Pergo flooring - comments from former employee of Home Depot and current Pergo consumer

Complaints.com received the following consumer message on March 8, 2002:

From: Steve Hungerford [Email User]

Pergo flooring - comments from former employee of Home Depot and current Pergo consumer

Dear Complaints.com manager: I don't know if I qualify as a "business" or as an interested 3rd party, but I used to work for Home Depot, and I still occasionally install Pergo Floors, and I would like to respond to a number of the complaints I see on your site. So, a few notes on Pergo flooring from a former Home Depot employee, Pergo Endorsed Installer and satisfied Pergo customer: 1. Neither Pergo nor Home Depot has a "customer

satisfaction" guarantee. Occasionally, Home Depot will make promises about such things to clinch a sale. If your salesperson does this-GET IT IN WRITING. Otherwise, when you come back a year later and that salesperson can't remember who you are, you'll be out of luck. Pergo's warranty ONLY covers wearthrough of the laminate (from foot traffic, etc.) staining, fading of the color and water damage. 2. Pergo is a hard surface floor covering. This means that it CAN chip, scratch, dent and gouge. IT IS NOT GUARANTEED AGAINST THIS. If your salesperson tells you it is, he or she is drastically overselling the floor. There is, in fact, no manufacturer of hard surface floors (this includes laminates, ceramic tile, etc) that I am aware of that offers a warranty against scratching or chipping.

I can't stress this enough-Pergo is NOT bulletproof. If you want a floor that will never show a scratch, chip or dent, get carpet. If you're worried about your dog scratching the floor with his nails, get ceramic tile. If you can live with the occasional light scratch, or a small chip from the occasional dropped can of soup, then Pergo is fine for you. 3. Pergo makes the floor, the installer installs it. That means that Pergo is responsible for the manufacture of the floor, the installer is responsible for his/her workmanship. If your installer comes in, throws the floor down and does a lousy job and then disappears, that isn't Pergo's fault. Pergo has Endorsed Installers (I am one), and Pergo trains us in a 3-day class on how to install and repair their floors. Pergo isn't responsible for our work either. We attended a class they held, that's all.

You wouldn't hold a college responsible if they gave a man a degree in chemistry and he went out and blew up a building, would you? It's the same thing. So, the best way to protect yourself is to CHECK OUT THE INSTALLER FIRST! Get references. Find out how long he's been in business in your area, get his contractor's license number and check if he has any complaints against him, and ask for references. If he disappears, goes out of business or dies and you find out he messed up your floor, don't go crying to the manufacturer-it isn't their responsibility to fix another person's mistakes, no matter how much money it cost you. 4. Discontinuations happen. If a product stops selling, the manufacturer stops making it. Simple as that. Yes, it is extremely inconvenient (I have a motorcycle in my garage that I can't get parts for, and it's only 5 years old, so trust me I understand). But again, it isn't the manufacturer's responsibility to make sure you have enough material to fix your floor, or to add on to it, or whatever. Do yourself a favor and buy and extra box or 2, and just stash it somewhere-under the bed or the couch, in the attic, whatever. That way, if you have to fix the floor, you have the material already. 5. A word about the customer service people, both from the retailer and the manufacturer: If you have problems, discuss them calmly with your retailer and with the manufacturer's customer service people. In most cases they genuinely want to help you if they can, and if your complaints seem valid they will. If they tell you they can't help you, then calmly (and CALMLY is they key word) ask for their reasons in writing. This will give you time to digest and try to understand them.

If you feel that they have missed a point, call back, explain yourself and ask that they reconsider. If they refuse to do so, this is the time to ask for a supervisor. If even the supervisor refuses to help, ask for another letter explaining their position, and then you can take it to a lawyer, or the Better Business Bureau, etc. This will help them to help you. Also, remember to stay calm. If you scream at the service rep on the other end of the phone, they will be less inclined to want to help you. If you seem reasonable, polite and friendly, they will be more likely to try for you. So, the gist of what I'm saying here is this: Pergo makes a good product, and I'm proud to have their

floor in my home. It looks good, and with proper maintenance, will keep on looking good. However,

unrealistic expectations and irrational customers can make any product look bad. If you actually invest any time in educating yourself about the product before you buy it, you'll probably be happy with it. If you want a floor that can't be installed wrong, will never chip, never scratch, and will come clean just by running a Swiffer over it, let me know when you find it because, as far as I can see, no such thing exists yet. Steve

Comment On This

Also, if you do not want to spend every minute of your day on your hands and knees cleaning with a microfiber rag, then forget pergo! If you don't let a soul walk on your floor ever, seal every window from dust,divorce your husband, get rid of the pets and send the kids to boarding school it MIGHT be worth it, but I have spent every day on my hands and knees trying to keep this floor streak free. Now I pray as I do it that this Pergo will miraculously turn into something else and although it hasn't happened yet, I consider this penance for the sin of the previous owner of this house for putting pergo in to begin with.Ironic, the word I need to type to post this is WEARILY....