Help Customers Choose a Wood Floor

When we bought T & G Flooring (and bought into this industry) three and a half years ago, I was quickly disturbed by two things:

1. Too many people told us, "I wish I knew 10 years ago what I know now, I'd have bought a completely different floor..." (or finish, or stain color, etc.). There was simply too much buyer's remorse.
2. I was troubled by the inconsistent answers I'd get after asking numerous experienced industry "experts" the same simple questions (e.g., "What's the best species for people with kids? Dogs?" or, "What's the eco-friendly floor?", etc.). Plus, when I'd go to various carpet stores or other hardwood retailers, the sales teams were equally inconsistent in their answers. Sand and finish professionals had one perspective. The prefinished product sale pros had a different perspective.

Think of the absurd number of technical details a consumer must consider (e.g. solid vs. engineered, eco-friendly qualities, cut, stability, hardness, grade, composition, finish type, finish hardness, VOCs, etc.). On top of that, there are a multitude of design details to consider (e.g., patterns, inlays, color, washes, sheen, surface texture, etc.).

In short, buying hardwood flooring is way too complicated.

Now, a little buyer's remorse when you buy a burger is one thing. However, when you drop $5,000, $10,000 or more for a hardwood floor, you should be thrilled for a long, long time. Thus, we came up with a 10-step process on how to choose a floor product. That process evolved into a course: Hardwood 101.

Each month we have homeowners, general contractors, interior designers and architects attend a free two-hour presentation. It's what I call, "Wine, Cheese & Wisdom." We put out a nice spread and teach people our 10-step program on how to choose the best floor for their specific tastes and lifestyles. We keep it funny but informative. Our students all get hands-on experience.

Attendance varies from five to 20 people. I always have one vendor attend, but he/she has specific instructions not to "sell" during the presentation, but rather share his/her wealth of stories and education. And boy do these people have great stories ...

This certainly isn't a how-to course for installation. This isn't a sales pitch. It's ruthlessly practical technical information blended with design considerations.

I'm very clear in the introduction. I'd love their business but I'd much rather they make good informed decisions. I'd rather they buy somewhere else than buy a hardwood floor that doesn't work for them.

In each class we battle against urban flooring legends and misinformation. We're often asked, "why a finish's wear resistance may not matter nearly as much to a homeowner as scratch resistance.

We also tailor the information for Colorado, as this is an arid climate. For example, if a prefinished hardwood manufacturer's warranty stipulates that you must maintain relative humidity (RH) at 35 to 55 percent, and you live at a 5,280-foot altitude where your RH is 14 percent in January, do you still buy that product? Will you be covered by the manufacturer's warranty if the floor fails?

According to our class review forms, homeowners really appreciate the course. However, the pros in the audience like it just as well. The interior designers, architects, and general contractors are often quiet in class, but are often downright effusive when class is over. We regularly hear sheepish post-class confessions about how they accidently misled their clients on a specific flooring decision. We also hear how they'll gladly engage us next time the opportunity arises. In the end we all have the same goals-we want clients who are thrilled with our individual products and services.

Do we end up selling to these clients? Sure. The education builds trust, and trust is a key ingredient in any significant buying decision. However, if we make the purchase decision a little simpler, a little less risky, and a little more fun, we've delivered real value to the consumer and hopefully improved our industry.