There are a lot of flooring dealers out there, but not a lot of great ones! We at Graham’s Flooring & Design pride ourselves on installing high-quality flooring in Fort Collins and the rest of Northern Colorado, and we make the process easy and fun! 

 

We care about our clients and we want them to make the choices that are right for them. With that in mind, we’ve developed a guide to finding the right flooring expert for you! And here are the 7 common mistakes to avoid when choosing your floor covering store.

 

#1—Choosing a dealer based on “cheap” prices

Choosing a dealer based on a “cheap” price can be a problem in two ways:

1. The price quoted to you at the beginning of the process may go up at the last minute.

Unscrupulous dealers know that it will be very difficult for you to back out of the installation at the last minute, and they are hoping that you will simply accept the last-minute changes.

1. Some dealers advertise “cheap” prices to attract customers, but this makes it almost impossible for them to hire quality installers or support staff. As a result, the installers often don’t have adequate training or experience. They are usually paid a low “piece” price, so they wind up rushing through the job, and they have little incentive to make sure you get excellent service.

 

#2—Choosing a company based on a single telephone conversation

Remember that to give you accurate prices, a dealer needs to know the following:

• Kind of flooring
• Size of the rooms
• Shape of the rooms
• Any special needs that can affect the installation

A dealer simply cannot guarantee accuracy based on a single phone conversation alone. So, if it seems like they’re trying to rush you through to a commitment, don’t buy! The more they push, the more desperate they are, and the higher the chance that they have to make costly adjustments to your project later in the process.

 

#3—Choosing a company that does not have a written, 100% satisfaction policy

Every dealer should be fully accountable for their work. If you aren’t pleased with the job in every way, the job should be fixed to your satisfaction. Period. Ask the dealer if they offer a guarantee, and then make sure the dealer puts the guarantee in writing. 

 

#4—Choosing a dealer who does not work with trained, qualified installers with whom they have an ongoing relationship

Your floor covering is a major part of your home. Not only do you see and use it every single day, but it has to be built to last. Therefore, the installation is critical. A poor installation will mean a poor finished product, even if you paid for high-quality flooring. That’s why professional, trained, qualified installers are critical. Inquiring about who is doing the installation, their references, and their relationship with the dealer is encouraged.

 

#5—Choosing a company that does not have a quality installation & customer service system

The installation process is extremely complicated, often involving forty or more steps from beginning to end. Each step must be tracked so nothing is missed. Most of these steps happen behind the scenes, so you never know about it! 

If a dealer is handling twenty installations per month, each with forty steps, that’s over 800 items that need to be tracked. Many dealers simply don’t have a quality processing and customer service system, so they let things “fall through the cracks” with missed deadlines, lost paperwork, and other mishaps. These mishaps cause clients a lot of stress and fear. Things wind up getting misplaced or delayed, or the dealer spends all his time handling emergencies, rather than providing good service. Therefore, it’s critical that the store you choose has an adequate processing system to keep track of these steps, and stellar customer service so that mishaps are handled expediently and with care. 

 

#6—Choosing a company based on their “free” installations

Some “Mega-Depot” stores and even some dealers will advertise “free” installations (or $39 or $99 installations). This is extremely unscrupulous because it’s simply not possible to install a whole house of flooring (or even a few rooms) for that price—let alone for free! 

How do businesses get away with promoting “free” installation? They do it by inflating the costs of the flooring materials to make up the difference. So, in the end you still wind up paying full price for the installation. Don’t fall for this gimmick. Make sure that the company you choose is upfront and transparent when it comes to costs for installation and materials.

 

#7—Choosing a company without getting comments from their past clients

We can’t stress this enough—ask for references! Any ethical dealer should be able to provide a list. Make sure you read comments and reviews from a dealer’s past clients and that you contact the provided references. You need to be sure the dealer is an honest, ethical, and knowledgeable professional that you can trust. Don’t just take their word for it! Do your research, ask for referrals from friends and family, and check up on references.

 

Why is Graham’s Flooring & Design the obvious choice?

We realize that purchasing floor covering can be stressful. At Graham’s Flooring, we don’t leave getting a smooth floor covering process to chance. Our team has invested thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours in developing a world class installation system to ensure that our clients experience a smooth installation process, with no missed deadlines or lost paperwork…and without the stress! 

 

• We aim to get you the best price while maintaining the highest standards of service! 
• We will work with you to design the flooring that will suit you best!
• We will return phone calls promptly!
• We offer a Zero Regrets Guarantee!
• Our staff is dedicated, professional, trained, and qualified!
• Our customer service is exceptional!
• We have outstanding references ready for your perusal!
• We even make the process fun!

 

Graham’s Flooring is the flooring partner Northern Colorado trusts!

Are you in the market for Loveland or Fort Collins flooring (or the surrounding areas)? We handle carpet, hardwood, tile, laminate, and vinyl, and we don’t stop there! To schedule your Free Design Consultation, visit us here, call 970.612.0214, or come by the store at 451 N. Denver Ave., Loveland, CO 80537. You’ll be greeted with a warm smile, and we will be absolutely thrilled to help you!

 

For more information on How to Get the Perfect Floors for You and Your Family, download the guide here! You’ll also learn about how to make sure you have a dream-come-true experience, common misconceptions, how to determine which floor covering is best for you, how to get an iron-clad warranty, and tough questions to ask your floor dealer before buying.

And don’t forget to check out our related blogs on How to Determine What Floor Covering is Best for You and 5 Flooring Trends in 2021.