Elevating Installation: To solve the installation shortage, the industry must unite

By Jessica Chevalier

There is no doubt that the shortage of qualified installers in the floorcovering industry is daunting in its scope, for two reasons. First, because it is, essentially, a problem that extends coast to coast. And second, because solutions to this industry crisis require the cooperation of all industry stakeholders, and perhaps even entities outside the industry. 

It is further complicated by fact that what the industry needs isn’t simply more installers, it’s more knowledgeable, professional and skilled craftsmen. But craftsmen start, of course, simply as installers: installers with a hunger to learn and an eye for detail; installers who can endure the unsteady paychecks that come with spending a career as a contract laborer; installers who are willing to take on physically demanding work, often without an employer subsidizing health insurance; installers who have skills in running a business and a commitment to professionalism; installers who view floorcovering installation as a vocation and have the goal of achieving the craftsman level.

Of course, in the big picture, the solutions are pretty straightforward: reward good work and thereby attract more individuals to the industry; educate installers in the best techniques; and let installers know that they are part of an industry that values their time and talents. But none of those things are nearly as simple, or as straightforward, as that sentence makes them sound. 

THE VALUE OF VOCATION
As has been widely reported, industry leaders believe a significant portion of flooring installers left the industry when work was hard to come by in the recession. These installers went on to other fields and, one can only assume, have seen no incentive to return to the trade as of yet. Since installers are contract workers, many of whom are transient, it is nearly impossible for anyone to pinpoint how many installers the industry lost. But as Jim Walker, founder and CEO of Certified Floorcovering Installers (CFI), travels the country installing floorcovering, speaking on the subject and conducting training seminars, he estimates that the number might be as high as 30%. 

However, Doug Chadderdon, COO and managing partner of Great Floors, which has 18 locations in Idaho and Washington, believes that the problem is larger than the loss of a single group of installers. “Most installers start out as a helper and learn the trade from a seasoned pro,” he explains. “In the last several decades, it was usually their father, a relative or friend. Clearly, fewer young people [today] are looking at flooring installation as a vocation. It is a shame because they can make as much as a carpenter or electrician and, in some cases, as much as an engineer.” Chadderdon notes that his firm has several employed installers, and provides a helper who is basically an apprentice to learn the trade, adding, “About 50% stay on and continue in the business once they are trained.” This low retention rate seems to indicate that too many would-be installers are unable to see the long-term value potential in the field. 

That belittled perception of the value of installation plagues installers in the field as well. Says Walker, “All an installer has to sell are his time and talents.” Unfortunately, many are more than willing to vend these commodities for a dollar less than the next guy in order to win a job. “Most installers, but not all, don’t have the business skills to run a business profitably,” Walker reports. “I often ask, ‘How do you know how much to charge?’ And the answer is simply, ‘The guy down the street is doing it for $3.00, so I’ll charge $1.75.’” That being said, one of the greatest hurdles the industry faces is teaching installers to value their own work. 

While that may be where the race to the bottom for installation pricing begins, that is certainly not where it ends. That fact is, if customers—be they homeowners, retailers or contract dealers—demanded quality work rather than cheap work, the penny-less game wouldn’t play out. However, on the residential side of the business, consumers typically don’t know enough about floorcovering installation to demand quality. Sure, they may, at some point, have seen or experienced the results of poor installation, but that doesn’t mean they know the right questions to ask or the right skills to demand the next time around. 

What’s more, the big boxes frequently offer free installation as an incentive, which devalues the trade in the eyes of the consumer. Independent retailers are in an uphill battle to combat this perception. How much, after all, can an independent retailer charge for a service that their competitor is “giving away” next door? Mind you, there is no free installation; the big boxes are simply embedding the cost elsewhere. But that doesn’t change the emotional response it carries when customers see the zeros next to “installation” on their bid. Of course, good retailers have their sales teams trained to explain to customers that free installation isn’t as glorious a deal as it seems, but those explanations can only come once the customer is in the door. 

Commercial work carries additional challenges. First and foremost, jobs are larger and more expensive—which is a downside if a business operation is disrupted due to shoddy work—as are repairs and expectations. Harold Chapman, president and CEO of Bonitz—a commercial contractor with operations in five southeastern states—reports that the shortage of installers has been plaguing his side of the industry for years. He says, “You can always find a person that calls themselves a flooring installer, but if you are talking about experienced, commercial, highly trained, skilled craftsmen, then, yes, there is a shortage. No matter if you are in Atlanta, Georgia or Roanoke, Virginia, the dilemma is the same. 

“Like most commercial contractors, our installers are traditionally subcontractors. We knew there was a shortage of qualified installers in the early ’90s, especially with all the new vinyl products and specialty flooring products starting to emerge, so we decided to hire associates that we could train and educate to work as our in-house crews. Today, we have a blend of in-house and subcontract labor. To address the need or shortage, we will hire a new person, and they get whatever the industry and manufacturers offer as training, then they are placed with one of our experienced lead mechanics. At the same time, we are always looking for additional quality subcontractors.”

Chapman goes on to explain that it’s not only the flooring industry that is lacking skilled labor. All construction related businesses are suffering shortages, as today’s young people are less interested in physical labor. Some theorize that careers in technology are simply more appealing and, in addition, offer a more dependable paycheck. 

In Walker’s view, it’s about knowing more than flooring; it’s about knowing customer service. “We can’t elevate the industry until we teach installers that they can’t show up in flip-flops with a door hanging off their truck,” he says.

EDUCATION ELEVATES EVERYONE
Walker, Chadderdon and Chapman all believe that education will play a significant role in solving the installation crisis. They have different ideas about how to do this—and through what entities—but across the board they believe that there must be a means of separating experienced craftsmen installers from every Joe on the street, who, as Walker says, owns a utility knife, knee kicker and electric tacker, and believes that qualifies him to take the title of floorcovering installer. 

For many years, Certified Floorcovering Installers (CFI), a leader in certification in the flooring installation industry, has offered programs at its headquarters in Kansas City under the name American Floorcovering Institute; however, many potential installers simply can’t afford the time and cost of spending weeks away from home for education. As a result, CFI is now in the process of establishing programs across the country to train installers, which is, of course, a costly endeavor. Walker has the goal of opening schools in the cities of Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, New York and Seattle, as well as somewhere in California. Says Walker, “We can do this now because people are willing to help [subsidize the programs] due to the crunch. We want to take training to the masses.” The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) is one of the organizations helping to subsidize these new endeavors, he reports. Walker’s programs typically consist of a week’s training followed by placement as an assistant to a certified flooring contractor. 

The International Standards & Training Alliance of Floorcovering Professionals (INSTALL), created by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters’ International Training Fund, is also certifying installers. INSTALL’s indepth program requires four years of study, and only INSTALL members may participate in the program (see box on page 80).

Chadderdon believes that vocational schools—which teach trades such as plumbing, masonry, building trades, cosmetology and auto repair—would be great vehicles for producing qualified installers and raising the level of installation in the country. “I strongly believe our vocational schools need to offer programs that provide training for floorcovering,” he says. “We do it for carpenters, electricians and plumbers, why not carpet installers or tile setters? I hope that someday we will see a nationwide program for high school students to be trained at vocational schools around the country for floorcovering installation careers. We could use some help from the federal and state governments to get this done.” These programs could also help train student installers in basic business practices and conduct to further equip them for success. 

Walker and Chadderdon both believe that the mills also need to take responsibility for educating installers. Walker notes, “Some of the big mills spend more money on spilled drinks at a party than they do on installation over the course of a year.” Walker says that the mills offer installation classes in Dalton, Georgia and sometimes take these classes around the country, but he believes installation education needs to be a focus for the mills, not an incidental. 

Chadderdon adds, “This is a burden that has to fall squarely on the manufacturer. When new product is introduced, the manufacturer needs to train and certify the installers. Thankfully, most new introductions are easier and less complicated than the items they are intended to replace.” 

When training organizations do get installers in the classroom, Walker believes they need to be teaching installers to know products and access information, not just offering hard and fast rules that fail to translate from one product to another. As an example, he says that many installers are taught that all tufted carpets should be stretched 1% to 1.5%. “That’s an impossible statement,” he notes. “Every carpet is different.” Alternatively, if installers are given more of a “liberal arts” approach to education, they will be assured greater success in the long run.

Chapman agrees that offering installers access to information is one of the most important keys to success, “To start with, there needs to be a benchmark or guidelines, such as the proposed ANSI 600, so that everyone understands the correct and proper way to install products. There has to be better training available from manufacturers, network groups such as Starnet and other organizations.”
Walker says that when he asks a roomful of installers, approximately 30 to 40, how many of them have had professional training, often not a single one will raise his hand.

Related Topics:Fuse, Great Floors, Fuse Alliance, Starnet