Articles from July 2010



10 Things I Would Change About The Mattress Industry

Improving theĀ Mattress Shopping Experience

1. Get rid of the Discounters – For some reason it seems that everyone who once sold used cars suddenly decided to enter the mattress industry years ago. Nothing is more frustrating to consumers than having to “haggle” over mattress prices. Thankfully the Internet, and more competition is slowly making this antiquated selling process go the way of the dodo. A trained monkey could discount. There are much more important things to helping someone get a good night’s sleep than “taking another $100 off that set, if you buy right now.” Consumers are getting smarter and realizing that if the retailer can suddenly cut the price in half, then just maybe they were already priced too high. And most likely, you will never, ever get a good value in a place that only emphasizes discounting an inflated price.

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Stupid Mattress Sales Gimmicks

My Four Favorite Stupid Sales Promotions

Mix & Match – This is the most bogus promotion ever. First off, unless you are a company made up of morons, you will never have a bunch of leftover boxes to sell. Second, Federal Law now prevents retailers from selling mixed sets because they are tested as matched sets for fire safety. When I worked the floor during one of these promotions I refused to mix. I simply gave customers a matched set for the advertised mix & match sales price. That is always the right and ethical thing to do. When a mix & match promotion is on, usually you are getting a lower quality box. It may be nearly as good, but the cost savings (if any at all) has to come from somewhere. Even if it is structurally comparable to the matching box, why would you want something that looks different? That is just stupid, especially if you can go to the next store and get a comparable or better MATCHED SET for the same or less!

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Ten Commandments Of Guest Beds

Review This List Before Shopping For A Guest Bed

1. Always buy a mattress that if you had to sleep on it, you could comfortably. – If you have a guest room, there is probably a good chance that some time in the future it will be used. Someone gets sick, snores, the master bedroom is being painted/remodeled etc. All these issues will require the guest room to be used. Or nephews and nieces may come and stay with you. Funerals, weddings, graduations, holidays and reunions all may bring guests to your home. Have a mattress that is nice enough for an average adult to sleep comfortably. It makes little sense to waste money on a bad mattress.

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Salesperson Pressure Tactics

My Five Favorite Sleazy Salesperson Pressure Tactics

“I got this coupon in my desk…” – This tactic gives them a reason to discount. If they can reduce the price, ask yourself why haven’t they already reduced it and get the heck out of there. You will never get “the best deal” at a place like that.

“Let me call my district manager to see if I can go that low…” – Same Barbra Streisand (BS) as above. Don’t walk, but run out of this store.

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Mattress Upselling

Mattress Upselling – Is this mattress best for me, or the salesperson?

“Let me show you some much better mattresses” – You have done your homework, maybe even slept on a similar mattress, and now are ready to go purchase the mattress of your dreams. You tell the salesperson that you want to try their very best Sealy mattress, but instead he gives you a 10 minute tirade on how bad they are, followed by 10 minutes on the virtues of the Purple Hippo 5000, the latest and greatest knock off.

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Hello world!

Welcome to the Best Mattress Advice site! This blog evolved from an old website that featured advice and insight into the mattress industry and how to select and purchase the right mattress.

Click on the pages to the right to learn how to select the perfect mattress, find a good mattress salesperson, negotiate the best price and get the mattress of your dreams.

Remember, you are buying sleep, not a mattress. The way the mattress aligns your body, supports you and conforms to you are all very important factors in your health and well being.

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