Flooring retailers know the frustration of the showroom pivot: a customer spends an hour admiring the rich grain of solid white oak, only to settle for a budget laminate the moment they see the total estimate. While laminate is a functional alternative, that settling often leaves the customer feeling compromised and the retailer with a significantly thinner margin. By leading with hardwood flooring financing, you can overcome sticker shock before it stalls the sale.
Offering flooring upgrade financing through a firm like United Consumer Financial Services, a trusted financing partner for remodeling contractors across the U.S., is key to securing committed home improvement customers. Financing options boost accessibility and affordability, making hardwood flooring upgrades possible for more consumers.
Using Premium Flooring Payment Plans to Empower Hardwood Purchases
Hardwood flooring is a lifetime investment, whereas laminate has a 10- to 15-year lifespan. And while most homeowners don’t want the cost or burden of replacing laminate flooring, they aren’t ready to spend thousands on hardwoods; they often feel that settling for the cheaper alternative is the only option. Flooring retailers can combat this assumption with quality flooring funding options. Premium flooring payment plans from UCFS empower homeowners to choose the beautiful, durable flooring they want, and retailers benefit from increased average order values and hardwood flooring upsells.
Providing flooring financing options early and often addresses common purchase hesitations, helping retailers sell and install more hardwood flooring that transforms their clients’ homes. Here’s how:
Addressing sticker shock: The price tag is the number one obstacle to closing premium flooring sales. When homeowners see the estimate for their hardwood install, they’re often unprepared, and the shock of the quote causes them to mentally and financially check out. Financing curbs those thoughts before they arise, breaking large estimates into smaller, affordable monthly payments that are easier for customers to accept.
Lowering the barrier to hardwood flooring purchase: A significant lump sum cost in the thousands isn’t feasible for many consumers:
- They don’t have the cash to cover it.
- They don’t want to drain their emergency fund.
- They don’t want to incur more credit card debt.
When payment options are limited to cash or credit, shoppers feel they lack realistic ways to pay for their new floors. Exclusive payment options do just that: they exclude a large swath of potential customers who need flexible payment options. Financing lowers the barrier to entry for every income bracket by providing that flexibility, breaking down once-impossibly-high costs into low monthly payments that fit more easily into monthly budgets.
Expanding hardwood upgrades and affordability: Some homeowners have their minds set on hardwoods, but due to budget constraints, feel they must tackle installation in phases. Flooring upgrade financing not only upgrades homeowners from laminate to hardwoods, but it can also upgrade hardwood customers from single-room installation to hardwoods throughout their home. Payment plans allow consumers to enjoy the beauty and durability of hardwood flooring in every room without breaking the bank.
Overcoming choice paralysis: When the difference between a good laminate flooring and the best hardwoods is just a few dollars per monthly payment, customers can shift priorities from cost to value. Affordable payment plans can make choosing hardwoods an easy decision, even for customers who want to stick to their budgets.
Premium flooring payment plans should be a standard part of your marketing and sales strategy. Making shoppers aware of their financing options as soon as possible empowers them to choose quality hardwoods over cheaper laminate.
The UCFS Advantage: Why the Right Flooring Financing Partner Matters
Hardwood is a premium flooring option with a premium price tag, and retailers know those sales are worth fighting for. Implementing hardwood flooring financing is a key sales strategy that not only boosts your top-line revenue but also dramatically increases your customers’ purchasing power. And it works best with the right financing partner for flooring businesses. United Consumer Financial Services, a Marmon company, a division of Berkshire Hathaway, is the trusted partner of hardwood flooring retailers nationwide.
Partnering with UCFS provides your business with a competitive edge through:
Customization for your business: Your business is unique, and your financing should be, too. UCFS offers flexible programs tailored to your risk tolerance, allowing you to serve a broader range of credit profiles without compromising your bottom line.
Thorough, one-on-one training: We don’t just hand you a login and wish you luck. UCFS provides comprehensive onboarding to help your team maximize the program’s ROI. Our seasoned reps walk you through the platform, showing you exactly how to utilize financing as a proactive marketing and sales tool rather than a reactive payment method.
Fast consumer application and approval decisions: Speed is the ultimate closer. Fast financing approval keeps your customers from leaving the conversation without signing the contract, which often leads them to shop around, settle for a cheaper flooring option, or stop the project altogether. UCFS offers an online application that customers can complete in just a few minutes. We’ll send a credit decision shortly after they submit, allowing your team to continue the sales momentum. By securing funding on the spot, you lock in the contract when the customer is most excited about their new floors.
Transparent and affordable terms: Unlike the high-interest rates often found with revolving retail credit cards, UCFS offers stable and consistent terms.
Accelerated cash flow: UCFS ensures you get paid quickly once the project is complete, providing the capital you need to pay your installers, order your next round of premium inventory, and keep your business moving forward without delay.
Proven customer trust: Your customers’ experience with financing directly influences their perception of your flooring business. As a Marmon/Berkshire Hathaway company, UCFS brings stability and trust that enhances your reputation. Partnering with a recognized financial leader gives your customers the confidence to commit to a major home investment –– and upgrade to hardwoods.
Conclusion: Don’t Let Your Customers Settle
Every time a homeowner settles for laminate because of the price tag, your business misses out on a higher margin, and your customer loses the home they have dreamed of. But when you work with UCFS to provide quality flooring payment options, this doesn’t have to be the story.
By partnering with United Consumer Financial Services, you’re offering accessible solutions that give your customers the freedom to choose the quality flooring they deserve. Become a merchant today to empower your sales team, boost your average order value, and build a portfolio of hardwood installations that speak for themselves. Contact UCFS to learn more about growing your flooring business with premium flooring payment plans that fit your business needs.
