At Cyndi's Carpet showroom in Rock Hill, SC, our on-site pros answer a ton of questions about flooring. However, one query that really stands out, concerns homeowners who worry about purchasing their next renovation materials from knockoff warehouses unknowingly. Of course, these kinds of places sell inferior quality goods at rock bottom prices, but unfortunately, those surfacing materials won't pass muster once installed.
After only a few short months, possibly even weeks, you'll wish you hadn’t visited the least expensive place you found online after searching for "cheapest flooring store near me." Therefore, we'd like to provide you with these 4 glaring differences between a legit flooring store and a knockoff warehouse, to prevent a whole lot of renovation heartache.
#1 - Lack of Samples
When you walk into a giant warehouse full to the brim with very little variety, you need to ask yourself how that's even possible. At a quality flooring store, there's always a huge selection of samples. Should they not have a particular type of color or wood tone, they'll most likely have no issues ordering it, so you can see if you'd like to purchase it. Basically, at a legit showroom, they aim to provide exactly what the customer wants, not the other way around where they're pushing what they have on you.
#2 - Poor Workmanship
Typically, a homeowner will be able to see the samples up close in the showroom, as well as be able to touch the material, and even walk on it to gauge their preference. Unfortunately, in a knockoff warehouse, their staff tends to keep surfacing samples on the wall or behind cases, limiting the opportunity to inspect the workmanship. If you can't touch and assess the surfacing material in-store, then you're probably in a warehouse that sells materials with poor quality.
#3 - Unknowledgeable Flooring Store Staff
Without a doubt, this is the most obvious glaring sign that you've either walked through the front door of a legitimate flooring store business, or an overnight money-grab. When you're asking questions, knowledgeable staff will answer them immediately, giving you their honest opinion about your particular renovation situation. But at a knockoff warehouse, you'll be astonished by their lack of basic knowledge, coupled with pushy sales tactics.
#4 - No Guarantee - Just Cheap Prices
When a guarantee on surfacing isn't available, for any of their materials, it's a clear sign you need to hightail it out of there! Essentially, they're telling you they have no idea how long their surfacing will last, and aren't even willing to provide a refund or store credit, should there be a major defect or poor workmanship. Instead, the exact opposite will be the case for a legitimate flooring store like Cyndi's Carpet, where we assure excellent materials because we only supply high-quality surfacing.
