Dalton—The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) released a new “Tuesday Tips” this week. In the series, WFCA experts present short video tips for improving customer service and optimizing staff performance. In the end, it’s all about understanding the importance of doing 100 things just 1% better than your competition.
In this week’s Tuesday Tips, Tom Jennings, retail training expert, looks at how attitude can shape the sales conversation and help customers decide for themselves.
Tyler, the robot, is designed to handle repetitive tile and plank placement while installers focus on the skilled portions of the job.
For years, the flooring industry has talked about the shortage of skilled installers. Contractors have more work than qualified people to perform it, especially in demanding categories such as ceramic and stone. Human Friendly Robotics believes part of the answer may come from a machine named Tyler.
Tyler is a robotic flooring installer built to work alongside a crew. The system handles repetitive placement across the main field of a floor. Installers remain responsible for work that requires judgment, experience and craftsmanship.
That distinction matters. Automation can make people uneasy, particularly in trades where skill has always been measured by what a person can do with their hands. Human Friendly Robotics wants contractors to view Tyler as another piece of equipment, not a replacement for the installer.
“We understand the concern, but the reality we see in the market is that contractors are struggling to find enough qualified installers, not looking for ways to eliminate the ones they already have,” said Shamoon Siddiqui, CEO of Human Friendly Robotics.
How it works: The company designed Tyler so contractors do not need a robotics specialist on site. Crews can typically unload the system, position it in the work area and complete setup in less than 30 minutes. An operator enters basic project information on an iPad, including material type and dimensions.
The installer establishes the first row, which sets the layout, alignment and squareness of the floor. Tyler then uses that installed material as its reference. Its vision system then calculates where each tile or plank should go next.
The process keeps critical layout decisions with the installer while Tyler handles the repetitive placement that follows.
Crews remain responsible for substrate preparation, material staging, cuts, edges, grout (when required) and jobsite conditions that demand experience.
“Tyler is a tool that makes existing installers more productive while shifting their time toward the parts of the installation where skill and judgment matter most,” Siddiqui explained.
Installing ceramic, in particular, can be challenging for human installers. The materials are rigid, heavy and less forgiving of placement errors. Here’s where Tyler excels, according to Siddiqui. The robot can control spacing, alignment and orientation while handling products that can crack or chip. Moreover, Tyler can install about 1,000 square feet of stone or tile in a day. With products such as LVT, output can reach roughly 1,500 square feet and Tyler can maintain that pace throughout a full shift. For contractors, that creates more predictable production and makes it easier to estimate how much work a crew can complete.
There is an ergonomic benefit as well. Tyler takes on much of the lifting, carrying and placement work that wears on installers over time. The installer can spend more time on layout, cuts, finishing and quality control.
“A crew using Tyler can install substantially more flooring in a day on the right projects,” Siddiqui noted. “That can lower labor cost per square foot and allow the crew to move to another job sooner.”
Changing the economics
Human Friendly Robotics designed the robotic portion of installation to cost less than $2 per square foot. Actual costs depend on the material, labor market and project conditions.
The bigger issue may be capacity. Contractors often turn down projects because they cannot staff them. If automation allows the same number of installers to complete more work, contractors can pursue additional projects without adding workers at the same rate.
“The skilled labor shortage is one of the biggest drivers of interest in Tyler,” Siddiqui said. “Flooring contractors regularly tell us they have more work available than they have qualified installers to perform it, particularly in technically demanding categories such as ceramic and stone.”
That is where the automation debate becomes more complicated. The same technology that helps address a labor shortage can also raise questions about the future of the people doing the work.
Siddiqui said the company sees robotics as a way to extend a skilled installer’s value. “Our goal is not to remove expertise from the installation process. It is to give that expertise more leverage,” he said.
New York, N.Y.—FCNews publisher Steve Feldman and his son, Harris, joined Mohawk executives Sunday to brave a Nor’easter and participate in the 25th annual Tunnel to Towers (T2T) 5K.
The event follows the route taken by FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller on Sept. 11, 2001, beginning near the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel and continuing toward the World Trade Center site. The run honors the 343 FDNY firefighters, law enforcement officers and civilians who lost their lives in the attacks.
The firemen who kicked off the 5k, retracing the steps of their brothers who ran through the tunnel in full gear before climbing the stairs in the World Trade Center on that fateful day.From left: Jamie Kim, senior vice president of sales for North America at Mohawk; Jeff Meadows, president of Mohawk residential; and Bill Gaddis, director of national accounts for Mohawk.Mohawk’s Bill Gaddis has served on the Tunnel to Towers board since the foundation’s inception. Mohawk has also supported the organization for years by donating flooring products for specially adapted smart homes.40,000 runners and walkers participated in this year’s event.FCNews publisher Steve Feldman and his son, Harris.
Naples, Fla.—Daltile and its nationwide dealer network raised $24,600 for the Floor Covering Industry Foundation.
The company launched the fundraising campaign during the Daltile Statements Dealer Conference here. The event took place Sept. 8-11 at The Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort.
Daltile Statements is a national dealer program with about 240 members across the country.
Charlie Dilks spoke at the event about FCIF’s mission and growing need for financial assistance. Dilks is chief product officer at CCA Global Partners and chair of the FCIF board.
By Aug. 31, FCIF had awarded 100% of its 2026 grant budget to qualified flooring families. Requests for assistance have continued. FCIF is relying on additional charitable support to help families facing medical crises.
Following Dilks’ remarks, Statements dealers contributed to FCIF. Daltile matched the donations generated through the campaign.
Together, Daltile and its Statements dealers raised $24,600. The funds will support flooring families facing difficult circumstances.
“I was amazed by the support of our Daltile dealers and their generosity in helping flooring families facing some of life’s most serious medical diagnoses,” said Patrick Warren, FCIF board member and vice president of sales, residential remodel, at Daltile. “Daltile is proud to support the important work of FCIF, and we are honored to match each of our dealers’ donations, bringing the total raised to $24,600. It is inspiring to see our dealer community come together to make a meaningful difference for families in our industry when they need it most.”
FCIF has provided direct financial assistance to flooring professionals since 1981. The nonprofit supports those facing catastrophic injuries, severe disabilities or life-threatening illnesses.
Roomvo’s mobile-friendly visualizer streamlines the process.
It’s no secret the floor covering industry has a longer sales cycle than other categories of home furnishings, often requiring more nurturing and additional steps along the customer journey. An important part of that process now includes AI tools to help make an earlier impact and hopefully reduce the time to close a deal. These tools have proven to be helpful in purchases involving multi-component flooring, including ceramic tile.
One of the AI tools doing exactly that is Roomvo, a room visualization platform utilized by more than 7,000 retailers and manufacturers worldwide in the flooring industry, with tile representing one of its fastest-growing categories. “Tile is a high-stakes purchase,” explained Brandon Shidlowski, vice president of sales. “In addition to the product, customers are deciding on grout color, layout patterns and finishes all at once, and it’s expensive to get wrong. Ultimately, hesitation is what kills the sale. Letting someone see the actual tile in their own space instills the confidence required to transact.”
To use the platform, consumers simply upload a photo online from their space, and the tool will generate the new space using the tile selected. Users can further customize the look by adjusting the grout color and width, the lighting and trying different layout patterns.
One of the strengths of Roomvo is that it is built on top of the actual product catalogs, Shidlowski said, so it generates accurate, true-to-life renderings. Attesting to the high-quality renderings is The Tile Shop. When using tools like Gemini, Copilot and ChatGPT, the retailer encountered several critical challenges, including inaccurate scaling, visual hallucinations in patterns and colors and slow processing times. “Roomvo is more consistent, dependable and extremely easy to use compared to every other tool we tried in the past,” said Shehan Ghanchi, senior director of marketing and merchandising at The Tile Shop.
Room visualization tools for ceramic tile have resulted in an increase in demand generation and conversions in the ceramic tile industry. Shidlowski points to the success stories of Roomvo’s customers. On the retailer side, The Tile Shop boosted conversions by 5.8x and more than 1.5 million product views in less than six months. As for the manufacturer side, he pointed out how Cerámica Italia’s sales increased over 40% after launching the visualizer tool.
Major manufacturers like MSI also emphasize the importance of using room visualization tools. “We see visualization as a valuable part of the customer journey, whether someone is beginning their research online or working with a retailer to narrow down selections,” said Sherita Spann, senior website manager at MSI. “With porcelain, one of the biggest benefits is giving consumers greater context. A sample can show color and texture, but a visualizer can help communicate how that selection may influence the feeling of an entire room.”
Some of MSI’s room visualization tools (powered by Roomvo) include the AI Inspire tool, where users can upload their image and see their space transformed, as well as a Multi-Surface Visualizer, with a dedicated Kitchen Visualizer and Bath Visualizer, giving shoppers an interactive way to explore its surfaces and see how different design choices can come together. MSI reported that consumers are seeking a personalized experience, citing that 80% of its users upload their own space to the visualizers instead of using the preset room scenes.
Spann describes how the visualizers play a role for two of its ceramic products. “Casa Duet offers a contemporary take on the classic checkerboard look. Its 24 x 24 pre-scored porcelain tiles create the appearance of smaller squares, so being able to visualize that pattern across a larger space can help consumers appreciate the full design effect,” she said. While the Murcia collection “brings together porcelain floor and wall tile with coordinating ceramic wall options, making it easy to create a cohesive design within one collection.”
Another ceramic tile company utilizing visualization technology is Daltile. The company uses the visualization platform, also powered by Roomvo, to allow customers to see their spaces with its products before making a selection. “For ceramic tile, this is especially valuable because customers are making a design decision that can be difficult to envision from a sample or product image alone,” said Paij Thorn-Brooks, vice president of marketing and showrooms.
One of the primary benefits of these tools is confidence. “By making it easier for customers to visualize the finished space, we can help reduce uncertainty and move them further along their purchase journey,” Thorn-Brooks said. “While we do not attribute a specific sales increase solely to visualization, these tools can help create a more informed and confident customer who is better prepared to take the next step with a dealer or designer.”
Digital tools are not intended to replace retailers or design professionals, but they can be an extension of the selling process. Retailers can work with customers to visualize ceramic tile options in the customer’s space to see what works best. “This can make the conversation more productive for both the retailer and customer,” she added. “Instead of simply asking, ‘Which tile do you like?’, the conversation becomes, ‘Which of these options works best in your home?’”
MSI ‘s AI Inspire visualization tool helps users create the right look.
Additional AI tools
Beyond room visualization technology, there are additional AI tools that can help retailers in the buyer journey. A natural next step for consumers is determining how much a flooring project might cost. To aid in this process, Modern Estimates offers MEasure, a photo-based preliminary estimating and lead-qualification platform for flooring retailers.
“This is especially valuable for ceramic and porcelain tile projects because customers often understand the cost of the tile itself but may not anticipate the full installed-project cost,” said Maksim Nazarchuk, founder and president, Modern Estimates. “Removal of the existing floor, preparation of the substrate, setting materials, grout, transitions and installation can all affect the overall budget. MEasure helps begin that pricing conversation before the retailer invests time in an in-home appointment.”
How does MEasure work? On the retailer’s website, customers will submit four photos of their space, their contact info and the flooring they are interested in. “The customer does not need to understand the flooring industry, calculate square footage or know how to measure the room,” Nazarchuk explained. Next, MEasure analyzes the information and produces preliminary pricing for labor and materials using rates established and controlled by the local retailer. The retailer receives the customer’s contact information, project photos, flooring interest, preliminary scope and expected price range.
Nazarchuk believes the simplicity of the customer experience makes it stand out from other products. “MEasure is not intended to replace salespeople, estimators, visualization platforms or final on-site measurements,” he reiterated. “It works earlier in the buying journey, helping retailers identify serious opportunities and giving their sales teams more information before contacting the customer or sending someone to the home.”
Looking forward
Digital tools and AI will continue to play a role in the future of tile flooring, “Consumers are no longer surprised by visualization—they demand it,” Roomvo’s Shidlowski said. “Today, the question a visualizer answers is, ‘What would this look like in my home?’” The next step is helping answer, ‘Which one is actually right for me?’ factoring in room, lighting, and how someone actually lives in the space.”
NTCA designed the events to help installers strengthen standards-based skills through hands-on training and instruction. Industry experts and NTCA trainers will lead the programs.
Regional training programs
NTCA’s daylong Regional Training programs give installers practical experience with tools, materials and installation techniques.
The training follows ANSI standards and methods outlined in the TCNA Handbook for Ceramic, Glass and Stone Tile Installation.
October programs will focus on two topics:
Interior Installation of Gauged Porcelain Tile Panels/Slabs (GPTP/S)
Substrate Preparation and Tile Industry Standards for Installation of Large-Format Tile (LFT)
NTCA limits each class to 20 participants to allow for individual instruction and hands-on practice. Registration requires a $50 fee, which NTCA returns after participants complete the class.
Free workshops offer additional training
NTCA will also host 22 free workshops in October. Each three-hour program combines classroom instruction, live demonstrations and small-group interaction.
The workshops also include catered networking time, prizes and giveaways.
Workshop topics include:
Tile Matters: Best Practices for the Pros
Failures, Could it be Me?
Tile Technology: Membranes
Tile Technology: Adhesives
Foundations of Wet Areas
NTCA designed the training primarily for contractors and installers. However, the programs are open to the entire tile industry.
Workshops marked with an AIA designation include content that qualifies for continuing education credit. Those components also serve architects, designers and specifiers.
NTCA encourages attendees to use its online calendar to find nearby programs and registration information. Space is limited for regional training programs and workshops.
Look-alike luxury planks, rigid core floors and laminate might be dominating the headlines today, but strong sales activity in the hardwood sector proves there’s still robust consumer demand for the genuine article. In this feature, retailers cite some of their top-selling hardwood lines this year.
AHF Products: Bruce Natural Choice
“The visuals, available in low gloss and high gloss levels, are great. It gives you the solid wood look despite its 5/16-inch thickness. Good value.”
Emmanuel Gaxiola ADVANCED WOOD FLOORS, San Antonio
Anderson Tuftex: Artisan Oak
“It’s more of an upscale, rustic look that’s being installed in some of the higher-end homes here in the Midwest. It reflects that vibe that people are looking for right now.”
Chris Willging THORNTON FLOORING, Rapid City, S.D.
Johnson Hardwood: Nordic Collection
I like the full breadth of the line. They offer premium red and white oak, 7.5 and 9.5 inches wide and longer, which is very popular in my area. It’s a good fit for any project, residential or commercial, regardless of budget.”
Mike Merabien FLOOR DEPOT, San Jose, Calif.
Hallmark: Avenue Collection
“The Avenue collection does very well in my store. It’s really suited for high-end homes that have an open floor plan concept.”
Anthony Samperi EXCEL FLOORING, Webster, N.Y.
Mirage: Bluum Collection
“Our customers love the new White Oak Smooth Bluum Collection, with Iris and Petunia emerging as standout colors. It’s what our customers are asking for today— warmer, softer, more natural tones that feel current while still having a timeless quality.”
Valerie Saccomanno PRESTIGE FLOORING & INTERIORS INC., White Plains, N.Y.
Mercier: LivUp
“It’s the only hardwood we have in our showroom where you can pick your species, size and color.”
Stephanie Schuler CARPET ONE, Grand Forks, N.D.
MSI: McCarran
“The stain on those European oak finishes is just amazing. We just worked with a contractor that finished a $1.5 million dollar home with the product. It’s taken off like a rocket.”
Dan Morin LAVALLEYS BUILDING SUPPLY, Dover, N.H.
Provenza: Affinity
“Our customers love it for its stunning range of colors and textures, which bring a warm and inviting feel to any room. Additionally, its durability and easy maintenance have made it a consistent favorite.”
David Chambers NEBRASKA FURNITURE MART, Omaha, Neb.
Tarkett Home: L’Artisan
“It comes in a very unique, 3-inch-wide-plank herringbone combo, which allows us to do a lot, design-wise, with our custom builders. Not your run-of-the-mill herringbone design.”
David France BREWERS CARPET ONE/FLOORING OPTIONS, Sarasota, Fla.
Naples, Fla.—Daltile and its nationwide dealer network raised $24,600 for the Floor Covering Industry Foundation.
Flowood, Miss.—The National Tile Contractors Association will host eight regional training programs and 
Anderson Tuftex
Hallmark
Mirage
Mercier
MSI
Tarkett Home