If you haven’t already noticed, when you use a large tile in a small room, it makes the room appear bigger.  Some people assume the opposite and want to use smaller tiles in smaller rooms.   It’s important that, as a salesperson or an installer, you make your client aware of this visual anomaly.  Tile size is just as important as its color, texture and lighting when designing an area.

Whether you’re a tile installer, a tile salesperson or working with an interior designer or architect, it’s important that you qualify up front the intended use of the tile. Does the customer want to tile a floor or wall? Are they tiling an interior dry area or a wet area like a shower or bath? Is the tile for an exterior area? It’s very important to know the conditions to which the tile will be subjected.

For example, understanding climatic conditions are crucial for exterior applications. Not all tiles are freeze- thaw resistant. Some tiles are more slip-resistant than others. Some tiles are only suitable for residential applications, and others are more suitable for commercial or industrial applications. Be sure that you can tell the customer the tile manufacturer’s usage recommendations for their products. Don’t guess — get copies of the brochures or data sheets and read what it says to the customer.

Remember, asking qualifying questions gives you much more credibility in the eyes of the customers. They will rely on you as a consultant. The qualifying process also gives you the opportunity to offer choices to your customers. Let them know what the trade-offs are, for better or worse, relative to performance and costs. Research has shown that 68% of the time when customers are given choices they will select the better quality (more expensive) product(s). Do they want a floor warming system or a sound control system? Do they want a crack isolation membrane to prevent potential cracking? Do they want a waterproof membrane to control moisture and help prevent efflorescence or other water damaging conditions? These are win- win options. The customer gets the added value, and you increase the value of the order. In the end, your customer will be a happy customer!

Well, how true they are! Not everyone sees things the same way when it comes to tile installations. Sometimes a consumer has a flawed idea about how an installation will look, but that may not be the way it will actually turn out in the end. In this industry, we call these false expectations. It’s your job to manage your customer’s expectations, because if you don’t, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be able to change their mind after the fact! And once tile is installed, it becomes very expensive to remove and re-install it.

So here are some good preventative procedures to avoid costly problems or unhappy customers:

1. Before installing the tile, lay it out in the area where it will be installed so the lighting will accurately show how the tile will look in that room. Have the consumer inspect it for any visual concerns. Make sure it’s the tile they selected; make sure they’re satisfied with the color and any shade variations it may or may not have; make sure they see the width of the grout joint you’re going to use; make them aware of the movement joints that need to be installed per industry standards; and point out any potential problems with the substrate. Have them sign a waiver that they accept the tile based on all of the conditions that have been pointed out to them.

2. Before installing the tile, ask the consumer if they want a crack isolation and/or waterproof membrane to protect the installation from cracking or water damage. Ask them if they want a floor warming system for more comfort or a sound control system for reducing sound transmission. Be sure to let them know of any trade-offs in terms of cost and layout, or if it’s possible with their current floor configuration. Have them sign a document verifying that you have given them those options. By offering your customer a choice it gives you the opportunity to increase the sale and make more money. AND it helps prepare the customer so that, in the end, there aren’t any regrets or false expectations. After all, you want your customer to be happy so they’ll recommend you to others!

3. After you install a portion of the tile installation, have the customer approve the work. Do this throughout the job as various areas are completed. This way, if they’re unhappy about something, then it isn’t a big cost to make an adjustment to a limited area. If they’ve already approved the work beforehand, and they’ve signed a written statement saying so, then you are protected; it’s likely the customer will not have any false expectations and will accept your work.

4. Upon completion of the installation have the client inspect and sign off that they’re satisfied with the job you’ve done.

Remember — it’s easier to fix a few things along the way instead of ending up in a big confrontation later on that can turn into a costly litigation. If that happens nobody wins, and ultimately the price to pay will be a loss of time, money and reputation!

Give your customers choices to avoid false expectations.  Let them know that they can have crack isolation protection, or floor warming, or waterproofing, or stain-proof grout for an additional cost.  Tell them the pros and cons of doing so.  If the customer is informed of the trade-offs and makes the decision to go forward, then they won’t have false expectations and will be satisfied with the final installation.

Tiles in wet applications should be slip-resistant and meet the minimum industry standards.  Beware, however, not to choose tiles that are too abrasive as they will cause maintenance issues in that they’ll require more frequent cleaning and will be difficult to clean.

Tiles in high-traffic applications should be durable enough to withstand the amount of wear and tear they’ll be subjected to.

When in doubt ask the manufacturer to provide written verification that a particular tile will be suitable for its intended use.  Perform quality assurance testing to verify the manufacturers’ claims.  Also, have the client sign a disclaimer that they understand the limitations of the product they’ve selected.

When there’s a problem with a tile installation it’s typically the tile installers that are blamed.

The product manufacturers will say installation constitutes acceptance. This is the standard response, unless there was a concealed defect that you could not have known about.

The architect, designer or homeowner will say “you didn’t follow specifications” and/or “you should have followed industry standards” and/or “you’re the professional so you should have known better!”

So an installer’s best defense is offense. Make sure you follow the manufacturers’ directions. Inspect the materials you’re using before installing them and if you find a problem, STOP! Don’t continue the installation until the problem is resolved. Make sure you follow industry standards for the use and installation of the tile products.

If you don’t show up on the job you’re not just letting other people down, you’re letting yourself down!  Showing up is a reflection of your self-respect, which is the fuel that makes us feel good about ourselves and successfully drives us through life.

If you’re not responsible enough to show up on a job you’ll be pegged as unreliable and you’ll lose jobs, and your reputation will suffer.

So be the best that you can be by showing up and doing a good job and success will follow!

Tile and stone sealers can be very beneficial for making tile, stone and grout more stain resistant, less likely to collect dirt, more resistant to efflorescence, and easier to clean and to keep clean.  But sealers do not make those materials waterproof or stain-proof.

When something is spilled on a kitchen counter or floor, for example, and it’s not cleaned up right away or it’s cleaned up with the wrong type of solvent, then sealers won’t prevent those contaminates from seeping into the grout, tile or stone.

Also, sealers don’t last forever and occasionally need to be re-applied. Factors that affect the life and performance of a sealer include application location (interior or exterior) and constant exposure to things like weather, moisture or traffic conditions.

Rule of thumb: as long as water beads up on the grout, tile or stone surface and it doesn’t leave a dark damp spot, then the sealer is working.  Otherwise it’s time to re-apply.

Included in the lineup of available courses are Understanding the Basics of Ceramic Tile and Understanding the Basics of Natural Stone that take a comprehensive look at the stone and ceramic tile industry. The courses teach industry standards, technical information about tile and stone and sales techniques, and are designed to give salespeople the tools they need in order to increase sales.

The Tile Installer Thin-set Standards (ITS) Verification course instructs installers, setters and finishers, on industry standards and practices, manufacturers’ requirements, and proper installation methods for tile thin-set applications that apply to ceramic tile, porcelain tile, stone tile, glass tile and other types of adhered tile materials. The course also teaches how to inspect and prepare substrates and tiles, how to achieve full thin-set coverage, and points out quality workmanship requirements and practices. Tile installers who complete the ITS Verification course receive a certificate of completion and must renew it every two years to remain current with industry standards. The ITS course is available in English and in Spanish.

Referring to the new partnership, Donato Pompo, founder of the UofCTS, said “NTCA has always been dedicated to providing education to the tile contracting trade, and we are excited to collaborate with them to bring the highest quality online courses in the industry.”

In addition to providing the “UofCTS Online” courses on tile and stone and the ITS Verification course for installers, UofCTS is assisting NTCA in developing other online courses for their new online apprenticeship training program.

For details on purchasing any of the online courses, please visit NTCA website at www.tile-assn.com. This page contains video previews of the courses with more descriptions of the subjects covered in each.

Students have fourteen days to complete courses, which are accessible online, 24/7. The benefits of online training are many: convenience, no travel costs or loss of work. All that is required is a computer and an internet connection. Upon successful completion of any course, students are able to print a certificate and download a reference guide.

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Contact:

Tricia Pompo
Marketing Director
Ceramic Tile and Stone Consultants, Inc.
Tel. 866/669-1550; Email: Tricia@CTaSC.com
Website: www.CTaSC.com

In addition, missing material can be a major inconvenience to your clients. If the job is a commercial project, the client could lose potential revenue (opportunity cost) every day the installation is delayed. Homeowners may not lose revenue, but they may become frustrated and annoyed, and decide not to recommend you (the installer) to other potential clients.

So in the long run, it’s cheap insurance to order extra material rather than taking the risk of coming up short!