I want to discuss with you complaints and filing claims, which during times of economic strain both increase and are harder to get resolved. It is more important than ever to avoid claims at all costs. This is fairly easy to do and costs nothing. Sell the right product into the right place, make sure you understand the product, where it’s going and what the consumer expects and then deliver beyond that. Make sure the flooring installation is as perfect as can be, that your installers know the product they are working with, the conditions in which it is going to be installed and how to properly prepare and test the substrate where the flooring is going. When anything is in doubt, do more than is expected. Have meetings with the sales people and installers, this is the time you want to work as a team whether there are 4 of you or 40. Discuss issues of concern, products you sell, problems, challenges or questions common to each segment and to all and keep an open forum. Prevent dissention among the troops
If a complaint arises, respond to it immediately and do whatever it takes to resolve it now. Determine what went wrong and why and bring it up at the next meeting so it doesn’t happen again. If you have to file a claim with a manufacturer and they are reluctant to honor it if you think it is legitimate, and you really should know if it is or isn’t, be persistent. Most front line claims personnel are administrative people, not technical and their first response may be to deny the claim. Keep accurate records, document everything, take pictures and have samples. If you did everything right, mentioned in the first paragraph here, you shouldn’t have any complaints but if you do it may well be the products fault. You can never have enough information and the more prepared you are the better your chances of getting a claim quickly resolved. Use common sense, reason and logic when looking at a complaint to determine what the problem really is and leave emotions out of it. The flooring material will always tell you what’s wrong if you know how to interpret what its saying.
Knowledge is Power
If you know the products you’re selling and everything about them and how they should be installed, you should rarely have a product failure complaint. If you understand people, listen to what they want and qualify your customers you should be able to satisfy their wants, needs and desires. This is the time to invest in your knowledge base. You are the experts; people will buy from you if you are so you must know as much as or more than they do about the products you sell. Go to where they will get their information to make an educated purchase, the Internet, from which you’ll likely learn more than you knew existed. Get information from your suppliers by going to their websites. Know what the warranties on the products you sell actually say and what they actually cover. Most don’t cover what a consumer, or a dealer, think they do. Know how the products you sell have to be maintained. You can get this information from the manufacturer and from organizations such as CRI, NOFMA, NWFA and others. All of this information is free so take advantage of it. If you don’t know about the products you sell you’re setting yourself up for losses none of you want to incur right now, or ever for that matter.
Have Fun
If you can’t enjoy your business and make it fun for yourself, your employees and your customers you won’t be as successful as you could be. This does not mean a party everyday with fireworks. It does mean an atmosphere where everyone gets along, everyone feels appreciated in a business that’s pleasant to work for and with – upbeat and positive.
Clean the Place Up
Take the time to make your place of business clean and inviting. Don’t give anyone any reasons for not wanting to successfully work for you. Don’t give the customer a reason to skeeve doing business with you. And men, if you don’t know how to clean up ask a woman to help. Since they are your primary customer and influence nearly all of your sales, it’s a good idea to make the place inviting to them and know what they’re looking for that will induce them to buy from you.
Lastly, if you need help on an issue, have a question you need answered or want to learn more to keep you out of trouble, call us, we can help you. Stay the course laid out for you here and it will go a long way in helping you weather this storm, which indeed will pass.
Author: Lewis G. Migliore
LGM and Associates – The Floorcovering Experts