The Beautiful Guarantee™ for Carpet

Carpet flooring products with a Titanium, Platinum, or Gold SelectAFloor™warranty carry The Beautiful Guarantee™ Replacement Warranty. If at any time after installation and during the terms of The Beautiful Guarantee™ Replacement Warranty you wish to change your new carpet for a different SelectAFloor™ style or color, your Carpet One Floor & Home® retailer will replace it free with another SelectAFloor™ carpet style or color of equal or lesser value. Should you wish to replace your flooring with a SelectAFloor™ carpet upgrade, you may do so by paying the difference in retail price. No monetary compensation will be paid if a lower priced carpet is selected.

This is a one-time only replacement and does not include replacement of cushion. Simply call your Carpet One Floor & Home® retailer within the timeframe of the warranty and indicate you wish to choose another SelectAFloor™carpet under The Beautiful Guarantee™ Replacement Warranty. This is a replacement warranty and does not apply to matters covered by other warranties.

Replacement includes material and labor. Labor to move furniture, permanent construction (built-ins such as cabinets and bookcases), equipment, or electronics is the responsibility of the customer.

No replacement will be made with respect to carpet that has been glued down, subjected to abuse, vandalism, alteration, or damage caused by smoke,fire, flood, wind, lightning, or any other casualty event. This warranty applies only to the original purchase of a Carpet One Floor & Home® style carpet that has been professionally installed by a Carpet One Floor & Home® retailer or Carpet One Floor & Home® authorized independent installer.

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Pizza Hut ran out of pizza

Okay, have you ever gone somewhere to do something, or talked to somebody about anything, or heard something so outrageous, and just not know what to say because what you saw, or what you heard, just defies all human comprehension? Well, try walking into the Pizza Hut in Augusta, GA tonight and you might just find that Charmin lost its squeeze, or Downy lost its bounce, or Pepsi lost its fizz. First I ordered a Pizzone only to find out a few minutes later they didn't have any left. Okay, a little out of the ordinary, how about some pizza, wait let me be honest with you, we're out of most everything, well what do you have, do you have pasta, yes, ok I'll take some of that.

Hmmm, I say. Pizza Hut ran out of pizza. I'll say this for the waitress, she was great, and positive, and she didn't let it spoil the meal. She comp'd me out on the salad, the drink, and some breadsticks. This was a nice, clean place too, so I got to talking with her. Apparently the manager forgot to order the dough. Crazy, huh? Can you imagine that? Pizza Hut has to have dough I think. Not having dough in Pizza Hut is like a lumberjack going to work without an ax or a saw.

Hey, bottom line, good customer service trumped it all. I know I learned that a positive attitude in the face of unchangeable circumstances certainly goes a long way in changing a potentially bad customer experience into a good one. I look at it this way: I wanted to try the Tuscani Pasta anyway, so I had to do it when I didn't ordinarily intend to. So what, I got good service, and a good discount to boot. Plus, I'm so full right now I can barely walk, and they promised to have crust tomorrow night!

Flooring Care & Maintenance Spot Removal Chart

The best cure for a spill is a fast response. If a spill is allowed to become a stain, it will be much more difficult to remove. Here are some tips for eliminating stains and spills.

Stop Stains Before They Start

There are three important steps that you must use to treat a stain, hopefully before it has a chance to set in your carpet:
Apply: Wet a clean, white (not printed) paper towel with a cleaning solution. Then dampen the carpet with it. Avoid wetting the carpet through to its backing.
Blot: Absorb the excess liquid from the carpet by pressing straight down with a clean, dry, white paper towel. Do not rub. Place a half-inch thick pad of clean, dry, white paper towels with a weight on top and leave overnight if necessary.
Scrape: Gently scratch the soiled area with the blunt edge of a spoon. Scrape from the outside edge of the spot toward the center.

Click on your problem spot below to be directed straight to the removal method…

Asphalt
Beer
Berries
Blood
Butter
Candle Wax
Candy
Catsup
Chalk
Chewing Gum
Chocolate
Coffee
Cooking Oil
Dyes
Excrement
Foundation Makeup
Fruit Juice
Furniture Polish
Grease - Food
Grease - Auto
Glue - White
Glue - Hobby
Ice Cream
Ink - Ball Point Pen
Ink - India
Ink - Marking Pen
Juice Drinks - Artificially colored
Kool-Aid
Lemonade
Lipstick
Mascara
Mayonnaise
Mercurochrome
Methiolate
Milk
Mixed Drinks
Mud
Mustard
Nail Polish
Paint - Latex
Paint - Oil
Pet Food
Paper-Mache
Shoe Polish
Shortening
Soft Drink
Tar
Tea
Urine - Dry
Urine - Fresh
Vomit
Wine - Red
Wine - White
Unknown

Flooring Care & Maintenance Spot Removal Chart from Carpet One

Retailer of the Year Award for Leadership (ROYAL)

Last year we received an award from the Florida Retail Federation that went a long way in demonstrating the effort that we have put into moving our company ahead in the marketplace. Through the work of many people, we achieved what many said could not be done.

For the last couple of years, we worked to set ourselves apart from the competition through technical expertise, training, and product knowledge. Beginning in 2004, we did this in a couple of ways. First, we embarked upon a journey to become Installation Excellence Five Diamond Certified. Installation Excellence is a Carpet One Floor & Home program that measures the ability of our sales and installation team to satisfy our customers, and we achieved it in a record setting six months. Most please to us was the absolutely high marks we received from our customers via the surveys we sent out with every job.

In conjunction with the Installation Excellence Program, we began a long certification process for our sales and installation personnel through a variety of industry resources. Carpet One Floor & Home has a robust training program mixing online, on site, and off site educational curriculum. When combined with the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), we certified two sales personnel as Certified Flooring Sales Consultants (CFS) and one person as a Certified Flooring Executive (CFE). All of the certifications are available online at the WFCA website. What achieved the certifications through WFCA? Hours of dedication on the part of our personnel taking product knowledge, design, decoration, colors, and all sorts of other courses to demonstrate a level of learning beyond the industry standard.

In addition to the learning programs, we had one individual attend a graduation two inspection programs through industry recognized leaders in their respective product categories: the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) and the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA). Through the TCNA sponsored educational organization Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF), we graduated the Ceramic Tile Inspector Course, and through NWFA, we have a Certified Wood Floor Inspector on staff. Click here to find out more about the NWFA certification.

Adding to our list of technical qualifications, we recently added the ability to install the Ardex Moisture Control System, an industry leading in concrete preparation for flooring installation. We achieved a technical certification from Certified Flooring Installers (CFI) as well.

Other courses and training include Wilsonart, the American Plywood Association (APA), Earthscapes, and Florida Retail Federation (FRF) Retail Masters.

In addition to our professional efforts, we made tremendous strides and inroads into the community through many charitable endeavors: Marine Corps Toys For Tots (TFT), American Cancer Society (ACS), Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (MSABC), Delta Society, Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), and many other local schools and organizations.

In recognition of our endeavors, several organizations recognized us for our endeavors. Carpet One Floor & Home presented us with the National Community Service Award in 2005 and 2007. The Bay County Chamber of Commerce awarded us the Small Business of the Year in 2005. The Better Business Bureau of Northwest Florida presented us with the Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics in 2006. The Panama City Jaycees awarded us the Community Leader of the Year in 2008. The Florida Retail Federation gave us the Retailer of the Year Award for Leadership (ROYAL) for 2008. As you can see, we are very active in the community, and we take it very seriously.

We hope that you will give us a chance to demonstrate what separates us from the competition. As a store, we commit to providing you the best service that money can buy with a product that is premium in quality, choice, and selection. Please stop by and learn about us or visit us online to find out more.

Click to watch a video about our efforts...

Flooring Basics - Carpet

Comfortable. Colorful. Versatile. There are many reasons why carpet is one of the most popular types of floor covering. Learn more about this fashionable and affordable flooring choice.

There's nothing like the soft feel of a nice carpet. Warm in winter and cool in summer, it makes any room more inviting as a place to relax with friends … a place for the kids to play … a cozy, yet stylish place to feel at home. Plus, with so many styles and colors to choose from, it's easy to find the right carpet for every décor and every taste.

There are three basic types of carpeting — Cut Pile, Loop Pile, and Cut & Loop Pile. Pile refers to the fiber yarns which are tufted or sewn into the backing. How these yarns are cut and twisted helps determines the texture and durability of the carpet. In addition, most of the fibers are either synthetic or natural wool, which offer varying degrees of wear and stain resistance.

Carpet is also one of the easiest types of flooring to install and maintain. The easy-care features of today's advanced stain resistant carpets allow you enjoy a beautiful floor for many years. Simply vacuum regularly, clean up spills promptly, and have your carpet professionally cleaned every 12 to 18 months.

Recommendations
Formal or casual, carpet can add a warm feel to any room. Of course, not every style of carpet is designed for every type application. Read below to help select the best styles for your needs.

For formal settings, both Plush (Velvet) and Saxony carpet styles have a smooth texture with a luxurious look and feel. Saxony is more resilient than Plush, so it can be used in higher traffic areas.

For versatility in casual situations, durable carpet styles like Textured Saxony, curly textured Frieze and popular Berber wear well in playrooms, workrooms, basements and other active areas.

Although Shag carpet offers a relaxed, informal style, its deep, twisted yarn texture tends to mat easily and should only be used in lighter traffic areas.

And for family rooms or other casual rooms where people are on the floor a lot, Cable carpet has a thick, soft texture that wears better than regular shag.

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When Did Good Enough Become The Standard?

OK, so I'm walking through a brand new development on the beach tonight at a business function, and as always, my eyes are drawn to the floor like magnets. It seems that everywhere I go now, I critique the floors, like some kind of obsession. I can't help it, it's what I do. To top it off, I'm a Marine, and Once a Marine, Always a Marine! So I have an eye for detail. I couldn't help but notice that one of the most expensive developments on the beach had some very shoddy workmanship.

Last week, we were up in Virginia, and I had the opportunity to walk in a mall that was huge. The Fair Oaks Mall on the west side of Washington DC has so many wings and levels that it would take a GPS probably to navigate all the way around. Once again, critiquing what I saw, I couldn't help but notice they had the prettiest floors of any commercial job that I had seen. The floor was gorgeous, no high or low spots, the grout was even, the transitions were professionally done. I've also been in quite a few hotels on business travel lately, and like always, I'm seeing the floors for what they are. The thing is that in larger areas, the jobs are so much more professional, and yet, what makes the difference?

I honestly do not know why anyone would pay the prices they do in this town and not demand the best for what they get. Every development on the beach ought to be luxurious, yet when you walk into them, the amenities and finishes frequently leave much to be desired. I know because we have gone into them for individual condo owners after their purchase to replace the brand new materials installed by the developer.

Lack of quality angers me, and so I've taken it upon myself to learn more and more about this profession so that we can do a better job. I was up in Maryland last week for a carpet certification class where I worked with installers of carpet who had been doing it for over 30 years. The critical thing that I learned is that the ability to do a job right is more a frame of mind than a reality. For instance, take two installers, both having installed for 30 years, and one chooses to do everything by the book, even helping to create the "book", yet the other has developed shortcuts throughout the years and made due with what he has been given. The one who has made due may produce a quality product, and he can tell you why he does every detail, yet his product does not last as long. Why? If he were in a different environment, or if his customer knew the difference, or if there was a standard to be upheld, or if he even knew the standard, then he would produce a better product because he wanted to. The only difference in the two installers is the environment in which they were brought up, and the professional atmosphere where they learned their skills.

It amazes me that both have 30 years of experience, and one tells you something is possible to be done right, yet the other denies it. I see it everyday. I learned early in my business to categorize installers by their capability and to allow only those willing to follow the rules to complete the most technical jobs. It doesn't work any other way because an installer who works over his head always finds himself in trouble. Put a man in a job that fits him, and you will be satisfied every time.

For the time being as I look around our community, I will remain puzzled as to why we can't see a professionally accomplished commercial jobsite.

The Difference Between Savings and Investing - Summer 2009

 

The Difference between Savings and Investing

- Tiffany Vongpukkeaw, July 2009

This may seem like a simple a topic to some, but recent economic events have proven that we should not get too complacent about understanding the difference between saving and investing. First, let’s define each term.

Savings account, is an account maintained by a customer with a depository institution for the purpose of accumulating funds over a period of time. Funds deposited in a savings account may be withdrawn only by the account owner or a duly authorized agent, or on the owner's nontransferable order. The account may be owned by one or more persons. Some accounts require funds to be kept on deposit for a minimum length of time, while others permit unlimited access to funds. Earnings may be in the form of dividends, as in the case of a share type savings account, or interest as in the case of a deposit type account.

Investing, is the purchase of a financial product or other item of value with an expectation of favorable future returns. In general, terms, investment means the use of money in the hope of making more money. Lightly said, with savings you are putting money away for later use, usually in a stable and secure environment with little to no risk. With investing, you are also putting away money for later use, but usually much later, and so are willing to take on the potential for greater risk in return for the potential future reward of greater growth.

Financial advisors will usually tell you that it is a good idea to first start with savings and then move to investing. Build your financial foundation on a strong base, starting with security and moving toward great risk when you are ready for the potential of loss as well of reward.

With savings, a good general rule of thumb for consideration is having at least 3 months worth of your income in an emergency fund. This money would cover any unexpected medical bills, unplanned car repairs, unexpected job loss, etc. It should only be used for an emergency, not for impulsive shopping sprees.

Also, consider having a reserve fund, used to pay for the planned necessities of your life. This would include rent or mortgage payments, car insurance, student loans payments, life insurance premiums, etc.

Lastly, having a reward fund doesn’t hurt. In this fund, you could save for that new car you want, your special vacation, the new designer bag you have had your eye on, or even to plan for the holiday gifts you know you will be buying every year.

There was a time when people preferred to hide their money under their mattresses rather then trust a bank, but even though we have had some real problems in the baking industry this year, a savings account is probably still a better bet since you will earn some interest. Some of the other savings tools you can use to your benefit are Certificates of Deposit (CD’s), Money Market Accounts, and U.S. Savings Bonds.

Moving on to Investing

After you have covered your basic living expenses and saved for both the seen and unforeseen expenses, you may want to consider using any extra money for investments. Remember, investments usually have longer-term goals, like paying for retirement or children’s college.

Note to self: you shouldn’t invest more than you are willing or able to lose.

There are many ways to invest your money, whether you want to invest in hard assets like property, precious metals or antiques, or equity investments through stocks and bonds or mutual funds. Which choice is best for you really depends on the time frame and what you are looking to accomplish.

• Stock: is actual ownership of a part of a company, so how your investment will perform depends on how the company performs. If it flies high, you will likely make money, if it goes under, you could lose everything you put in. Depending on which stocks you choose, you may be very aggressive and experience growth rapidly or look for slower progress.
• Bonds: instead of being an owner, you are a lender. You have loaned the company money and it pays you back with fixed interest in a certain amount of time. The company may provide the opportunity to earn a stream of income over time. This is often the reason that those needing stable income look to bonds to pay out regularly as they mature.
• Mutual Funds: provide professional management by a company that pools investors and invests their money in a diverse portfolio, ranging from stocks, to bonds, and other securities or a combination of investments.

Here are a few great websites that offer their services to help you save and invest!

• www.finra.org - FINRA Broker Check is a free tool to help investors check the professional background of the current and former FINRA-registered securities firms and brokers. It is a resource many investors turn to when choosing whether to do business with a particular broker or brokerage firm.
• www.google.com/tipjar - Tip Jar is a tool that helps you discover and share new and useful tips for saving money in your daily life. With this tool, users find new ways to cut down on utilities bills, plan more cost-conscious vacations, and save money one everyday activities like commuting to work and grocery shopping. Tips are ranked by the web community with the most helpful receiving the highest rankings.
• www.fdic.gov - Read FDIC’s free publications to become a better-informed customer. Site also includes a consumer complaint on-line form if you have a question regarding FDIC deposit insurance coverage, or an inquiry or a complaint regarding your financial institution.

The Difference Between Savings and Investing - Summer 2009