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Q: What advantages are there to selling factory-finished moldings and vents?
A: If you're selling or installing prefinished wood floors in any home or office, you have the ability to assist in creating a custom, one-of-a-kind floor that is nothing less than spectacular. Adding accents, perimeter moldings, medallions or solid wood vents can turn this same floor into a true work of art. By doing this, you create a customer referral source that pays dividends to your business for years to come.
Historically, it has been common practice to finish floors, moldings and vents on the job site. If you're an installer, you've typically had to wait until the other trades have finished before you can start,adding time pressures to the job; and you know it's not a fast job. Job-site sanding and finishing can take from several days to more than a week, depending on square footage, stains and the number of coats of top finish. It's also critical to allow adequate time for the finishes to cure properly, adding to the time crunch. This can be quite stressful.
But things are changing. In the last few years, prefinished floors have gained in popularity due to the new tough finishes manufacturers apply and the faster installation times possible with factory-finished floors. According to industry experts, the percentage of prefinished solid wood floors sold through wholesale distributors increased 59 percent between 2002 and 2004, and now accounts for 35percent of all solid wood floors sold through this channel. Prefinished, solid wood moldings and vents also have grown in popularity due to their durability and broad product selection. Product selection on prefinished moldings is excellent. There are solid wood moldings to match every prefinished floor available, including special finishes such as hand scraped, distressed and even special designer finishes to coordinate with cork, slate, tile and other flooring substrates.
A Competitive Edge
Whether you're a retailer or installer, you want your customer's experience to be a pleasant one relative to the new floor you sell and/or install in the home or office. If they elect to purchase a prefinished floor,you have the option of selling and installing prefinished moldings and vents to match, or supplying unfinished accessories and finishing them on the job site. The decision you make needs to be looked at from your customer's perspective, where the focus is on how good the trim and floor look together, how durable and easy it is to maintain, the quality and craftsmanship of the installation, and the warranty for the product. Clearly, the customer's ability to maintain the finish over time will be a determining factor in their overall satisfaction.
Considering the fact that moldings and vents take the brunt of foot traffic, they need to be extra durable to stand up to abuse. The durable finishes that manufacturers are now able to apply give them the ability to comfortably offer extended warranties. Knowing that the trim manufacturers are standing behind their products clearly represents added value and security to your customers. If the floor is one of the increasingly popular exotic species, you should offer prefinished trim in that same species. Why settle for less?
Differentiating in Areas That Matter
As a retailer, you want to provide your customers with a positive selling experience so that they will buy their flooring products from your store. Doing so requires that you have a knowledgeable staff who are educated about the nuances of wood and can help customers understand differences in species, surface treatments, finishes, strength ratings and more. Customers want to know which finishes are easiest to maintain and which have the best warranty. If you are convinced that a prefinished solution is best for the customer, sell them on it. A customer's long-term satisfaction is the fuel for future referrals.
If you're an installer, the decision to sell prefinished moldings and vents to customers is based on understanding how you can best satisfy their needs. Finishing moldings and accessories on the job site is probably not your company's key point of differentiation. It is far more likely that you differentiate based on your crew's knowledge, experience, craftsmanship, quality of materials used and your efficiency in getting the job done right. Installing prefinished moldings and accessories means that you get the job done faster and with less mess. It means the moldings and trim pieces you supply will have durable coatings. And most importantly, it means that your customers will have the comfort and assurance of knowing they have an extended manufacturer's warranty on their moldings and accessories. It's a differentiation that will be valued and remembered by your customers for years to come.