Every two weeks, FCNews seeks out flooring retailers across the country to offer their advice on hot topics of the day. This week, we asked: Is the customer always right?
Here are their responses:
“No, the customer is not always right, but we give them a very long leash. The Internet has made everyone an expert, so we need to do a great job of setting customer expectation prior to the process.”
—Lupe Brookhart
Sterling Carpet & Flooring
Anaheim, Calif.
“We take the approach of ‘the customer isn’t right until we’ve had a chance to educate them.’ Many customers visit our showroom with unrealistic expectations of how products perform in the real world. Once we get to know the clients, we present them with a guided experience where they still feel in control and are more confident in choosing the best flooring option.”
—Matt Wien
Marshall Flooring
Mayfield Heights, Ohio
“We let our customers know that their experience with our company is our highest priority; therefore, our policy is: ‘Always do the right thing.’ It gives us a bit of leverage if a customer is being unreasonable.”
—Ron Hurley
Ted’s Floors & Beyond
Anniston, Ala.
“We do everything within reason to make a customer happy, stand behind our work and make things right when needed. At the same time, we believe in fairness, honesty and mutual respect. While most situations can be resolved through communication, we are comfortable walking away from opportunities that are not the right fit.”
—Alex Roberts
Roberts Carpet & Fine Floors
Houston
“The sentiment that ‘the customer is always right’ is appropriate as a cultural attitude toward customer appreciation and service, but is not always practical. As a customer-focused professional, it’s our job to, at times, tell customers they are wrong and avoid the financial consequences of their mistakes.”
—Bobby Merideth
Flooring America OKC
Oklahoma City
