Flooring America Intros Customer Satisfaction Init
Manchester, NH, Mar. 9--At the Flooring America Convention in Houston, TX, on March 4-6, members overwhelmingly agreed to institute significant new initiatives designed to continue building their national brand.
Realizing that each member is an important contributor to the Flooring America brand, all members who use Flooring America as part of their store name have endorsed a list of high standards to ensure that their customers have the best shopping experience possible. This will ensure that service is at a consistently high level across the country in all stores. The cornerstone of this new initiative is a customer service program that will solicit feedback from every retail customer.
“What the customer thinks about their shopping experience is what ultimately matters to them,” said Evan Hackel, President of Flooring America. “Our members know through our Star Service program that once stores start to measure their customer service and share that information with employees, service improves greatly. That simple process has dramatically improved their business.”
Members who own and operate stores under the Flooring America banner will actively solicit feedback from customers. Postage-paid survey cards will be distributed to customers, who will fill them out and mail them to the group’s corporate headquarters. Members will learn how they and the membership as a whole are performing, along with hearing the best suggestions for improvements provided by customers.
“The key to a program like this is that feedback cards are going to Flooring America headquarters, not the local store, so the customer can feel more comfortable giving honest responses. Additionally, the ability to measure your results against a benchmark established by your peers is important,” says Bob Gappa, President of Management 2000, a leading consultant firm to co-ops.
“We’re taking the industry lead by committing to a higher standard of customer service,” said Scott Steel of Flooring America of Houston, TX. “What’s great about being part of Flooring America is we really participate in the future of our group. I don’t think you will see a mill group doing this.”
“By uniting as a total group, our members have made a firm commitment to supporting their brand and each other,” said Hackel. “This makes it very clear that they fully understand the importance of customer service in our national branding initiatives. It’s gratifying to see individual members doing their utmost to keep our five year plan right on track.”
Members also agreed to adapt a detailed annual self review which will enable them to monitor their business against the Flooring America brand standards, and to look for areas of improvement in their businesses.
“Most people think a brand is just a name or advertising, but in fact, a brand is really a personality,” said Deb Binder, Vice President of Marketing at Flooring America. “We plan to build our Flooring America brand to represent high quality and outstanding service. The new service initiative is just one step. At this convention, we have introduced many other tools to help build the brand.”
Flooring America also introduced new store interior signage, as well as new TV, radio, newspaper, and direct mail, all fully integrating the brand initiative. It has also produced a new 24 page consumer catalog, totally redesigned its website, and incorporated hard surface floorcoverings into its Home Emagination interactive design program.
