Installation For Profit - November 2007

By Brian Hamilton

Installation may be the floorcovering industry’s biggest problem, but according to master carpet installer Jim Walker it can also be a retailer’s biggest asset. Walker says it’s quite possible to make more money on installation than on the products themselves if retailers take a big picture view of how installation figures into the overall operation. But it won’t happen overnight. And it won’t be easy.

Walker, the founder of the International Certified Floorcovering Installers Association, says about 95% of all flooring is installed by subcontractors because most retailers simply don’t want the expense and administrative hassles of dealing with installation crews. Having installers as employees is seen as the high cost option, but that thinking may be shortsighted.

Walker says it’s probably to the retailer’s benefit to have its installers on staff for one very important reason—control. If installers are employees, they can be required to wear uniforms, be clean, polite, and speak English. They can be given things to say to every customer on site, be required to show up on time and leave a customer satisfaction survey, or even hang a few door advertisements at adjacent houses. If installers are employees, it can be much clearer to customers that the retailer is trying to deliver a top-notch product. Because installation is such a huge component of customer service, a dealer will be much better positioned to create exactly the kind of image he wants.

It also pays to hire installers with certified training because that’s one more attribute that can be promoted to emphasize a firm’s commitment to quality throughout the organization. Certified installers, among other things, have to keep up-to-date on the latest procedures, which are constantly changing. CFI will also provide some backup in case of a dispute.

“Done correctly, installation is a lot of hard work and there’s a lot of responsibility,” Walker says. “A lot of retailers don’t understand that they can be left holding the bag. It’s amazing but there always seems to be money to fix a problem but never enough to do it right the first time. If you want good installation, you’re going to have to pay for it.”

Walker advises that any company thinking about bringing installation inhouse should do it slowly, one crew at a time.

No matter whether installers are on staff or subs, the dealer needs to stress to them that they’re an integral part of the organization and crucial to the store’s success. That means not trying to cut every nickel from their hourly wage, as well as finding extra ways to reward them for consistent quality. “They should be treated as partners,” Walker says. “They’re your best resource for repeat purchases. They spend more time with the customers than anyone. Yet this industry seldom understands their value.”

Walker suggests that retailers start on the sales floor by not emphasizing sales by the square foot or square yard, with an installation price tacked on. “Every single job is custom,” he says. “Retailers have to coin that phrase and they’ll spend more time selling.”

He said there’s often an underlying attitude that installation is a necessary evil rather than a valuable service. Top-notch installation can be as valuable as the products themselves and it should be positioned that way.

Whether your installers are on staff or on their own, there are things they should do at every job, most of which fall into the category of respecting the customer. Here’s Walker’s list of installers’ do’s and don’ts:

• Park in the street, except to unload. That way they can’t inconvenience the residents or damage the driveway.

• Always have at least two people on every job. One person can’t move furniture safely.

• Put down a throw rug or piece of carpet at the entryway to the house.

• Shake hands with the customer and advise them that if they have any questions about the product to call the store immediately.

• Ask early about fragile or valuable items that need to be moved. “We ask them if there’s anything of value they’d like to supervise while we’re moving it. Customers love that,” Walker says.

• Have a blueprint to follow before starting a job and note any existing damage to furniture or walls. The blueprints can be used to mark exactly (use a tape measure) where furniture sits before it’s moved, so it can be put back in the same place.

• Keep conversation on the job professional. “I’ve seen installers talk about what time they had to get off work to meet with their parole officer,” Walker says.

• Don’t touch anything in a home that doesn’t have to be touched in order to complete the job.

• Look professional. Wear shirts with a collar and clean pants and shoes with no holes, and nothing with slogans or advertising on it. Uniforms are best, but a badge noting “Certified Floorcovering Installer” would work as well.

• Don’t use the homeowner’s bathroom, and don’t accept food or drinks from the customer. If nature calls, go to an area gas station or fast food restaurant. Don’t even use a customer’s tools. “We don’t even use the customer’s vacuum cleaner to clean up because we don’t know what condition it’s in. And if it breaks down while we’re using it, we’ll get blamed,” Walker says.

• While a skillful compliment about a customer’s flooring selection can provide great reinforcement, don’t answer specific questions about the product, such as whether the customer got a good price, whether the product is the right color, whether the pattern matches the décor, or how the product will wear. “We tell the installers not to voice an opinion,” Walker says. “No matter what they say, it will be wrong. We always tell customers to call the salesman.”

• An observant installer can provide valuable leads. For example, if a customer asks about any coming sales, that can be a clue that they might want to carpet the adjoining den.

• Thorough clean-up is mandatory, as well as acknowledging any problems encountered. That means vacuuming, hand brooming, cleaning any marks on walls or woodwork, hauling away any scraps, and generally leaving the premises better than they were when installers arrived. It also means putting furniture exactly where it was.

If there’s a problem, Walker advises looking at it as a chance to provide the best customer service the homeowner has ever experienced. How the company handles a complaint can virtually seal the next deal.

“This should be the equivalent of buying a car,” Walker says. “The customer should be pleased and excited about it.”

Copyright 2007 Floor Focus