My Flooring Warranty program

[knoxclean]

Has anyone here had success with this program? I have beat my head against the wall trying to get retailers on board with this but they just don't get it. It's a great concept but just can't generate any interest. I have several Retailers that refer me business and like what we do but they just are not interested in this. We have very few flooring stores in my area so I was wondering if those in larger markets are having better success.

 

[Mikey P]

it was all the rage when it first came out 2 or 3 years ago but nobody has ever had any success with it that I have talked to.

Two years minimum before you start to see a return of some sort.


Providing it in house is the answer if you can find retailers willing to play the game as the MFW fees are too high.


Both Tom King and Joe Appleby will be at M10F and have used and left the program. If O'Halick shows up he can bitch about it too.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I looked at it and thought it looked pretty good. Lots of involvement, cleaners across the country signed on.

We got busy and it slipped back to the back burner as things do. I'd be interested to hear how it is going to those on the program.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Avoided it like the plague from day one.

We did have a carpet chain here of 12 stores that was willing to hand out our spotters with every purchase.
But i chickened out...

 

[Chris A]

Avoided it like the plague from day one.

We did have a carpet chain here of 12 stores that was willing to hand out our spotters with every purchase.
But i chickened out...

Omg why!?

 

[The Great Oz]

If O'Halick shows up he can bitch about it too.

I said I'd be there. Signed up and all.


MFW is too old-news for me to gripe about anymore, though I did notice John Mapes is selling the program (from the podium) at the Experience.

The short version is that carpet retailers want to sell carpet. They want to close deals by talking up goodness, not kill the deal by telling the prospective buyer that this stuff has to be cleaned at some point, and probably sooner than that buyer might like. The honest retailer will tell you that they really don't care about cleaning, since that only delays selling more carpet.

 

[Joe Appleby]

The informed retailer will know a cleaner cannot live up to the manufactor's claims. Therefore, he will stop recommending an exclusive cleaner and remove himself from the liability.

 

[Joe Appleby]

Just killin' time in Vegas.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Omg why!?

It was going to cost $1k month and i never believed we could make it profitable.

We never had luck with retailers as referral sources. Had displays in hair salons, pet groomers, flooring but could never prove any jobs came from it.
The only exception is flooring but that is mainly VCT scrub/seals and an occasional grout sealing.

Just my experience...

 

[knoxclean]

$1000 a month? I am only paying $50 and there were no start up costs. I know I did get in on a special deal through Howard Partridge's inner circle group but I didn't think the "regular" cost was even close to that Shane? Now had I signed up any retailers it would have been $100 a month per retailer but I never could get one to sign on. My guess is they were protecting their data base and didn't want anyone outside their company to have it. I still have a great working relationship with several stores but it sure would have been nice to get the list of monthly clients that bought carpet from them.

 

[Shane Deubell]

$1000 a month? I am only paying $50 and there were no start up costs. I know I did get in on a special deal through Howard Partridge's inner circle group but I didn't think the "regular" cost was even close to that Shane? Now had I signed up any retailers it would have been $100 a month per retailer but I never could get one to sign on. My guess is they were protecting their data base and didn't want anyone outside their company to have it. I still have a great working relationship with several stores but it sure would have been nice to get the list of monthly clients that bought carpet from them.

I never joined any program.

Just went door to door to several retail locations maybe 50 or something.Gave estimates and trying to set up a display in waiting areas.

One of them turned out to own 12 carpet locations under couple different names. He agreed we could set up a display and they would give our spotter away for free with every sale. Based on his sales it was going to cost $1k or something a month. He refused to share customer info and it was all locations or none.

To me it just seems like too many things have to go right to land a job. Still like the idea but maybe when we are bigger for something like this.

 

[TomKing]

How many stores?
David

I was in the program from 4/14/11 to 8/2/13

We bought one of the first memberships and paid $1345.00 to buy in
We had 3 stores from 4/11 to 5/12 paid $382.50 per month
We went to one store 5/12 to 8/15 paid $157.50 per month
We invested $7,692.50 from 4/11 to 8/13

I did lunches I did referral rewards I did bi monthly visits

We waited until the Shaw endorsement and did another round to all major retailers in the city. Showroom visits, breakfasts, lunches, referral rewards.
We had no uptake with the endorsement.
We stopped the program 8/13

$1000 a month? I am only paying $50 and there were no start up costs. I know I did get in on a special deal through Howard Partridge's inner circle group but I didn't think the "regular" cost was even close to that Shane? Now had I signed up any retailers it would have been $100 a month per retailer but I never could get one to sign on. My guess is they were protecting their data base and didn't want anyone outside their company to have it. I still have a great working relationship with several stores but it sure would have been nice to get the list of monthly clients that bought carpet from them.

 

[knoxclean]

Tom at best there are 6 stores in the Knoxville area that sell flooring/carpet ( I'm talking real stores that are not hole in the wall type) So it's not like I had a lot to work with. My guess is 80% of the flooring sold here is through the Big Box stores like Lowes and Home Depot.

I have found very few carpet cleaners that have had success with this.

 

[GCCLee]

Go talk to Kris at Kevco off John Deere drive. They handle a mess of communities.
Just watch out for brookside properties. Bill and Jim take forever to pay.

 

[TomKing]

So let me get this right you where paying $50 per month to have the program with all 6 stores?

Tom at best there are 6 stores in the Knoxville area that sell flooring/carpet ( I'm talking real stores that are not hole in the wall type) So it's not like I had a lot to work with. My guess is 80% of the flooring sold here is through the Big Box stores like Lowes and Home Depot.

I have found very few carpet cleaners that have had success with this.

 

[knoxclean]

I pay $50 a month just for the monthly fee to be in the program but I have no retailers signed up. If I did that would be $100 a month per retailer. But the $50 a month is just pissed away because in order for the program to work you have to have stores signed up so you get the steady stream of potential customers that bought flooring. I gave them my notice not to renew.