Hardwood Floors December 2017/January 2018

TECH TALK

with

Michael Dittmer

Lenny Hall

Jason Elquest

How do you help your clients understand the importance of proper maintenance after completing a job?

Besides the proper oor cleaning solution/ system, I always recommend the proper chair table and furniture protectors so that no damage occurs to the oor. Last, but not least, I will inform the client that on average every 7-10 years we could recoat the oors as well to ensure they minimize any future resanding. LENNY HALL e conversation happens up front before the work is started. Items such as walk- o mats, oor protectors (and frequency of changing them) and maintenance procedures are discussed at the very beginning and again as the project winds down. My clients have access to our webpage’s maintenance information; that way, the information is always available to them on many platforms at any time.

MICHAEL DITTMER My response is typically de ned by the scope of the project. If it is a project that we installed, I will leave the homeowner with the appropriate oor cleaning system for the nish that we used. We strongly recommend vacuuming or going over the oor with a cloth to remove all physical debris as o en as needed to diminish scratches in the nish. Depending on the area, we will recommend a spray cleaning system and how o en they should use it. If it is a smaller in scale re nishing project, I will recommend the appropriate oor cleaning system as well as where they can purchase and how o en they need to clean. Depending upon the area where the wood oors are located, I will o er my suggestions on the appropriate and proper schedule for cleaning the oors. I always explain to the client that proper maintenance extends the life of the oor and protects their investment.

JASON ELQUEST Of course, educating the client should start before they even choose a product. However, once the oor has been installed, we walk the customer through the maintenance process and give them a complimentary cleaning kit that is speci c to the type of nish they have. e level of detail we go into varies with the oor and the client’s experience with hardwood ooring. e oors we install are mine forever; they may be installed in someone else’s home, but they are mine, and we want them to perform for as long as possible. Along with daily maintenance, we also go over long-termmaintenance, which sets us up for additional work in the form of maintenance coats and cleaning services. Our relationship with our clients does not end when the nal check clears. We make ourselves available to our clients for the life of their oor.

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