You’ve been clicking through my website and I’m sure you’ve noticed the badge displayed above. On that circular symbol are written the letters “NTCA” which stands for The National Tile Contractors Association. Many companies have badges signifying they are members of trade organizations; admit it, they add an air of legitimacy. I won’t mince words here; That’s why we have it!
What’s different about our trade organization, the NTCA? The difference is: it actually means something to you, our client. It’s a tile trade organization that has been a mainstay in the tile industry since 1940. It brings so much value to our company, but more importantly to YOU as a consumer, otherwise, we would not be a member.
Here are five reasons hiring NTCA members is a wise choice for you, a tile consumer:
1. Members have access to a treasure trove of installation data.
Every tile installer knows that feeling of excitement when they go to their mailbox and inside, is the NTCA’s Tile Letter. The Tile Letter is an exclusive monthly magazine for NTCA members and it’s the gold standard for tile related articles and news. Inside the Tile Letter are articles with names like, Scribing: Demonstrating artistry and craftsmanship in Creative Tiling that contains an extensive breakdown of systems and methods to scribe tile, described by other top industry professionals. Trust me, you want your potential tile installer referencing this magazine for installation tips and techniques!
The NTCA also has the NTCA University, a group of online courses to further a member’s education as well as the NTCA Reference Manual that keeps its members up to date in order to better serve their customers. We also participate in hands on training sponsored by the NTCA.
The educational opportunities provided to NTCA members is the most significant and important factor in being a member. Other tile installers who are not part of this organization do not have access to this extensive resource and in an ever-changing business-like tile, the guys who aren’t constantly educating and informing themselves like NTCA members, are markedly inferior to those who are. It’s like any profession; teaching, for example. A teacher is regularly receiving additional training to update themselves and better educate their students. Professional tile guys do the same, to better serve, YOU!
NTCA training in Dunwoody, GA at the Tile Shop that we recently attended.
2. Members have access to a network of fellow installers.
With the wide variety of available finishes, patterns, lay outs and materials, it can be very tricky for even the most advanced installers and we may have some questions. It’s great to sometimes throw questions to a fellow installer and seek guidance from someone who has dealt with a challenge similar to what we are facing. The NTCA is a family of like-minded installers who are eager to help each other! Without the NTCA, installers are like an island, atomized and alone. Because of this organization we can unite in power and provide the most lasting, functional tile remodel possible. Our connections are KING!
3. Members are going to be up to date on the latest trends, installation techniques and materials.
Inside the Tile Letter and NTCA marketing material is a plethora of data informing installers of the newest trends, installation techniques and materials. Why is this important to you? It’s important to you because our main priority as professional tile installers is to act as a guide for our clients. NTCA members are given yearly vouchers to try different products that may be new to market or simply new to us! Any installer who is not up to date on the latest trends, installation techniques and materials will not be able to guide their clients as well as an informed, knowledgeable NTCA member.
4. Members are participants in a tile world outside of the one that is right in front of them.
If you’re seeing your tile installer as a person who sticks tile to the wall or floor, you are only seeing a small portion of the full picture. Tile is an entire Eco-system that great installers are driven to be a part of. NTCA members make a difference in the world through our profession. Being a tile crafts person is a way of life, a passion, a reason. You’re not just hiring labor, you’re hiring an artisan crafts person who sees far beyond the physical act of setting tile, because there is far more to our business than just that!
5. Members are helped by the NTCA to become more legitimate, professional businesses.
A better business means a better service for you, the tile consumer. The NTCA of course helps our company create systems and methods which ensure you with a consistent, lasting, functional finished project that you expect. But a great BUSINESS is far more than the finished product. It’s also about providing great customer service, building a business that retains quality, talented employees, keeping our books in order and making it easier for you to hire us. They do this by sponsoring great business related talk shows, like Tile Money and creating great content like Tile TV.
They inform us how to meet new Federal laws like OSHA’s new life saving silica dust mitigation rules. You can be assured that any non-member will be throwing deadly dust into the air, putting you and your family at risk. They simply don’t know any better! They would if they were a member!
NTCA also has 401k program and health insurance opportunities that add to our overall quality of life. They believe a happy, healthy tile installer does better work and I couldn’t agree more. We’ve all been around that resentful, unsatisfied worker. The NTCA helps us be the best version of ourselves by helping us become great businessmen who pass along that positivity to you, our customer.
The NTCA is more than a badge on our website or a sticker on our trucks. They are a trusted partner in our journey to provide you with the best tile experience possible. They share our values of bringing you a tile project that combines great looks, functionality as well as being a permanent display of your personality. We are not members of this organization for us, we are members for you. We’re bringing the value that you deserve and the NTCA helps us get there.
Be sure to visit the NTCA website to learn more about their history, benefits and mission by clicking here or entering the URL www.tile-assn.com into your web browser. I hope it builds confidence in you that you won’t just be hiring a tile installer, but you’ll be working with a member of a solid community who sees your project as more than just a job; but rather a business owner who seeks to improve your life, THROUGH TILE!
