Edition #21

Over the past 3 months, I have been traveling to many different tradeshows and it’s been great to be able to see and associate with all of the many friends that we have in the industry, which includes many of you.

For the most part, I am hearing tons of great success stories on how QFloors has made a difference in your business. We have also taken many suggestions from you on how we can improve certain features. There are some common, prominent things that I’m hearing a lot of requests about, and I think customers often don’t realize that some of these capabilities are already available, and some are soon to be available, through QConnect.

As a bit of background, QFloors has been adding and improving features in a product that we call QConnect. In general, QConnect gives QFloors users the opportunity to share information from QFloors with technologies in the outside world. It also gives outside technologies the ability to share info with your QFloors system.

For a couple of years now, we have had technology partners that have been transferring leads into QFloors from their software (website companies, CRM lead software like RLM and Zoho, dealers’ custom website programs, etc.) and some of our customers have already been taking advantage of those options. Recently, we have expanded the information and ways we share. For example, QFloors can track these leads as they move through the sales process and report status changes back to our technology partners. QConnect can also send notifications to external software about leads or sales that originated in QFloors (for instance, a walk-in or referral). Your website company, CRM, or communication partner can use this information to send certain texts or emails to customers. For example, when an installation date is approaching, an automated text can be sent to the customer reminding them of their installation date and explaining to them how to best prepare for the installation. This can be triggered just from things happening within QFloors or QSched.

Another hot topic during my tradeshow travels has been putting QR codes on showroom samples, and having the price be automatically displayed on a website that is connected to the QR code. The purpose of this is to not have to retag showroom samples every time a price changes. QFloors is now supplying our partners, through QConnect, access to catalogs that update QR code websites and other public-facing websites (even your company website) with real time product information like retail price, and quantity in stock. This is all happening automatically without dealer intervention. It will be a huge time-saver for those who take advantage of the capability. Mobile Marketing is the first company to offer some of these more advanced features but we expect more companies to follow suit soon.

In the near future, QConnect will also facilitate automatic payment entry into QFloors from those payments generated via QPay’s “Pay Now” requests.

While some QFloors customers have already been using these features in pre-release versions of QFloors, our new official release, QFloors version 9.0, makes them available to all customers who use the QConnect add-on product, which is $600/year/company or free if you are using QPay credit card processing.

If you’d like to learn more about QConnect and how it can help you, reach out to our sales team (801-563-0140, option 4, or sales@qprosoftware.com).

Floor covering retailers that offer consumer financing plans and promotions can increase their sales by providing customers with a more affordable way to purchase their products. With the increasing cost of living and the impact of inflation on disposable income, many customers are looking for ways to spread out their payments for larger purchases. Consumer financing plans and promotions are a great solution for customers looking to make their purchases more manageable.

By offering flexible payment options, floor covering retailers can increase their sales by making their products more accessible to a wider range of customers. This can be especially beneficial in times of economic uncertainty, when consumers may be more hesitant to make larger purchases due to the potential for financial instability. By providing customers with a financing option, retailers can help alleviate some of these concerns and encourage them to make a purchase.

In addition, with the current trend of higher interest rates, consumer financing plans with lower interest rates can be a particularly attractive option for customers. By offering a competitive interest rate, retailers can differentiate themselves from their competitors and provide customers with a more affordable way to make their purchase.

QFloors is now offering a seamless consumer financing option through QPay Later . We have teamed up with a large bank that offers specific plans for the home improvement industry that include:

• easy-to-use online applications filled in on a browser or phone app
• paperless contracts (if desired)
• 50% upfront funding
• up to 5 disbursements throughout the project
• a user-friendly user portal interface to track applications, funding and daily reports

Keep in mind that higher interest rates and inflation can increase the cost of financing for both the retailer and the customer. QPay Later offers more than 30 finance plan options. You as the dealer can decide which plans you can afford, given your margins. We suggest using 2 and no more than 3 options in your advertising to make it simple for salespeople and customers to understand.

Overall, consumer financing plans and promotions can be a powerful tool for floor covering retailers looking to increase their sales and provide customers with more affordable ways to make larger purchases. By carefully evaluating the risks and partnering with reputable financing companies, retailers can take advantage of this trend and differentiate themselves from their competitors.

I have the opportunity to rub shoulders with hundreds of flooring dealers like you, at different events around the country. Two important questions I was recently asked are:

1. How can the software help me sell more?
2. With all the moving pieces in the industry, is your technology going to remain the best over the next 5 years?

How Can QFloors Flooring Software Help Me Sell More?

Increase your flooring sales (the right way) with us.

In most cases, before we can add more sales into the equation, the best thing we can do is tighten up the core of your operations. By first ensuring efficiency in the full system, (purchasing, inventory management, receivables collection, etc.) you then will be ready for the increased volume. It does no good to add sales to a leaky system – you will be working harder for little to no more profit. So, audit your operations first and rely on our resources as you do so. Once you have a well oiled machine, you can then focus on utilizing the system to increase flooring sales.

By default, decreasing the time of your sales process increases your close rate. So let’s speed things up! Now I can already hear the objection that speeding up leads to more mistakes, and if you aren’t doing things “The QFloors Way,” then I will agree with you. But I have seen too many stores implement these processes, and the results they are receiving motivate me to share that this can absolutely be done.

The process begins with your sales reps, so here are 7 ways they can utilize QFloors to create and present proposals faster and more accurately, while still maintaining healthy margins:

1. Quickly fill in product information via Product Search and Line item entry from B2B or the Product Catalog.
2. Automate pricing with predetermined Retail Price Formulas.
3. Get a real-time display of profitability in the Job Costing view.
4. Calculate and recalculate totals by margin, or fixed amount, line by line or for the entire job on the fly.
5. Take payments, send payment requests or run a saved card on file right from the sale payment window using *QPay.
6. Use *QConnect to pull in customer data from leads captured using *Mobile Marketing or your own website, or social media. (QConnect also helps you better track ROI on all these advertising channels.)
7. Instantly import an entire job’s worth of labor and product descriptions, quantities, cut sheet, and floor plan diagrams from *MeasureSquare.

Smarter reporting, a shorter sales cycle, and less paperwork for the rest of your team will enable you to scale your sales without increasing employee overhead. You’ll also be able to spend less time in the back office, and more time on the sales floor.

Is your technology going to remain the best over the next 5 years?

The best is getting better.

From Windows to web based software competitors, none have figured out how to make software easier to use than ours. They continue to replicate the same overly complicated and time consuming processes. Our platform stands on only 6 main screens. This design was unique when we first built it, and remains unique today. We also have the momentum of 20+ years of logic and customer feedback built into our solutions. With integrations from some of the industry’s most powerful digital marketing, estimation, scheduling and payment processing players, QFloors provides a more valuable (and diverse) product suite than competitors.

QFloors is the industry’s best flooring software solution today. As we look to the future, our sights land squarely on QPro Software, a 100% cloud based solution that will have the same user-friendly layout as QFloors (The first versions have already been implemented and tested). This technology is still under construction, but will eventually provide the backbone for even the largest enterprise retailers in the country. While others may be losing their touch with your needs and expectations in exchange for meeting shareholder quotas, we promise to continue to provide support and service to you “The QFloors Way.”

Learn from one another, and from QFloors management and staff, in this unique training, networking, and collaboration conference. Come experience the perfect mix of advancement and adventure, and work and play, at one of the most popular national parks in the United States.

We held a QFloors Users Conference near here in 2019, and customers have begged us to return ever since.

Held at the scenic Cable Mountain Resort, in Springdale, Utah, you are literally steps away from the entrance to Zion National Park. It offers an extraordinary backdrop as you temporarily escape the rate race, clear your head, and elevate your game through valuable training, networking, and collaboration.

In the mornings, we will focus on training and networking meetings, and then in the afternoons, there will be plenty of time for you to explore the stunning scenery of the nearby sites, either on your own, with a local guide, or with group members. The crowds are thinned out this time of year, and jaw dropping vistas and unforgettable adventures are just around the corner.

We often hear that one of the greatest benefits of these conferences to our QFloors users is the opportunity attendees get to learn from one another. This training conference provides a chance to exchange ideas, compare notes, and share successes, whether it be about how a dealer is using QFloors to solve problems, specific QReporter reports they have developed and how they use them, or ways they are addressing common issues in the industry. We’ll also offer intensive training classes for different products and levels of expertise, as well as highlighting new or often overlooked features and capabilities of the software. We’re still nailing down the specific itinerary (to come), but topics and classes will be geared toward bettering your business and ensuring you’re getting the most from your QFloors software.

And our Development Roundtable gives you the opportunity to weigh in on future additions to QFloors & QPro, and what you think the most important development priorities should be.

This is an event not to be missed. Pencil it in your calendar, and look for more information soon!

Questions? Contact chris@qprosoftware.com.

Did you know there are new payment features available with QPay? We understand that when first setting up, it can be a lot of information to grasp all of the things QPay can do for you. Here is a recap of our new features, along with some other helpful information to review and keep in mind.

QFloors Payment Window Integration

The QFloors software records all payments automatically when payments are taken using the QPay button. This includes: Returns, Voids, and Tokens.

Pay Now Request

A Pay Now Request can be sent when choosing CREDIT (or eCHECKS if applicable) from QFloors. An email will be sent to the customer requesting they make a payment online for the suggested amount. *Please be aware that online payments are not integrated at this time, and some email setup is required; see the next section below.

Your company logo can be added to your email(s) being sent. Please keep in mind we can help you with this. You also have the ability to use different logos for different locations.

QPay Online Payments

For online payments made outside of QFloors, you will be provided a payment link and html button that can be published online for your customers.

To set these up, we will need to know the email(s) to which you’d like the Transaction Receipts sent. Note that online payments are not yet integrated and will need to be manually recorded in QFloors. So when a customer pays online using any link sent to them, this will require the payments to be manually recorded in QFloors once you receive the Transaction Receipt in your email. Please keep in mind Transaction Receipts resulting from the links and buttons sent may be delivered to two different emails. *Contact one of our support reps for more information.

We strongly recommend adding the Transaction ID in the payment description. All online payments needing a refund or to be voided will need to be completed on the following website:

Sending Emails from QFloors

You may send invoices directly to customers via email using QReporter. This uses the same setup required to send the Pay Now Request Emails.

It is important to know how to set up your QReporter Email. For instructions please log into QFloors.com > Support Login > Knowledge Base > QTools > QReporter > QReporter Email Setup

It’s also important to know how to log into your Host Provider’s website. For Instructions please log into QFloors.com > Support Login > Knowledge Base > QPay/Heartland > QPay > Pay Now Request – Improving Email Deliverability. Should you need any assistance with this, please do not hesitate to call support at 801-563-0140 Option 2.

Online QPay Logins (There will be two)

1. First View – This is where you will find your merchant statements, etc. You will need to call 1-800-701-2831 Option 3 to set up your account to review this. (The caller must be the same person who signed the documents with QFloors.)
2. Payment Gateway – This is what we call the virtual terminal. This will come in a “Time Sensitive” email along with your Welcome Email. If you do not remember or have not received your login, you must let us know. We would be happy to re-send this to you if needed.

If you already have QPay, make sure you are taking advantage of these new features. Should you have any additional questions or need any further assistance, please do not hesitate to give us a call. We would be happy to help.

And if you do not have QPay and are interested in learning more, contact steve@qprosoftware.com (or 801-563-0140, option 4). QPay has saved many of our customers thousands (you heard that right – thousands) of dollars, so if you haven’t looked into it already, I recommend you do so.

“In teamwork, silence isn’t golden, it’s deadly.” — Mark Sanborn, leadership speaker and author

Here at QFloors, we view customers as business partners. And because of that, we want to make sure that all of our customers are receiving important email communications regarding software feature updates, upcoming training and events, and outage statuses (if needed). We try not to blast our customers with emails to the point of overkill. However, we value the relationships we have with our customers and understand that communication is essential to maintaining and strengthening those relationships.

Below are 4 tips to ensure your company receives important email updates from QFloors:

1. Make sure the right email is listed as our primary contact.

This is probably the most common issue that we see. If you are the main primary contact for your business and haven’t been receiving emails (not even in your spam or promotions folders), this may be because we have an outdated email or ex-employee on file listed as the primary contact. To ensure we are using the correct email and main contact information for your store, please fill out this form. While we’re on the subject, if you need to update other information within your account (address change, billing updates, phone number change, employee/user updates, etc.) please call Irene at 801-563-0140 (ext. 112) and she can help you get squared away.

2. Make sure you haven’t unsubscribed to our emails.

In the past, we have had a few customers unsubscribe to our emails – thinking they were optional. However, unsubscribing doesn’t only remove you from receiving promotional emails, but our essential support emails as well. So if you remember unsubscribing at any point, you will have to email Irene (irene@qprosoftware.com) and let her know that you want to be added back in. The good news is right now we’re in the process of moving to segmented topic email lists fairly soon, meaning that in a few months customers can have more control over the types of emails they receive. We’re still testing this out but will let you know when these changes are in place.

3. Check to see if emails are going to your spam folder.

It’s typically rare if our emails get sent to a spam folder. But because our customers have different email providers and security settings, sometimes this occurs. Click on your spam folder in your email, and see if you can see any emails from QFloors Support. If so, it’s really easy to unmark these emails as spam. Telling your email provider that these emails are not spam will help them not mark them as such in the future.

If you see an email you don’t want in the Spam folder, just click on the email. Then, usually at the top or where your email settings are, you can click on an option to “Restore to Inbox” or “Mark as Not Spam.”

4. Check to see if emails are going to a promotions folder.

If you’re using Gmail, you will want to check to see if important emails are going to the “Promotions” tab/folder. Click on the “Promotions” tab and see if you can see emails from QFloors Support. If you do, please complete the following steps:

1. In the “Promotions” tab, select the check box next to an email from QFloors Support.
2. Click the 3 dots at the right end of the tool strip above the inbox
3. Click on “Filter messages like these”
4. Click the “Create filter” button at the bottom of the search panel
5. Check off the “Categorize as” checkbox
6. Click the “Choose category” dropdown menu and select “Primary”
7. Hit “Create filter”, and you’re done!

This article gives screenshots to illustrate how to do this, as well as additional information that could be helpful (such as removing your Primary tab altogether, making your Primary tab appear, etc.).

IMPORTANT! To better streamline our customer emails, we are going to start using a new email service for customer communications. Because of this, you might see QFloors Support emails in your spam/promotions folders – even if you haven’t before. I know it’s tedious to follow these steps, but doing so will ensure we get the right messages to the right people in your organization.

Not good at email? Join our QFloors Facebook Users Page!

I understand that some of us here are probably not the best at opening and responding to emails. If that’s the case, please take advantage of our QFloors Facebook Users Page. This private group is only for QFloors customers, and contains a lot of the same information that gets emailed out to everyone. It’s a great way to stay current on updates (not to mention, it’s also a way to connect with other QFloors customers like yourselves). You can request access to the group by visiting this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/189860772286647 and responding to the membership questions.

Don’t forget that in this group you can ask other members how they utilize QFloors. We want this group to be a positive place where our customers can collaborate with others like themselves.

By keeping all of these things in mind, you’ll be able to ensure your company is getting essential information and updates from QFloors. Thanks so much for your partnership and support. Excited for the future!

We here at QFloors belong to the fcB2B organization, which is an industry organization of manufacturers, contractors, suppliers, distributors and software vendors.

On our website we have a list of vendors who are currently B2B certified with QFloors. Each vendor has their own individual link, which can provide additional information on how to communicate with them, and shows the current fcB2B documents that are certified.

See the full fcB2B list.

QFloors continues to grow our list of certified vendors/manufacturers: QFloors B2B Certified Vendors. We receive a lot of feedback from customers who are wanting to use this technology with as many of their suppliers as possible. We’re continually adding to this list.

Here is a list of the most recent vendors to be certified:

• LW Flooring
• Abraham Linc

Important Notes: Phenix Accounts have been merged with Mannington Mills.

The following vendors are in pre-certification stage with QFloors:

• L Fishman
• Benjamin Moore & Co.
• Ceramic Tile
• Milliken Floor Coverings

Don’t wait or worry about implementing all the tremendous benefits of B2B. Here at QFloors, we are ready to help step you through it. Please call us in regards to any fcB2B questions that you may have.

By keeping all of these things in mind, you’ll be able to ensure your company is getting essential information and updates from QFloors. Thanks so much for your partnership and support. Excited for the future!