FAQ’s
Buying furniture can be a stressful process, especially when you are doing it online. We are committed to minimising that potential stress by providing the answer to any questions you may have. We have compiled a list of FAQ’s (frequently asked questions) and done our best to answer them here. If your question isn’t answered here, please feel free to contact us.
Is our glass toughened glass:
Futureglass only uses toughened glass, that conforms to BS 6206A. This is because we want to be able to offer you the assurance of a safe and secure product built to last. The label toughened glass refers specifically to glass that has been through some kind of a toughening process. ‘standard ‘ or annealed glass has lots of microscopic cracks running along its surface which is why when it breaks it forms large jagged pieces that can cause serious injury. Toughened glass goes through a process that seals these cracks and stores pressure in the glass so that on the rare occasion it breaks, it forms small harmless granules.
What are the benefits of spending more on furniture:
Cheap furniture may seem like an attractive option. They often look the same as their more expensive counterpart but there are some pretty heavy drawbacks to buying cheap furniture. For starters, the old adage about getting what you pay for is absolutely true. Generally speaking if the price is considerably lower than the average, it means that the product was made using substandard materials. These products are less likely to last or even adequately fulfil their purpose. At futureglass we do our best to keep prices as low as we can, but at the end of the day high quality products come at a price.
Another reason that buying cheaper products isn’t necessarily a good things is a lot of the time these products are made in other countries with much less stringent labour laws. These products are made in substandard conditions and don’t adhere to the same safety standards as products made in the UK and therefore could be dangerous. Futureglass products conform to very strict rules and regulations, we do this to minimise any possible injury or damage that could be caused by our products. Products made in other countries can be made by people who may not necessarily be working in ethical conditions, by purchasing from these suppliers you are actively contributing to that industry. All of Futureglass products are ethically sourced, designed and manufactured right here in Britain, so you can be assured of their ethicality.
How strong is toughened glass:
Toughened glass is generally speaking, four to six time the strength of ‘standard’ or annealed glass, however increased strength is not the only advantage to toughened glass. When toughened glass is formed the outer edges are compressed while the inner surfaces are put under tension, this tension means that in the unlikely event that the glass breaks it doesn’t break into large jagged shards like annealed glass but into smaller granules less likely to cause injury.
Pop ups v.s. roll overs:
Futureglass has the ability to provide you with data and power modules built into our products. These modules come in two different varieties, the pop up and the roll over. Both styles have their individual merits which we will go into here. Pop ups are cylindrical and ascend upwards from the base of the table, these modules work well in round glass tables due to the cylindrical shape of the module. The pull up can easily be concealed within table legs in order to hide the cables and module beneath. Pull up’s generally come in two standard sizes, 80mm radius or 120mm diameter. The larger size allows you to store your module whilst still being connected to it, allowing for functional space saving.
Roll overs are normally rectangle shaped that lay horizontally on your table requiring you to flip them over when needed. Roll overs tend to work better in coloured table tops with cable managed legs as they hide the shallow profile underneath. Generally these modules allow you to keep things attached to the module while the module is closed.
Both styles can be fitted with the same modules: power outlet, USB charging outlet, VGA data outlet and 3.5mm audio jack, you can also have more than one of each module depending on your personal requirements.
Standards:
Here at Futureglass we constantly strive to improve as a company both in our internal dealings and in our external. As part of our commitment to constant improvement we have worked hard to be able to claim ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 accreditation, we have done this because we believe in what they stand for. ISO is the International Organisation for Standardisation, they are an independent non governmental organisation that develops voluntary standards that are internationally recognised. These standards are put forward to ensure that “services are safe, reliable and of good quality”.
ISO 9001 is concerned with quality management. This means ensuring that a product or service meets specific requirements and expectations. ISO 9001 is the only standard that can be certified to and is split into 8 principles, all of which are concerned with ensuring that our customer service is the best that it can be and our products are of a high standard fit for their purpose. ISO 9001 also ensures that our employees feel valued which in turn allows us to better serve you, and that our business to business interactions are mutually beneficial. In essence ISO 9001 ensures that all interactions with or within a company or organisations are pleasant and useful for everyone.
ISO 14001 is concerned with environmental management and ensuring that our company produces as little waste as possible in all aspects of the business. Futureglass strongly believes in continually striving for better, because there is always room for improvement. However we don’t believe in progress at the cost of another person’s well being or the environment. All of our processes and procedures are handled responsibly with an aim of minimising the waste that we produce.
These standards mean a lot us because they are an independently verified way of showing that Futureglass makes good, high quality products. We are responsible and we firmly believe in providing nothing but the best products and services.
What does ISO 9001:2015 mean?:
Futureglass is proud to be able to say that it adheres to ISO 9001, this is accreditation means a lot to us. It is a way of us being able to show you that we care not only about ourselves, but the people who deal with us as well. ISO 9001 is being updated, meaning we have to update our practises with it in order to keep our accreditation. This is something we are more than happy to do. But what does this new update mean? every so often ISO 9001 is updated to reflect the rapidly changing world. The core values remain the same but their methods and practises are modernised to reflect the growing changes in technology, business diversity and globalisation. From the year of publication of the new standard, we have a 3 year transitory period to reflect these changes in order to keep our accreditation. ISO accreditation is voluntary and not government mandated, and so we don’t see the point of waiting to update, we want to be at the very forefront of progress, so we can provide the best service and products to our customers. The key changes in ISO 9001:2015, according to the organisation’s website, relate to:
“ISO 9001:2015 is even less prescriptive than its predecessor, focusing instead on performance. Knowing that today’s organisations will have several management standards in place, we have designed the 2015 version to be easily integrated with other management systems. The new version also provides a solid base for sector-quality standards…and takes into account the needs of regulators.” (read the full article here)
The reason we take these standards so seriously is because we are committed to excellent service. We want to be able to show you proof that our products are of a high quality and that we are a company to be trusted.