By Matthew Spieler
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—With the economic downturn starting to be felt by those on the commercial side of the business, members of the ReSource Commercial Flooring Network (RCFN) were reminded at their annual meeting here that sitting around waiting for things to get better is not an option.

“We need to be raising the bar while learning to limbo,” said Ron Lee, executive director of the contractor buying group. By this he meant members need to “raise the bar on service while finding ways to lower costs. You need to look at every aspect of your business and ask if it is providing value to your customers.”

Members were encouraged to compare themselves, one-on-one, with their competition to find out if they are really that different. “If so, let your customers know; if not, figure out how,” he added.

Lee reminded the group, “We have a wonderful opportunity to provide lasting reminders. It’s more important than ever to be in front of your customers, asking how you are doing and providing value to them.”

The important thing to remember is as flooring contractors, RCFN members are service providers and raising their standards now can have long-lastingeffects. “We don’t have a patented product, we don’t manufacturer things, we provide a service and value to our customers. But it is up to each and every business owner to show clients why his company is the best choice.”

Keynote speaker John Hersey concurred and told the group, even when it comes to any kind of product—whether it be flooring or pizza—“there is not a single one that cannot be bought on the Internet or at a competitor. That means you have to be unforgettable in order for a customer to buy from you. If you are ordinary, you are out of business.”

So, what is unforgettable? “It means raising the bar while bending over backwards for your customers and employees,” he explained. “The employee is the most forgotten person today. Everyone is concerned with the stock market, while the employee wallows with insecurity. You need to start seeing the world through the eyes of your customers and employees.”

And right now, Hersey added, “they are scared. And it’s not just the people in the building industry, it’s the people who occupy the building. You need to figure out how you can serve them and make them feel better.”

That is where RCFN helps, Lee noted. From training such as ReSource University and its newly designed Web site featuring an abundance of learning opportunities, to national-type programs including ECOllect, the group’s reclamation initiative to keep product from the landfill, and specially designed products, such as Job Runner, a software program designed in collaboration with Pacific Solutions to meet the unique needs of flooring contractors, “we continue to take a bird’s eye view of where everyone is, listen to what they need and then provide the resources to enhance their business.”

While members who have been associated with the organization prior to it being spun off from Interface four years ago continue to praise RCFN’s benefits, those new to the group had nothing but positive words.

Steven Johnson, general manager of HOM Solutions of Denver, which joined RCFN in October, was already seeing the advantages of membership. “We have access to suppliers we didn’t before and are even more important to existing suppliers who now see us as part of a large network of customers.”

He also cited the learning opportunities, and not just from Resource University. “The networking potential is unparalleled. Beside meeting people who have similar issues and successes, we’re learning more by getting in front of the manufacturers and seeing products we didn’t know they offered.”

Suppliers liked the fact RCFN thinks big picture. For example, Don Kilbourne, vice president of sales for Pacific Solutions, praised the group for the work it did in not just helping to create the Job Runner program but its overall handling of the project. “It’s not so much they wanted to create a software tool that is tailored to meeting the specific needs of contractors, but the fact they did not keep exclusively to themselves.” Job Runner is available to anyone needing computer software to handle commercial jobs. “They are in this to elevate the industry; it says a great deal about their integrity.”

Lee noted this is just one example of how RCFN operates. “Our mission is to enhance our members’ and suppliers’ businesses. If we can make the entire industry more professional it will certainly have a positive affect on our membership and vendors.”