Claims overall seem to increase with economic downturns. Consumers are pickier, dealers get more disturbed and manufacturers resist giving in. These circumstances make for very frustrating experiences and call for more patience, diligence and determination. It should also make it clear how important it is to sell the right product into the right place.

Commercial claims, for those of you who participate in this market, present a far more challenging experience. The commercial flooring market is not for the faint of heart. This segment of the market is the big leagues of the industry. This is where the real pros operate, and it's where the stakes are the highest. Claims in this category typically run to five figures and often six.

Commercial flooring contractors interface with everyone on a job. The exposure to loss is also greater in that the space being covered is larger. There is always a deadline to meet and fast-track construction is the norm.

Bonuses for completing a project ahead of schedule can reach six figures and beyond for the general contractor, so it's often, "Darn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. We'll deal with the issues later as long as we get the place completed and opened ahead of time."

One of the biggest issues is moisture in the substrate, and it can create an installation failure that often costs four to six times what the flooring costs. To correct these issues the entire facility has to be emptied; furnishings dismantled; the substrate bead blasted, resurfaced and sealed; new flooring installed, and everything put back in place.

Another area of utmost importance is getting the right product in the right place. Here is where the "big boy" products exist: carpet tile, six-foot goods, luxury vinyl tiles, welded seam vinyl sheet goods and many more unique products.

Not knowing about the products and trusting the rep, who is not a technical person, to help choose the right product can be a gamble at best. Not only is it important to get the right product but equally so the right components such as the backing system, cushion, yarn system, dye system and construction.

More and more we are being asked to assist end users with the proper selection of flooring products and evaluating what they are considering using. We work with clients to oversee the manufacture and finishing of products to ensure they get what they ordered and that it is defect free. We know the manufacturers, what they can and cannot do, who the best are at what they do and why someone should use one over another on a particular project. The commercial manufacturers are themselves in a different league, and there are more of them.

Installation is another area where problems exist. Commercial installers should be the best-of-the-best. A small failure can cost a fortune to fix. Commercial installers have to know how to work with unique products, which are coming out regularly, and they require special skills.

The INSTALL program of training installers from apprentice to journeyman and continuing the education throughout the installer's career is the best program there is for this.

More and more we write installation instructions and oversee installations for clients, and we can even send in a "Strike Force Installation Team" to install the product correctly or when a challenge exists, or "Installation Surgeons" to fix a messed up job.

The commercial flooring market requires special knowledge and skills. If we can be of service in any way, don't hesitate to call and ask. It could be a small investment in an otherwise major headache.