Get to know your Customer – Serendipity Designs

In preparation for Get to Know your Customer day on Thursday the 17^th of January, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to have a chat with recent customers Gail and Richard about what they do and why they chose Sagetech Machinery to purchase their Vertical Panel Saw.

Company Name: Serendipity Designs

What do you do? We are a small husband and wife duo that specializes in custom made furniture. Originating from Richard’s experience of making his own furniture as a hobby for the last 30 years, we decided to make this a business to support our retirement. Our most popular products currently are kitchen islands, dining tables and bespoke bedroom furniture.

Why did you decide to purchase a Vertical Panel Saw? We had initially been buying our material, ready cut through mainstream suppliers and felt that we could reduce our costs by bringing our cutting in house. As we had a large workshop, we knew that we would have the space, however the cost was something that we needed to work on. Being a small business, we did not have the cash readily available and we delayed the initial purchase for a year from when we first enquired.  We knew that we would save money in the long run if we made the leap to buy so in the middle of 2018 we purchased an ex demo KF21.


How did you find the sales and installation process? Smooth and reassuring.  As a somewhat older couple, we were unsure on where to begin. When we first enquired in 2017, we spoke mainly to Phil, who discussed our products and how often we would be using the machine. We originally had a larger machine in mind but Phil was honest and admitted a smaller model with a smaller budget would be better for us. After explaining to Phil that financially it wasn’t viable, we discussed finance options but felt it would be better for us to save some money and pay outright in a few months time. Phil touched base with us a few months later explaining that an ex demo machine had come available which would allow us to have the model we required but for less than originally discussed. This was a much better option for us and worked better with the money we had been able to save since.  With regard to delivery and installation, we agreed a date and the machine arrived approximately two weeks after confirmation. An engineer was sent a few days later who set the machine up, calibrated it and gave us in-depth training.  We had a lot of questions as we hadn’t used this type of machine before and aren’t very technology savvy but the Engineer was patient and answered everything we needed without frustration. Whenever we have had any questions since installation, Mark and Phil have been happy to take our call, offering a great aftercare service.

How has a Vertical Saw benefitted you and your business? Mainly, it has saved us a lot of money, which we have been able to pass onto our customers. We have estimated that the cost of the machine will have been cleared within 12 months of purchase. It also has saved us considerable time as our nearest  cutting supplier was approximately a half an hour drive which meant an hour out of the workshop when requiring our materials. We aren’t spring chickens so the long drive and lifting of material was an inconvenience for us. Not only this, it has increased our confidence with this type of machinery and has allowed us to bring on more work.