Escondido, CA, October 31, 2005---Floor Excellence 2005 was attended by 125 flooring installers who participated in a wealth of knowledge shared by those who presented the seminars.
The San Diego County Floor Covering Association hosts the event annually. This year at the Mission Valley Hilton Hotel in San Diego, four rotating educational sessions were available.
Immediate past president and event chairman, Gary Bedrosian welcomed the group of installers, retailers, distributors and manufacturers. “Our association takes installation seriously and we believe by making the latest information, techniques, products and tools available to the community, that everyone wins. We appreciate your participation and thank everyone who had a part in coordinating an event that is focused on education for the installation community.”
Bedrosian introduced Jim Walker, the CEO of the International Certified Floorcovering Installers Association (CFI) who challenged the installers to constantly participate in all events that sets them apart from those who are not dedicated to the trade. “By attending this event, you are making a statement that you care about our customers and strive to be known as the best in your area. The CFI is presenting a Certification Day on January 13-14, 2006 hosted by The Kuske Company in Escondido. We invite you to participate and use certification as another tool to advance your skills and knowledge of the trade. The best installer not only possesses the skills, but it comes from the heart to be the best. I commend you for being here today and with the program that the SDCFCA has prepared, we will all learn new an exciting ideas that we take back to share with other installers.”
Assisting Bedrosian on the Floor Excellence Committee and officers of the Association were Tony Bretz of Mission Carpet Supplies, Mark Kellerhals of the Roane Company, Ira Stokes of Virginia Hardwood Company, Mike Bartholomew and president Sylvia Hanson of Pacific Coast Communities and Linda Acosta of Galleher, Inc.
The Team Leaders or “Dot Police” for the day who coordinated the individual sessions and divided the attendees into four sessions were: Mark Kellerhals of The Roane Company, Vicky Stokes of Stokes Floor Covering, Ira Stokes of Virginia Hardwood Company and Greg Trigeiro of Twins Carpet Cleaning.
Jon and Suzy Namba taught a beginning session of hand sewing in which the installers were introduced to a skill that remains a necessary part of installation, but is correctly done by few in the field. The appreciation for the entertaining session was noticeable by the involvement of the entire group. Namba discussed the types of carpet, how to identify the weave and several stitches. Each installer constructed a minimum of two stitches and displayed their workmanship proudly.
Howard McGaha of the Orcon Corporation session, Customer Service, was also outstanding. Stressing the importance of satisfying the customer, McGaha said, “It is the first impression that our customer sees that sets the stage for the entire day. Conducting yourself as a professional both in appearance and attitude is important for a successful flooring installer. Each satisfied customer tells their friends, which increases revenues for all involved.” He presented graphs and a video presentation to further illustrate how important customer satisfaction is for everyone. McGaha stated, “There are ten things that professional installers do better. They arrive on time, dress and act as accordingly, are always prepared, display respect and exhibit the finest people skills, take advantage of current training, conduct themselves as business people, try to understand the customer’s expectations, maintain the proper attitude and strive for the goal of customer satisfaction every time.”
