The CFI –
WFCA Education Partnership presents an abundance of courses for 2008 that are guaranteed to enhance the knowledge and skill of the participants.
Molyneaux Tile and Flooring in Pittsburgh, PA hosted the first CFI-WFCA Sales Associate Carpet Installation Certification. MOLYNEAUX TILE and CARPET of Pittsburgh, PA really knows how to keep business moving. The week prior to Christmas, 62 of the store’s sales associates attended a 2-day Sales Associate Carpet Installation Certification Course presented by
Jim Walker of CFI.
Patrick Molyneaux, one of the four owners of Molyneaux stated, “We always stay on the cutting edge to offer our customers the latest in products and knowledge. This is a great time to plan to be prepared for the future. We are a busy company and expect our employees to be the best in the business. We offer training throughout the year on many topics.
Jim Walker, instructor complimented the store’s owners on taking advantage of information that raises the level of knowledge in the industry. Walker said, “Keeping up with this type of competition is difficult. These people are serious about their customers receiving the best product for their needs to be installed by the most qualified flooring professionals.”
Roger Richardson, CFI Master Installer is the Installation Manager for the store and sets high standards for the manner in which the customers receive their installation. Training is at the top of the list. He has completed the CFI Patterned and Woven Carpet Workshop, is President of the CFI Pittsburgh Chapter and has participated in numerous training and certification events for all flooring surfaces.
Molyneaux commented, “We pride ourselves on doing everything the right way. We definitely believe the CFI program was a benefit for our employees and look forward to presenting more programs in the future.
This company leads the way in many areas, but helping the customer’s of a competitor’s closed store goes far above what most firms do. Patrick Molyneaux made a decision on Christmas day to assist customers of a competitor’s store that closed without warning. Molyneaux Tile and Carpet would install their purchase for the balance due with proof that the flooring had been paid for, but never delivered.
CB Flooring in Baltimore, MD hosts the CFI Sales Associate Carpet Training Course in February with 60 attendees.
The CFI Sales Associate Flooring Certification courses are available in carpet, ceramic, hardwood, laminate and resilient. The two-day courses involve product knowledge, estimating, customer service, installation sales and a vast array of topics. To schedule the courses, contact the CFI National Office at (816) 231.4646, send an email to cfiguy@earthlink.net or visit www.CFIinstallers.com.
CFI ALL-SURFACE CORRECTIVE PROCEDURES WORKSHOPThe All-Surfaces Corrective Procedures Workshop in Salt Lake City, UT taught by Jon Namba involves extensive hands-on training to prepare participants for problem solving and to train others to work in this capacity for the firms represented.
Steve Jacobs, Priority One Inspections of Mesa, AZ who attended the first course stated, “Because I am an inspector, not an installer, I really appreciated the hands-on training in such a wide variety of repair methods in all different types of floor coverings. Jon presented and explained the work in such a way that I was able to understand “the how and why” of each repair. With all the time I spent actually performing each repair; I also gained knowledge of what it takes in the real world to make such a correction out on the job site. Although, I am not an installer and may never be directly involved in making some of the repairs, the course gave me a broader knowledge of what can be done and what it takes to do it. These tools add real value to the inspection business. With this deeper knowledge, I will be able to help all the parties involved come to a satisfactory resolution to the problem.”
Craig Bloom, Installation Manager Star Flooring and Design, Wichita, KS, “The information I received from the course adds real value to our customer service and installation divisions. The manner in which Jon shared the information was both informative and easy to follow. With the hands-on involvement, we are able to turn the time spent into an enhanced value for our stores. I would highly recommend this course to everyone. In fact, Star Flooring is hosting this in Wichita later in the year for our employees.”
Workshop information
The Corrective Procedures Workshop for all Surfaces Flooring is the first “hands-on” course of this type presented for the industry. The workshop covers:
• Corrective measures for carpet, laminate, ceramic, hardwood and resilient flooring surfaces
• Numerous techniques, tools and resources are available for the attendees that have never been presented in this type of hands-on format.
• Carpet corrections of burns and spots
• Restretch techniques
• Laminate includes plank replacement, both glue and click and the hot-melt corrective system
• Ceramic includes individual tile replacement, grout rework and hot-melt corrective system
• Hardwood includes pre-finished board replacement of glue-down and nail-down, touch-up using stains and finishes and the hot-melt corrective system
• Resilient section includes corrective techniques for tears, burns and gouges
Many procedures are unique to the installation side of the industry. The course is specifically designed for persons associated with workrooms or dealers who are directly responsible for customer service calls, for cleaners who correct problems during their cleaning procedures and for inspectors who do follow-up work related to problems associated with the inspection of the flooring. Jon Namba, Executive Director of CFI and well-known industry trainer in all flooring surfaces will involve all participants in working with the various correction materials and techniques. The hands-on course provides the opportunity to actively learn the necessary requirements for problem solving.
March 18-20, 2008 SCHEDULE• Three-day course that begins at 8:00am and concludes at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, it concludes at noon.
• The cost of $1,200.00 includes workbooks, instructional guides, manufacturer-related technical information and reference materials for future use. The advanced course which requires successful completion of the initial workshop is scheduled for March 18-20, 2008 in Salt Lake City. Class size is limited due to the hands-on involvement.
CFI – WFCA SALES ASSOCIATE FLOORING INSTALLATION CERTIFICATION PROGRAMSCFI – WFCA Sales Associate Flooring Installation Certification is available in a wide variety of courses. The workshops present the latest in techniques and technical information. The training includes ceramic, hardwood, laminate and carpet flooring surfaces, estimating and more.
It is CFI’s goal to assist in enhancing the knowledge and skills of your team to create the best informed sales force in the industry in regard to installation. This starts at the time at the sale by “painting a picture” for the installers. “If it doesn’t start right, it most certainly will not finish right.” Understanding what the installation professional can deliver and estimating the job properly are the main keys to a successful operation. The two-day intensive course addresses the topics that are encountered most frequently when working with the firm’s installation team. The program can be designed to meet the specific needs of the sponsor.
Certification: CFI Sales Associate (type of surface) Certification. Those who attend all sessions, arrive as scheduled and successfully complete the written test receive the CFI Sales Associate Flooring designation. Opportunity to achieve CFI Sales Associate Certification in: carpet, hardwood, laminate, resilient and tile. Each course is presented in a 2-day session.
Cost: The cost of $6,450.00 includes training for one surface, all classroom materials, CFI Certification and travel expenses. The fee includes 1-20 participants. Additional participants: $250.00 each.
CARPET - SALES ASSOCIATE INSTALLATION CERTIFICATIONTopics:• Introduction to installation
• “Painting a picture” for the installation professionals
• Understanding the installation process
• Working as a team - Avoiding the installer’s “attitude”
• Importance of the carpet backing
• Seam Location – Effects of lighting – Traffic Flow – Light Source – Pile Direction
• Seaming requirements - Demonstration
• Cushion as related to the type of carpet and backing
• Situations that can be avoided before the installation begins
• Preparation makes the difference
• Measuring techniques – fills – patterns
• Demonstration of pattern matching – powerstretching
• Measuring requirements for pattern carpet sales
• What occurs when the measurement is incorrect
• Stair installation and measurements – types of stairs
• Transitions – quarterround – doors and pile height
• Ventilation – protection of the installation
• Situations to address with new homes
• Preparation of the customer – steps to follow
• Professional installation checklist
• Delivering a “hassle-free” carpet installation
HARD SURFACE SALES ASSOCIATE CERTIFICATIONSAll hard-surface courses address:• The characteristics of the various types of flooring.
• Job-site evaluation
• Preparation
• Importance of substrate acceptable for flooring
• Subfloors, grades – on, above, below
• Effect of moisture and testing procedures - Acclimation
• Maintaining properly controlled installation environment
• Proper handling of materials - Tools
• Following manufacturer’s installation and supplier guidelines
• Estimating and proper planning
• Cleanup - Maintenance
2. CERAMIC - SALES ASSOCIATE INSTALLATION CERTIFICATIONWorkshop includes:• Classroom and demonstrations with product provided by several different manufacturers
• Properties and characteristics of tile vs. stone
• Setting materials
• Substrate preparation
• Deflection
• Balancing floors
• Backerboards
• Membrane systems
• Estimating and layout
• Radiant systems
• Tools required
• Demonstration of installation techniques
The course provides the opportunity to understand an installation from start to finish. TCNA and ANSI guidelines are covered. Written materials for future reference are also included.
HARDWOOD - SALES ASSOCIATE PRE-FINISHED CERTIFICATIONWorkshop includes:• Classroom and demonstrations of pre-finished hardwoods presented with various types of manufactured products
• Nail-down, glue-down and floating floor installations
• Re-coating
• Transitions – two parts
• Balancing floors
• Properties and characteristics of unfinished and pre-finished floors (solid -types of cuts- plain, quarter sawn, rift sawn)
• Strip and plank
• Engineered and parquet
• Janka hardness
• Cork and bamboo
• Factory finishes (UV-cured, acrylic impregnated, ceramic and aluminum oxide)
• Nail-down, staples and cleats
• Radiant systems.
• Installation of floating and direct-glue installations
• Technical handouts are provided for future reference.
4. LAMINATE - SALES ASSOCIATE INSTALLATION CERTIFICATIONWorkshop includes:• Various types of manufactured materials with different fastening systems are addressed
• Technical handouts provided for future reference –
• Use of manufacturer’s recommended installation supplies
• Types of laminate floors –
• Specific installation properties and characteristics for each type of flooring
• Glue vs. Click - Adhesives
• Plank-lay direction - Startup and row stagger
• Room size – Spacers - Silicone sealant
• Stairs - Transition systems - Expansion issues - Board repair
RESILIENT - SALES ASSOCIATE INSTALLATION CERTIFICATION Workshop includes:• Products are furnished by various manufacturers to provide an opportunity to understand specific installation requirements.
• Use of stripping agents, citrus solvents, paint thinners, charcoal lighter fluid
• Patching compounds (Portland-based, gypsum and SLC’s)
• Types of flooring (rotogravure, inlaid, linoleum, felt-backed, vinyl-backed, vinyl-composition tile (VCT), Vinyl asbestos tile (VAT) and rubber)
• Wall base and transitions
• Installation characteristics (adhesives, trowels, open-time, seam sealers, proper seam Preparation, proper sealing techniques and using correct rollers)
• Review of common problems such as telegraphing and installation over existing flooring
ESTIMATING - SALES ASSOCIATE COURSE Workshop information:• Proven estimating techniques that work
• Hands-on completion of diagrams and pattern matching
• Importance of a detailed diagram that provides accurate yardage, seam location, pile direction, edge treatments, transitions, supplies, adhesives, cushion, customer’s requests
• How to determine seam location – crossgrain seams – fill areas
• Symbols
• Figuring the pattern match
• Layouts for difficult areas
• Measuring stairs
• Roll sequence
• Consideration for shipping, ordering and manufacturing difficulties that affect the finished installation of patterned goods
• Discussion with the customers and preparation for the installation
• Responsibilities of the customer, sales representative, estimator and installation crew
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