Flooring, Kitchen, and Bath Designer

When I worked at a flooring store, I was the envy of all my friends. It may sound boring, but in reality, I was in the interior design industry. I designed and sold flooring, kitchen, and bath remodels.

The popularity of HGTV makes the business of kitchen and bath remodeling look so glamorous. They all assumed it was a dream job, and in many ways, they were right. I worked one-on-one with people who invited me into their homes and trusted me to guide them through the design process.

I transformed their flooring, kitchens, and bathrooms with custom designs. It was fun, fresh, and exciting.

However, every job has its downsides, and this was no exception. I had a lot of fun, but there were challenging times. Ultimately, flooring, kitchen, and bath sales is a customer service job, serving people who are spending thousands of dollars. So the stakes are high!

Commission Sales

Most sales jobs are commission-based, which can be scary since paychecks are not steady or even guaranteed.

But if you are a hard worker and have an outgoing personality, you have the tools to be successful. Buyers tend to purchase from someone they feel is trustworthy and friendly.

My persona was bubbly, inviting, and warm. I listened to people and guided them to match colors and styles. It certainly helped that I was in design school, but honestly, anyone could get hired and do this job if they felt they had it in them.

There is a high demand for retail sales designers, and most companies are happy to offer on-the-job training.

How it Started

I applied to a local flooring, kitchen and bath remodeling store on a whim after noticing the huge granite slabs they displayed in front of the store.

I showed up unannounced and asked to speak with the hiring manager. I was told she was gone for the day, but they took my resume and put it on her desk. I was persistent, showed up the next day, and it turns out a position had just opened up. I interviewed later that week and was hired on the spot. The lesson here; show up and ask for what you want!

You never know unless you try… think about that in the literal sense and not just as a cheesy motivational line.

Granite, Flooring, and Remodeling

This company specialized in remodeling residential homes, specifically flooring, kitchen, and bath transformations. We were a one-stop shop that provided both the material and labor needed to complete a full remodel.

The showroom was a large warehouse decorated neatly with hundreds of flooring samples, such as ceramic, porcelain, hardwood, laminate, carpet, etc.

• Ceramic
• Porcelain
• Hardwood
• Laminate
• Carpet
• Decorative mosaics
• Luxury Vinyl Tile

In addition to all of that, there was an extensive selection of granite countertops. Large granite slabs were arranged outside, visible from the busy highway. Homeowners came to us to buy new kitchen and bathroom countertops, complete with new sinks and faucets. Cabinets were also available if needed.

Office Girl

I started out as the front office girl. My main tasks were,

• Organize and file customer folders.
• Keep track of the remodels being worked on that week.
• Manage accounts payable and accounts receivable, which meant I collected and organized every bill that came in for materials they ordered from vendors.
• Submit monthly reports detailing what was due to be paid to each vendor.
• Submit weekly reports detailing paychecks due to the installers every Friday.
• Make and apply price tags for showroom samples.
• Manage inventory of in-stock building materials such as plywood, thin-set, faucets, and sinks.
• Manage granite slab inventory.

Once a week, I walked the property to verify that the inventory counts matched our dispatch records. I sweated my ass off in the summers and froze in the winter. It took at least an hour, and I often ended up going in and out doing a bunch of double-checks.

The count always seemed to be off, and I spent a lot of time tracking down slabs and correcting paperwork. But I truly enjoyed it. I liked the challenge, and it felt good not to be stuck at a desk all day.

Moving up the Ladder

After a couple of months of proving myself in the office position, I began to transition into sales. To start, my boss instructed me to walk the warehouse floor and get familiar with the various products.

I spent any extra time during my shift and studied it all, dutifully taking detailed notes and practicing to explain each product. I pulled together materials for mock flooring, kitchen, and bath designs.

Eventually, after a few weeks, boss lady quizzed me and decided she was satisfied with my efforts. I was ready to be unleashed onto the sales floor!

It felt good to be a part of the team. I worked with and learned from tile installers, granite installers, wood installers, etc. I watched the sales team closely and soaked up as much of their knowledge as possible. All of it was an invaluable experience I would take with me as I advanced in my career.

Home Surfaces 101

There is so much to know about home surfaces, but I’ll give you a quick 101. Ceramic tile is less expensive and has a red clay backing. Porcelain tiles are denser and more sturdy, which makes them more expensive. Tiles all have fixed sizes such as 12×12, 18×18, 20×20.

Engineered wood has varied thicknesses and wear levels. Laminate floors are fake wood but don’t scratch as easily as wood. Not to mention carpet, granite, travertine… there was so much to learn!

To create an accurate quote for a remodel, you must know how to take measurements of every wall. The team all chipped in to teach me proper measuring techniques, and it didn’t take long to learn the basics.

Rookie

I was only allowed to help customers if my primary duties were complete, so I worked on overdrive to keep up. It was a challenge for sure, but I was confident and determined, and you will be too! I started with smaller jobs since they were easier to sell. Granite jobs were a favorite because the measurements were straightforward, and the math was simple.

Oh yeah, lots of math is involved with flooring, kitchen, and bath remodeling. Once you have your measurements, calculations are needed to determine square footage and sometimes linear footage.

All of the estimates are based on square footage.

To make a profit on materials, the store adds their own mark up after purchasing them from the vendor. It was here that I learned about profit and loss reports, margins, and mark-ups.

A Day in the Life

The store opened at 9 am Monday-Saturday, and 10 am on Sunday. I started my day by checking the installation schedule and pulling out the files for jobs in progress. This is for quick access to their information should someone call with questions.

I settled into my desk to continue working on unfinished estimates or profit and loss sheets I needed to complete.

I answered all incoming calls on the first ring. Calls came in from customers, installers, vendors, or marketers, and I would either help them or transfer them to the person they are calling for.

Greeting Customers

Eventually, a customer walks through the door, and it is showtime! I was the first team member to arrive, so I get up to greet them. After introducing myself, I ask a couple of leading questions to determine what they are looking for.

For example, let’s say this person wants to replace their old carpet with new hardwood floors.

They tell me they have carpet in their living room, hallways, and three bedrooms. There is tile in the entryway that will need to be removed because they want a continuous look throughout the home. This will be their first remodel experience, so they aren’t sure what to expect and have tons of questions.

I explain the basics; We do not charge to remove and haul off the carpet, but there is a small fee for the tile removal. The hardwood installation is charged by the square foot, and they will pay separately for labor and materials.

We move on and start looking at the samples. There is a large selection of hardwoods to choose from, so I ask a few more questions to narrow down the color and styles I will show them. They are going for a modern style and would like a dark color with a subtle grain pattern. “Perfect!” I exclaim, “I know just what to show you; follow me!”

I pull out sample boards based on their description and place them on the floor. Sometimes it takes a while, but eventually, we narrow down their top choices and move on to the next step, creating the estimate.

Creating the Estimate

There is quite a bit of information I need to collect to build an accurate estimate. Ideally, I make an appointment to visit the customer’s home to get proper measurements and make an assessment of their space.

Typically, I’ll offer to bring the selected samples with me. It helps to see them in the home before making a final decision.

My measurements are important, so I start with a quick sketch outline to document the layout of the rooms. Then, I measure each wall and mark my drawings with the numbers.

I will need to consider the total square footage of the space, linear measurements for baseboards, the amount of furniture we will be moving, and how much tile will need to be removed before installing hardwood.

After I’ve collected all of my data and confirmed with the customer which hardwood they want to purchase, I take it all back to the store to prepare the estimate. I carefully double and triple-check to confirm I have the right numbers and didn’t miss any details.

Accuracy is important because small mistakes can add up to big losses!

Closing the Sale

Now the estimate is complete. Since the homeowner is usually anxiously waiting to know how much this will cost, I call them right away. Ideally, we make an appointment for them to come in and review the estimate in person.

An in-person meeting provides the best chance at closing the sale. It can often be shocking to learn how much these kinds of jobs cost, and I want to be there to explain, in detail, what they are paying for.

The next best bet is a phone consult to go over the information and answer any questions. Occasionally, they insist I send a copy to their email to review on their own time. In this case, I must follow up promptly to keep them engaged.

After all, questions are answered, and I have assured them they will be more than satisfied with their purchase, I ask for the sale. It’s important not to be pushy, but I do politely counter when they are hesitant or say no. If money is a deterrent, I offer a no-interest payment plan upon credit approval.

It worked! I successfully make the sale and collect their payment. Next, we go over any final details and sign some paperwork to make it official. Then, I write up work orders detailing the job’s parameters to the installers who will finish the job. Now it is time to gather all of the information and pass it on to my installation team.

I will continue to be the primary contact for the customer, but the administrative staff orders materials and coordinates the installation dates. And that’s it.

Customer Service

The salesperson and the homeowner often spend hours together making careful choices for their design. It’s easy to build a rapport and assure them that they are in good hands. The challenge is, once you close that sale, it gets passed on to the installation team. At that point, you depend on somebody else to fulfill your promises.

Even though detailed work orders are submitted to instruct the installer, misinterpretations can occur. On top of that, sometimes there are unexpected issues with materials such as back-orders (which could delay the job) or materials that arrive damaged or incorrect.

There are so many details to keep up with and so many problems that could arise. Problems that add unexpected expenses.

As you can imagine, moods can go south quickly when this happens. A good salesperson can easily smooth things over, but it can take a toll on you after a while. It did for me, at least. Not to mention, the workload can become heavy, making it harder to keep up with the smaller but important details.

Customer service can be a bitch. Imagine working the process above but juggling three to five customers at a time. In this industry, in particular, people are paying thousands of dollars to update their homes and, understandably, have high expectations. They expect prompt responses and timely service.

Of course, I did my best to keep up under pressure, but there were many challenging times.

Unfortunate Lesson- Flooring, Kitchen and Bath Drama

My first big bathroom remodel commission was supposed to be a small one. A nice older couple hired me to repair a cracked tile at the bottom of a shower wall, which, as it turns out, is much more involved than it sounds.

Well, instead of doing the job as the work order instructed, the installer demolished the entire shower. Unfortunately, no one was there to stop him from his massive mistake since the homeowner allowed us into the home while they were at work.

I still remember exactly where I was on the road when I got the news. Jesus, the installer, started screaming f-bombs, and I’m pretty sure he threw his phone. It was a big deal, obviously. Of course, since I sold the job, I was the lucky girl who had to call the customer and explain the situation. As you could imagine, I was terrified.

I called my boss and explained what happened. She was upset, of course, but stayed calm. She advised me to fudge it a bit, and I convinced the couple that the tiles were brittle and cracked during the removal of the lower tiles.

After acknowledging their shock and disappointment, I was able to put a positive spin on it and help them design the shower of their dreams. Then I cut them the best deal I could possibly get away with since I felt so bad. Luckily, they were friendly and understanding, and it all ended up being okay in the end.

A lot of Room for Error

That was the first of many, many lessons. In the world of remodeling, there is a lot of room for error. Not to mention, job sites are often unpredictable and can be a guessing game until the demolition process is underway.

You never know what you might find, and it can definitely get expensive. You could discover cracked foundations, un-level subfloors, moisture issues… the list goes on. It’s never fun to have to ask a customer for more money once the job is underway.

It can take years to master the craft since the details are so extensive. This is not to say you shouldn’t jump in and start making some money! As a new hire, you can achieve success by using your resources.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and don’t be too cool to take notes. There are endless resources at the library and online. You are sure to make mistakes, but even the veterans around me missed a thing or two.

Be sure to learn from your mistakes, and don’t be too hard on yourself.

Good luck out there!

Got Questions?

Everyone’s reality is unique, so please keep in mind that this is only one account, one perspective, and one life. But now you know the basics and possibilities! So tell me, do you think a career as a Flooring Salesperson is for you?

Want to know more about the flooring sales/remodeling industry? I am happy to share more and answer your questions. Leave a comment, and I will talk to you soon!

talkjobstome.com