.

To which I responded:

Then, soon after he had received his order, I got this in my inbox:

.

On August 14, 2011 12:14 PM, graham willsher wrote:

.

A man went on the Internet and bought a LofaBed.

He turned a screw and raised a seat, and lay upon its head.

He mused at how his choice was fine and pattern just sublime…

His sole regret, he now admits, was waiting all this time.

. 

Saturday delivery on the mark. Packaging first rate. Condition perfect. Pattern is out of this world. Installation easy. Operation a child can handle. Comfort like no other.

. 

Superb product, Mitch. Has been a pleasure dealing with you, and appreciative of your quick responses to custom questions I had.  I now need (wish) to lie down.  Cheers!

 

Graham

.

I thanked him for the kind words, and for taking the time to compose an original poem. Then ended with a request to use his email in a blog, because testimonials, like his, help convince potential customers that ordering a sofa-bed from me is anything but a scam.

.

On Aug 14, 2011, at 12:31 PM, graham willsher wrote:

.

Don’t mind at all, Mitch.  And yes, very happy with the end result. Had no concerns, whatsoever, with an internet purchase. There are too many ways of checking out a scam, and not a single web page was set up over the years to denounce your product or service.  Solid business transaction.  Thanks, again, and good fortune.  Graham

.

Nice.

Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

.

It’s nice to know that Graham Willsher is happy with his bed…
Especially with his “napping arm” where he can lay his head.
He wrote me first two years ago,
And said he’d like to buy, although…
He needed time to read the site complete from “A” to “Zed.”

 

 

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By Mitch Wapen, August 12, 2011 10:36 am

Almost every day now I receive an email from some company in China wanting to sell me furniture.  Usually it’s some of those cheap click clack, davenport-type sofa beds you see in all the bedding stores…but lately I’ve seen traditional hide a beds and other pull-out sofa-beds you’d find in Jennifer Convertibles, or that used to be made by companies like Castro Convertibles in NYC.

I don’t know why they think I’m a potential customer.  Afterall, my website clearly states that we’re a Made-in-Canada operation, that we make all our own sofa sleepers out of Canadian materials, that we offer a selection of 75 upholstered fabrics, nine arm designs, and seven sizes…all made-to-order within one to two weeks! For SOME reason, they think they can compete with that.  I DON’T THINK SO!

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Date: August 11, 2011 
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Mitch Wapen
www.lofasofa.com
lofasofa@videotron.ca
877-424-1431

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I got an email recently, entirely Chinese…
It’s hard to know what this guy wants, perhaps to “shoot the breeze?”
But if he’s selling sofa-beds,
Or fitted sheets and queen bed spreads…
I’ll tell him MADE-IN-CANADA means we don’t buy from overseas!