We expected it to last longer than this. We didn’t expect the colors to run. We didn’t expect the carpet to come off the floor. We didn’t expect to have to replace it so soon. We expected it to look a lot better than this. We didn’t expect it to get dirty so fast. We didn’t expect it to fade. We didn’t expect it to wear out under the chairs. We didn’t expect it to scratch and dent like it has. We didn’t expect the edges to curl. We didn’t expect it to mat and crush the way it has. We didn’t expect it to change colors. We didn’t expect it to change in front of the sliding glass doors. We didn’t expect…….? You fill in the blanks here because this is what is heard across the country daily from consumers who didn’t expect you to disappoint them.
People expect products they buy to perform the way they think they should. The reality of this is that they’re right. If you buy a pair of jeans or sneakers you expect to be able to wear them for a long time without them wearing out. You expect that the money you spend for a product, after you’ve been told that it will live up to your expectations, won’t be wasted and the product will actually do what you thought it would. When this doesn’t happen things go terribly wrong.
What’s the problem here and why don’t the products you sell live up to the expectations of the people you sell them to? The problem is you. Not knowing what the products are really capable of doing that you sell. Not qualifying the use of the product and the end user by not asking them questions. I love the saying, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get”. If you don’t ask your customer questions about what their expectations are you open yourself up for your own disappointment because if they’re not happy, you won’t be either. In these difficult economic times, when you have to fight for every dime you make, you don’t need to be giving the dime away because of a complaint. Your eagerness to make a sale does not justify selling a product that won’t work as the customer expects it to. Buying floor covering is a commitment. The space is torn apart and the products are fastened to the floor. It’s not like buying a pair of jeans and deciding they really don’t like them and bringing them back to the store. You can’t put floor covering in a bag and return it.
When you sell these products you have to think about them and how they’re going to be used. You have to ask, or qualify the end user and end use. If you don’t have a product you think will work then you will have to find it or send them somewhere they will. There is one for every application. Today, no one wants to spend money for anything that won’t make them happy, whether for a cheeseburger or a carpet.
For those of you who want to dabble in the commercial market the risks are even greater. The expectations are very high indeed and your reputation and business are on the line. If you don’t know how to play in this market then don’t. We’re seeing more and more failed jobs from lack of knowledge about selling and installing commercial flooring.
To stay out of trouble ask one question of the consumer, “I want you to be happy with your purchase and us; what are your expectations for the flooring you want to purchase?” From there you have an open forum to satisfy their expectations because you’ll know what they expect. At this point you’d better know how the product you sell them will actually perform or you can expect a complaint. That’s not what you want, is it?
Author: Lewis G. Migliore
LGM and Associates – The Floorcovering Experts