Bed, Better…Best!

Savvy HME providers constantly seek ways to give their customers more options, and when it comes to bedding this can also transform a standard hospitable bed transaction into an adjustable bed windfall. This also presents an opportunity to increase business by promoting comfort, wellness and rest for patients and their families for short-term needs and long-term care. In addition to new sales opportunities, adjustable beds offer a better profit margin, an opportunity to put your company in the forefront with new products, and a path to be a leader in educated customer service.

The most important piece of furniture most people own is their bed. Statistically, the average person spends one-third of their life there. Everyone sleeps, and some people spend all of their time in bed, so no one is exempt from the “Bed, Better, Best” conversation.

Mattress manufacturers, frame suppliers and furniture makers are currently in a mad dash to improve the ergonomics, comfort and style of the bed. Several new electronically controlled frames are now becoming readily available for HME providers, mattress stores, bed boutiques and retailers.

Some of the advantages adjustable beds have over traditional mattresses are that they promote healthy posture and positioning, relieve pressure, aid circulation and, perhaps most importantly, offer customized support. Manufacturers and retailers are competing to meet the demand for special features like beds with electrical adjustment and variable height that can be added with Hi-Low systems. These features help seniors remain independent, and caregivers and family members by allowing for easier transfers and access to lifts.

It’s important to prepare your sales staff to be able to answer the most common questions. Who made the bed? Was it built or assembled? Is the frame steel or aluminum? Is the bed American-built or imported? HME providers should learn to be just as aggressive about this sales opportunity as furniture retailers and mattress stores. Most store signs and advertisements refer to mattresses, not beds. A major misconception is that the mattress is the bed. An adjustable bed includes a motorized frame with remote control, an appropriate mattress and a headboard and/or footboard.

Sales staff should also be prepared to counter common areas of opposition. When someone says “I’m a side sleeper,” sell them a split king or queen. Should they say that “adjustable beds cost too much,” make clear that an adjustable bed includes the motorized frame, remote control, a mattress and a headboard and/or footboard—multiple well-selected components, not simply one. And if they think that “adjustable beds are hard to change the sheets on,” suggest using two sets of twin sheets on split king beds. Mention these facts when addressing those concerns:

• Ergonomically correct positions allow for the natural curvature of the spine during sleep, which is a major benefit.
• Some discomfort that interrupts deep and restful sleep can be avoided. As the body adopts a more balanced posture, tension and discomfort in the muscles and joints often decreases.
• Adjustable beds improve rest and relaxation.
• Because an adjustable bed provides customized support to different areas of the body including the neck and head, lower back, legs and knees and feet and ankles, the customer’s comfort and rest will improve.

Adjustable beds are no longer just for medical purposes, injury or rehabilitation. Consider these health issues which can be alleviated by the advantages of adjustable beds: acid reflux, arthritis, asthma or other breathing problems, back/neck pain, heart problems, lack of joint mobility, lower back pain, minor aches and pains, neck and shoulder tension, osteoarthritis and swollen legs and feet. From the common cold and muscle pain to more critical needs, your customers can now have a bed that lasts and adjusts with them for a lifetime.

As the Baby Boomers add to the ranks of seniors, they want products and services that combine comfort and style. Designers and engineers have taken the “ugly” out of adjustable, rethinking bedding and seating options with an emphasis on ergonomics, support and enhanced mobility. Comfort is particularly increased when you raise the head and/or feet, meaning adjustable beds continue to grow in demand. Powder coating and upholstered headboards offer stylish appeal for an image-conscious generation.

To reach this market, HME providers need to rethink the traditional mattress sale and explore the advantages of adjustable beds. Encouraging customers to consider the best and last bed they will ever want can reap rewards for the forward thinking HME provider.