Does it seem as if the claims you file are taking longer to process or that they are being denied? Well, it’s not your imagination because manufacturers during difficult economic times, especially when business if off 15 to 20% are loathe to honor claims. You may have to fight like the Dickens to get a claim honored and you’ll have to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the complaint is legitimate and the flooring material is actually defective. In the case of carpet, with business as bad as it is, you’d think there would be more attention paid to shipping product without flaws or defects but this isn’t always the case. If the product is made and it has a minor flaw it may be better for the manufacturer to take a chance and ship it and try to make it fly or, after a potential fight, grant an adjustment on the material. If a blemish isn’t noticed then the product brings top price but if it is and the claim can be settled the manufacturer still comes out ahead because the product is out the door and on the floor and they still got paid for, at least, the cost of it. Don’t think this happens? Think again.
On the other hand, at the retail level, if you do something wrong or a problem arises with the flooring material after it’s installed the first thought is to file a claim for defective goods. More of the problems we’re seeing are not manufacturing related. You may not understand the product you sold and the performance failure could be just that, the wrong product in the wrong place, which is the biggest problem in the industry. The second largest problem is installation related. Not doing what should have been done like sealing the edges and seams of carpet, not acclimating the material, especially wood, not following installation guidelines, moisture and temperature issues in the substrate, beneath it and in the air. These are all your responsibility and it’s up to you to make sure the products you sell will deliver the performance expected and is installed the way they should be into environments that won’t compromise the material or the installation. These issues are not the manufacturers. We’re starting to hear flooring dealers lament about how are they supposed to know all this stuff. Well you’re the supposed experts and as such it is your responsibility to know how the material is to be installed and what the installation site conditions should be. Just like computers and cell phone technology keeps you on your toes with the changes so too will floor covering. There is so much new material coming down the pike, new backing systems, new installation systems and installation tools and aids, adhesives, face yarns, and green related issues that you’ll have to know.
This is not your fathers or grandfathers business anymore. And the changes are going to keep on coming. It’s amazing the amount of technology in the industry that exists and is developed that is not being released because it’s ahead of its time. We already have the means to make carpet completely recyclable without the use of latex or primary and secondary backings as you know them. Not only will this make carpet completely recyclable but it will eliminate most structural integrity claims such as tuft bind issues, delamination, edge ravel, filament slippage and dimensional stability. This product will also install without the traditional means of installation. It will be cheaper to ship because it will weigh less, be easier to handle and carry for the same reason but it will require the use of firm dense cushion to support it and bond it to – without adhesive. You’re going to be seeing a lot of installation methods and systems for hard and soft flooring products that don’t use traditional adhesives or no adhesive to bond or types of mechanical means. The future is truly exciting. Almost all of the new technology will help eliminate claims but you’re still going to have to know what you’re doing.
Author: Lewis G. Migliore
LGM and Associates – The Floorcovering Experts