Transforming Houses into Dream Homes with Geena Akahoshi

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Interview Transcription

ADRIENNE:
Welcome back, and thanks for listening to the Team Lally Real Estate show home of the guaranteed sold program. We’ll buy it I’m Adrienne and I’m Attilio if you have any questions, just give us a call at 7999596 or check us out online at Teamlally.com.

ATTILIO:
Our guest today is a client advisor at the American Floor and Home. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and has her PE license.

ADRIENNE:
After four years of working as a consultant, Geena decided to bring her construction knowledge to American floor and home’s general contracting division. She went into home remodeling to help her clients dream become a reality. Please welcome today’s guest Geena Akahoshi.

ATTILIO:
I think it’s Akahoshi, Akahoshi. Geena, is it Akahashi or Akahoshi?

GEENA:
It’s Akahoshi. Well, no worries. Hi guys. Welcome to

ATTILIO:
the show said like a samurai Oh Akahoshi like a sumo wrestler. You have the voice Perfect One sumo wrestler. I have no sumo wrestler voice in you more like Tinkerbell?

ADRIENNE:
No, it’s like, you know, she’s Uh, she’s that consultant voice. Yeah, that’s what it is

ATTILIO:
very educated. So, Geena know what? Okay, so what is American Floor and Home? What did tell us about the company?

GEENA:
Yeah, so American Floor and Home, formerly American carpet one. I think everyone in the room are familiar with our own nail. We’re a locally owned and employee owned flooring and home remodel Design Center. This year, we’re actually celebrating 50 years since the start Yeah, so super exciting. As you guys mentioned, you know, we specialize in flooring, but we also have a general contracting division. So we do most be interior remodel for kitchen and bathroom. So

ADRIENNE:
So So So Geena, what you know else? I mean, besides you guys being around for so long? What makes American Floor and Home unique?

GEENA:
Yeah, I think one of the biggest things that makes us unique is that we’re an employee owned company. So all of our employees for myself to our installers, which are all in house installers, as well, we’re all part employee owners. So we really take pride in the work that we do, because it’s all of our companies. You know, we really want to make sure that our customers are satisfied and that we do do the job correctly. We do it the first time. So that’s one really unique advantage about us. But we’re also a nationally Co Op. So we’re part of the Carpet One Co Op. That means we have national buying power to make sure that our clients get the best products at the best prices as well. So a part of the carpet one Co Op, we have three warehouses on islands. So we also have over 3 million square feet of flooring in stock ready to go. Yeah. That just makes you know,

ATTILIO:
yeah, I remember when it was doing Raiders of the Lost Ark and it was putting the arco in IT WAS IN YOU GUYS warehouse. It was the scene but

ADRIENNE:
so you guys have a lot more inventory than the big boxes. We actually had a client that we were visiting with. And he has like his installer did not install his floor correctly and he needs to get some new pieces to make it look nice. And he’s like oh, I went to these big box places and they don’t have the match and we immediately said well you gotta go to American flooring home they have the most inventory they’re gonna build to help you get that matching

ATTILIO:
flooring. Yeah, because I think even he said the company was out of business.

ADRIENNE:
Yeah, something like that. So check them out. Yeah, be able to help you guys just have so much so much inventory.

GEENA:
Yeah, we get those clients all the time who are just looking for either you know, a couple pieces or you know, some odds and ends that were able to help out. So not just the flooring, but you know anything for the home, we can make sure that they’re able to get right away.

ATTILIO:
Yo, so talk about what you got any what you guys got any any any hot, hot products, maybe mana, flavored countering?

ADRIENNE:
Or any big sales that are going on that our listeners need to know about? Yeah,

GEENA:
yeah, so of course, we have lots of waterproof flooring and carpet. But we actually just got in turf. So super exciting. We’re kind of moving outside of the house. And we’re able to install turf for the yard so we can actually landscape. Yeah, so you’ll have to deal with, you know, pulling out the weeds and, you know, watering the grass every day, you can make all your neighbors jealous, and have some really nice, very realistic looking turf in your yard. So barbecues, parties, anything like that.

ATTILIO:
And there’ll be surprised if the local Pop Warner team is practicing plays in the front yard.

ADRIENNE:
So do you know how do you how do you clean up the turf? Like how or maintain it? What’s this like dream?

ATTILIO:
Yeah, tell us more.

GEENA:
So basically, yeah, basically, it’s kind of like carpet like carpet for the outside. There’s drainage holes and all of that. But the only thing you need to do to maintain turf is to have to infill it with special like, almost like gravel, you just pour that on every couple of years you know just depends on the wear and tear and the rake it through to make the grass kind of stand up nicely. But the infill is pretty much the only maintenance he needs. So instead of having, you know, like a yard guy come out once a month and then watering or having your sprinkler system. All you need is a couple bags of infill every few years.

ADRIENNE:
Or even if you have like a spot in your yard that the grass won’t grow because of the shade. Or you know, whatever. Like that would be a perfect spot to have the turf.

ATTILIO:
Yeah, turf is like, yeah, turf is like the new men to the landscapers going down the road, you pick up one other customer turf.

GEENA:
Oh, yeah. So turf is really exciting. But of course, we have installed kitchen cabinets for all of our projects. So we have a dedicated warehouse for that. Laminate has been kind of coming back to so waterproof laminate has been really popular. We’ve been seeing a lot of the trends on the mainland, so of course, you know, he’s gonna follow within the next few years. I think that’s another one to look out for to the visuals.

ADRIENNE:
Do you know speaking of visual on your guy’s webs on your website? can our viewers or listeners can they can they go in like, you know, put take a picture of their space and get it visual? Like tell us a little bit about that tool? Yeah, cuz I love that. That’s my favorite thing on your site.

GEENA:
Yes, I know, mine, too, called A Room Visualizer. On our website, if you look at either the final planks or even some of the carpet that we have, what you can do is you can upload a picture of your space, your living room or your bedroom. And then we can play around with the different colors they have. And that way you can see what the space looks like with the new flooring. So the really amazing tool just kind of help visualize everything because, you know, it’s so hard for people to visualize with just a small piece. Yeah. So just looking at it in the whole room really makes a big difference. We get people excited,

ADRIENNE:
like I think like the colors, but then also like the things you don’t even think about like, oh, well which direction do I want the flooring? In it doesn’t, you know, like, then you can actually see how it’s gonna look and you’ll make an informed decision. Yeah,

ATTILIO:
you know, and Geena is also helping couples get in shape, because you can take a picture of your husband send it to her, she’ll put him through the visualizer and like, this is the husband I have. And this is the husband I want and then you give it to him and then you sign them up at the gym.

GEENA:
Before and Afters. Yeah,

ATTILIO: 
you’re gonna gym should have that the husband visualizer. But,

ADRIENNE: 
yeah, this is the home visualized visualizer to remodel your room. And so Geena, it sounds like you also can sit down with the clients and kind of advise a showroom, that you interview them and you advise them because there’s just so many products, there’s so much to do, it can be a little overwhelming. Tell us about that process.

GEENA: 
Yeah, so as Client advisors, we’re there for our customers every step of the way. So as soon as they step foot into our showroom, you know, ask them questions. If they have any inspiration pictures, help them get products, help them through installation and even after installation, how to take care of the products that they choose. So you really do have a whole team behind you when you work with us.

ADRIENNE:
Now like you know this this whole process and the projects? What kind of warranties do you guys offer on the flooring and installation materials

ATTILIO: 
and labor? Yeah. Yeah,

GEENA: 
exactly. So materials just depends on what you choose to have anywhere from 10 years to lifetime. So those are some really great materials out there. And then for labor, we either have lifetime on our carpet installations or one year on, you know, like a vinyl, or like a home remodel project. But, you know, even if it’s past the one year mark, we always have clients who come in, and they call in and you know, 10,15 years after their installation wall was helped them out. Again, we’ve been around for 50 years, and we have a showroom, so we’re not going anywhere.

ADRIENNE: 
And then Geena with the with the manufacturer’s warranties on the floor, you explain to our listeners why it’s so important to have that proper installation by a professional installation team. Yeah.

GEENA: 
Yeah, exactly. So you know, if there is any issues with the floors, the first thing that you’re gonna do is talk to the manufacturer, but we have some really great relationships with some big names on the mainland. So as soon as they hear that we installed before they know okay, like, exactly, that really helps to streamline the process makes it a lot easier for the customer. So they’re not calling your one 800 Number speaking to, you know, like robots or chat or whatnot, they can come directly to us, and we’ll take care of it and go straight to the manufacturer.

ATTILIO: 
Yeah, so like, for help. Number 37, press number 39. And then you just keep going on and on and on. But you guys are here.

ADRIENNE: 
You so like the manufacturers are not going to question was this floor? You know, do they follow the proper protocol installation? Installation? Yeah.

GEENA: 
So you’re not on the phone waiting for an hour to actually speak to a person right? We have a whole team here again, to help with our customers.

ATTILIO: 
I think it’s important to to have a professional experience installation company and team like you guys because we need you and I we’re it’s not like we have a business where we just see our whole No, we see tons of homes. We’ve done 1600 transactions, we’ve been in a lot of homes. And I will tell you the number one thing I see with the people that cut corners on the floor installation is the stuff coming up bubbles. And then even and one that we had, they had mold. Oh, that was a big one. So you know that that kind of stuff is something that you got to pay attention to because it wasn’t I don’t even know how they found the mold. I mean it we got to the point where it was like everywhere in there they were doing something

ADRIENNE:
and the occupants were like getting sick. Yeah. From the oh my gosh,

yeah.

ATTILIO:
I know that you guys come in you do a proper it’s, you know, a lot of the work is in preparing the flooring.

ADRIENNE: 
And then I think that we didn’t even we didn’t even you know called American Floor and Home and asked like, what is the proper way to do this? Because, you know, like we’re, we have an issue here. Yeah. So you guys educate your you know your customers on what the process is.

GEENA:
So, yeah, a lot of people aren’t aware. So we have brochures, you know, information, all of that for our customers even on contractors they come in they ask us how to install the florist properly. So, you know, we definitely think educating our customers and installers on island is very important to make sure that the products they get from perform the way they’re supposed to perform. You

ADRIENNE: 
guys even have an install even have it on your website. Yeah, AmericanFloorandhome.com And it says proper installation. So it’s like, shows you step by step. This is what should be happening. This is what you can expect.

ATTILIO: 
Yeah, I think the challenge is most people to go on YouTube and if some Baboos from Kentucky, installing a floor in not even the type of environment that we have here in Hawaii

GEENA:
is so different always so much more difficult. Yeah, we

ATTILIO: 
have a different completely different environment, humidity, just the way that I completed here. So it’s good to have a local company because I guarantee most times and correct me if I’m wrong, but the people that are coming out their actual it’s not a subcontractors and employee employees. Employees. Yep. And they’re the boss. That’s right. Because the employee oh, I need to talk to your boss and they’re like, you gotta What’s up, boss, the boss. You’re not the boss of me. Yes, I am the boss of you. That’s what Adrienne tells me. She’s the boss of me. So you’re not the boss of me. But anyway, the the positive the

ADRIENNE: 
let’s talk about the financing, because they know like home remodeling can be, you know,

ATTILIO: 
kind of expensive, but it is an investment. Yeah. So

ADRIENNE: 
like, so there’s your homeowners can do a home equity line of credit, but like maybe they don’t want to do that. Like what kind of other options? Would they have to help to refinancing? Yeah. to finance these upgrades?

GEENA: 
Yeah. So we do personal loans, we have shorter term interest free loans. And I know you mentioned line of credit. So we actually do work with American Savings Bank. We partner with them to open up HELOC for our clients as well. Oh, nice. Wow.

ADRIENNE:
So you have an interest free loan, kind of like what Attilio and I do we do this 10k per upgrade. So we front? Yeah. So so this interest free loan? How long is it? How quick? Is it?

GEENA:
Yeah, so it’s through Synchrony Home, I believe they work with a few other retailers like inspiration, furniture, places, but it’s usually it’s like one year, so 12 months interest free loan, super easy for customers to do either smaller projects or help, you know, finance bigger projects. Maybe they can add on that extra room or get that little nicer carpet with interest free loans. So it’s a really great tool. We have, again, some longer personal loans, so anywhere from 2,3,4,5 years if we need a little bit longer options, and then HELOC with American Savings Bank as well.

ATTILIO: 
Nice. And talk about your reviews. I understand you guys have a lot of positive reviews. What do you attribute that to?

GEENA: 
Yeah, so we’re super, super proud to have over 900 reviews on Google on 200 reviews on Yelp. A lot of people the number one thing in our reviews is gonna be the installation. So nice. Our installers do such a great job and leaves such a great lasting impact with our clients. And they’re always super happy with the work. Yeah. So if you want some nice before after some inspiration, definitely check out Google and Yelp for some testimonials.

ADRIENNE: 
Yeah, I saw I was like, are they posting pictures of the before and after?

GEENA: 
A lot of clients post pictures of the after. Yeah. So sometimes you’ll see like your products. I want that one in my house.

ATTILIO: 
You know what I was I just just popped on a couple of reviews. But I like the comments that say like, because my pet peeve is like, do a good install job. But like, I like the people that come to my house and they’re like super courteous of like, with the shoes. And then if the work goes over to the next day of cleaning up and definitely because when I replaced the carpet in my house, I found one plate lunch and one passion orange drink.

GEENA: 
Oh my god.

ATTILIO: 
What was it like? Oh, hot it wasn’t like beef teriyaki ready to go and ice cold drink but it was first smashed. Yeah, no. Okay, we know you guys had a lunch break. But I mean, that was new construction. So at least Yeah, big big. But that that no way was you guys, but I’m just saying that. I can’t imagine that that’s, that’s ever gonna experience with you guys ever because you guys, you know, with people being with the company for a long time. And it’s not you know, these people have, it says something that when you have people that are employees that are doing this, and they’re directly connected to the reputation for themselves, as well as the company, that they’re going to take pride in their work and do a good job.

GEENA: 
Again, everyone’s company. So we really want to make sure all of our clients are happy from the moment they walk into the door to you know, as they’re maintaining their new floors as well.

ADRIENNE:
So, so Geena, you guys have a pretty huge showroom, down an island, maybe explain to our listeners, what can they see what can they see and how did they get there.

GEENA: 
So super easy to find. If you’re coming down Nimitz, you’ll see one of our warehouses on the corner. They go right on Sand Island, and then you’ll see our showroom there’s lots of parking in the front. So that’s a really great bonus. But you can see our floors, cabinets, countertops, windows, turf, everything and one of our clients advisors will be more than happy to take you through our showroom, give you a little tour. You can even see our warehouse space to

ADRIENNE: 
know you guys just finished remodeling the showroom, the showroom. Yeah. So you can come check out there. Yeah, the remodel.

GEENA: 
Yeah, we’re still kind of in the process of moving some stuff around. But it’s been a lot of changes within the past few years. Yeah. So clients who come in, they say wow, there’s a lot of new stuff going on, but really exciting.

ATTILIO: 
Yeah, if you in the parking lot. You see one guy sweeping up stuff. That’s the boss because it’s employee owned. And because they’re gonna take pride in that, and the you guys are out at Sand Island, go take a look at the showroom. I think a lot of people with the technology that you have you create great opportunities for people to visualize what it would look like. Right? Because it’s always different once you have it installed, they’re like, you know, but they’re gonna be happy from the beginning because you helped manage the expectation going in with the room visualizer with the room visualizer

GEENA:
Yeah. And I can even go through that with my clients. did bring some pictures. We can play around with that in the show room too. So yeah, lots of options.

ATTILIO: 
Nice. All right. Well, thank you so much for being on the show.

ADRIENNE: 
Was there anything Geena that you wanted to touch on that? We did not? Yeah. You know, talk about with American Floor and Home.

GEENA: 
Ya know, thank you guys so much for having me. I think we’ve touched on a lot of really great points. Definitely want to, again, just highlight 50 years in the business. So we’re super happy that you know, our clients have kept us in business for 50 years, and we’re excited for the next 50 to serve.

ATTILIO: 
Well, well. We like to always tell our team Lally listeners that if you’re ever visiting a business that’s a sponsor of the team Lally show, as soon as you walk in the front door, you want to go to Team Lally show send me somebody helped me please Where’s Geena? So if you like somewhere else in the show room and you hear a loud chee ho came to you from a family show, or call the police

GEENA: 
Thank you guys so much for having me. I really appreciate it.

ADRIENNE: 
Yes, thank you, Geena for calling you. Thank you. Alright, so that was Geena with American Floor and Home. You can find out all about them by going to our resource tab on Teamlally.com and click on that link. You can they have the American Floor and Home website has so many useful resources and tools.

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