Slip sliding away... Those lyrics from the Simon and Garfunkel song aptly described what my bed was constantly doing on the tile floor of our bedroom. The tile floor that makes using the Hoyer lift so easy proves to be a nemesis for the bed.
Every time someone would give me a pressure cough, the bed would slide a bit closer to the wall. Since pressure coughs are my constant companion, the wall is in regular danger of being nicked, marred and scuffed. We were constantly having to pull the bed away from the wall, which precipitated much discussion of potential solutions.
Finally one day I decided to conduct some Internet research into the problem to see if I could find a solution that was both effective and aesthetically acceptable. After looking at a wide range of products and not being satisfied, I stumbled onto a product used in the transportation industry. The product is a rubber friction mat which is designed to help secure cargo during a wide range of transit modes including road, rail, oceangoing container and intermodal. These mats minimize cargo movement and load shifting, thereby minimizing product damage. According to the website, this matting is a cost-effective alternative to traditional bracing and blocking methods.
Many of the solutions we had brainstormed involved bracing and blocking, so I thought this product might be the perfect solution to our problem. I wanted to try a sample of the product before purchasing, but purchase quantities were industrial sized to meet the needs of the freight industry. Nevertheless, I decided to pursue this solution which is what brought me in contact with Stacy at Litco International Inc. I fully expected to be rebuffed with my request, which I would have understood. Put yourself in Stacy's shoes. Some guy calls with a cockamamie request for a sample of material to keep his bed from sliding around. Your job is to facilitate the delivery of thousands of sheets and hundreds of rolls to over the road transporters, rail shippers and ocean freight transporters. Even if you wanted to help, your system probably does not permit the shipment of sample pieces or small quantities. It would have been very easy for Stacy to dismiss my request, but to my surprise and delight she did not. In a patient, friendly voice she said a sample would be mailed out, and a week or so later we received it. Even though the sample piece was only large enough to fit under one of the two feet on each side, it made an immediate difference. The bed slipped less and only had to be pulled away from the wall once in the next week. Convinced we had found the solution, I once again called Stacy to see if I could somehow purchase some of the material in a width that would accommodate both feet on each side of the bed. Once again I expected to be told I could only purchase these in the quantities shown on the website, and once again I was pleasantly surprised by Stacy's friendly willingness to send me a roll of material which would accommodate our needs for quite some time. A week later we received the material sent gratis by Stacy, and we immediately put it to work.
Since that time, we have seen a dramatic reduction in bed movement and commensurate need to constantly pull it away from the wall. I told Stacy about our foundation and our newsletter, and I told her I would feature an article about Litco Secure LITEMAT Rubber Matting. The product is terrific for what we needed, but this article is really about the
wonderful customer service exhibited by a caring employee. Thank you Stacy!
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