FLOOR ED
Installation is Your Best Investment to Improve Your Profit Center
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Lisbeth Calandrino Lisabeth Calandrino, Flooring Specialist and Associate Publisher, Fabulous Floors Magazine
here are many articles on flooring installers, posts on social media about unhappy customers, and photos of their creative talents. There are few articles on what goes into good networking and their ability to get along with customers. As a previous retailer, I always looked for personable installers that would work with me as equals. As a previous retailer, all things being equal, the installers I gave the most work to were competent and easy to get along with. They made good business partners, and I was happy to reciprocate; they shared their contacts with me or told me when a customer needed new flooring. In turn, I could get them more work. I think we should all strive for this type of relationship. I’ve always disliked the word ‘installer ‘and referred to installers as ‘craftsmen.’ The process is called ‘installation,’’ but a ‘craftsperson accomplishes it.’ I would also suggest we call what we do ‘custom installation.’ There is no such thing as a ‘one size fits all’ installation; it is all ‘custom work,’ and to maximize our brand with customers, we should refer to what we do as ‘custom installation.’ I decided to reach out to Roland Thompson, CFI Level II Master Installer, and discussed my ideas with him.
68 Premier Flooring Retailer | Digital 3 2020
