This column is in response to a question by Lee Kilbourn ,who has a familiar problem: walls, trim and doors getting marked up by rough carpet backings during installation.

CARE AND MAINTENACE (CRI)

Lee says he tells people not to apply finish coats until after installation, but they do it anyway claiming he said no such thing. He is thinking of writing a notice listing the things for which the customer is responsible and posting a warning of possible scenarios, such as paint scratching.

This is a good idea. When I had a cleaning business, we provided a Customer Information Sheet. On it, we listed things we wanted the customer to do, such as moving as much of the furniture as possible, vacuuming, putting the drapes up so not to touch the damp carpet, putting a throw rug down on hard surface floors to avoid tracking soil and prevent slipping, etc.

On the flip side, we answered The 10 Most Frequently Asked Questions@ such as how long will it take my carpet to dry; how soon can I walk on it; how long will the Scotchgard last; what should I do if spots return; what if the carpet buckles, etc.

We were pretty open about things which might be problems. It was simple, effective and part of a service program unequaled by any of our competitors. We were the most expensive cleaning business, but we delivered the best service, part of which was informing customers of our expectations and what they could expect. We had virtually no complaints because we talked about them up front.

Flooring dealers can do the same thing. Per Lees’ suggestion, you can say things like: All furniture must be removed, doors may need to be cut down and you might have to call a carpenter to do so; walls could be scratched and may have to be painted or touched up, ( a good reason to use SoftBac or similar products); baseboards may be scratched, etc.

You might also say; We will vacuum after we finish and walk the job with you; we will warrant the installation for one year; we will leave you care and maintenance information,( which you can get from CRI), etc. And yes, you can go over this with the customer and have her sign it, stating she’s read it and understands it.

This is not a legal document, nor a binder of any kind, just information you are providing what you’d like her to do and what she should expect.

INSTALLATION PROBLEMS

We just had new carpet installed in our house and we experienced the same thing. It was just painted inside. The walls got scuffed, their edges got scraped and various marks were put on them walls. It is near impossible to avoid. It’s important to impress upon your installers that they should be as careful as possible, but in the there will inevitably be some damage. If you make the customer aware of this, you'll make your life much easier.

Years ago, I learned a saying, If they can see it, you can sell it. If the customer reads the information and signs it, which is not necessary as long as she gets a copy, there will be less chance of a complaint on these issues. In our cleaning business, we had a three ring binder containing pictures of our crews pile lifting, setting up the equipment, cleaning, removing spots, grooming, putting paper down and placing furniture pads, etc. You can do something similar to this.

Show the old broadloom being pulled up; tackstrip and pad being installed, the new carpet being carried in, the carpet being power stretched, trimmed and tucked and anything else you’d like to include. If the customer sees this, she'll be less likely to complain about the installation. It’s also a great idea to separate yourself from the competition.

INFORMATION SHEET

Lee wanted to know if he’d be asking for more problems by having an information sheet. The answer is no. He'll be making life easier for himself, and you can, too, if you implement the idea.

Try this. If you want some help with it, call me- I'll be happy to talk to you about it or review what you put together.