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 A recent survey undertaken by MSA International for the Carpet Foundation
discovered that the British consumer considers price not to be the most important
factor when it comes to buying a new carpet. This in-depth survey, using
MSA International’s SFA Package, analysed the opinions of over 400
consumers nationwide who had purchased a new carpet in the last 12 months.
First priority for the consumer is for the carpet retailer to provide an
acceptable service level on a number of fronts: being professional, helpful,
polite, friendly, giving personal service whilst not being pushy and allowing
time for the customer to browse. It means making an effort and going that
extra mile. For example, one respondent defined her family’s experience
of the retailer’s attitude towards them thus:
“It’s all about personal service. We were able to
order all of our carpets and the retailer stored them until we were ready
to
have each
one fitted as each room was decorated”
A good selection of carpet ranges ranks second and it is important to give
a choice of both style and design. Cramped and overcrowded stores suggest
a limited range and make it difficult to make the right choice. Carpet retailers
need to avoid that ‘small shop’ feeling as it makes consumers
think that they could be missing out on a lot of carpets because there was
not enough room for display.
Ranked third by consumers, quality of installation is very important, as
it is the final act in a process that has often involved the consumer in
expending a lot of time, effort and money. Poor, late fitting by incompetent
carpet fitters can easily sour the whole carpet buying experience. And yet
this often happens: carpet fitting was the number 1 cause for complaint in
our study. Certainly the consumer is particularly grateful when the fitter
does a good job and is on time.
Competitive prices are ranked fourth in importance, value for money sixth.
When questioned about their price expectations, 50% paid the same price as
they had expected to, with 26% paying less and 24% paying more. What upsets
the consumer particularly is when the price is artificially inflated due
to mistakes made in the measuring and estimating.
For a number of respondents there was a marked contrast between the nature
and level of service received whilst they were choosing their carpet and
the subsequent lack of after-sales service once their order had been taken.
On a number of occasions we were told horror stories of both retailer and
carpet manufacturer taking months to deal with complaints and also refunds,
even though liability had been admitted.
Finally, it probably comes as no surprise to most of us to learn that buying
a new carpet often involves traipsing round a number of shops before the
final choice is made. Our survey revealed that 51% of carpet purchasers visited
2-3 shops whilst over a third visited 4 or more. However, when the retailer
gets it right, then the experience can be a rewarding one. Eighty seven percent
of respondents said they were either very likely or likely to purchase carpet
again from the same retailer that they finally chose to buy from.
Commenting on the results of the SFA survey, The CEO of The Carpet Foundation,
Michael Hardiman, said:
“I’m delighted with the results. The SFA study
has given us an excellent insight into just what influences the carpet
buyer and enabled
us to clearly focus on how the UK carpet industry can improve its competitive
performance”
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