Carpet Store visit

aaronjumps

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Mar 16, 2022
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Lindale, Tx
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Aaron Brown
So I went to the carpet store in my little Texas town (pop 4,818) and pitched my wares. Found out they didn’t have a cleaner they recommended because no one has gone in there. Ended up volunteering to clean their fairly dirty carpet to build a little good will as they could be a very valuable referral source.

Through the discussion with the I figured out they didn’t know that new carpet warranties require professional cleaning periodically. It is a bit interesting to me that I am teaching them about the product they sell …

Oh well, I am thinking about leaving spotter bottles with my branding on the as they said they would be willing to pass them out on install jobs.

Any other good angles you have for floor store folks or other people in the community that you have found to be particularly valuable referral sources?
 
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Cleanworks

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Join your local chamber of commerce. You will be net working with other business in your town.
So I went to the carpet store in my little Texas town (pop 4,818) and pitched my wares. Found out they didn’t have a cleaner they recommended because no one has gone in there. Ended up volunteering to clean their fairly dirty carpet to build a little good will as they could be a very valuable referral source.

Through the discussion with the I figured out they didn’t know that new carpet warranties require professional cleaning periodically. It is a bit interesting to me that I am teaching them about the product they sell …

Oh well, I am thinking about leaving spotter bottles with my branding on the as they said they would be willing to pass them out on install jobs.

Any other good angles you have for floor store folks or other people in the community that you have found to be particularly valuable referral sources?
 
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Mikey P

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Maybe it's different in Beer Can Springs Texas but out west the last thing carpet retailers want to talk about is carpet warranties.

I would totally avoid the subject cuz all it does is lead to phone calls and inspections for customers who expect the chocolate cake to bounce back onto the plate or for the PP to magically disappear or even worse for the carpet than never show wear if they clean it once you.

Just make the point clear that all you're going to do is go in there and clean the carpet when you're referred and not trying to upsell a bunch of bullshit that will lead the problems for them. Also be a problem solver and remove seam sealer residues footprints from their installers and other trivial bullshit at low to no cost and keep their showroom clean and they can potentially throw you a ton of work.
 
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roro

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Wellington
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Ross Craig
Spread your wings (pop 4,818). Hope you are not relying on that population base to provide you with a good living. Is that about 2,000 homes, so if you got 20% as customers that's only 400 homes.
 

Jim Pemberton

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Also be a problem solver and remove seam sealer residues footprints from their installers and other trivial bullshit at low to no cost and keep their showroom clean and they can potentially throw you a ton of work.

That's about the best advice you could be given when it comes to dealing with flooring retailers and designers.

A pretty smart and very successful salesman told me this years ago:

"People will pay most anything to make a problem go away"

That's also why hitmen and divorce lawyers are well paid too I guess.

Back to the subject at hand:

If you do show up at the behest of a retailer, DON'T take it upon yourself to criticize the carpet/floor choice and especially not the installation! One of the many faults of the IICRC was its tendency to make cleaners believe they were bestowed with the inalienable right to be a flooring inspector/specifier/installation expert.

If you choose to be "that guy", don't expect to hear back from your referral source again.
 

SamIam

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That's about the best advice you could be given when it comes to dealing with flooring retailers and designers.

A pretty smart and very successful salesman told me this years ago:

"People will pay most anything to make a problem go away"

That's also why hitmen and divorce lawyers are well paid too I guess.

Back to the subject at hand:

If you do show up at the behest of a retailer, DON'T take it upon yourself to criticize the carpet/floor choice and especially not the installation! One of the many faults of the IICRC was its tendency to make cleaners believe they were bestowed with the inalienable right to be a flooring inspector/specifier/installation expert.

If you choose to be "that guy", don't expect to hear back from your referral source again.
You don't have to be an expert to see a bad install, or cleaning.

I see a ton of gapped seams on smart strand.
 
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bob vawter

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bob vawter
So I went to the carpet store in my little Texas town (pop 4,818) and pitched my wares. Found out they didn’t have a cleaner they recommended because no one has gone in there. Ended up volunteering to clean their fairly dirty carpet to build a little good will as they could be a very valuable referral source.

Through the discussion with the I figured out they didn’t know that new carpet warranties require professional cleaning periodically. It is a bit interesting to me that I am teaching them about the product they sell …

Oh well, I am thinking about leaving spotter bottles with my branding on the as they said they would be willing to pass them out on install jobs.

Any other good angles you have for floor store folks or other people in the community that you have found to be particularly valuable referral sources?

Ahh listen here....a person that is SELLING carpet will never ever MENTION the possibility of CLEANING them....
Waste of time.....
 

aaronjumps

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Lindale, Tx
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Aaron Brown
Mom and Pop carpet stores are more open minded and understand its a person to person business. If you can keep their customers happy, they are happy.

Larger chains, not so much.

Realtors are the best source for referrals. I love to clean vacant homes!

Congrats!
That makes a lot of sense. I’m in a town of 4,818 and it is our only flooring store.

I can see it not being a great move in a big city.
 

hogjowl

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Prattville, Alabama
Mom and Pop carpet stores are more open minded and understand its a person to person business. If you can keep their customers happy, they are happy.

Larger chains, not so much.

Realtors are the best source for referrals. I love to clean vacant homes!

Congrats!
I’m not going to argue with this, except to say if you rely on realtors, you’ll end up being a price point operator.
In most cases.
 

sassyotto

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Paul
I’m not going to argue with this, except to say if you rely on realtors, you’ll end up being a price point operator.
In most cases.
I work with several high end realtors. Usually they recommend me and their client calls and pays. Once in a great while the Realtor will pay and I will give them a discount because of the volume of work they provide.

Price has never been an issue.

the only issue I have with Realtors is they work at a fast pace and usually need the work done at the last minute. IE they dont plan ahead.
 

aaronjumps

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Mar 16, 2022
Messages
101
Location
Lindale, Tx
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Aaron Brown
Maybe it's different in Beer Can Springs Texas but out west the last thing carpet retailers want to talk about is carpet warranties.

I would totally avoid the subject cuz all it does is lead to phone calls and inspections for customers who expect the chocolate cake to bounce back onto the plate or for the PP to magically disappear or even worse for the carpet than never show wear if they clean it once you.

Just make the point clear that all you're going to do is go in there and clean the carpet when you're referred and not trying to upsell a bunch of bullshit that will lead the problems for them. Also be a problem solver and remove seam sealer residues footprints from their installers and other trivial bullshit at low to no cost and keep their showroom clean and they can potentially throw you a ton of work.
A: Makes sense.

B: Lie and tell me you wouldn’t like to live in a place called “Beer Can Springs”
 

AlienAgent

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Sep 27, 2020
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303
Location
Ohio
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Joe Gingerich
Ahh listen here....a person that is SELLING carpet will never ever MENTION the possibility of CLEANING them....
Waste of time.....
My small town has a smaller family owned floor and home improvement store. The family that owns it has known me since I was a kid, we hook each other up with work every chance we get. And have since my first year of ( this specific) business, 10 years ago.

That said, it is a small town and if you’re in you’re in.
 

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