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 customer as a three legged stool. The first leg is the customer, the second is the salesperson, and the third is the installer. When each leg is doing their jobs correctly, the stool can support a great deal of load. However, when one leg is weaker than the other two, the stool will support very little. Each leg has a responsibility to maintain its own load. The other two cannot compensate and do additional work. The same philosophy is true when it comes to good relations in our daily business. We each have our responsibility to the other elements if we are going to have a strong result. Let’s first examine what the salesperson’s responsibilities are to the installer – then we will reverse the roles.
SELL THE CORRECT PRODUCT. I realize that this may sound elementary, but it is troubling how many installations never had a chance to be great due to the wrong product being sold. We all understand that a good chef needs the proper ingredients to produce an outstanding meal. Flooring installation is no different. Give a good installer a substandard or incorrect product to install and the results will be predictable. If you want him to perform well – sell well!
ALWAYS COMPLETE A PRE-INSTALLATION CHECKLIST WITH YOUR CUSTOMER. Think of this as your “to do list” with the customer. It is simply a form that you go through outlining who is responsible for various tasks that will need to be performed. Typical topics will include: trimming of doors (if needed), appliance disconnects (if needed), disposal of old flooring, etc. Many stores have pre-printed forms available to use. If yours doesn’t, they are not difficult to create. This process is often ignored because it “takes too long”. Nonsense! It will take less than five minutes total, if you are prepared, to avoid potential disappointments with your customer. Would you rather spend a like amount of time on the phone with her later explaining why the results aren’t as she expected? Remember – customers hate surprises!
MAKE SURE THAT THE CUSTOMER HAS REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS. This is a key step to insuring the smoothest possible installation. Make sure that your customer has a good understanding of the progression of the process. Items to be discussed should include the location and visibility of any seams, transitions to adjoining flooring, the approximate time frame that the job will require, the amount of disruption that will be necessary, etc. The most important point to remember – be realistic! Remember, this process is being performed after the sale has been made. Don’t make the mistake of believing that being less than forthcoming will jeopardize this order. In fact, the opposite is true. When you say what you’ll do – then do what you say – you are establishing yourself as a professional and building your foundation for future orders and referrals.
BE PREPARED. I am sure that you don’t appreciate having your time wasted. No one does. Why should we expect an installer to feel any differently? Have all documents that the installer is expected to deliver ready to go, ie: C.O.D. paperwork, warranty documents, care brochures, etc. Early morning load out time is often chaotic at many stores. The sales person is often not present at this location or time of day. No one benefits by time being wasted – especially now. Remember that the mood your installer leaves the warehouse with will likely be the same mood he is in when he greets your customer. Being prepared will help assure that the installation gets started off on the right note.
INSTALLERS AREN’T MIND READERS. Make sure that installers know what has transpired before they arrive at the jobsite. Notate any “non-typical” requests or promises made. Provide a complete diagram and seam layout of the area where the work is to be performed. Provide a complete materials list that the job will require, i.e.: moldings, grout colors, trim pieces, etc. Too many times the installer is put in the position of having to “figure it out when he gets there.” This is a recipe for failure. If you expect consistency – then you must provide the recipe for success.
GIVE THANKS. When an installation has been performed well, don’t forget to thank the installer for his contribution. Too often the only time that an installer gets feedback is when something is wrong. While it is obviously necessary to share bad news with an installer, it is just as important that we share the positive reports as well. Make a conscious effort to catch them doing something right! Good relations will enhance your opportunity for long term success.
We’ve established that customers hate surprises and that installers hate surprises as well. Next time we’ll examine what steps installers should take to minimize surprising sales people. Until then – good selling!
Tom Jennings
