When Bianca Petri was introduced to Floor Coverings International, it was love at first call. Originally from Romania, Petri and her family had recently immigrated to the United States after a stint in Canada. Petri previously worked a myriad of careers, from high school teacher to real estate salesperson, but felt something was missing. By Sarah Lindauer
When Bianca Petri was introduced to Floor Coverings International, it was love at first call.
Originally from Romania, Petri and her family had recently immigrated to the United States after a stint in Canada. Petri previously worked a myriad of careers, from high school teacher to real estate salesperson, but felt something was missing. Add in the desire to leave a legacy behind for her two sons, and Petri started shopping around for the right franchise.
“We just clicked. Within the first two minutes of talking on Zoom, I was sold,” shared Petri. Now running a thriving franchise branch, Petri laughed when she said: “We put the international in Floor Coverings.”
Part of that perfect fit is the mobile aspect of the business. Floor Coverings International is the No. 1 flooring company in North America that brings the showroom directly to its customers. With their mobile showroom, franchise owners are able to walk homeowners through 3,000-plus options in the exact space where it will be installed. Not only is this model intuitive but it’s also fun.
“It’s been such a positive experience to be able to go into people’s homes and show them the samples within their homes, in their lighting, with their furniture,” shared Petri. “Now, I don’t feel complete if I don’t have at least one appointment a day!”
Petri is the main character in her own HGTV program. She spends the majority of her day on the road, developing relationships with customers and serving as their flooring expert. Best of all, no two days are the same. “Having two, three, four, five appointments a day, each experience is different, and we get to meet different types of people,” said Petri. “I get to cater to each person’s needs and personality.”
This customer-first mentality has earned Floor Coverings International the highest Net Promoter Score in the industry and 4.8 stars on Google. With customer loyalty and top brand recognition, the sales process is smooth. Bring the product to the customer in a mobile showroom, and the majority of homeowners will make a purchase.
When Petri thinks back to her initial call with Floor Coverings International, she also recalls appreciating the training and support program. “It felt like FCI was a continuation of our family values in terms of how they take care of each and every franchise, which we needed being new immigrants,” she said.
Owners start with an intensive training program focused on the first two years of business, including support in developing a business plan, marketing, sales processes and more. “We did close to 300 hours of training on Zoom and face-to-face,” recalled Petri. “That was extremely important because I go to appointments, and I feel confident that what I’m saying is right.”
And the help doesn’t end once the franchise is up and running.
“If I have a question at 10 p.m., I just send a text, and I get an answer right away,” Petri said. “Without that support, I don’t know if we would’ve been able to achieve what we did up until now.”
Petri is living her American dream, the mobile way.
Sarah Lindauer