FAQ
Enough about us, what about our designers?
Interior designers are our favorite people. And their jobs aren’t easy. They’ve got big ticket clients on the hook for high-end build-outs. They are managing deliverables, special orders, and out-of-stocks. They are team captains to electricians, contractors, and their own employees. They have budgets to manage, appointments to keep, and client concerns to quell.
While we can’t alleviate all their stress-points, we can deliver the peace of mind. Here are some of the questions designers and architects are want to know when planning their projects.
Carpet Impressions is to-the-trade only. What does that mean?
It means that you have to be accredited as an interior design or an architect to shop with us. We’re not a retail outlet. Consumers can’t stroll in and look through our rugs. If you’ve got your <?> we can get collaborating on some pretty spectacular projects.
What information do I need to have in hand to get started on a project with your team?
We start with questions. A lot of questions. Meeting our clients where they are is the cornerstone of our sales process. It’s what turns first timers into loyal regulars.
How does your client actually live? Do they have kids? Pets? Where do you want to have the most impact? What look are you aiming for? Textures? Colors? Go deep and wide into style. What’s the budget, and how can we give you the most bang for your buck?
Once we have a deep understanding of style + budget + application, our sales team knows just where to go to match product + price point + production time to the project.
Once I’ve ordered my carpet, how long will it take to get installed?
If carpet or rug is in stock at the mill, the average turnaround time is 3-4 weeks. Handmade rugs take an average of 4-6 months to complete, but can require a turnaround time as long as eight months, depending on the size.
Why do you want to come and measure before we even finalize the sale?
It’s more than just a measuring tape and a clipboard. A full assessment must be made: how worn is the current carpet and how likely is it that it will be replaced any time soon? How many units/offices are in the building? How many elevators? Is there only one place for trash — and will people be dragging cans and boxes to that place? Is it a dog-friendly building (solution-dyed nylon for easy clean-up, anyone?) or a 55+ community that won’t see as heavy wear on flooring?
The measure and yardage determine the availability of creating something custom for truly unique results. This tells the sales team what products would work for your application.
My interior design firm focuses on residential. What’s the process?
It starts with questions. Lots and lots of questions.
When a designer comes to us with a project, we don’t go right to picking swatches. Our sales rockstars must take the time to vet the designer and the project. We’re not talking background checks and fingerprinting, but a thorough scope of the project and expectations – both theirs and their client’s.
First, we determine what areas of the house are being targeted and what kind of budget we’re working with. Often a designer may not have extensive budget figures, since it’s a new project for them too, but don’t panic. We can work with this!
Determine if the carpet will be wall-to-wall or fabricated into a rug, perhaps even a custom, handmade rug. This gives us the blueprint of the project.
On your marks, get set, it’s swatching time! After the project is scoped, the sales rockstar works closely with the designer to pull samples and/or show area rugs that best fit the bill. By pairing our samples with their fabrics and paint, we help the designer achieve a seamless look for their client.
There is almost an endless amount of products to choose from, so the salesperson’s finesse and extensive knowledge of the catalog is crucial to the success of the project. In a perfect world, the designer would come to the meeting with measurements in hand, but that’s as likely as them arriving via unicorn – there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get it all done, you know? Nevertheless, we do encourage the designer to take measurements beforehand, since it immeasurably (pun intended) speeds up the process of picking carpets.
Once we have the correct measurements for the space, we draw plans to scale on graph paper. Then the designer will send over their Request For Estimate, specifying what they want for the project and how much of it.
At this stage the salesperson must do a “take-off” of the quantity needed to do a formal estimate. Sometimes (often on more complicated) jobs, management will handle this step, although some more experienced salespeople will do their own commercial measure and take-offs. After the take-off and other up-front research, the salesperson sends the quote to the designer, factoring in custom work (changing colors, etc) before the final quote is given to the customer.
It’s not an exact science – each and every job is unique unto itself – but the intricate, detail-oriented approach of the residential sales team is crucial to having a happy client at installation’s end. All that’s left is to look good—damn good—in front of your client.
What’s the big deal about measuring a room?
Learning to measure a house for carpeting may sound easy, but the reality is anything but. Imagine having to meticulously measure every single length, width, and height of every space in every room – being mindful of molding, hinges, and other lumps and bumps that produce several different figures for the same space.
- Is there old carpet to be removed, and is it tack-in or glued down?
- What is the subfloor and its condition?
- Is there shoe molding installed?
- What are the door transitions?
- If there currently isn’t carpet in the space, will the doors clear the new carpet?
- How much furniture will there be to move, if any?
- Are there heavy special items like pool tables or pianos?
- What about floor vents? Air conditioning doesn’t flow through an inch of shag.
- Are there unusual or angled spaces to account for?