Restoration Professionals

By Tom McNall

For many years, I’ve sensed a perception within the stone industry that restoration is a job for the janitorial industry. I’ve also seen many janitorial firms present themselves as stone professionals.
Before I go any farther, I’ll acknowledge that, yes, I once owned a janitorial company; it’s how I got my start in the stone trade. And, the best thing I ever did was to separate myself and my restoration service completely from it for a number of good reasons. (More on that later.)
Great Northern Stone has done much over the years to promote the uniqueness and professionalism of the stone-restoration technician. I’ve always believed that our people (along with all professional stone-restoration technicians) must stand out as different from janitorial firms and fly-by-night stone-polishing companies.
Let’s picture it this way. When you’re sick, who do you call? If you break a bone, do you go to the pharmacy to get it set? If you have cancer, will you go to the OB/GYN? You obviously go to a doctor. And if you have a serious problem, you go to a specialist and one that deals with your specific problem.
Whether you go to see your family physician or a referred neurosurgeon, how do you expect such professionals to conduct themselves? Would you respect your doctor if he showed up to the appointment wearing jeans and a T-shirt? Or if he bad-mouthed another doctor in front of you, would you still feel he was professional?
What if you needed an operation and you knew it was grave, and he offered to do it for $2,995, but “for this week only?” Would you be able to take him seriously? What if a friend referred you to a “guy” who could take your cancer away, and when you visited him in his 10th-floor slum apartment, he told you about all the evils of modern science and medicine, and how he could treat you right there with a few chants and a donation of $35.99? Would you feel like you were being taken seriously, or that you would actually be cured?
If you feel that these are all acceptable scenarios for a healthy life, then my friend, by all means, continue to follow your path. But my customers (and myself included), would want to go to a recognized, licensed professional doctor. You know – the ones that come in wearing white smocks and even have those cool stethoscope thingies around their necks.
When we go to our customers, we present ourselves as the physicians of the stone industry. We are not the janitors. Our customers perceive the janitors as the people they pay minimum-wage to clean up after their parties. The janitors are the ones who empty the garbage bins in the doctor’s office.
We are the doctors that they want, with specialized knowledge for diagnosing a reasonable fix. They are not seeking a spray-and-wipe solution they can do themselves or call in the maid for the clean-up
Ho do you think your customers view you? As a professional, or as a janitor? Is there anything you could do to change that perception? How about how you dress and/or speak? Could that be placing you in a different wage class in your customer’s mind?
I know you can argue, “Come on Tom, this is the customer’s floor (or wall, or counter) here. It isn’t a matter of life or death. The customer just wants the work done and they don’t care by who or how much.”
Yes, you do have a point. And I know I’ve mentioned this before in previous months – but now I have the proof – eyewitness proof.
My customers are known for the vehicles they drive. The care and upkeep of these vehicles isn’t a life-or-death matter, either … or is it?
If they want to get their oil changed on their Ferrari f430, why should they pay the big dollars that the dealer wants, when they can have their oil changed for under $50 at a local auto-lube franchise? Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?
Here’s a little homework assignment; the next time you’re at the local Oil-Mart or Wal-Lube, why don’t you ask them how many Lamborghinis they’ve serviced this year? Or ask them to relate the number of times that a Maserati owner came in and tried to beat them down on price from $50 to $35 by offering to pay cash on the spot.
You’ll soon find out that either the oil jockey is a story teller, or he’s never seen it happen but can’t wait for the day. But it is just oil, isn’t it? What can be so different about the $50 oil at the quick place and the $300 oil at the dealer?
To begin with it isn’t just oil. It would be like telling me that Crown Royal is just whiskey. And it’s also the service. It makes a big difference in how the customer is handled – not just in taking the order, but right into the garage and back into the customer’s hands.
Take a look at the photos from the Ferrari dealer at The Wynn in Las Vegas. Notice how the technicians are wearing white shirts? Amazing, considering that every grease monkey I’ve ever seen before literally earned their moniker because of the grease. How do they stay so clean?
“They must change their shirts regularly,” you may protest. It doesn’t happen. They care about how they look, and with customer perception. Would you want a mechanic with dirty, petroleum-smelling overalls and oily fingers touching your $200,000 steering wheel?
Look at the picture of the fancy grey car having its back brakes serviced. Why is there no fluid and grease all over the place? And, also missing from these pictures is the usual mess under the hoists – where did all that kitty litter and grime go?
I didn’t run these images through Photoshop®, either. These are the actual photos, and anyone can view this shop if they visit the dealer. I encourage it for anyone in this trade.
Relate this back to how stone-restoration professionals should be perceived. In the absence of professional service, a customer will choose the only option available. However, there’s the example that, when there’s a choice, owners of fine luxury items will choose an entirely different level of service.
And, if homeowners and businesses are offered that same higher level of service for upkeep of a premium item like stone, wouldn’t they take it as well and be prepared to pay for that difference? Think about it.
Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.
Tom McNall is founder and owner of Great Northern Stone Care, a Huron Park, Ontario-based stone-cleaning and -restoration company servicing all of southern Ontario. Tom offers corporate and private consultations, serves as a trainer for the Marble Institute of America, and is also on the organization’s board of directors. He can be reached at stone_rx@earthlink.net.