Lip Service.

As a consumer, I never expect much in the way of customer service. I think I have become conditioned. Most of the time customer service is just plain non existent. So it has become the norm and honestly, I hardly notice anymore. But one thing really annoys me. That is, when I am in the midst of a bad customer service experience, I am being told in some form or fashion how I am sooooooo important! Recently I had a couple of experiences which are obviously what prompted this posting. I was having a problem with my internet at home. I have internet through my cable company. So off I went to call the 800 number. I was on the phone for 50 minutes and never got my issue resolved. But here is the part that bothered me. The entire time I was on hold I had to listen to a recording telling me how important I am and blah, blah blah. By the way, this cable company, whom I shall not name, is notorious for wait times. I had a similar experience with my mortgage company as well. But wait, there's more. This morning I had to go to the will-call department of one of our suppliers. I had never been before as they generally deliver to us. But they messed up one of our orders and due to time constraints I had to pick it up. As I arrived at the dingy little room I was greeted by an empty desk and a bell. So I rang the bell and someone showed up. The paper work was completed and I was told to wait and the next clerk would assist me. As I waited, for 45 minutes, I was fixated on the huge sign displayed. It said "Do It Right The First Time, Every Time and On Time". Really? For 45 minutes I waited as the employees milled about and did nothing. Finally a guy hopped on a forklift and got my stuff. Took him 2 minutes. I think having a sign like that is admirable but only if it is more than lip service. Otherwise, it is just insulting.

Techno-Floors!

I am always amazed at the technological advances in the flooring industry. After all, I am old school. Back in the day, when we refinished a wood floor, we would slap on a coat of varnish then come back in a few days and wax it. There was never any mention of warranties. But times have changed. Now we have these new urethanes that have 25 year wear warranties.
One manufacturer, Mirage, uses Nanolinx Technology. A patented process supplied to Mirage by an outside source, the wood mill has incorporated particles, or Nanosilica, into the finish that are less than 100 nanometers in size, or one-billionth of a meter. Wow! Other wood flooring manufacturers use a similar process only they add aluminum oxide or ceramic particles. Mannington has just come out with a nitrogen-cured commercial floor.
Zaxxon has a floor that is called Ionique. Walking on it increases the negative ion count in your indoor air. Who thinks this stuff up? So today, as I head off to our annual trade show, I will once again be amazed at all the new technology. But just between us, there is nothing that looks as good as a freshly waxed wood floor!

Illegal Logging!

I would not consider myself an expert on the subject of illegal logging but recently I have received a few questions on this. I suppose, with the amendment of the Lacy Act last year, there has been some interest generated. The flooring industry in the United States and Canada, more so than other construction trades, have been actively involved in reforestation for many years. Makes sense, if you cut trees you need to replace them or you have no more trees to cut. Pretty simple. But it comes with a cost. It takes money to be environmentally conscious. Try explaining that to a customer who has the opportunity to get a nice exotic imported wood floor for less than the price of good old American Oak. Illegal lumber! It has really become a big deal over the last 15 years or so. In places like Indonesia, The Philippines, Malaysia, The Amazon, Cambodia and Africa. If you are really interested just Google "Illegal Logging" and you will get many thousands of articles on the subject.
Illegal and predatory logging plays a central role in the destruction of the Amazon and other areas. It is now generally accepted that illegal logging is the norm rather than the exception in the Brazilian Amazon and Indonesia as well as many other places. Between 60 and 80 percent of all logging in the Brazilian Amazon is estimated to be illegal. Working in remote forest areas, the loggers often use false permits, ignore limitations of legal permits, cut species protected by law and steal from protected areas and indigenous lands. These are often small or medium scale operations that are able to avoid detection because of the remoteness of the logging locations, the weak presence of the federal environmental agency and a complex chain-of-custody in the cutting, hauling and transporting of the logs.
With the depletion of forests in Southeast Asia and central Africa, the Amazon is being targeted by domestic and transnational corporations as a key source for tropical timber products. Huge majestic trees like the Samauma, also known as the "Queen of the Forest", are being exploited to make cheap plywood and wood flooring for construction industries in the US, Japan and Europe. Because of the poor economic climate in many of the countries involved, the illegal loggers are able to both strong-arm and bribe their way around the laws.
That was a big long way to say that the illegal lumber is working its way into the U.S. and has been sold very inexpensively. Last year (2008) many groups lobbied Congress to do something about this problem. December 15, 2008, The Lacy Act of 1900 was amended to include illegal lumber and strengthen enforcement and penalties. Hopefully this will start to put a stop to this. We shall see? Sorry this was so long.

Where is my $10,000.00?

He was a nice guy. His business card looked so professional. That's what the woman told me. In the end, a name and cell phone number was all she really had. The "Contractor" she hired vanished into the night with her 10 grand. I hear more and more of these stories lately. Unlicensed "Contractors" have become a big problem. A licensed contractor has made a significant investment in his business. He has completed all the requirements as far as time in the trade etc. Passed a rigorous test and has posted a bond. Also they maintain all of the proper insurances such as liability, workers comp, vehicle etc. The Contractors State License Board offers many protections for consumers. In this day and age it is very simple to check the status of a contractor. Here in California you can just go to the web site http://www.cslb.ca.gov/
type in a name or license number and in seconds you will know whether or not a license is active, who the officers and sales people are, who the bonding company is and how much the bond is worth, workers comp info etc. You may be saying, who cares about all that? I just want my work done cheap. I like cheap too but is it really cheap? Suppose the guy you hire has an accident in your home? Let's say he hurts himself. If he has no insurance or license he will most likely bring a law suit against you. Or let's say he damages something in your home. Something expensive? Will he be able to pay you for it? What if he does not pay his help? They can ask you for payment and if you refuse they can lien your home. I am not saying all this to scare anyone, rather to make you think. I spent an hour this morning looking on the internet for nightmare contractor stories. I was amazed at how many I was able to find with very little effort. I think competition in pricing is very good but it is good to make sure that all the competitors are on an even field. An unlicensed guy will always be cheaper but then again, he is probably working out of his living room, has no bond, no liability insurance, no workers comp. and as such is not really firmly rooted in the community.