If there is one idea a visitor to Palm Casual takes away, it’s that owner Aaron Beasley sincerely wants his clients to have a positive experience. Thirty-something Beasley, who emits a Zig Ziglar- in-ahoodie vibe, knows his product and is 100 percent committed to client satisfaction.
Think of Palm Casual as a gateway to your vision of the perfect patio. The store includes everything you see plus any number of items you don’t. The low-key showroom features resin wicker settings in many styles and shades, cast aluminum settings, powder coated aluminum products, PVC pipe furniture and colorful chairs made from recycled milk cartons. “But don’t limit yourself to what’s on the floor,” says Beasley. “I can order whatever you want.”
Started in Florida, where there are 10 showroom/production facilities, Palm Casual added the Mt. Pleasant location about three years ago. “Mt. Pleasant was the first store outside of Florida. We had people from Charleston, Savannah and Myrtle Beach driving to our Jacksonville store, and we wanted to meet that demand,” says Beasley.
The Mt. Pleasant location is one of the few Palm Casuals that lacks an attached production arm. “Without the visible production facility,” says Beasley, “it’s important that I educate each customer about what I can do for them.” And that is get furniture to customers at lower prices and to fill custom orders quickly.
Wicker settings such as the thick-woven Sunset and scroll-armed Kiawah are made specifically for Palm Casual. “All wicker furniture is made by hand,” explains Beasley. “There’s no machine that can do it. It takes about 10 days to weave a sofa.” The latest addition, the Marsh Harbor collection, is a rounded, medium-weave resin wicker design in weathered grays and browns. It exudes laid-back elegance and is likely to be a big hit in the Lowcountry.
Another good-looking option is the Grand Terrace, a black cast-aluminum dining set with the heft and presence to anchor any outdoor area. “It’s virgin aluminum, so it will never rust,” adds Beasley. To test a piece of furniture, Beasley offers this tip: “Put a magnet on it. If it sticks, don’t buy it. It’s going to rust.”
Because Palm Casual is a manufacturer it gets price breaks of 35 to 50 percent off standard retail, which the company passes on to clients. Being a manufacturer also gives Palm Casual leeway in other areas of customer satisfaction. “If there’s a problem with a product, I don’t have to ask a rep if we can take care of it, or if there’s a manufacturer’s warranty. We ARE the manufacturer,” says Beasley.
When a client places an order at Palm Casual, any number of company-owned manufacturing centers are waiting to fill that order. He continues: “We stock every Sunbrella fabric they make. We can pull, cut and sew a custom project in a week to a week and a half.”
If clients aren’t happy, Beasley isn’t happy. He says, “Every return or ‘problem’ is an opportunity to give great customer service.” He relates that, once, a salty old lawyer held up his 30-day money-back guarantee and said: “There’s something wrong here. You can’t get out of it.” Beasley responded, “That’s OK, we don’t want to get out of it.”
The customer satisfaction policy reads: “If you can find a better value in patio furniture, or for any other reason wish to return your furniture, you may do so within 30 days for a full refund.” Beasley is its greatest champion. “We want people to be satisfied with what they get here,” he says. “You get our furniture and if something’s not right, we fix it. Simple as that. There’s zero catch. I’m local, these are my people and I’m going to do right by them.”
