I consider myself to be a pretty handy person. In fact, last week, I put together a trundle bed (the one with the drawers underneath) without any instructions or assistance, so when I got a call from Mike Girndt, the owner of Mike’s Furniture Repair in Norwich, I figured it would be a piece of cake.
I’m not sure if it was the shoes, the confidence or the bubbly attitude, but Mike didn’t seem quite as confident in my furniture expertise.
I arrived at the shop, located behind his house at 17 Burr Ave. in Norwich, ready to work, but for the most part, I just watched and listened as Mike explained the ins and outs of furniture repair.
Mike started his career in furniture in 1967 when he began working at Kehoe’s. “I’ve been in the furniture business for 41 years,” he said. During his time at the Norwich store, he did everything from repairs to deliveries. When it started to look like the store was going to close, Mike began thinking ahead, and decided to continue his work out of his own shop.
Mike’s Furniture Repair has now been open for about seven years. “When things ended down there (at Kehoe’s), I came here and just kept working,” Mike said. “I enjoy it. People know me around town, and I see quite a few people who used to come into the store.”
From his shop, Mike does a variety of furniture service. He specializes in recliner and electric lift chair repairs, but he also refinishes hard wood, repairs caned or rush seated chairs and repairs antiques. In addition he does a lot of re-upholstery work. “Quality is very important,” Mike said. “When you have an old piece, you can usually put it back together.”
While most of Mike’s business is strictly fixing furniture, he never forgets about the customer service side of things. The furniture repair man tries to make himself available to his customers. He does free estimates, pick-up and delivery of furniture. In his delivery truck, Mike will travel to the homes of potential clients, give an estimate for repairs, bring sample books of upholstery fabrics for them to view, load up the furniture and take it back to his shop for the repair work. “Customer service is very important. A lot of the elderly people can’t get out, so it’s great to go to them.”
Mike explained that generally the turn around time on furniture repairs is three to four weeks, but lift chairs are the exception. “If a lift chair isn’t working properly, I drop everything and go. People need those 24 hours a day, so I keep parts around to service them.”
The day I was at the shop, Mike was putting the finishing touches on a recliner repair. After replacing the springs and clips in the seat of the chair and placing wire across them, Mike showed me how the metal mechanisms that hold the chair together get worn out over time. “You can put new mechanisms on for a lot less than the cost to buy a new chair,” Mike explained.
Despite my offers to pitch in with the repair, Mike just smiled and said he didn’t really need any help. I guess with 41 years in the business of furniture repair, Mike has the business down to a science. Mike’s Furniture Repair is generally open Monday through Friday from 9 to 5. On the weekends Mike is often doing in home estimates. Customers are always encouraged to call the shop at 334-8460 to make sure Mike is there before stopping by.