$199 Carpet Installation For Your Entire House. - Page 2 - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

dayspring · 01-22-2008, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoodHouse

The promotion is no scam. Its not temporary either. This is a sale that is for good. Normal household furniture includes bed, dresser, night stand, sofa, table, chair, etc. Does not include exercise equipment, armoirs, china cabs, pool tables, piano's etc.

Lowe's is attempting to be very aggressive in the market place. The installer is still getting normal rates. Lowe's is taking the hit for the sake of volume. They are not raising their carpet prices significantly either.

As far as the qualifications of the installers, they are all licesned, enormous insurance policies, all have to pass background checks including the subs employees,some are certified by manufacturers, and most of all Lowe's customer service policy of 100% customer satisfaction is in place so quality is the number one priority because when a customer is not happy they are easily heard and problems are rectified.

Looks like we have a LOWES installer here!

GoodHouse · 01-23-2008, 06:57 PM

I subcontract from many retail stores amongst other things. Yes its obvious lowes is one of them.

Mike Costello · 01-23-2008, 07:25 PM

As a guy that ran a workroom for a bit for one of the boxes, I can say that they started out with a quality idea. Use local buisnessmen to do thier installs.
They got the good and the bad of the local crop.

Then they discovered they could still control it ( without actually controling it) by giving large regions to one corperation. Its surely much easier than hundreds of local guys.

Then we slowly saw our work disappear from them as they hired out of state ( or out of country it seems) cheaper crews.

I use to know alot of guys that worked for the boxes, cant even think of one now.

Things change

Mike Costello · 01-23-2008, 07:32 PM

I would never dis anyone forwhere they get thier work.

Ive done work for the Orange Box myself.

Its just that they pay so much less around here than local retailers , it just isnt worth it.

Than and I hated that my check was mailed to me from across the country.
( but thats just me,lol)

GoodHouse · 01-23-2008, 07:44 PM

I worked with orange for many years myself. They did exactly what you said they did and that is why i decided not to continue my relation with them either. Every region hit at different times but with only 1 weeks notice i knew all work would be consolidated. The workroom approached me because they heard good things about my work and after hearing their offer i declined. But Blue doesnt operate the same as orange in that way. Particularly when it comes to background checks, qualifications etc.

dayspring · 01-23-2008, 07:59 PM

Sorry if it sounded as a "dis". Around here big box installers have a bad name though.

If Lowes is absorbing the cost difference of installs, they must be jacking up something, somewhere and in the end the one they are giving the "DEAL" to is also getting the short end of the stick. Funny thing is, they do it without them even realizing it. I want no part of an operation like that.

vconstruction · 01-25-2008, 12:26 AM

Lowes is not jacking up stuff and sticking the customer with this deal they have on carpeting. They are taking the hit on carpet installs. They install everything though. They are making money installing appliances, doors, windows, kitchens, siding, etc,. If they take a hit on one department such as carpeting they have made it up in others. They run other promotions to such as storm doors installed for $59. They still pay the installer normal price and they take a hit on them for a couple of weeks during the sale. Lowes is making an aggressive move to get a lot of installed business. I think a lot of contractors don't like the big stores such as Lowes and HD because when they walk in there they don't get treated any differently than a homeowner does. They all have that ego thing going on where they need to be above the homeowner in the store. Or maybe it is just because the big stores are way to big for them to walk in. After they shop there they are tired and need a nap.

Mike Costello · 01-25-2008, 06:37 AM

Gotta lot of nads coming in a flooring contractors forum and calling them(essentially) lazy Primadonnas.

Floordude · 01-25-2008, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Costello

Gotta lot of nads coming in a flooring contractors forum and calling them(essentially) lazy Primadonnas.

Heck Mike, I have turned into a primadonna, after I was told I was lazy, for not doing a lot of extra work, for no compensation. Actually I turned into Mr. A-hole.

orson · 01-25-2008, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vconstruction

Lowes is not jacking up stuff and sticking the customer with this deal they have on carpeting. They are taking the hit on carpet installs. They install everything though. They are making money installing appliances, doors, windows, kitchens, siding, etc,. If they take a hit on one department such as carpeting they have made it up in others. They run other promotions to such as storm doors installed for $59. They still pay the installer normal price and they take a hit on them for a couple of weeks during the sale. Lowes is making an aggressive move to get a lot of installed business. I think a lot of contractors don't like the big stores such as Lowes and HD because when they walk in there they don't get treated any differently than a homeowner does. They all have that ego thing going on where they need to be above the homeowner in the store. Or maybe it is just because the big stores are way to big for them to walk in. After they shop there they are tired and need a nap.

The problem with the big box stores is that they are crap, plain and simple. They offer crap products and give you crap customer service. Would you buy your lighting fixtures from Lowe's or HD? Plumbing fixtures? If you do don't expect them to last.

The second problem with Lowe's and HD is that they have absolutely no business installing. It wasn't enough for them to drive all the lumber yards and hardware stores out of business, now they are gunning for the contractors.

easy sider · 02-25-2008, 05:22 PM

Lowes uses Choice Point for background checks. Most of our guys are being disqualified for anything but perfectly clear. One guy had a soc sec issue that seemed rediculous that disqualified him and another had two court sealed defered charges of possesion of a controled substance (weed 1st charge / Pipe to smoke weed 2nd charge ) from 2001 that disqualified him. These guys are both crew leaders and great craftsmen.

One reason Lowes has more complaints than some is they are marketing to more moochie customers who have unreasonable expectatiions or want some thing for nothing. They can play the complain game and some times get more than they paid for.

Bozzy · 02-25-2008, 07:30 PM

Orange & Blue are two of my favorite colors

. Since they both came to my area I have taken many carpet jobs from them, due to their inflated material prices and inferior install rep. I work 100% from referrals and get materials from local vendors who I used to sub from. I have always come in under their bid, and still make $ on materials. Not saying all their installers are hacks, I have a couple friends that work for them and they are superb rug rats. My biggest problem (at least in my area) is the incompetent sales people. I once got into an arguement with the 12yr old salesman in the tile department, I just couldn't resist. After his incorrect answer to a customer (one of mine now) I corrected him and he freaked out

, right there in front of his customer. It was quite entertaining.

Mike Costello · 02-25-2008, 08:06 PM

Your totally right. 2 weeks before he was picking twizzlers out of his braces and with a week of seminars he is a flooring expert

Bill_Vincent · 02-25-2008, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoodHouse

The promotion is no scam. Its not temporary either. This is a sale that is for good. Normal household furniture includes bed, dresser, night stand, sofa, table, chair, etc. Does not include exercise equipment, armoirs, china cabs, pool tables, piano's etc.

Lowe's is attempting to be very aggressive in the market place. The installer is still getting normal rates. Lowe's is taking the hit for the sake of volume. They are not raising their carpet prices significantly either.

As far as the qualifications of the installers, they are all licesned, enormous insurance policies, all have to pass background checks including the subs employees,some are certified by manufacturers, and most of all Lowe's customer service policy of 100% customer satisfaction is in place so quality is the number one priority because when a customer is not happy they are easily heard and problems are rectified.

I don't know what you have to do with Lowes, but I SAW their 100% satisfaction guarantee a few years ago when they were selling the Edge Precision tile crap!! Good thing for you folks that HD had a problem even bigger than yours with one of their products in this industry (Stand N Seal), and took the spotlight off of you, or Lowes would've gotten a whole lot more crap than they did!!

One way or another, their 100% satisfaction guarantee means CRAP to me after that.

house bldr · 02-25-2008, 11:38 PM

I took advantage of this same offer through HD on a flip house I just finished.It was a decent quality mohawk carpet 11.99 per yard and pad 159.00 per 30 yd roll,2400 sq. ft. total and they layed it all for 199.00 tack strip,finish moldings and glue included in that price.I had already removed the old carpet and there was no furniture but 1200 ft. of that was new tack strip on concrete.The labor quality was just average but can't beat the price! I kept waiting for a hidden charge but actually ended up with a credit when the installer returned an extra roll of pad.The total price was 1/2 of what the local carpet store bid

trptman · 02-26-2008, 12:52 AM

Think about it guys (and gals),
The box stores first came in to (pick an area), had good prices, people said "oooooo look at the shiny new store with all the stuff in it", people went there when they needed stuff, now many "regular" lumberyards are out of business. and after they snuffed out much of the comptetion they've raised their prices to the point that in many cases they are not the lowest if you shop around.
Looks to me like they are trying it with installation services as well.
Give cheap prices to do "x", people use them instead of the "regular" contractors they might have hired, and pretty soon, many contractors find themselves with not enough work and they go under.
After they snuff out enough competetors they will likely raise prices and not have any more of those 199 whole house installation deals.
Thats what it looks like they are trying to do to me. I don't know if they will be successful to the point they have been on the retail end, but you never know.
THe majority of people don't understand "quality" I'm convinced. Look at the phenomenal success of Wal Mart. People will go wherever they can get the least expensive deal. If it's not quite as good, well thats ok as long s it's cheap seems to be how people look at it.
I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that Lowe's is making a push to make inroads in the installation business. They want people to look at them for "one stop shopping" (materials and the contractors to install it). People like one stop shopping. It just might work. It would be a shame based on the service you get after they drove many other place out of the retail business, but people don't look at that when buying something. Everyone just looks out for themselves and their own short term gain (or savings). That's how we got the big box stores in the first place.

Bill_Vincent · 02-26-2008, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Everyone just looks out for themselves and their own short term gain (or savings).

The guy who taught me the art of custom work used to have a company motto:

Quality doesn't cost. It PAYS!!

There have always been people who look for nothing but the bottom line, and for those people, Lowes and Home Depot are a godsend..... until things start falling apart. The people they serve, for the most part, will not provide them with return business. THOSE are the people I'll market my services to. No matter how low you go, there will always be someone else who'll lowball your price to get the work, even in the best of times, and there'll always be people who'll take that lowball price, figuring they're getting a deal. but if you never listen to another piece of advice, listen to this-- SELL YOUR QUALITY!!! I can't tell you how many times I've preached those three words, but they're probably the most important three words a contractor can hear. If you're going to do a quality installation, you'll never compete with Lowes, Home Depot, or Joe Schmoe's Painting, Plumbing, Electrical and Tile, LLC. But one thing I've found, especially from people who've been burnt by contractors like that, is that if you show them WHY your prices are that much higher, and make them realise that they're getting full value for their dollar, they won't mind spending the extra money. Something I'll often do is send a prospective customer into the forums, usually John Bridge's, to verify what I've told them from an uninterested third party. Once they realise that "old Joe" down the street was sellin em snake oil, and that I really am giving them a fair price, the job is mine, especially when they talk to some of my references and realise that I stand behind my work (I actually give out references where I've had a problem, so they see that yes, I'm human, but I also back up my work).

SELL YOUR QUALITY. never forget that.

Bozzy · 02-26-2008, 01:22 AM

Quote:

I took advantage of this same offer through HD on a flip house I just finished.It was a decent quality mohawk carpet 11.99 per yard and pad 159.00 per 30 yd roll,2400 sq. ft. total and they layed it all for 199.00 tack strip,finish moldings and glue included in that price.I had already removed the old carpet and there was no furniture but 1200 ft. of that was new tack strip on concrete.The labor quality was just average but can't beat the price! I kept waiting for a hidden charge but actually ended up with a credit when the installer returned an extra roll of pad.The total price was 1/2 of what the local carpet store bid

I'm very surprised you couldn't get a better price. The mark-up on the pad alone covered the install. I bet if you found a good local installer with connections, he could beat it, with better than "just average" labor quality.

I would like to hire that installer that brought the pad back.

trptman · 02-26-2008, 09:57 AM

SELL YOUR QUALITY. never forget that.[/quote]

You are right on what you said above. Selling your quality is the way to beat the big store mentality. I just hope there are enough customers out there that will appreciate the difference.
Although, I'm sure quality and service are the same things the small lumberyards pushed before they were put out of business.
I'm not saying "this is the end" for independant contractors-that would be silly to say, I"m just hoping this isn't the beginning of a "different" era in contracting. Of course if energy prices and the economy in general don't improve, 'no one' (obviously an exaggeration) will have any money to spend on any construction or remodeling anyway.

That's going to do more to hurt contractors business than whatever lowes or HD are doing.

Angus · 02-26-2008, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by house bldr

I took advantage of this same offer through HD on a flip house I just finished.It was a decent quality mohawk carpet 11.99 per yard and pad 159.00 per 30 yd roll,2400 sq. ft. total and they layed it all for 199.00 tack strip,finish moldings and glue included in that price.I had already removed the old carpet and there was no furniture but 1200 ft. of that was new tack strip on concrete.The labor quality was just average but can't beat the price! I kept waiting for a hidden charge but actually ended up with a credit when the installer returned an extra roll of pad.The total price was 1/2 of what the local carpet store bid

$159.00 for 30 yards of pad? What kind? I will sell you 1/2" 8# Elite pad for $3.25 sy. That's $97.50 a roll for one of the best carpet pads out there. So, my math says you paid at least $553.50 (9 rolls of pad??) more than you should have for pad!! No hidden charges? I beg to differ! They tried selling one of my clients a berber for $36.75 a yard. We retail the same carpet for $31.29 sy. You will notice the $199 special is for special order carpet only.