Lanzarotti works with one of his customers
Paul Lanzarotti, the founder of the flooring repair company Floor-Fix Pro, has always had a passion for fixing things and being of service to people. Lanzarotti’s first time repairing something was when he was little, and his parents’ reel-to-reel audio tape recorder had broken. After successfully taking it apart and putting it back together, he found his spark.
Lanzarotti’s company is a shining example of the power of service recovery. Service recovery models resolve customer complaints promptly and turn those upset customers into loyal ones. Lanzarotti has a customer service model that responds rapidly to issues and even includes tending to complaints by visiting homes in his local area. In fact, his relationships with these customers have been critical in developing effective products that solve client problems.
Inspired by an experience he had ten years previously with the famously customer-centric shoe company Zappos, Lanzarotti has made it his mission to provide the best customer service in the industry. As part of the service recovery model, he regularly visits customers' houses to help fix floors and has seen between 200 and 300 customers in the past five years. This is part of his larger mission to create positive customer experiences consistently. If customers do leave a bad review or make a complaint, he leverages that feedback to drive product development. Lanzarotti added, “Visiting customers' houses has always been something we do whenever possible. I jump at the chance to visit customer homes when the opportunity presents itself because it helps me make a personal connection with the people I spend the majority of my time trying to help.”
Floor-Fix Pro is a game-changer in an economy where many people can’t afford basic living necessities ranging from eggs to heating. The company’s products are simple to use and can save people thousands of dollars and hours of labor (not to mention the disruption) on their projects. Typically, the cost of fixing a squeaky floor or loose tiles using contractors is around $6,000 per room and entails several days of work with entire floors being pulled up and thrown out. This is largely because modern wood and laminate floor adopt a screwless “floating” design, which does not allow additional screws to be used if the dreaded creaking starts. However, Floor-Fix Pro’s products reduce the cost and disruption typically associated with these types of repairs and have made a range of products that allow anyone who can squeeze a bottle to fix their floors for a fraction of the cost and time. A large room can be repaired in less than 10 minutes and requires no DIY skills or special tools. Best of all, the original flooring ultimately stays intact, significantly reducing wastage.
Lanzarotti started his company in 2018, and his first product was a lubricant that he used in his home to solve a chronic creaky floor issue. In 2019, he launched the first product called “Stop Creak.” Despite setbacks from the pandemic, the company has grown immensely over the last five years. This is mainly due to how the products use a combination of smart chemistry and even smarter packaging to make simple, effective and safe products.
The products that Floor-Fix Pro makes are born from a close relationship with a network of flooring professionals worldwide. Products are introduced to this network for real-world usage, and the feedback from these professional tradespeople forges and shapes every product. Lanzarotti said, “We get new products out to our trade network fast. Often the products are far from finished, but the feedback we get early on is imperative to arrive at a product that works. It takes us approximately two years to go from prototype to “Trade Grade and Retail Ready,” and our focus is to deliver the highest quality product on the market, bar none.”
Lanzarotti, founder of Floor-Fix Pro.
Currently, Floor-Fix Pro features eight products, and they are adding to the catalog daily, focusing on providing products that fix the most common floor problems. Floor-Fix Pro products aren’t just usable on squeaky wooden floors and loose tiles. In March of 2023, the company’s products will expand their capabilities to include fixing squeaky carpeted floors, gaps in wood floors and even a new product for repairing floors in wet rooms. Floor-Fix Pro currently sells products in over 30 countries and through major UK and US retailers.
Floor-Fix Pro’s increasing market share derives from its commitment to sustainability. At the crux of this is that Floor-Fix Pro doesn’t require customers to tear out their entire flooring and instead makes products that encourage floors to behave how they were designed to. All the products are water-based, non-flammable, non-toxic and designed to be 100% safe for the home.
Lanzarotti’s story demonstrates this core attribute of compassionate leadership: curiosity. He learns and listens proactively to what his customers and the world need. Lanzarotti models curiosity through his relationship with his customers. Curiosity is his superpower, and tenacity is the foundation of his success. If you want to work with Floor-Fix Pro, contact them here.
