Since the WFCA assumed the operation of The International Certified Flooring Installers Association (CFI) last fall, I have been receiving frequent inquiries regarding how we intend to address the problem of getting new blood into the flooring installation trade. Unfortunately, the labor shortage exists in all facets of the installation industry, not just in flooring….
No flooring business seems to be flush with money today. Competition is fierce and margins are squeezed. As with every budget in the business world, the need to watch expenses is very real. I get it! It’s just that there are some areas of your business which may be poor places to attempt to save…
Frequent readers know I believe before we can be good customer service providers, we must first learn to be good customers ourselves. By that, I mean we must pay attention to how we are treated when we are spending our hard earned pay checks. By doing so, you will learn a tremendous amount about both…
At the risk of coming across as an old curmudgeon, I have a nagging question: What in the world has happened to common courtesy? Am I the only one who has gotten my fill of rude and insensitive behavior when attempting to give my hard earned money to a retailer or service provider? I hardly…
In the 1990’s, my firm was among several dealers asked to monitor all installation related interactions that our firms had with customers. We not only tracked installations, but all correspondence that we had with our customers which may have lead to them being disappointed with the service experience that they received. There were both single…
My purchasing experience is that regardless of whether you are making a purchase – large or small – it is seldom the owner of the business that leaves a lasting impression. In most transactions, you are not likely to meet the top of the company’s management team. The person most responsible for your attitude regarding…
The goal of any flooring salesperson is to have their customer satisfied with as few “surprises” as possible. Believe it or not, this is any competent installer’s goal as well. Too often, though, these goals get sidetracked by poor communications that usually result in the customer being adversely affected. Think of the satisfaction of the…
In my last article, (see Please… No Surprises! (Installers – Part II)) I brought up several responsibilities that salespeople have to installers to insure that each job goes as smoothly as possible. Now let’s look at the obligations that a competent installer has to the salesperson. COMMAND RESPECT. If you wish to be treated as a…
I have always felt the very best marketing lessons are learned by observing others’ reactions to firms not in our field. As an example, recently I was having a conversation with my 29-year-old daughter regarding her having some service work done on her vehicle. She was relating to me how nice it was to patronize…
Whether you’re an installer, estimator or inspector, I would bet that you’d agree that your day is both more enjoyable and productive when you can quickly develop a good working relationship with a client. Do you want the customer that you have an in-home appointment with to think good thoughts about you before you even…
Many flooring businesses train their internal team members a variety of ways to positively manage the customer’s first impressions when she interacts with a sales professional. This is both logical and necessary given the logic that “nothing happens until somebody sells something.” It has been my observation, though, that far too few dealers take the…
While casually watching a car race recently, I heard three-time NASCAR champion Daryl Waltrip make the statement that “sometimes you have to slow down in order to go faster.” He was referencing the fact that if you carry too much speed into a turn, you risk losing momentum going into the next straightaway. This results…