What we’ll discuss is not an uncommon problem, since there is a lot of concern lately for the quality of the flooring products being received for both residential and commercial use.

PERFORMANCE

In a recent conversation with a dealer who services both the residential and commercial markets with all types of floorings, the retailer lamented he was sick and tired of being forced to keep product which is less than first quality. In other words, he doesn’t want to be paid to keep the product--that is, product which is installed or received, inspected and determined to be defective.

The customer and their dealer expect what they purchase for installation will be as they had envisioned it, free from visible or latent defects, a lasting and beautiful investment for the home or business. When product which is received does not meet this very basic criteria, there is no reason for anybody to have to keep or live with that product.

Often, when a claim arises, especially with carpet, the manufacturer will tell a dealer it will make an accommodation on the goods by giving the end user a discount or credit for keeping the product. This is especially so with sheet goods, because with a tile, hardwood or laminate floor, you may be able to remove the affected pieces without replacing the entire job and ripping up someone’s home or office. With carpet or vinyl, you can’t just make a patch with a new piece of material and expect the end user to accept it.

This dealer also stated, just that week he hand thrown the samples of a manufacturer he represented into the dumpster because he had been asked to make yet another accommodation to a customer. Though he isn’t excited about the fact he may have to replace a piece of flooring, he wants the mill to have an “is it right or is it wrong” mentality.

He doesn’t want the mill’s mentality to be “let’s see if we can get the customer to accept the product with an allowance. He wants a definitive answer so he knows what is wrong, why and if something can be done about if from his end or the manufacturer’s. As you feed the monster of volume in the carpet industry, particularly, quality issues are produced at an alarmingly rapid rate. In my opinion, claims on quality issues which are controllable are never acceptable. They cost the mills vast sums of money, as well as the dealer, and they tick off a lot of consumers. There’s a lot of concern out there that the hard surface products have made broadloom an unfavorable choice, but, if you remember your carpet history, it is the industry which has made carpet an unfavorable choice.

Starting with Stainmaster, we touted the product as being some miraculously indestructible marvel of science which would thwart the laws of nature. When the consumer purchased the products and got spots and stains and subsequently filed a claim on them only to be turned down, she became angry and disillusioned with not only carpet, but the entire industry.

We can add wear, mat, crush and soiling warranties to the list and, unless you were living under a rock, these complaints made you hate to get up and go to work every day. I can testify to this, because I averaged 750 consumer claims and inspections a year seeing and hearing all about these issues. Sure, it’s wonderful that manufacturers realize they have claims and are willing to handle them in limited ways, but it’s terrible you al have to figure in a percentage of sales to accommodate them. That’s not a profitable way to do business.

Say what you want about this issue, but, unfortunately, it exists. There are a lot of things the industry does wrong, but there are some bright spots, too. There are two things the industry has to do, in my opinion: Work harder to reduce poor quality and do a better job of handling claims when they occur.