Supplier feature: What makes a good flooring contractor?

Certification & Licenses

Professional flooring Companies should have certification to prove they are as good as they say. What are the certificates to look out for and what do they mean?

ISO – International Organisation for Standardisation – according to their website states to “think of them as a formula that describes the best way of doing something.” That said, Falcon have obtained ISO 45001 for Health & Safety Management.

Working in construction, it is important to keep everyone safe and people’s safety is our priority. Falcon is also Safe Contractor approved, showing organisations we are a safe, stable and an ethical business to partner with.

Chas is recognised as the leading accreditation with over 2,000 clients and 32,500 contractors. Falcon have been certified by Chas for several years.

Caring for the environment is a major factor when choosing the right contractor. There are certifications to prove whether a company is green, and Falcon have achieved certificates in ISO 14001 – Environmental Management and are proud to be part of Carpet Recycling UK.

Every client is looking for the highest of standards and should only accept the very best. ISO 9001 – Quality Management System is another certification for Falcon. Considerate Constructors and Smas are also certificates we have attained. Construction line offer a grading system – Bronze, Silver and Gold, and Falcon have already gained the silver certificate. We are currently in the assessment stage of achieving gold.

Communication

A vital part of any partnership is communication. Any customer will need to have total trust with the contractor of choice to really bring their vision to life. At Falcon we offer complete transparency. We love working with likeminded businesses to avoid any grey areas! We work with people we like and people that like us. It is so important we are always open and honest.

With each project there is a dedicated project manager available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, our dedicated, committed, and experienced team will be by your side, every step of the way. If a customer has any queries or needs advice, Falcon will happily assist.

We are here to build solid working relationships, making sure our customers always return. We believe having new flooring should be a journey and a nice one at that. Our 30-year relationship with Whitbread confirms this. Falcon have worked hard to become their chosen contractor and have proven time and again why nobody else does it like we do.

It is not just customers who Falcon build solid relationships with. Our procurement team work tirelessly with existing and new suppliers, finding those who are the most reliable, efficient, and cost-effective but above all else that have the same values and culture as Falcon.

Experience

Every client wants a well experienced contractor, who knows what they are doing and will not let them down. More experience means better knowledge. Falcon started as two men in a van. More than 35 years later, two men have increased to more than 20 office staff with over 100 installers on the road. One van has increased to 50. Nationwide, it is hard to miss a Falcon van.

“The company has grown at a staggering rate over the last five years and achieved 675 per cent growth.”

Falcon has been built on family values, our Chairman Ian Hassall has been with the company since 1994 and officially took over ten years later. It is now led by sons Charles and Tom, who have been with the company for more than 15 years. The company has grown at a staggering rate over the last five years and achieved 675 per cent growth. The company grows but the values are still the same. The Board of directors know that this is a crucial enabler for future growth!

Nothing says experience better than awards. Falcon have won awards for the past three consecutive years: Family Business Entrepreneur of the Year – Midlands 2018, National Small Family Busines of the Year 2019 and most recently; Best Commercial Flooring Company – UK 2020.

If it were not for the hard work, committed experienced staff, and the continued support from our partners these prestigious awards would not be ours. It is something we are very proud of.

Flexibility

You have found your contractor of choice. You have chosen your product. You are all ready to go. But the contractor lets you down! You need to make sure you can find a contractor who can adapt to your timeframes of choice, who can attend a site anywhere in the country at any time of the day. Well, Falcon can and do.

Falcon understand the importance of hotels keeping rooms online 24-7 to cope with supply and demand, which is why we offer a reactive and maintenance service whereby we receive a call out, attend site, repair or replace the flooring in that area and have the area back online to be sold within a 24hr period. An offline / sold damaged room means a loss of revenue to any hotel. So, the faster the room / area can be repaired and back online the better for hotel revenue and customer satisfaction. This is a service that Travelodge, Whitbread and Marriott have taken full advantage of and Falcon continue to deliver every time. At the beginning of February, Falcon were assigned 300 hotel bedrooms throughout multiple sites across the UK. These needed to be complete in 10 days. We did not disappoint and completed every room with two days to spare.

As a nationwide flooring contractor, with installers based around the country, we can adapt to any time frame, day or night. Falcon also have a large client base within the healthcare sector so understand the need for sticking to timeframes and adapting at the last minute. If a hospital theatre has an emergency, Falcon will adjust accordingly. We do not disappoint and will work through the night if necessary, to make sure the job is finished to the highest of standard.

Process

A clear and precise process to minimalise mistakes or confusion is the key factor for any good client-contractor relationship.  From enquiry to free digital survey, Falcon have specialised surveyors who work closely with our estimating team who quantify the materials required, making sure there is as little waste as possible, helping both the environment and saving the customer money.

Our quote is honest and clear, detailing everything the job will entail. A detailed and personalised project pack is sent out which includes highlighted areas and a virtual reality based on what the projects could look like. All relevant contact details are also listed.

Quality checks are completed during and upon completion, with our flooring experts reviewing each final detail to make sure it is up to FCF standard. We like to deliver a vision, and to make you happy.

Testimonials

When choosing a flooring contractor, it is always important to see what other companies think. Sometimes, a sales pitch and the truth are not always the same thing. Like anything, a review is sometimes the thing that seals the deal. Falcon have testimonials from some of our top partners; Travelodge states: “[We have] been very impressed with service standards, speed of service and account management. Speed and customer service is second to none compared to any of our outsourced contractors.”

As well as working for well-known hospitality brands, Falcon have made good relationships with other construction companies. Novus Contractors said: “They are our nominated contractors. The office staff are brilliant, they have answers at their fingertips, no ‘umming and erring’, they have information instantly. The guys on site are absolutely superb, they have been known to start earlier and stay later to stick to the tight program. One of the best contractors we’ve ever worked with.”

Falcon Contract Flooring is one of the brands that has taken advantage of our Industry Support Package. To keep up to date with supplier news, click here.

Main image credit: Falcon Contract Flooring