Flooring: Tips and Strategies for Upselling

Upselling. According to Shopify, the definition is “Upselling is a sales technique used to get a customer to spend more by buying an upgraded or premium version of what’s being purchased.” If you were buying a new sports car, you might get “upsold” into buying the newest model or one with more features. If you were ordering a hamburger at your favorite fast-food restaurant, the server may suggest you try their dinner special that includes not just a hamburger, but also a drink and two sides.

Floor sales are no different. Providing customers with the best flooring options for their budget can be rewarding. They might benefit from additional items? Maybe you could interest them in different features? It is possible there are higher quality selections you could sell to them within their price range? Here are some simple tips and strategies for upselling flooring.

First Step: Listen and Discover

Salespeople looking to recommend the proper hardwood flooring product, for example, need to ask a series of fact-finding questions first. Really, this fact-finding first step is something all sales people need to do when approaching a client. Examples of such questions might include where the floors will be installed, is it in a high or low traffic area, and what styles they are interested in.

Next, after discussing the project and getting to know your clientele, recommend a specific flooring product. This timing makes a big difference in the sale. At this point, discussing the differences between solid wood and laminate veneer lumbar (LVM) which is more pliable and sustains wear better than traditional lumbar, would be ideal. Afterward, suggest and demonstrate an eco-friendly floor cleaning spray made to be highly effective with the particular type of flooring they have selected.

Tradition vs. Digital

Traditionally, the practice of listening to the customer in a face-to-face store experience has meant getting to know your customer personally. It has been about learning their needs and fashion tastes and suggesting items they can appreciate. It has involved discussing finances confidentially. It has been about building a relationship.

Many places still function like this, but they are becoming rarer. A change is happening with traditional vs. digital marketing. While the older generation will continue to want a personal connection for their flooring needs, the younger generation would just as soon read all they need to know and handle the transaction online using visualization tools.

Technology has changed the flooring business. Digital Marketing has allowed customers to browse without person-to-person sales. Now, as a sales associate, studying demographics is paramount. Market analysis is the name of the game. For example, running ads in specific zip codes for items that pertain to that area allows you to compete well. Unlike flooring giants such as Home Depot, which maintain a wide variety of items available to a broad audience, a targeted online approach lends itself to meeting specific people’s specific needs. These days upselling is dependent on digital target marketing. Since Google can identify who is looking for flooring, personal attention presents relevant ads based on the customers’ search criteria.

A hybrid approach of in-home shopping and face-to-face service is also realistic. In-home measures and construction still have to happen, and automatic ads will continue to show on Facebook feeds. Upselling in person is within a sales associate’s skill set. Upselling online is definitely within a digital marketer’s skill set.

Flooring companies that find a way to incorporate strategies from both approaches have a bright future with upselling in the world of e-commerce.

Carbon Neutral Flooring

According to the Global Status Report, building and construction accounts for 39% of global carbon emissions. With climate change a global issue in the forefront of everyone’s minds, many top companies are making changes to reduce their carbon footprint, and the flooring sector is no exception. In recent years, flooring manufacturers have questioned how they can make further changes towards a positive impact on our planet, and carbon neutral flooring seems to be the answer. 

If you are not familiar with this concept, you may be asking— what exactly is carbon neutral flooring? A carbon neutral product is made with net-zero carbon emissions. This is achieved through absorbing any emissions released by making production changes to reduce emissions, while supporting outside endeavors to reduce harmful greenhouse gases in our environment. Are you looking to provide your flooring customers with carbon neutral flooring options?

Top Carbon Neutral Manufacturer in Flooring 

Several flooring manufacturers have successfully produced carbon neutral flooring. However, if you Google carbon neutral flooring, you will quickly find one company consistently headlining the efforts. Interface was one of the first companies to pioneer the carbon neutral flooring sector and has continued to lead the way.

In 1994, they began with a mission to achieve carbon neutrality and have since achieved 74% reduction in carbon emissions. When you compare this number with the decreased emissions of Mohawk, one of the largest flooring manufacturers at just 20.08% since 2010 according to their 2019 Sustainability Report, it’s easy to see the magnitude of Interface’s accomplishment. However, the company isn’t just stopping at carbon neutrality. It has launched a new effort called, Climate Take Back™, seeking to make positive steps toward reversing global warming.

They currently offer an extensive portfolio of flooring options, including carpet tile, luxury vinyl tile, and nora® by Interface, which is floor covering made of rubber. 

While Interface is a leader in the carbon neutral flooring sector, it is by no means the only flooring manufacturer striving for carbon neutrality. There are numerous others who have achieved whole and partial carbon reduction. Some of them are listed below. 

• Tarkett offers carbon neutral luxury vinyl tiles, planks, and sheets, as well as rubber flooring options. 
• Shaw Contract produces completely carbon neutral commercial carpets. 
• Forbo Flooring Systems reached carbon neutrality with the production of Marmoleum, a linoleum made from natural raw materials.  

The companies above have met their goals, but continue to strive forward in an effort to reduce global warming and increase sustainability. Through utilizing recyclable materials and renewable resources, decreasing the amount of energy used during the manufacturing process, as well as supporting outside projects aimed at reducing carbon emissions, these companies have achieved great feats in the flooring manufacturing industry. With small changes, we can all do our part and take the steps necessary to preserve our planet for future generations. 

Reach out to your flooring vendor or supplier to learn more about carbon neutral floor covering options, from carpet to linoleum.

Going Green with your Flooring Pricebooks

If you are wondering how you can further help with the green movement in flooring, look to going paperless with your pricebooks! With VendorPriceBook, no longer do you need to rely on paper pricebooks, or even PDFs! Try us out and see the difference. In our web application, you can easily chat with flooring vendors and suppliers as well as look up inventory and pricebooks (confidential).

Sourcing for Flooring Retailers: What You Can Do

COVID-19 had a significant impact on the flooring industry in unexpected ways. On the one hand, it was affected adversely by transitioning with appointment-only showroom visits, reduced staff, stricter sanitation, masks, and social distancing, which caused a decrease in walk-in clientele. On the other hand, business increased with the “Shelter in Place” mandate causing people to look at their homes more closely as long as they had to be there, many deciding to make upgrades. With digital formats, customers ordered materials and found ways to move forward with remodeling projects through shop-at-home options, especially for home offices. Thanks to virtual meetings and video chats, the flooring business did continue, although at a slower rate.

Although many flooring companies stayed open with adequate inventory, their product offerings were basic. Custom projects would have to wait since sourcing materials started to become a challenge.

The root problem with retail flooring sources involved major supply companies. Many were forced to reduce non-critical expenses, including capital spending. The primary flooring supplier, Shaw, announced they were temporarily suspending many of their operations in North America during the pandemic. Armstrong remained in operation remotely for outsourced products. Tarkett announced customers might experience lead time increases. Mohawk experienced massive hits stemming from Europe’s impact. All of these companies and more suffered through slowed manufacturer production. While this made meeting supply and demand difficult, do-it-yourself big-box store businesses increased. It was safer to order a boxed kit and do it yourself, although not as professional.

Depending on outside resources proved detrimental to the American hardwood flooring businesses amid pandemic concerns, forcing them to change the way they acquired solid and manufactured hardwood floors. In addition, supply chain concerns remained low for distributors sourcing wood locally.

Maintaining flooring supply inventory is vital to survival in the flooring industry. Since many businesses do not have enough key products right now, custom orders are put on hold. Stock is dwindling, and while sourcing agents are being reevaluated, it’s important to keep any available materials and use them sparingly.

The pandemic will end eventually, and the economy will improve. Until that time, flooring retailers need to remain ready for anything in these uncertain times. Presenting a flexible and adaptable attitude to the public is important.

Communication with Retailers and Vendors

One thing that is in your control is how you streamline your workflow. Communicating between vendor and retailer is an important aspect that occurs on a daily basis! Time is limited as we all know. Being efficient means doing things that work well and in a timely manner–that includes how long and in what way you do that when talking to vendors and retailers in flooring. With VendorPriceBook, you simply need an internet connection and you can login to a system where you can share confidential pricing information to your retailers, including inventory levels, too! Retailers can create purchases right in the same portal! Our web solution is here to help you save time and money!

LinkedIn to Grow your B2B Flooring Leads

Growing B2B leads is about making connections with people, one at a time. With the pandemic and many things turning (at least temporarily) to the virtual world, it’s important to learn how to network online.

An easy, free way to find potential leads with Linkedin without bots or automation is to study a business’s website in the flooring industry. Read their overview and then search their list of employees. This will allow you to target people according to a job title. Next, use filters for various job titles as many titles are worded differently. The filter will produce many results, which you can contact with an email.

Another approach is called Outbound Lead Generation. This cost-effective strategy involves optimizing your profile with a professional picture and headline. Then, create a list in LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator titled “Connection Request Sent”. Send this request without a message to people active on LinkedIn’s platform within the past 30 days. This ensures you are reaching out to viable contacts. Save the “Responded” list. After this, under “Follow Up List” use “saved searches” to create a targeted list. At this point, using industry filters such as “Flooring” and then title filters such as “Flooring Retailers” will generate results for you to contact before sending a message of authentic everyday language to all on this list. Sending out 50 connection requests a day can result in 400-600 new connections a month. Keep in mind that Sales Navigator is a paid-for service. You can try it out during a trial period for free to test run the system and see if it’s worth it for you.

Installing Google Chrome extensions from the Google Chrome web store is another way to generate B2B leads on LinkedIn. Linked Helper will generate free leads on LinkedIn, however, overall account activity of any kind is limited to 150 actions per 24 hours so limiting actions to these numbers is wise.

In addition, a free account on LinkedIn will allow you to use Boolean, a logic program used to find specific hyper-targeted leads. Utilizing quotation marks or not using quotation marks and utilizing the words “and” “or” and “not” in particular ways dramatically affects the search results. This system is valuable to producing precise searches for locating high-quality B2B leads on LinkedIn. Once a connection has been established, asking for a Zoom meeting, offering a free e-book, or sending them to a landing page using direct, concise language can help increase business leads. You can share with them your catalog of flooring and related products.

Connect with others in the flooring industry on LinkedIn

Since LinkedIn is the world’s largest database with more than 450 million people listed, engaging with people by commenting on their posts is a great way to establish interest and, ultimately, a business relationship. Commenting is also a way to determine if you want to move forward and connect on Linkedin with a prospective lead or not. If your decision is to build trust, then leaving positive comments and tagging them in relevant posts is a non-stressful, authentic mode of building B2B connections, one valuable person at a time.

Feel free to follow VendorPriceBook on LinkedIn! We are another tool to help you streamline communication between flooring vendor and supplier. Check us out at VendorPriceBook.com.

8 Things You Need to Fix Now On Your Flooring Website

In today’s world, it’s more important than ever for flooring businesses to have a website. Think about it— Where is the first place you go to search for a business? Your answer was likely Google. One study found that 91% of adults use search engines as means of gathering information, and 83% of those users choose Google. Without an internet presence, customers are not able to find you, which essentially means you do not exist.

However, you don’t want just any old website. Your site needs to reflect well on your business, while attracting as many customers as possible. Below are seven things you can fix now to improve your flooring website by leaps and bounds.

Curb Appeal

As the saying goes, first impressions are lasting, and they can make or break you. Design is one of the most important factors to consider when building your flooring website.

Simplicity is key. Steer away from dark backgrounds, or bright colors. Also, try to avoid distracting ads and pop ups. You want your website to be inviting, not overwhelming. If you’re unsure what a well-designed flooring website looks like, invest in a reputable designer. You will see the returns on your investment.

Ease of Use

94% of respondents say easy navigation is the most vital website feature. Think of how frustrating it is when you go to a website looking for information and you can’t find what you need. Your website should be well organized, allowing your customers to find information quickly and efficiently.

Relevant Content

You want your website to be useful to your customers. Consider common flooring issues your customers may face, or questions they may have when searching for the perfect flooring for their home. If your customer was standing in front of you, what would their questions or concerns be?

Having relevant content not only meets your customer’s unique needs, but also boosts your credibility with the customer and your ranking on Google. So, another great investment is hiring a content writer. Many businesses are amazed at the leads they generate from a single blog post.

Mobile Site

85% of users say a company’s mobile site should be just as good or better than the desktop version. More often than not users are using phones and tablets to do a quick search. Make sure your mobile site is optimized. Doing so is easy and can help you gain customers and keep existing ones.

Make your flooring site mobile friendly so content easily fits across tablets, laptops and phones

Trust Building

A website research group, Nielsen Norman Group (NNG), created a pyramid highlighting the hierarchy of users’ trust for websites. In order to achieve the highest levels of trust with customers, consider what you would need to feel confident in a website. Some things to consider are:

• Increasing your authority in the flooring industry by providing informative guides
• Including a section for customer reviews
• Make sure your website is HTTPS secure

Feedback

Allow your customer to give you feedback. Customers like to be heard, and some of their feedback can help improve your website.

Call to Action

You want your calls to action to be specific. Study your customers’ behavior on your site. Don’t be afraid to try new CTAs. A focused CTA provides 400% more engagement than a generic one.

Unique Story

Share what makes your flooring business unique. There are a million other flooring websites. However, you can stand out in the minds of customers and create an empathetic connection by giving customers insight into why you love what you do.

Bonus Tip: Pro Service

When you do get customers in your door, follow best practices for optimizing the guest experience! Make sure you also have the proper tools to quickly and efficiently quote pricing and availability of flooring. You can use a tool like VendorPriceBook.com to streamline these processes.

VendorPriceBook.com

Five Ways to Improve Customer Service at your Flooring Business

There’s an old saying in the business world: the customer is always right. Now, we all know that isn’t actually true (especially in specialized industries like flooring), but the idea has become accepted by both businesses and customers across the globe.

The truth of the matter is this: the customer isn’t always right, but your customer service should make them FEEL like they are. Here are a few tips to help you improve your customer service in your flooring showroom.

Give Your Customers Information

There is nothing more irritating to a customer than a sales associate who hovers and follows them around the showroom. Similarly, there is nothing more irritating to an employee than customers who bombard them with a million questions. One way to give everyone the space they need (and avoid terse interactions that make everyone uncomfortable) is to give your customers the important info up front.

Post signs around your store with information about pricing. Fill your website with helpful blogs and easy to find FAQs (these can also boost your ranking on search engines). If your customers can find key info themselves, they’ll feel like that have more power over their sales experience — and that is always a positive.

Set The Mood

When customers don’t feel comfortable with a shopping experience (as they usually don’t when making big purchases like flooring), they tend to want to keep the experience short and sweet. Of course, we know that finding the right flooring takes time — so it’s up to us to make the process as pleasant as possible.

Choose pleasant overhead music to play in your store. Use aromatherapy to create a comfortable and calming environment. These little tricks can ease the stress of shopping and help your customers enjoy the experience a little bit more.

Use Associates Appropriately

A great sales associate is like seasoning in a recipe: they amplify everything that’s great about the experience and take it to the next level. However, it is possible to “over-season” a customer shopping experience, and that can leave a bad taste in their mouth.

Make sure your sales associates are well trained, knowledgeable, and friendly — but also, make sure they know when to let a customer have some space. Remember that good customer service is about giving the customer what they want (not securing a sale), so make sure your sales team knows how to read the situation and respond appropriately.

Get Social

In today’s world, social media is an invaluable form of marketing. The right viral tweet or five-star Yelp review can really help your business — and a one-star review can do incredible damage.

Make sure you are active on your business’s social media pages. This might mean posting about sales or new floor that’s arrived in the store, or it might mean responding to reviewers who gave you poor reviews (however, when you respond to those reviewers ALWAYS remain professional). If you are engaging with your audience online, you will have a clearer idea of what they want and expect from your business.

Ask for Feedback

Finally, let’s go back to our old adage, “The customer is always right.” One great way to provide customer service is to lean into that belief and simply ask your customers for their feedback. Ask them to take a survey about your store online. Make it easy for them to contact you with questions or comments, and respond to these messages promptly. Simply giving your customers a voice will make them feel like you care — and that’s something everyone appreciates.

Ultimately, the customer service experience is about making your customers feel valuable. If you prove that you value their time, their personal space, and their opinions, they are sure to value your product all the more.

Bonus Tip: Expedite the Process

The VendorPriceBook Mobile app is coming soon and purchase ordering is now available!

The system you know and love is getting an upgrade. Now with VendorPriceBook, you will be able to use our mobile app right on the showroom floor. No more running around, leafing through pages or searching spreadsheets for (potentially outdated) pricing and inventory levels. NO MORE MAKING YOUR CUSTOMERS WAIT LONGER THAN THEY SHOULD. Stay tuned for news on our upcoming mobile app release.

Office Flooring Trends

Workplaces are evolving in many ways, from technology and culture to how they look. As a flooring retailer, it’s essential to be up-to-date with current flooring trends.

Workplaces Are Constantly Evolving

As technology expands, we see how things are becoming smaller and thinner. Monitors are becoming slimmer; laptops are easily transportable, works stations are increasingly sharable.

In terms of flooring, many businesses are looking towards durability combined with aesthetics. For example, vinyl flooring or cement can look like wood flooring, but with benefits like being easier to clean and maintain and less costly to install.

Carpets combine intricate weaves to add an element of luxury. However, many office spaces may decide on throw rugs for color and texture.

While budgets need to be considered, it’s clear that beauty, symmetry, and easy maintenance are high on the priority list.

Durable and Attractive Flooring

Many office and workspaces are turning towards textured, patterned, and luxurious designs due to expanding upcoming products and brands.

Exposed concrete coupled with rugs is a significant trend to watch. Customers can choose from polished or stained for attractive and efficient flooring.

An attractive rug can really liven up an office

Typically, workplace installations include ceramic, vinyl, broadloom, carpet tiles, and stone to create the proper look. A significant consideration for your clients should consist of the installation process, maintenance, and projected lifetime. Identifying client needs and providing these pertinent pieces of information for them to consider makes their shopping experience easy and stress-free.

For example, suggesting stain-repellent carpets for high-traffic areas or lighter carpets can be a life-saver for customers who haven’t considered the impact of spilled coffee over time.

A Trend Towards Hominess

Flooring retailers may notice that clients might veer towards anti-carpet. Instead, they might decide on open office spaces, open ceilings, and many area rugs to mitigate acoustics and add texture and colors to create a homey atmosphere. An example might be painted concrete that utilizes color schemes to indicate special rooms or to increase productivity.

Don’t be surprised if you see a growing trend towards concrete for beautiful floors. Clients may choose the most economical option, like carpeting over existing concrete. However, it can be expensive to refinish existing concrete.

As collaborative culture grows, businesses might gear towards combining beauty with comfort. The current trend seems to be layering textures and area rugs coupled with warm and cozy designs. The role of flooring in these spaces appeals to clients and employees alike.

Shared workspaces or desk sharing allow employees to quickly connect or disconnect, carry their laptops or iPads, and communicate openly. Office spaces should reflect this open and clutter-free work zone. If people spend long hours at work, they should have a few comforts from home and an environment that allows them to feel comfortable.

6 Tips for Flooring Sales Teams

As a flooring retailer, you want to create a memorable experience for your customers. As the economy is reopening, it’s essential for flooring sales teams to provide excellent service without being pushy.

The main key for top salespeople is to love what they do. The best teams are willing to go above and beyond.

As a manager, there are a few characteristics that excellent flooring teams have that can seep into every step of the process.

The Benefits of Extroverts and Introverts

Most people are both extroverts and introverts. Few people are 100 percent one or the other. Studies suggest that ambiverts who fall in the middle of the spectrum make the best salespeople.

Extroverts love being sociable. They enjoy making small talk, meeting new people, and starting conversations easily. Introverts tend to develop deeper relationships by listening to their customers and being able to read them. They tend to ask the right questions and fully listen to provide sound advice.

Ambiverts strike a perfect balance of listening and talking. They utilize a good balance of flexibility, enthusiasm, and agreeability without being pushy or demanding.

A team made up of thoughtful, conscientious, charismatic, and open salespeople are more likely to enjoy high sales and return customers.

Establish Trust

Trust and rapport start as soon as you greet your customer and extends throughout the sale. Building a relationship with a new customer has less to do with what the salesperson wants and more to do with the customer.

Customers enjoy being able to gather unbiased information from a professional without feeling forced into a decision. They will also be more motivated to return and provide referrals.

Your Store Is More Than Your Products

No matter how niche your flooring products may be, they won’t be sufficient to differentiate you from competitors.

Without a team of passionate and experts, customers may walk in and right back out. The key is bringing your products to life and showcasing how they can benefit your customer.

The most unique thing about your store is your flooring sales team.

The internet allows customers to do extensive research before walking into your store. They can explore options, go over your products on your website, read customer reviews, and even have a list of questions. A superior service experience means anticipating these questions, providing in-depth explanations that aren’t available online, and suggesting better alternatives.

Most customers walking into your store have already selected the store for various reasons. Few walk in off the street without any idea or budget regarding their needs. The trick is asking the right questions right at the start.

Quality Service Requires Quality Training

Superb customer experience doesn’t happen by accident: it is created. The best teams have a standard of care that insists on quality, which is why they never expect their sales team to self-train.

Managers set the standard for consistency and high quality during ongoing education and training. Good performances should be rewarded and encouraged.

Excellent Customer Experience Doesn’t Stop at the Sales Floor

Everyone on your flooring team is expected to run through the sale without dropping the baton. From the salesperson to measurement and installation, all roles are equally important to avoid a breakdown in communication and experience.

After all, a smooth sale can be overshadowed by a bad experience during installation. No matter how good your sales team is, it’s vital that they have open and honest communication with all departments.

A sales person helps out a flooring customer

Understand What Makes You Unique

High standards cover your entire business and functions only when everyone understands what they do, their roles, and how to communicate.

Customers are used to being told how excellent a store is or how it will price-match a competitor. Instead, focus on what makes your experience unique to them.

Now more than ever, customers are looking for a human experience. They want to connect with people rather than avoiding them. After all, customers can easily order products online. Many people are interested in finding common ground, sharing stories, and feeling seen.

Customers are paying for their peace of mind. They want a quality product that will serve their needs, and they want an installation team they can trust in their house.

Managers can efficiently run a well-oiled machine by focusing on virtues that represent good qualities in many people. Sincere enthusiasm paired with compassionate professionalism keeps everyone happy, including your flooring sales team.

2021 Summer Flooring Renovation Trends

In 2021, summer floor renovation trends focus on effortlessness. With home as the new hub for many this year, comfort is king. A wide variety of waterproof and low maintenance options are on the market for an easy home lifestyle including the following.

Beating out hardwood flooring, laminate, and carpet is Luxury Vinyl Plank. LVP is a popular trend for 2021 because it is waterproof, easy to maintain, and does not scratch. Appropriate for families with children and dogs, LVP is easy to clean and comes in a variety of colors. LVP flooring can be installed easily, appealing to the DIY demographic. With glue down or click in place methods of installation, a family could complete their own renovation without a professional installer.

Indoor outdoor carpeting has also won a spot in summer trends this year. Improved over the plastic feeling polypropylene of the past, indoor outdoor carpet now resembles wool. It is durable, resistant to chemicals, and repels stains. It is appropriate for families with children and pets and has become popular with high-end wool manufacturers.

Vinyl that looks like wood or tile is another hot commodity this year. It is waterproof, pet friendly, and soft underfoot making it a good option for home gyms and nurseries. The corked backing deadens sound keeping rooms quieter, and it is resistant to scratches. With no dirty grout lines to clean, this vinyl can fool people. It looks so real you may need to touch it to believe it is vinyl.

Another popular trend for 2021 is tile. With the appearance of natural wood and the durability and water resistance of cement, tile goes well in bathrooms. Lastly, format tiles offer a sense of spaciousness. They cover a lot of area making a room seem larger.

If you are selling flooring for summer home renovations, this year the most popular color trend is blonde. Whitewashed and weathered looks and the grey/beige combination of “greige” are fashionable light shades for this year’s summer floor trends.

What kind of flooring are you seeing that’s in high demand this season? Share with us in the comments!

Have you connected with other vendors and retailers in flooring space in VendorPriceBook.com? Try it out, it’s free! Connect with others in the industry and grow together!

Customer Service: Back to Basics

With limited capacity laws implemented into stores, retailers have had to find different ways to retain people’s satisfaction and interest. Walking into a shopping center or retail department with complete comfortability has become difficult, and the convenience of shopping online contradicts the risk of physically buying products at the storefront. Flooring retailers have seen a huge shift for themselves since the beginning of 2020, as the pandemic hurdled product price increases, decreased revenue for supply and stifled buyer uncertainty within the industry as a whole. However by the end of 2020 home interior design started to become more profitable, and  CEO of Kenneth L. Mink & Song and manager of Macy’s Fine Rug Gallery, David Mink confirms that his rug business is seeing increase in profit, and says that “With more and more people working and spending time at home, the more they are spending on their home. This is a benefit to the rug business.” Since the end of last year, many changes have been made to store’s and online flooring retailers. 

Simple at Storefront

The most obvious trend for revitalizing customer service has put pressure on businesses to make their customer experience more streamline. Jim Mckay, vice president of sales for Great Floors, has limited the amount of manufacturers promoted in his store during lockdown, reevaluating the 40 hard-wood flooring planks displayed in his showroom by saying  “This is just ridiculous. We can’t even tell the difference between all these things. How’s a customer going to do that?” Macay says that “We have big stores, and it’s really easy for a customer to walk in that front door and be overwhelmed. So we’ve tried to simplify it,” aiming to limit manufacturer brands to create a streamlined store experience. Darren Braunstire, VP of Worldwide Wholesale Floor Coverings, explains how he separated wire brushed and smooth wood options into different sectors within the hardwood section, and how specifications are placed behind the tiles to keep from distracting the  main displays; Methodology like this amplifies customer experience through simplifying advertising tactics, while still keeping standard manufacturer promotion. 

Managing Online

In a 2020 analysis, more than 75% of consumers polled online services more engaging than storefront sales for their basic needs, like banking, food/restaurant shopping and video calls for emotional human support. This integration toward digital solutions has helped retailers promote products during social distancing. Director of U.S sales at Mercier’s, Wade Bondrowski, has expressed how social media presence has sustained communication and customer personalization, as data within these apps integrate products with customer interest. Keeping sales face to face, Adam Ward senior project manager at Mohawk, reveals that virtual conferencing has become a daily occurrence between staff members to ensure constant team collaboration, and Hallmark, a manufacturing company, reports that their increase in “real time responses,” online has kept connection between customers and specialty retailers. Omni-channel is a new culmination of all online promotion platforms into one source, which Dan Foskett, CEO at Flooring Superstore, has utilized to great extents. Foskett reports that his sales have grown 142% since 2020, with floor sample requests increasing by 172% and web sessions by 99%. 

COVID has shown the advantage of multi-channel digital sources ledwaying the path toward future customer experience, and the stresses within the flooring industry has produced creative solutions to a seemingly impossible situation. With coordination on both fronts, flooring retailers are reaching the highest global revenue levels since 2013, and have started out the first quarter of 2021 strong. 

It goes without saying that even with great customer service, you also need efficient processes in order to achieve that. With VendorPriceBook, communication between vendors and retailers is streamlined so that there are minimal delays. Quick service equals happier customers. From getting pricing for inventory, to making purchase orders—everything is done quickly on a cloud-based application that VendorPriceBook provides.

And it’s not all about communication—VendorPriceBook members can easily send announcements and promotions to retailers. It’s really a symbiotic tool that helps businesses on both sides make the most out of their relationship!

Learn more about VendorPriceBook today.