September 2008 Archives

It is very normal for people to feel apprehensive about a big purchase. Buying flooring for example is marked by 4 distinct stages.

So when you find a company online or even in your own neighborhood you still have natural nervousness. But I can tell you we understand that process and we feel your pain (to use a Clintonism). But seriously our aim is to help you through the otherwise frustrating process.

One of our customers in New York had those feelings, but at the end of the day TEAM BROOKLYN shined and carried the day. Kudos to Tim and the gang for living up to the promise to serve:

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FROM OUR CUSTOMER:

I took a chance with iFloor and spoke with Mr. Timothy Anderson and it paid off. I was able to order my flooring with no inconvenience; delivery was completed expeditiously; and installation of the wood product was very professional. In short, I highly recommend iFloor for any flooring project.

Velly P, NYC

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Take a chance on iFLOOR - we have served nearly 1 million customers since we began in business. Most flooring companies won't ever see 10,000 customers in 40 years let alone our massive numbers. We get it. We ain't perfect, but we aspire to be!

I must say, there is certainly a lot of gloom and doom going around these days. Banks failing, insurance companies running out of money, the sky may be the next thing to fall if you believe what you hear on the news. But naturally being a "focus on the positive" type(lemons are to make lemonade afterall), I find there are actually a lot of positives on which to focus right now.

Here's one example: I've never quite seen market conditions create such a favorable position for our customers. The fact is that a lot of companies out there are struggling because demand for their product has dropped (mainly due to a struggling housing industry) and they can be a little more flexible when it comes to price than they normally would be. So if you happen to be a global multi-channel retailer (such as iFLOOR,) you get a lot of calls from these companies who are looking to move their inventory on a large scale. After all, one call to iFLOOR can sell more flooring than two hundred calls to other retailers, so it makes sense that my phone is constantly ringing!

And when you're willing to buy in big volume (and I am) then you can make some really outrageous deals. (which I have!)

So while everyone else is selling, I've been buying and we have to make room for our new shipments which start arriving next week. And now through Friday, we'll be cleaning house! I've let the merchandising team know that it all has to go by this week, regardless of profit margin (hoping they'll at least keep it in the positive range.) If you've been waiting for the right time to purchase new flooring, there's never been a better time and it won't be like this forever.

If you find the perfect floor, I'd urge you not to wait until the last day. This sale is based on available inventory and at these prices it will go quickly!

Subject: wonderful communication
Thank you for your red oak sample....I should have asked in the beginning if there was enough red oak for my needs...I was sorry that there wasn't but thank you for the sample...I have done business with many companies over the years...I am also a business owner as well.........Your professionalism is deeply appreciated....I couldn't do any better myself. That's a good thing cause I try and always be the best I can be...I appreciate your compassion as a company.......Sincerely Richard
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I know we'll find another hot deal for Richard. This is always one of those catch 22's. The hottest deals go fast and we hate to disappoint customers, so if you see something get it before it's gone. Right now there are deals to be had, but they are often so competitive that there are tons of customers on the web all trying to get it. The first movers always have the advantage.

Thanks Richard and kudos to the team for taking care of the customers.

Our new floor looks fabulous. I was delighted to see that the installer
did all the cutting outside and there was no mess in my house. I have
already recommended ifloor to a friend.

Linda S
Palm Beach, FL
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Kudos to the team that delivered on the promise to serve. Congratulations to Linda on a fabulous new floor!

Laminate flooring is still relatively new in terms of a product category within the flooring industry.

Still it is surprising how often people still ask the basic question of, "What exactly is laminate?"

They want to know, "Is it a hardwood floor?" or they ask, "Is this a vinyl floor?"

People are trying to use their existing knowledge about floors to try and fit laminate flooring into one of those buckets.

Laminate flooring simply said is a plastic surface with a core made of wood fiber. As I have always said, the part that looks like wood, yeah that's the plastic. The part in the middle that is hard to tell what it is exactly is actually a high density fiber board (depending on the manufacturer.) For more details check out my 1996 article called Pergo Vs. The World.

The brands Pergo, Wilsonart, Shaw, Amstrong, True Flooring and many more make laminate flooring in all different ways. Pergo is the top brand consumers are aware of and often will refer to the category of laminate as Pergo. (in the same vein as all tissue paper being referred to as Kleenex) To see a quick rating guide check out Brand Wars II which compare some of the top brands to each other.

As the end of the day, laminate flooring is a unique product category of its own. It is cool, it is value priced, and more and more it is becoming more innovative. It's not for everybody, but that is a whole different topic.

Every once in awhile, the opportunity arises to avoid something we all (or at least most of us) dislike; sales tax. It makes me recall a story I heard from a very nice woman who waited in line for 4 hours one day to save about $6.00 on an mp3 player for her son. I remember first being amazed that someone would be willing to spend an additional 4 hours of their personal time to save $6.00, but then it occurred to me that it's not about the savings at all, but rather the principle. That maybe we're willing to go out of our way a little more than we usually would to avoid paying the government (legally, of course!)

Well, it got me to thinking. What if we pay the sales tax on your flooring purchase? The savings will be considerably more than it would be for an iPOD or "Back to School" supplies, and perhaps more importantly, you won't have to go out of your way at all. There won't be 4 hour lines, fighting over the last of a particular item, outrageous crowds to contend with, etc. In fact, you're purchase won't take any longer than it normally would. You'll get the same pleasurable experience you would on any other day while still saving a bundle.

So what's the catch? Only one: Some states don't allow it, but we have a plan for that! If you're in an exclusion area, we've arranged a special 18 Month No payment and No interest financing option. And if you are within an area that allows us to pay the tax on your purchase, you'll have the option to choose the tax or financing option. So, either you'll save a bunch, or you'll save a bunch. That's the iFLOOR way.

The CFO and suits in accounting say that this offer ends on Friday, but I'd urge you not to wait until the last day. The best deals always go quickly and I'd hate for you to miss out on the perfect floor for you!

I just wanted to drop a note about my experience with ifloor.com and the retail store.

From the moment I placed the order to picking it up today the experience has been very positive.

My order was very small but it was given the utmost attention when I inquired about the status, the response was very timely and detailed.

Even the salesman at the Nashua NH location that I picked it up from was very pleasant.

Top notch job all around, thank you.

Ryan

Some feedback from a customer regarding our flooring store in the Dallas Texas area.
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I wanted to take a minute and provide feedback on my experience with iFloor/Carrollton. I just ordered several hundred square feet of hardwood flooring and every experience thus far has been pleasurable. From checking out your inventory online, to going to the store in Carrollton, and last but definately not least my Sales Associate, were all an awesome experience. Our sales rep. even came into the office on his day off to assist with the final selection process. This has been a great experience and I look forward to enjoying my hardwood flooring as much. You have a Great bunch of guys working at the Carrollton branch!

Sherri
Carrollton, Tx
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Kudos to the gang at the iFloor store and congratulations to Sherri on having a great flooring experience. We're proud to serve.

Recently some of the iFLOOR products were featured on HGTV's Design Star. That in itself sounds great and the floor looked AWESOME despite being installed according to an unknown specification! Although kudos on using the sound barrier underlayment which will really help keep the "echo" effect of laminate tempered compared to using a cheap standard underlayment beneath the laminate flooring.

The designer made a great choice and the room for her family turned out great. To see the show the link below can take you to HGTV. Click on the Hometown Design to see the episode online.

Design Star - HGTV featuring iFLOOR flooring There are different "show parts" that you can scan to see the whole show. Parts 3 &4 really shows some of the challenges that Trish had to deal with. The young fellow who was the carpenter was clearly a hard worker and he did a great job on the mantle, but I would encourage him to stop by the store for some tips on a click together flooring for future needs. (he was only 3 weeks on the job so he did well considering that level of experience!) The other designers had an unfair advantage!

Now all of that sounds great, but the carpenter who was put on that job was quite a wild card. The footage of the guy installing the floor and literally clicking the floor in mid air and almost hitting himself in the face was enough to make me laugh and cry at the same time.

The floor was installed using a heretofore unknown technique despite installation instructions being available in the cartons and online and at the store. The inexperience showed through when he installed 2 rows at a time which was crazy considering the extra time it took and the look was not awesome compared to the individual strip look that the floor is designed for.

However Trish did a great job on the room and the overall look was tremendous. Great job to the team in Utica for getting them a great product on a tight timeline!

Try it the iFLOOR way. That's my message this week. I think it's pretty simple and to the point (at least in my own mind.) What is the iFLOOR way, you ask? The iFLOOR way begins and ends with your total satisfaction. We're pretty scientific around here and spend more time than you can possibly imagine thinking about your purchasing experience. And over the years, we think we've developed the systems to make purchasing the iFLOOR way second to none. As I often say, we ain't perfect, but we aspire to be perfect!

We'll start with this: We have an enormous selection. It even blows my mind, which is not easy to do at least in a flooring context. Others will try to limit your selection as not to overwhelm you or equally like to try and corral you in the direction they want you to go. Our philosophy is the opposite. We think you're smart enough to make your own decisions and feel that you deserve to see every option that's available to you. To us, it doesn't matter what you buy as long as it's what you want (and that you buy it from us!) And that brings me to price. We scour the Internet to make sure our prices are the lowest every day, and we guarantee that they are. If you think you've found a better price, don't buy until you talk to us. Most often there is something hidden that the other guys tack on, but our Low Price Guarantee always gives you the assurance of best value.

Lastly, iFLOOR service is second to none. Our flooring experts are exactly that. We work exceptionally hard to make sure our representatives are trained to handle your needs. The iFLOOR team is totally committed to helping you in your process.

That covers the big 3 reasons to buy from us, but there's one more piece of the puzzle that's directly linked to your overall customer experience; and that's shipping. We're not selling DVD's here, so logistically it's a little more complex (ok, a lot more complex.) That being said, we've become excellent at it and over the years have perfected the process down to the last detail.

That's why from time to time we can offer great shipping offers like the one going on this week. Through this Friday, you can save 60% on shipping on a ton of different products. Saving on Shipping while gas prices are through the roof is part of our effort to earn your business.

Depending on the amount of flooring you need, the savings could be huge. Even at full price you'll still save money, but now you can save a lot more. And the great part is you sacrifice nothing and still get the expedient service you expect. That's purchasing the iFLOOR way. Pass the word.

The measure of a company is often the "will you recommend us" percentage.

I am thrilled to see the Utica team and Amir continue to serve their community by putting their name on every transaction!

Don't take it from me here is a recent customer feedback:
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I wanted to let you know how pleased my wife and I are with our new hardwood floors. We made the purchase at the Utica ifloor store on Hall Road in Utica Michigan. TAmir, was very helpful and knowledgeable. He was my ideal of a salesperson: helpful, honest, attentive, and straight-talking. The floor has made our house into a real showplace. We will recommend your company every chance we get.

Carl and Barbara
Sterling Heights, MI

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The Utica store also had the honor of having their flooring selected for HGTV's Design Star - but that is a whole different Blog!

A recent customer in the Phoenix area (near our Tempe, AZ iFLOOR - full service flooring store) submitted this brief, but very on point feedback:

Chris, we are very happy with the floor and the expert and quick installation!

From start to finish, the experience has been a great one.

Please extend our thanks to everyone involved in making this happen. We are looking forward to living with our beautiful cork floor for many years to come.

Thank you,
Chad and Lisa

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Kudos to Chris and the team for delivering on the promise. Congratulations to Chad and Lisa for being eco-minded, quality focused smart cork flooring shoppers! I know it is super hot temperature wise in Phoenix right now, but the iFLOOR team service is hotter!

To Whom it May Concern,

I just wanted to let you know what a great experience I had working with Amir Jusic at your, ifloor, Utica, Michigan location. Amir was very helpful and professional. He expedited things for us and we were very pleased with how smoothly the process flowed.

We were thrilled at the quick delivery time of the flooring we ordered. The flooring has been installed and looks beautiful. We have had several friends comment on the flooring and want to know where we purchased it. I have given ifloor and Amir's name to each of them. I'm sure that they will be as pleased with their experience as we are.

A big thank you to Amir for making this a very pleasant experience for us.

Christine and Bill
Leroy, MI

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Kudos to Amir! Thanks to Christine and Bill for their business. A true win-win!

One of the benefits of buying on the internet is savings, right? It's certainly a big benefit, but I think one of the other big ones is convenience. Otherwise, you get in the car, drive from store to store looking for the right product and the right people to buy it from and find you've spent several hours becoming frustrated after not accomplishing much of anything.

Many get so flustered they just give up. On the other hand, when you shop at iFLOOR, you see the largest selection of flooring (over 60,000 products) and you get all the information you could possibly need to make a comfortable decision. YOU ARE IN CONTROL!

Not to mention, you get to do it from a comfortable place without someone selling you what they want you to buy. That's just one of the many differences when you purchase from iFLOOR.

The first benefit I mentioned is price and being a bottom line guy, I work very hard to make sure iFLOOR prices are the best you'll find anywhere. And this week, you'll save even more.

Have you ever heard the term "Internet Price Only?" Well, we've come up with a little twist on that. How about, "Better than the Internet Price?"

It doesn't need much explaining, but in a nutshell, most everything on our website has been marked down until next Monday only. And not only can you get the "Better than the Internet price" here on our website, you can visit any local store and get the same deal. So whether you purchase from the site or from one of our showrooms, you'll get the best price without having to compromise your preferred way to purchase.

One last thing and I'll let you go pick the perfect floor. When making any purchase, perception of value received is the real key, and everyone has a different perception of what's a value to them. In other words, some are willing to pay more for the same product provided that the service is superior.

Alternatively, others will sacrifice a little service to save a buck. If you're on either side of the equation, it's one less thing you have to worry about. At iFLOOR, you get to have your cake and eat it, too. Spread the word.