Anchor It Right

The dresser slides into place against the wall the customer picked. It sits flush and looks solid. The anti-tip kit is still in its bag on the floor. What you do with that bag in the next few minutes is part of the delivery.

Placing a big piece is the first half of the job. Making sure it stays where you put it is the second half.

Why the anchor is part of the job

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) runs a campaign called Anchor It! to prevent furniture tip-overs from killing and seriously injuring children. Its advice for top-heavy furniture is plain: new furniture, such as dressers, is sold with anti-tip devices, and you should install them right away.

The numbers explain why. CPSC staff is aware of 234 deaths from clothing storage unit tip-overs from January 2000 through April 2022, and 199 of them were children. CPSC also estimates 84,100 emergency room injuries from these tip-overs from 2006 through 2021.

Consumer Reports adds that manufacturers must now include a free kit with every dresser. The kit is in the box. Your skill is knowing where it goes and when it does not.

Ask first. The customer decides.

The wall belongs to the customer. So does the room. Before you touch a drill, ask:

“This dresser comes with an anti-tip kit. The safest place for it is into a wall stud behind this wall. Are you OK with me mounting it here, or would you like it somewhere else?”

If the customer says yes, mount the kit where they approve. If the customer says no, or isn’t sure, don’t mount it. Hand the kit to them, show them the straps or brackets, and tell them to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Write on your delivery paperwork that the customer declined the anchor.

Where the kit goes

Consumer Reports says always anchor into a stud, and that a stud finder will help you locate it. Most modern homes have drywall walls with studs behind them, usually 16 inches apart. Consumer Reports also notes that a stud is often near an electric socket or a light switch. That is a reason to slow down, not to drill.

Here is why you do not skip the stud:

• Consumer Reports tested nine kits that claimed to work in drywall without a stud. Only three withstood 60 pounds of force, the weight of a child.
• One dresser’s kit held 329 pounds in a wood stud but tore out of hollow drywall at 58 pounds.
• Anchor in at least two places. With one anchor, the furniture can pivot, and that makes it easier for the anchor to break.

Use the kit that came with the furniture, and follow its instructions. CPSC says to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Stop and talk to the customer if any of these is true:

• You can’t find a stud behind the spot the customer chose.
• The wall is exposed brick or cement. Consumer Reports recommends calling a professional for these walls.
• There is an outlet, a light switch, or any wiring near the spot. Do not drill there.
• The customer is unsure about the spot.
• You aren’t sure what is behind the spot.

In every one of these cases, do not drill. Tell the customer what you found, leave the kit with them, and write clear notes on the delivery paperwork about why it was not mounted. You do not do structural, electrical, or plumbing work. Mounting the supplied kit into a stud is the only wall job here.

Check the kit before you trust it

In January 2024, CPSC and a group of furniture makers recalled millions of zip-tie anchor kits that could grow brittle and break over time. Those kits came with furniture from 33 companies.

If the kit in your hand looks flimsy, say so. Consumer Reports suggests that a customer may want a stronger kit bought separately. That is the customer’s call, and the customer’s purchase.

Script:

“This strap looks thin to me. I can mount it if you want, or you can pick up a stronger kit and have it mounted later. It’s your call.”

Before you leave

CPSC also advises removing items that tempt children to climb, such as toys and remote controls, from the top of furniture. Tell the customer.

Run this list on every tall or top-heavy piece you place:

1. Ask the customer which wall they approve.
2. Use a stud finder and look for a stud at that spot.
3. Mount the supplied kit only where the customer approves.
4. Use at least two anchor points.
5. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the kit.
6. If there is no stud, the wall is brick or cement, there is an outlet, switch, or wiring near the spot, or you or the customer are unsure, do not drill. Tell the customer and leave the kit with clear notes.
7. Tell the customer to keep tempting items off the top.

The skill is yours

Anchoring well is a skill you take with you to every job. WGCN is a third-party training module for independent contractors.

Bottom Line

Place the piece, then ask about the anchor. Mount the supplied kit only where the customer approves, into a stud, in at least two places. If there is no stud, the wall is brick or cement, an outlet, switch, or wiring is near the spot, or anyone is unsure, do not drill. Tell the customer and leave the kit with clear notes. Anchor it right.

WGCN’s online courses are for every white glove delivery specialist, whether you’re new, thinking about getting into it, or have been doing it for a while. The Professional White Glove Last Mile Course covers the core concepts of the job, and The Gold Standard of Customer Service is the standalone customer service course. Each course is $49.99, or $64.99 for both. See the courses.