Buy Now Pay Later Furniture - Credit Financing

The LutherSales Company Story

Hello, my name is Eric Glickstein, and I am the second generation here at LutherSales Furniture & Appliance.

My father started this business out of the rear of a station wagon with his life’s savings of $3,000.00 back in 1967. Coming from the streets of Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn raised by a single Mom, he entered the furniture business after proudly serving his country as a U.S. Marine during the Korean War.

Taking the Business Directly to the Customers

Not long after entering retail, he became impatient waiting for people to enter the store so he packed up his station wagon with photos and fabric swatches and took them to the customer’s where they worked, where they lived or where ever it was most convenient for them. Thus began the legacy of World Class Customer Service here at Luthersales. All deliveries were made personally by my Dad until 1992 in the back of that station wagon and he never left until everything was properly placed and the customer was perfectly thrilled with that purchase. I can almost still hear my Mom yelling at him for being late for dinner time and again after making a late delivery.

The "Employee Purchasing Program" is Born

Soon after he began scheduling appointments to meet people during lunch hour, break time or before or after hours at their jobs (mostly at hospitals and government buildings), he recognized the need to spread the cost out over time to make high quality name brand furniture more affordable for everyone. While most furniture retailers were busy locating the least expensive sources of “Ready to assemble” furniture constructed mostly of pressed cardboard in order to feature cheap cash and carry prices, Dad insisted on access to name brand heirloom quality furniture for anyone that wanted it.

After all, he was personally making the deliveries and considered it awkward and embarrassing to disappoint a customer. It had to look better in person than in the photo! After every purchase, he would return on payday to cash the customer’s paycheck free of charge while backing out only the monthly payment agreed to for the merchandise. He provided a maximum of three (3) years to pay and though he never realized it; an Employee Purchasing Program was born.

Second Generation Enters Business

My own entry into the business began as a teenager when my dad would occasionally take me on a “field trip” in that old station wagon from customer to customer. While I was meeting customers for the first time, it was as if everyone of them knew me. At that moment, it occurred to me that Dad had a special relationship with his customers. You see they knew I was an athlete, they even knew what sports I played and knew I was the youngest of an older brother and sister. Similarly, I remember on one occasion, kids coming in and out of the house and with each one, my Dad called them by their first name and asked how school was going, football, baseball, basketball or whatever sport or interest they may have had. I remember leaving there thinking wow this is why Dad works so many hours. He would go to a customer’s home to either deliver a product, show them product from a catalog or even pick up a payment and even though he may have had 8-10 more stops along the way he was in no rush. He was so much more than a shop at home store. He was part of the family, community and really cared.

Trips to customer’s places of employment were equally special. I remember visits to Rockland State Hospital where the hospital grounds looked more like a college campus. Similar visits to Westchester County Medical Center & Kings County in Brooklyn. The moment Dad got on campus everyone knew him by name. From security to housekeeping to the nursing staff it was one big meet and greet. But the thing I remember most was how important my Father’s personal service and payment plan seemed to be to each and every customer. To me, he was treated more like family or a dear old friend than a furniture or TV salesman. Just a ride down a customer’s block or pulling into a government building parking lot often elicited loud greetings of welcome to a trusted old friend. Only after the hugs, back slapping or the occasional old joke were complete did business ever commence.

Taking LutherSales Business to the Next Level

In 1992, while working in the field of fundraising, I joined the family business. Personal visits to customers by Dad were replaced with a professionally trained sales staff at Worksite Fundraising Events, assigned inside personal shoppers for every customer, a 128-page catalog, a website that can be accessed 24/7 and the ability for customers to make their payments through the ease of payroll allotment or voluntary direct deposit. Name brand Furniture still includes In-Home Delivery and white glove set-up although we now have a national network of trained professionals that handle it. All other products also include FREE DELIVERY via convenient front door service like any UPS or FEDEX type delivery.

Company Focuses on Customers and Our Community

Thanks to our loyal customers that now number in the many thousands, we have been privileged to become more involved with Operation Home Front and many other local and national charitable organizations. Whether donating Amazon Echo’s, iPad Mini’s, Visa Gift Cards or even fine furniture to help military families returning from overseas; all of us here at LutherSales.com are acutely aware that it is you, our loyal customers, that make it all possible.

Warmest Regards,

Eric Glickstein
President
LutherSales.com & VacationWiser.com