Matthew Spieler

It’s not often that you go to two completely different events—one hosted by a manufacturer, the other an association—yet leave with the same positive feeling that each one is working toward the same ultimate goal: to satisfy the end user.

The company was Shaw, the association CFI—one makes the flooring the other installs it. But both showed how each is working to help improve customer satisfaction.

First there was Shaw and its Visions Retreat conference. Shaw understands it is already an industry leader with service, quality and so on as evidenced by being voted the Best Overall Manufacturer in this year’s Award of Excellence competition. But as Emily Morrow, Shaw’s director of color, style and design, pointed out, to remain the best, the company needs to create products that end users and retailers, designers and specifiers get excited about. It makes perfect sense: By having something everyone likes, it makes both the selling and shopping process a more pleasant experience.

To achieve this, Shaw has, for the past five years, invited a select set of some of the industry’s best to help create these products. This concept has worked based on last year’s successful Inspired Spaces collection. Plus, it’s obvious the participants get something out of it based on their willingness to attend year after year.

What will come from this year’s event is too early to say, but you can be sure it will have an excellent chance of meeting the visions of everyone in the selling chain.

Then there’s CFI. This was the association’s 14th convention and one of its most powerful to date.

At this gathering are truly the best of the best when it comes to installation. But here’s the thing: Egos are put aside for three days as participants come to stay up to date on tools, products and procedures, and share their knowledge with the next generation of installers so Mrs. Consumer or Mr. Facility Manager are completely satisfied with the end result of their purchase. It’s truly an inspiring event to witness.

The only disturbing part is once again those who constantly complain about installation being the industry’s biggest problem—namely manufacturing and retailing executives— were nowhere in sight. And both are openly invited to attend and participate.

Sure, a handful of retailers attend, but they are the same ones every year. And guess what? They do not have an installation problem. And, yes, some flooring manufacturers show up. But it’s usually the technical person, never a top executive. It’s a shame. If they used their energy to participate and not complain the so-called installation problem could be eliminated.

Want proof? Ask Allan Dewit of Belgotex in South Africa, where over 5,000 installers have been trained via CFI in such things as pattern matching. “Our claims dropped over 85%. I can’t express what CFI has done for and to us.”