Customer Service Category Archive
Cheryl Workman and her husband came by Carlisle's showroom and offices in Stoddard, New Hampshire last summer and fell in love with our Antique Oak floor. Six months later, they untook the renovation project--installing the Antique Oak in their small kitchen in Michigan. The floor shown here was prefinished with an Amber stain and is 7-inch widths. Cheryl writes...
"...(The kitchen project) was a lot of mess, but so worth every minute of it. Thank you so much. I could not be happier."
Author's Name: Christine Halvorson
Posted Date: May 22, 2009 at 10:24 AM
Filed under: Customer Service, Events, Home Flooring Choices
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Tags: Antique oak, Carlisle, michigan, remodeling, wide plank floors
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Design and Sales Consultant Gary Ryer, in our Stoddard offices, shared this story with the whole company recently and we thought it was worth sharing with you. Gary writes:
I just wanted to share a recent experience with one of our builder/customers in Kennebunkport, Maine. (Carlisle's) John Rafuse was delivering a floor to that customer last Friday morning. Unfortunately, the builder's crew was unable/unavailable to help him unload the 1,000 square feet of antique oak and premium white oak during that delivery.
Small world that it is, Matt Morin of our Swanzey Mill (Geographic note: Swanzey is in New Hampshire, probably 140 miles from Kennebunkport) happened to be there on a day off with his girlfriend (apparently Matt has family up there) and they both helped unload the order and answer questions for the customer....Matt, I want to thank you personally for taking your own time to give a very good customer a very positive experience. Keep up the good work! With an attitude and a spirit like that, you have earned the respect of us all!--Gary
Author's Name: Christine Halvorson
Posted Date: April 13, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Filed under: Customer Service
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Lauren Power of our New Hampshire design team received this photo and letter from her clients in Walpole, NH! The floor is unfinished… but GORGEOUS just the same. We hope to get some additional photos once the finish is applied!
Hi Lauren. Hope this email finds you and the baby in good health. Thought I would send you a small section of the floor. As of yesterday, it is all in. Moe and I are so pleased. It is absolutely beautiful!! Thank you so much for your time and your help through the process. We will never forget all you did. Are you all settled into your house?
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: November 12, 2008 at 4:27 PM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, DIY - Do It Yourself, Hardwood Flooring, Home Building and Contracting, Home Flooring Choices, Regions, Wood Grains & Styles
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Rick Menard, of our New York Sales Region, sent in a donation to benefit this charity and here's a letter we received from them...
Miracles On Main Street had their wine event to benefit Connecticut Children's Medical Center! The event was
was held Oct 10, 2008 at the Keeney Cultural Center, Main Street in Wethersfield.
We are pleased to report the event was a great success and we raised $11,000 for CCMC!
Thank you so very much to all our supporters; our sponsors, contributers, volunteers and those who attended our fundraiser! For additional details and event night photos, click here!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: November 3, 2008 at 3:18 PM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, Rick Menard, Sara Fritz
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Tags: carlisle wide plank floors, previous customer
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While bow hunting for whitetail deer in the beautiful
state of Illinois last week, I was reminded how it is a small world we
live in, and the genuine kindness of people stretches across our lands.
Having filled my tag, I had an extra day to kill so I decided to look up
a friend of an old client to ask permission to hunt his farm. I drove to
the road I had written down two years earlier, and knocked on the first
door I came across, without luck. I proceeded up the dirt road and
came across a large steel building, with the most beautiful view.
After knocking on the door, the gentleman that answered turned out to be
the friend of my client. I introduced myself as having worked with his
friend and before I could tell him what company I was with, he asked me
to step into the building, then he had me turn around to see the wall
behind us. He said, "look familiar?" It was a large wall of our
beautiful wide heart pine from end-to-end, leftovers from his friend's
home I worked on.
When Jim said to me, "I have been waiting for you to stop in, and you
are more than welcome to hunt here", I couldn't believe it. This is from
a conversation I had with a client two years ago, and this gentleman
still remembered! The genuineness and kindness the man showed me is just
another of the many reasons I do what I do, and enjoy it so much.
Rick
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 3:06 PM
Filed under: Customer Service, Regions, Rick Menard, True Hardwood Story
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Tags: carlisle wide plank floors
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Rick Menard's clients of Connecticut emailed these photos of our wide pine floors... 10” to 15” widths with our custom Hit or Miss surface, and our signature Gingerbread stain.
Here's a note from Rick: Gary Brennan installed and finished the floors. Great job Stoddard mill & everyone. They just ordered another 1500 sf for additional rooms!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 9:50 AM
Filed under: Customer Service, Home Decor, Home Flooring Choices, Regions
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Here's a nice letter and photos that we received from client's of ours. They purchased our FSC Antique Oak floors and beams.
Hello,
Wanted to let you know our room is done and came out really nice. Attached are some pictures of the room prior to the furniture coming in. I installed some puck lights in the beams so light is cast onto the ceiling when activated. One question my wife had is what do you recommend for general cleaning of the floors. Any product that you recommend would be appreciated. Thanks again for all your help in the entire process. We are very pleased.
Todd and Gina Neddermann
P.S...We recommend weekly vacuuming (or sweeping) and a capfull of white vinegar to warm water for damp mopping!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 9:36 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Regions
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Here's a nice letter that Adam Whitney, of our New York sales team, received today! This couple purchased our wide pine floors.
Hello Adam,
I hope this note finds you well.
Thank you for the kind note and the maple syrup. My wife and I go
through tons of the stuff, so it's much appreciated.
I am doing less and less construction apart from home projects, as "my
other job" as a magazine editor is taking more and more of my time (and
generating more of a fulltime income). I still sing the praises of
Carlisle any chance I get, especially when folks visit our outbuilding
where the pine flooring looks great (and works great) over our radiant
flooring.
Thank you and I will be in touch about any future projects. Best, Brian
--
Brian Halweil
Editor, Edible East End
edibleeastend.com
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 31, 2008 at 9:40 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, Home Building and Contracting, Home Decor
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Here's a few letters we received recently...
"Our floors look spectacular we love, love, love them! The reclaimed oak and barn siding is even more beautiful that we though it would be. It's fantastic!"
From Emily and Michael in New Jersey
Tim and Lucy Hassett, also of New Jersey purchased our Hickory floors
"Floors exceeded our expectations. They are absolutely beautiful!"
Todd and Gina Nedderman of Clinton, Connecticut really love their Antique Oak floor
"Best floor I have ever seen, excellent product!"
Daniel and Robin Sambuco of Springfield, Pennsylvania write this about their Hickory floors.
"I researched five other companies. Carlisle had the best product, the best warranty. Customer service was very knowledgeable and a great help in picking out shipping, installation and finishing. Experts in the industry! Will definitely use you again"
Philip and Micheline Burger of Kansas purchased our Heart Pine floors for their home.
"The floor looks beautiful and really makes the space feel more open and larger!"
David Brunicardi of Berkley, California bought our Heart Pine floors.
"I'm a woodworker so the floors were perhaps the most important feature in the home my wife and I are building. Carlisle delivered on all aspects of choosing and purchasing a unique, quality floor, thanks!"
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 29, 2008 at 11:11 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, Regions
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Tags: DIY
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This is a nice letter and photo from Peter Switzer's client! They used our wide pine floors in their Chestnut Oak Lodge.
This is a photo from their website of the lodge.
Hello Peter,
Since you were involved in our project, it's with great pleasure that I can now proudly announce to you that our log cabin in the beautiful Shenandoah valley of Virginia is complete and ready for service! WOOHOO!
I know you’ve been hearing me talk about it for a long time now (like 3 years – who knew it would take so long!?!), so I wanted to make sure I filled you in on the finished product.
Please see this link for all the details: www.chestnutoaklodge.com
Yes, this cabin has its own web site (and blog!) because we have decided to rent it out for vacation rentals so others can enjoy it as much as we do. We have also added links to your company since we are so fond of you.
Thanks for sticking by me through this project – if you have ideas about what I should do next, please let me know. I am looking forward to the next one!
Talk to you soon,
Jeff A. Dunkelberger
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 28, 2008 at 3:11 PM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, Home Decor, Regions
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Tags: wide plank floors
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We've been working with Classic Hardwood Floors for over ten years now. Here's a nice letter from owner, Joe Boos.
Although it is my profession and can be challenging and stressful at times, I thoroughly enjoy being the owner/operator of Classic Hardwood Floors. In 1998 my brother Eric and I formed our business and had the best time of our life working together for 10 years. A person seriously could write a book about all of our experiences. We did have a few employees throughout the years, most notably our other two brothers and our father. Imagine a customers surprise after contracting us to work in their million dollar + houses based only on phone conversations and a written proposal; only to have a truckload of 18-24 year olds show up at their door on day one to install a beautiful, expensive wide plank floor. I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked how old I am, when my dad or boss was showing up, or where is the guy I talked to on the phone. Of course the outstanding results continue to be a testament to the beauty of Carlisle’s wood and our commitment to perfection. Eric has recently moved on to bigger and better things (design consultant for this company called Carlisle Wide Plank Floors), however I still enjoy installing floors with my employees Jeff and Eddie.
Originally our business was a general wood floor operation (strip flooring, sand and poly, refinishing, etc). Thanks to the expertise and knowledge of so many at Carlisle we transformed into specializing in the installation and finishing of wide plank floors. Many quickly conclude they are one and the same, and although wide plank flooring contains many of the same aspects of “wood flooring”, in my opinion it is in a league of its own. You could liken it to the difference between arithmetic and algebra. A mathematician cannot learn algebra before the groundwork or basics are laid (arithmetic,etc). I feel as if we went from being nailers and sanders to craftsmen and artists. We went from installing and finishing floors that looked good to creating timepieces that make a house.
The first floor we did with Carlisle was a face nailed, stained, and tung oiled eastern white pine for John and Randee Malmberg. Randee could not find the floor she had seen in a magazine picture. No one in the area could. After extensive searching we stumbled upon Carlisle. Todd Waterman and Chris Sy were tireless in their efforts to insure we gave Randee the floor she wanted. Thank goodness they were! What a difference this floor was from what we were used to. No conventional sanding? No way! Face nail the face of the boards with antique square cut nails? No way! However, it turned out great and because of our commitment to quality and a number of referrals from Carlisle and the Malmbergs our wide plank career took off.
Since the Malmbergs we have installed and finished 111 wide plank floors for Carlisle. We have done many eastern white pine and heart pine, along with red and white oak, hickory, maple, ash, walnut, cherry, antique woods, saw kerf surface, hand scraped surface, barnboard, and many others that I am likely forgetting.
Among my favorites are the antique woods. The warmth and character in antique wood cannot be beat. One of my all time favorites is probably the antique sweetgum (an extremely rare antique wood with grain and color being similar to a mix of hickory and cherry) we installed in Lakeside, MI. Beautiful!
We also, because of being specialists, have had the privilege of working a large territory and discovering so many great places to visit, restaurants, and wonderful people. Carlisle floors have brought us to downtown Chicago, many of the suburbs, on the lake in Michigan, and rural Wisconsin, and many other places.
Over the past 10 years we have worked with so many great people at Carlisle. I truly view it a privilege and honor to be a part of crafting your beautiful floors and working with you guys. Without your help and support we would never had made it, and we sincerely thank you for everything! The relationships formed through the years are far more than simple business ties. We view you all as friends and family. So here is to 111 or more outstanding works of art!
THANK YOU!
Here's a few photos of floors that Classic Hardwood Floors' has installed over the years!
Birch
Hand Scraped White Oak with Stain
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 9:57 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Hardwood Flooring, Home Building and Contracting, Jen Fox, Regions, Restoration Projects, True Hardwood Story, Wood Grains & Styles
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Tags: chicago floors, relationships
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Bill from Warmboard stopped by for a visit during the Log and Timber Show! We have partnered with Warmboard in the past on events and email marketing as our products are a great fit together. Bill works with the girls from our DC office, Janel and Hannah.
Here's a radiant heat panel that Warmboard let us borrow during the show!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 9:44 AM
Filed under: Customer Service, Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Home Building and Contracting, Home Decor, Megan Sprague, Regions
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Tags: chantilly show, relationships, subfloor radiant heat
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I had the opportunity to meet with Angela from Washington SPACES magazine when at the Log and Timber show in Chantilly. In the Fall issue of SPACES, Carlisle was interviewed in the article "The Ground Game" about our FSC Certified Antique wood and pattern floors. Click here to read the full article and to see photos of our floors!
Here's a photo of me and Angela at the show!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 9:36 AM
Filed under: Customer Service, Megan Sprague, True Hardwood Story
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Tags: advertising, editorial feature
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This customer is in the process of having her FSC Antique Oak floors installed.
Here's a nice letter she sent to Dana Tuscher of our New York sales team...
Thank you very much for the lovely picture - the wood is drop dead gorgeous!
I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me today. Each time I have called your company I have been handled in a first class kind of way by each person I have spoken to - what a luxury. Please tell your staff their
kindness goes a long way and makes a lasting impression. It is a pleasure dealing with Carlisle.
Best....
Carol
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 21, 2008 at 4:23 PM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, Green Building and Eco Friendly Products
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Here's a note from Lauren Power of our Midwest Sales team:
Thought you might like to take a look at this amazing PREFINISHED floor
we made for homeowners in PA.
It's a mix of 4-8" 'country' White Oak and all 8" 'country' rift and
quarter sawn white oak with gingerbread stain!
The best news is that the builder is now needing about 2000 SF of
prefinished Cherry for another home he's working on. This is a builder
who was VERY hesitant about our terms and didn't want to pay for the
floor before he saw it. I guess we proved ourselves the first time
around- thank you to everyone involved in crafting this beauty!
Enjoy
LP
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 4:05 PM
Filed under: Customer Service, Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Hardwood Flooring, Home Building and Contracting, Home Decor, Regions, Wood Grains & Styles
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Sotheby's Sudlers Realty The Fall Collection™ 2008 event is set for Wednesday, October 22nd, (7 to 10pm) at the Ann Sacks showroom at the Merchandise Mart.
This exclusive event will also have a raffle for a local charity that benefits underprivileged Chicago children, TOP. We anticipate about 200 persons to attend the event. The event is invitation-only and fully catered evening by a top caterer, J&LCatering.
Carlisle is a sponsor of the event!
Visit the event's website here.
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 9:18 AM
Filed under: Customer Service, Regions, True Hardwood Story
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Tags: design centers
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An email from Shanon of our New England Sales staff:
Good Morning -
Here are some amazing shots of our Hit or Miss Eastern White Pine wide plank floors
stained Gingerbread in a new home in Hollis, New Hampshire. This was a
customer that came to us loving the milled barnwood
and for budget reasons had to "compromise" - but I'd say this is far
from a compromise. Great job to the stoddard guys for another amazing
floor.
Enjoy!
Here's the nice letter and photos from her clients in Hollis, New Hampshire!
Hi Shanon,
We finally finished the last tung oil coats on the floor and it looks
BEAUTIFUL!!! So many people (including the town inspector!), have fallen in love with our Carlisle wide plank floor. I thought you might like to see a few pictures of the final product. I don't have the greatest camera -but you'll get the idea! We are moving in this week and will enjoy these floors for many years to come.
Thanks so much for all your help - you all have been wonderful to work with!
Fondly,
Wendy
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 20, 2008 at 10:05 AM
Filed under: Customer Service, Home Building and Contracting, Home Decor, Home Flooring Choices, Regions, Wood Grains & Styles
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Lisa and Keith Hatch purchased their Brown Maple floor (with hand scraped edges) earlier this year. They received the floor and proceeded to stain it with one of our custom stains, to match a sample that we had sent them. After a few rounds of the stain, it was turning out way too light.
Sales Manager Kevin Crowder remembers, "They were having trouble getting the same dark color on their floor that we had sent them in the sample. They called me with their concerns and I took good care of them. I paid them to have it sanded back down to raw wood. Once they did that it took the stain darker as the photos show."
Lisa and Keith are very happy with their floors! See this note that Lisa sent earlier this year:
Hi Kevin,
Our floors turned out great! It was a pleasure working with you and the rest of the Carlisle Wide Plank Floor staff. I will certainly recommend your company to others interested in exceptional wood floors.
I’ve attached pictures. I apologize for not sending these photos sooner. If you need additional ones, please let me know!
Many thanks again for everything!
Lisa and Keith Hatch
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 17, 2008 at 3:35 PM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, Hardwood Flooring, Home Decor, Regions, Wood Grains & Styles
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Tags: dark floors, hand scraped edge, maple stained
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Over the years, we've partnered with Deltec Homes of Asheville, NC on many projects. One of the largest was the sponsorship of an Extreme Makeover Home Edition Home in New Orleans last year!
We received this letter and photos from David Ide of Deltec Homes this week. Our floors are featured in their model home!
Glen,
I need some more Carlisle literature to put on display. We have handed out all that I had left over from my parade from last year. We have had so many people asking about the floors, they are truly the highlight of the house.
I have attached some photos for you. I can’t tell you how happy we are with how the floor came out.
David Ide
Director of Customer Relations
Deltec Homes, Inc.
69 Bingham Rd
Asheville, NC 28806
1-800-368-7401
www.deltechomes.com
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 9:58 AM
Filed under: Customer Service, Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Hardwood Flooring, Home Decor, Home Flooring Choices, Regions, Wood Grains & Styles
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Mark Nichols of our New England sales team, visited with his clients Elena and Lynn of Jewett Farms. We highlighted Jewett Farms last week on the blog with their newest studio in Newburyport, Massachusetts having Carlisle floors throughout. Lynn and Elena got the grand tour of Carlisle and nestled in at our design center and sample shop to talk about wood.
Here's Mark, Elena and Lynn chatting about the tight grain in this slice of Heart Pine.
This is the letter that Elena sent us following their visit:
Yesterday my colleague Lynn and I traveled from northern Massachusetts into the beautiful woods of New Hampshire – we lucked out and enjoyed a beautiful New England fall day. Our company, Jewett Farms, has become an exclusive partner with Carlisle and is distributing its wide plank floors from our new design studio in Newburyport, Massachusetts. It was very gratifying and educational to visit the Stoddard operation. We gained useful knowledge about the species, craft, and artistry of Carlisle flooring – so much of the language used to describe the work there resonated for us: it is the same language we use about the craft and art of our cabinetry. We were reminded each step along the way about the very special fit that seems to exist between Jewett Farms & Co. and Carlisle.
On a personal note, when I returned to my home in Massachusetts I realized I did not have my wallet and knew that I may have left it at Fiddleheads Cafe. I did not remember, in my panic, the full name of the Café so called Carlisle and explained my situation. Pat answered the phone – not only did she find me the contact information for the Café but offered, if my wallet was found there, to pick it up for me and send it back to me overnight. Previously I had remarked more than once about the friendly, courteous, and professional voices on the phone when I call Carlisle and Pat’s effort to ease my anxiety was above and beyond and much appreciated.
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 15, 2008 at 8:44 AM
Filed under: Customer Service, Hardwood Flooring, Home Decor, Home Flooring Choices, Megan Sprague, Regions, Wood Grains & Styles
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Tags: customer visit, jewett farms
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Hannah Greeley of our Georgetown, DC design center sent me this note and photos!!
So, I had a customer that wanted me to meet him at a new house because he LOVED the walnut floors they had and he wanted to match them... so I took a drive out and as soon as I walked in the door, I KNEW they were our floors, absolutely gorgeous!! Turns out after some digging, these ARE our floors and even sweetened the deal to my customer after knowing that!
Thanks to the mill for these gorgeous floors and to Glen for selling these particular floors that the customer can’t stop raving about, we got the sale!
I wanted to share the pictures I shot with everyone (sorry, not the best lighting) but I can’t stop staring at these pictures, absolute beauty!
Thanks to all! Enjoy!
-Hannah
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 8, 2008 at 3:51 PM
Filed under: Customer Service, Hardwood Flooring, Home Decor, Regions, True Hardwood Story
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Tags: hannah's client, milled to match, walnut
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It's always nice to have clients come and visit our New Hampshire design center. Not only is it our home base, but it's where we hand craft all of our wide plank floors! Gary and Heidi Ryder came down from Canada for a friendly visit and to pick up their floors!
Here's a few words from their blog:
"You can do a lot in 48 hours!! We drove to the US and picked up our wide-plank pine floors at Carlisle in Stoddard, New Hampshire. (We also went to Boston and saw a Sox game and met up with friends in Freeport!)
I can't even explain how amazing the customer service and operation is at Carlisle....Mark Nichols, who sold us our floors, has been fantastic since we first became interested in the product, calling us, sending samples, e-mailing and answering all our questions."
Click here to read the rest of the post and to see some photos!
A photo from Gary and Heidi's blog! This is Mark Nichols (left) and Gary (right) at our New Hampshire design center!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 7, 2008 at 1:43 PM
Filed under: Customer Service
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Tags: canada, clients blog, floor pick up
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Judy Wilson of Middleton, Massachusetts sent us this customer letter about her birch wide plank floors.
We love it! The wood was of excellent quality!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 11:48 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service
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Kevin and Carole Schumann of Orwell, Vermont sent us this letter
Love the flooring! Installed and sealed successfully with advice and guidance from Rick. Thank you!
Kevin and Carole installed their own floors! They purchased two floors: wide plank Eastern White Pine with our signature Plymouth Pumpkin Stain and our wide plank Birch.
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 10:28 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, DIY - Do It Yourself
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Tags: birch and eastern white pine, DIY, vermont
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Randy and Cindy Blackwell of Sparks, Nevada sent us this letter (short, but sweet) about their Antique Oak floors
It's beautiful, we LOVE it!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 10:26 AM
Filed under: Customer Service
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We received this letter from our clients David and Lisa of Spokane, Washington!
Installer did half of the tung oil finish before he realized that stain was needed first so he sanded most of it multiple times. Ultimately completing with stain and then tung oil. Your help was tremendous, you were very available when our installer was not!
David and Lisa have our wide plank Eastern White Pine.
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 10:19 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service
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Tags: eastern white pine, stained pine floors, wide plank floors, wide plank pine
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We received this customer letter from Bean Lacey of Kenai, Alaska! Bean installed his own floors, wide plank Eastern White Pine with our signature Gingerbread stain.
This stuff looks great! What a beautiful floor. It looks just like the old dance halls and saloons. Everyone that comes in just stops and looks!! Thanks Carlisle and also Tim Galvin.
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 6, 2008 at 10:12 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, DIY - Do It Yourself
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Tags: DIY, eastern white pine, floors in alaska, stained pine floors, wide plank floors, wide plank pine
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We received this nice letter from customer Skip Ressel of Martinsville, Virginia.
Had it not been for Crystal Knowles' patience, knowledge, help and friendliness, I probably would not have my beautiful floor. She is the greatest!
Skip installed his Eastern White Pine floors too!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 10:06 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, DIY - Do It Yourself
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Tags: DIY, eastern white pine, floors in virginia, stained pine floors, wide plank floors, wide plank pine
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We received this customer letter from Felix and Tarrole Mifeld from Desoto, Missouri.
Best floor I have ever seen! Easy to install, looks as old as our other floors from 1836!
By the way, Felix installed the Eastern White Pine floors!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 10:01 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, DIY - Do It Yourself
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Tags: DIY, eastern white pine, floors in missouri, stained pine floors, wide plank floors, wide plank pine
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Crystal Knowles of our sales staff received these photos from her clients on Long Island. They own a 100-year old waterfront home and chose our wide plank Eastern White pine with Handscraped Edges and dark brown stain. Also, the floor is installed over radiant heat!
Enjoy!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 2, 2008 at 11:52 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, Home Decor
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Tags: 100 year old waterfront home, hand scraped edges, long island, radiant heat, sleigh bed, stained pine, white, wide pine
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Hello again Peter,
Just so you have some perspective of why I said it was such a pleasure working with Carlisle…that little kitchen took 4 tries to get the right cabinets installed (wrong measurements, wrong size door panel for the refrigerator, wrong finish when the new panel came in, etc., etc. Those cabinet were originally measured and ordered in August of 2007…it finally got completed correctly in August 2008…and they were local.) You folks delivered the right product exactly what was described and exactly to dimension. THANK YOU.
Here are some shots of the 3rd floor hall with your clear vertical grain heart pine. The shot from the bedroom shows both the original and the new floors..pretty good!
Steve
Original Floors-100 year old Heart Pine
Carlisle Floors-Recreating the look of the existing floors!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 1, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, Restoration Projects
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Tags: 100 year old home, customer service, heart pine, maple syrup, thank you, victorian style homes
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Another very happy customer in NJ who purchased our 4-10" Antique Hickory Amber prefinished Hickory for a
kitchen remodel. I hope to get pictures from the customer and will pass along, but in the meantime Great job to the guys in the mill for making another amazing floor, and the prefinishing shop for a job well done and helping create another happy customer!
Have a nice day.
Shanon
Hi Shanon,
So the floors are all in and installed, and I have to say - they look amazing!! We absolutely LOVE them! And of course Jeff and my first reaction was "we should have done the whole downstairs in them". Well maybe down the road... :-) Anyway - thank you again for all of your help throughout this process. You made it a great experience. Now we just can't wait to get everything else done in the house, so we can move back into those rooms and actually enjoy the floors.
Thanks again!
Collyn
Author's Name: Guest Blogger
Posted Date: at 10:33 AM
Filed under: Customer Service
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Tags: Antique Hickory, Customer Letter, prefinish, prefinishing
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After receiving our “thank you” maple syrup in the mail, Peter Switzer’s client sent this nice email and photos! The photos show Carlisle Heart Pine floors in their 100-year-old Victorian style home.
Hi Peter,
Thanks for the nice surprise in the mail. Actually just returned from VT/NH over the weekend. Didn’t come back with any maple syrup but now we are all set.
Attached are a few pictures of the floor in the kitchen area. Truly appreciate your guidance in selection and expertise throughout the process. Our project is completed with the exception of a few details. Dealing with you folks was really a pleasure. We had some really “lows” during construction but Carlisle was definitely one of the highlights.
Steve Singer
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: September 26, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Filed under: Customer Service
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Tags: 100 year old home, customer service, heart pine, maple syrup, thank you, victorian style homes
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Here's a letter we received from Dolores Picone of River Edge, New Jersey:
Dear Carlisle,
My Pumpkin Pine wide plank floors from Carlisle look beautiful. Adam, our sales rep, handled everything very professionally. My installer, Finley Floors, was able to call in for help with the installation.
Dolores chose Carlisle's Eastern White Pine floors for her 1700's home.
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 10:21 AM
Filed under: Customer Service
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Tags: 1700s home, customer letters, eastern white pine, pumpkin pine, wide pine, wide plank floors
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Good afternoon Jim,
I have spent over 8 years here and I am extremely proud of what we do and the most amazing floors that we hand craft for each client. You should know that my guys here have more passion and dedication to making each floor than anyone in the industry. We make several thousands of square feet of flooring ever month, not missing a beat. We have set parameters for each floor that must be met. From the guys that hand select the floor to the few men that rip it down prior to going to the molder all facets are equally passionate but also making sure that the customer gets exactly what they ordered. We have built our business that way for over 40 years. I am so proud of the group of guys that make our floors because they carry the same honesty, integrity and ethics as I do.
I looked into exactly what we made for you and what was shipped. Taking it one step further I re-checked the tally sheet but also the packing slip and bill of lading which lists we shipped four crates which match up to the weight of the wood that your ordered and what we shipped 4,678sf. There is the possibility that the installer has generated more waste because he knows you are seeking a certain aesthetic appearance to the floor versus what we intended to be in the floor we crafted for you. Another possibility may be that after hours some of the flooring was taken from the job site.
I have checked and doubled checked everything. Everything I have checked measures up to exactly what I sent you. At this point who knows where the wood flooring is. We can easily go back & forth sending emails and not get anywhere. I want you to be able to complete your home, move in and get your life back. Building is a long and tedious project, believe me I know. Ask anyone here and they will tell you my experience was painful both financially but also put my marriage to the test (we were newly weds back then). I think we both should take ownership to this and with that said I would like to make half of the floor for you at no charge with you paying for the other half. Further more I will cover the shipping costs. With this I will also make sure that we make all of the flooring in the wider widths 8" face and wider. In closing I hope you find this to be fair solution for both sides.
Peter,
Your e-mail was greatly appreciated for just taking the time to express how Carlisle does business and the people that make up the company. This is why we went with you guys in the first place above anyone else. Commitment to excellence is what I strive for in anything and felt all of that when I was dealing with you, personally. So please understand this.
As far as the floors, while they are not exactly what we had in mind, it is clear that the wood is a quality product. Cannot understand why there is no tongue and groove on the ends. Don spoke to this by stating
that they should have been glued down but this prohibits a felt vapor barrier from being used which is standard from what we are being told. Anyway, in the end, they will look great and I will send pictures if you want.
As far as the shortage goes, I am hard-pressed to think that any wood was taken from the site. And my builder has measured the area twice to ensure that this was accurate as well. And I DO believe you when you say that you shipped what you said you did. I just want to understand
how we fell short in the first place. Could it be from the issue over the final face widths as opposed to the original/starting size of the material - in that 4600 sq ft of material was used from the start but after milling, it ended up in the neighborhood of 500 sq ft short of actual coverage?
Anyway, my wife and I very much appreciate yours and Carlisle's offer to get the remaining material and will graciously accept it. Please let me know how you want it paid for and we will be glad to make it happen.
Clearly, this project has been difficult (if you only knew) given the extend and nature of my letter. We haven't been met with the greatest degree of honesty by many we have had to deal with. We were afraid, (as
obviously intimated in my letter) that Carlisle was yet another. We hope there is no ill will for there is none on this end. We would certainly recommend Carlisle for their superior wood products and customer service, because, in reality, despite the variance, the service has been great.
Thank you again for your time and provision in rectifying this matter.
Sincerely,
Jim Caputo
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: September 16, 2008 at 12:31 PM
Filed under: Customer Service
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To Whom It May Concern,
When I recently purchased a home in Sun Valley, Idaho I searched the internet for the floors that I wanted. Consistently the “look” that I wanted turned out to be your product. I called the contact person and was directed to Brian Graham. After speaking with him for a little while we discovered that we were both in Chicago. I went down to visit the showroom and left with samples to show my wife. My wife and I both liked the same floor so we ordered it and were excited about our purchase. We then needed an installer and guidance as to how to make it look like the product that we saw.
Brian was above and beyond helpful. He helped us choose an installer, he guided everyone through the process and called me periodically just to check on our progress. I finally got out there last week to see them and I couldn’t be happier with the result. I credit Brian with being instrumental in seeing that it was done right.
My wife and I are Real Estate brokers on the North Shore of Chicago. Whenever anyone mentions Rehabbing we always suggest that they consider a Carlisle wide plank floor.
Lanny Brooks, from Highland Park, IL
Author's Name: Stephanie Urquhart
Posted Date: September 3, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Filed under: Customer Service
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Tags: Brian Graham, Chicago, Renovation, Wood flooring
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I had a pretty cool thing happen today — I called one of our customers earlier this morning to give her the name of a referral in her area where she could see our flooring in person. Then, I found out another person was willing to be a referral, too, so I called the customer back to give her the additional name. Well, she had already made an appointment to see the first referral’s flooring tonight. Not only that, but when she was being given directions she was asked if she knew where ‘Oak Street’ was? She said she sure did, and it turns out the referral that she is going to see tonight lives three doors down from where the customer is building her new home!
Now she gets to see our floors AND meet her new neighbors…
I’d say we really do offer the best customer service — what do you think?
Author's Name: Jen Fox
Posted Date: July 23, 2008 at 10:31 AM
Filed under: Customer Service, Jen Fox
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The AIA, American Institute of Architects, is a coalition of over 83,000 members - including licensed architects, designers, corporate sponsors, and government representatives. The organization is multi-faceted; however one of the foremost initiatives is ongoing education.
For us, the opportunity to present is about getting the chance to educate key decision makers on the application of our products. Currently, we offer three approved courses - each at 1.5 (CEU) Continuing Education Units and 1 Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) unit:
- Wide Plank Wood Floors Over Radiant Heat: Yes You Can!
- Antique Woods: Reclaiming the Past
- Building Green: One Plank at a Time
Are any of you architects interested in learning more about our AIA-CEU program? For the rest of you, don't you think it's critical that our architects stay update on available products and applications? What other seminar topics do you think we should consider covering?
Author's Name: Lindsay Barczuk
Posted Date: April 8, 2008 at 5:10 PM
Filed under: Customer Service, Lindsay Barczuk
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Tags: AIA, Antique Floors, Building Green, Carlisle, CEU, HSW, Radiant Heat
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How important is customer service? Not improtant at all...until you need it. If you are buying a commodity item and it always works, like maybe a pillow, you may never need to ask anyone how to fluff it.
I was working on my 31' Model A Streetrod over the weekend, and I needed to find some information related to a special technique in the painting of "ghost flames."
After searching the internet without success, I decided to call the company I bought the paint from. Please keep in mind this paint is far from a commodity shelf item, and is very expensive, ($225.00 a quart). So I figured if anyone could answer my questions, they would be able to. They are involved with some of the nicest rods built today.
Calling on a saturday morning, I was a little nervous about not being able to reach anyone. To my pleasant surprise, I was able to connect to their "technical department" immediately. To my dismay, it was obvious that the person I spoke with could barely understand what I was speaking about, and knew nothing about my subject.
When clients are running into problems, or just have simple questions, customer service is the link between them and our product. One of the reasons we here at Carlisle Wide Plank Floors are so successfull is we don't have a "technical department." From the first day you call in, till the day you move your furniture on to your beautiful floors, you are always speaking with the same person. We have installed and finished our floors, we understand slabs, crawl spaces, sub-floors, acclimation, and just about anything else you may have questions on regarding flooring. If one of us is away, or busy, and you need to speak with someone immediately, one of my many co-workers will pick up the phone and help you. We also have someone on-call over the weekends, and I have been known to give my clients my home phone number in case they may need me in the evening. If you leave a message for me, I won't go home before calling you back.
How important is customer service? VERY IMPORTANT! There is nothing worse then not getting the answers, when really needed. Does anyone know anything about ghost flames?
Author's Name: Rick Menard
Posted Date: March 31, 2008 at 2:43 PM
Filed under: Customer Service, Rick Menard
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Tags: Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, customer service, finishing floors, ghost flames, hardwood, Hardwood Surface, installing floors, street rods, wide plank flooring
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I recently read an amazing blog/article written by C.B. Whittemore called Luxury Marketing: It Surrounds Us! In her blog, ironically called Flooring the Consumer, Whittemore speaks about the Luxury Market and how it behooves anyone in the Luxury industry to take their customer service very seriously. I couldn't help but make a correlation between it and my position at Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, not to mention our general company philosophies. You see, at Carlisle, we responsibly procure and handcraft Wide Plank Wood Floors of only the highest quality. Every floor we make is handcrafted with each individual customer's wants, needs and desires in mind. Each plank that goes into a Carlisle Floor is meticulously inspected by dozens of skilled craftsmen to ensure the desired characteristics are met while also being carefully examined to meet Carlisle's stringent standards for excellence. These concepts are carried throughout every aspect of our organization. In many ways our wood receives the same type of individual attention that we strive to provide each customer with every time we are in contact with them. I'm sure by now you can see where my analogy is headed. In essence, from the moment a customer calls in for the first time, throughout every step of their decision making process, all the way until they place their order and beyond, it is the apex of our business to develop a relationship with each customer. Some of these relationships last weeks, yet most of them last years and even generations!
I work in Customer Service at Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, so I am at the front lines of this initiative. Proudly, I am often the first voice our customers hear when they call in. Each person on my team shares a common goal to create a memorable experience in every contact each customer has with us. We then take this concept and expand upon it by following up with our customers to check to see if they got our brochure they requested, received the samples our shop crafted for them, as well as answer any questions they may have. To top it off, we then contact each customer after their floors have become a part of their home or project to see how everything turned out. At this point, or at any point for that matter, we encourage them to let us know if there is anything we may be able to improve upon. We consider this feedback to be among the most important we receive, as it's truly what allows us to continue with our mission and evolve as a business.
Each string woven into the fabric of our company contributes to these philosophies. Whether you're a Finisher working in our Sample Shop handcrafting a sample to match a particular customers cabinets, a Craftsman in our Mill selecting the perfect plank of Old Growth White Oak because it has a beautiful knot that's going to fit right into the Country Kitchen it's being crafted for, or if you work right beside me in Sales/Customer Service; each member of the Carlisle Family shares this common goal: to provide superior customer service that leaves a footprint of memory behind; and much like a Carlisle Floor, will last generations and won't ever be replaced.
Author's Name: Stephanie Urquhart
Posted Date: February 8, 2008 at 4:52 PM
Filed under: Customer Service, Stephanie Urquhart
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Tags: carlisle wide plank floors, customer service, flooring the consumer, luxury marketing, superior customer service, wide plank flooring
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