After I share this letter with you from a dealer I know and have respected for many years, I'll ask you to respond with your opinion. He states, "We purchased a cutting machine one year ago and started measuring every roll that comes into our facility. We found to our astonishment that approximately 75% of the rolls are 3-in. to 1-ft. short, on the average. We realize we can deduct the shortage before paying the invoice. But we are more interested in having the problem solved. The manufacturers seem to acknowledge this problem but don't seem to want to solve it, or are unable to solve it. I was wondering if you have any further knowledge or insight into this situation which I am sure is industry wide. What about the thousands of retailers across the country who do not have the ability to measure their rolls? How much carpet do they pay for which they never receive over the course of the year. It's very interesting!"

This is a retailer whose firm has been in business, and in their family for 60 years. They don't complain unless they have good reason to and they take care of their problems without making a big fuss over them. But this issue, which affects them and you directly, is of major concern. The problem is with full rolls they purchase primarily. When we later spoke they said they don't have as much of a problem with cut orders, as would be expected. And the biggest problem lies when you don't know how much is actually on the roll, with the last cut for the last job sold off a particular roll. When you come up 3-in., 6-in., 9-in. or 12-in. short, how can you install the carpet? You are up the proverbial creek.

This has been a major issue relative to claims in the industry for some time, and it occupies a fairly lofty spot on the Top 10 list with manufacturers. Why it persists I don't know. Two things should and could be done about it. The first is for the manufacturer to actually measure and ship what is on the roll. This shouldn't be a big deal. All you have to do is use one of the automated measuring devices, which everyone has, making sure first that it is properly calibrated, measure the roll and record on the roll labeling and invoice what is physically accountable.

Second, as a dealer, you should measure everything that comes onto your place before it goes out or before you start making cuts for jobs. This goes back to inspecting the product before it's installed, not only for visible defects but for the insuring you've received the proper amount of material. Our dealer friend also asked if we should accept this situation of short rolls as the way the industry is.

My answer was, and is, no. Why should you? You have a right to expect what you ordered. If you were a tailor, dressmaker or drapery maker, and you ordered a bolt of material, you'd expect to get what you ordered. If not, what are you supposed to do when you run short for one sleeve, or one panel? Textile floor covering yard goods should be no different.

Now, we'll ask you the readers if you have ever experienced any of the same problems as this dealer, what you have done about it and what your feeling are about the situation. Many of you primarily purchase cut orders, and you can comment on those as well, but we do want to know about those of you purchasing full rolls.

Maybe if we bring the issue to the forefront, in print, we can facilitate some change. Sitting around wondering and griping when you're faced with this issue won't help anybody. And if the manufacturers know you are together as an industry on this, it should make a difference. All that has to be done is to measure what's actually on the roll and record it.

And if you've got a machine that cuts and measures, it is incumbent upon you to make sure it is calibrated properly as well, so you don't look like a jerk. No sense in starting trouble when you don't have to.

I'll look forward to hearing from you. And, by the way, if you have any other questions or problems, you can forward those as well. I'll be happy to help you.