Measured Response

October 13, 2009

I’ve worked within variations of both. On the one hand is the large corporation offering a rigid set of rules for CAD-drawing submissions and little room for variation within their fabrication structure. While this creates a rigid and predictable countertop, it allows little choice for the client who wants something different than the norm.

At the other end of the spectrum is a small stone shop with no functioning operational procedures or set schedule at all. Not to mention a lack of consistent edge-detail size, seam style or reliable source for uniform material.

Unfortunately, I’ve dealt with these guys as well. Not that they are in business anymore; I’m sure that a whole slew of this type of shop was the first to succumb to the downward spiral in the economy, leaving in their wake a heap of unhappy customers, unpaid stone bills and junked-up equipment going to the auction block.

In the middle ground between these two extremes is where a fabricator and a templater/installer can meet to form a true working relationship based on understanding the challenges each face.

The fabricator must understand how difficult it is to be the guy in the field measuring and installing for Ms. Jones (and her stressed-out builder), and try to make that process as hassle-free as possible. The fabricator has to respect the fact that every detail on a job is important; the templater/installer must understand the workings of a stone shop and the difficulties inherent in the countertop-fabrication process. That way, he or she understands what expectations are reasonable, and which ones give the appearance of a costly prima donna.

The average independent templater/installer will have worked for or with a number of different shops, and encountered a number of different ways of taking a slab and turning it into a countertop. The fabricator will naturally feel that his/her way of doing things is the best.

It’s imperative then that the fabricator and templater/installer communicate on what they feel are the best practices for working together, and spell these out clearly in written and visual form.

To get past the biggest potential source of disagreement, both sides need to agree first on money. From the beginning, the fabricator needs to publish the charges for the template/install companies, and make sure everyone understands what they will be charged for … and why.

For a fabricator to publish a baseline square-foot price that template/install clients will feel is fair, each side needs to agree on something basic: the process for determining the square footage. If a piece goes around a corner without a seam, will that be figured as the smallest rectangle for the piece or will it be actual countertop? How will the square-foot measurement for odd-shaped pieces be figured? Working out this question before the first job can avoid a confrontation over the first bill.

Clearly detailed charges should continue on throughout all aspects of a job. For example, pricing for different sink styles and cutouts should be spelled out. Is an undermount vanity sink priced differently than an undermount kitchen sink, a vessel or a Belfast-style sink? Are faucet holes included in the price of a sink cutout, or are they priced individually as an additional billable item? The same questions need to be asked and answered for drop-in sinks and cooktops.

A fabricator and his template/install clients also need to work together to determine the proper look for an undermount sink. Will an eased edge be the standard, or a larger radius, or maybe even a bevel? Can someone get the sink’s edge detail to match the front edge detail, and will that cost more? Will a flush-mount or reveal be the standard cutout, or can one request one or the other per sink?

The fabricator can spell out the reasons for wanting to cut out all sinks in a particular way (consistency lessens the risk of errors), and the templater/installer guy can defend requests for various cuts (every client has their own idea of how a sink cutout should look). Working together, they can find a common ground, perhaps choosing a default sink cutout style unless a client presents a “must-have” request, which will then be honored. This gives the fabricator the comfort of knowing that most sinks will be uniform, while at the same time giving the template/ install guy the luxury of being able to offer any sink cutout that is requested.

Detailed charges for edge details also need to be spelled out. If a fabricator offers a standard set of edges at no charge, it’s imperative that customers know this so they can offer their clients the best value. Edge details priced at a linear foot price need to be categorized, so the template/install company knows how to prepare an accurate quote.

In addition, each edge detail needs to be drawn in a side view with reference measurements. This ensures that both parties are on the same page when it comes to the definition of, say, a 1/4” bevel. Is it 1/4” back and 1/4” down, or is it 1/4” across the bevel? I’ve seen both as the definition, and if Ms. Jones is expecting one and gets the other, she might not accept her tops. (Let’s not even start with how I’ve seen “pencil roll” defined.)

Clearly defined charges are important when it comes to backsplash as well. If standard backsplash is billed per the linear foot, the templater/installer needs to understand at what height a piece stops being “standard” and becomes “full-height” (and thus billed at a square-foot rate). And, if an outlet opening will be cut into a backsplash, how much it will cost?

Once the fabrication and billing details are worked out between a fabricator and his customers, the next step in the process toward a smooth working relationship is for each side to understand the operating procedures of the other.

This begins with countertop templates. I’ve seen templates made out of everything from paper to 3/4” plywood, as well as the latest and greatest in digital measuring technology. Whatever the method, the person who made the template and the person who will fabricate the countertop need to communicate with each other. If they’re working within an agreed-upon system, this communication can be easy and accurate. If the fabricator understands every notation on the template, because he created a countertop notation guide from industry standards and the template maker uses it consistently, there won’t be any trouble.

This holds true for stick, Mylar, and digital templates. If the fabricator thinks a B-edge detail should be a demi-bullnose, and the templater/instaler thinks it should be a bevel, there’s conflict ahead. I’ve seen one shop use an “X” for a flat polish and another one five miles down the road use an “X” to designate edge detail. I pity the templater/installer trying to work with both places and maintain his sanity.

No matter how the templates are marked, a modern production shop will probably produce a sign-off drawing on the details to be fabricated. The templater/installer needs to pay close attention before signing it. Assuming the fabricator will transfer every detail from template to drawing perfectly is not the best modus operandi.

Before the templates head for production, the fabricator and the templater/installer should agree on an acceptable lead time. I’ve had countertops fabricated in 24 hours and 24 days; there’s no cut-and-dried method to figure out exactly when a job will be ready for the customer. Some of the determining factors may include availability of the countertop material and the adhesive used with it, the difficulty of the job and the backlog the fabricator experiences during the busy times of the year.

The most-important thing a templater/installer can do is to present a realistic date for delivery, and avoid the practice of telling the fabricator that every job is a rush. Pretty soon, he’ll be the countertop guy who cried wolf and the job he really does need rushed is at the risk of not getting the attention it needs.

The most-important thing a fabricator can do is present a realistic date for when the job will be ready. This means having a solid scheduling procedure based on the time a job will spend in each phase of production. Fabricators need to avoid the bad habit of trying to meet every time request coming in the door; fabrication should be a methodical, steady march forward. Rush it and you simply risk making mistakes.

Once a job is finished, the fabricator and the templater/installer need to be in agreement about how the pieces will change hands. If the job is to be delivered, the fabricator needs to send the customer the most-accurate information possible about delivery times he can. (Anyone who’s worked with trucking companies will know this can be a challenge.)

The templater/installer, meanwhile, must be prepared to unload the shipment upon arrival. There’s rarely a more-awkward situation for the fabricator than to get a call from the trucking line informing him that nobody’s at his customer’s shop to take delivery. Or, just as bad, they don’t have a forklift big enough to handle a loaded A-frame.

If a job is to be picked up, the best way to avoid any sort of conflict between a fabricator and the customers is to make sure the job is finished when they arrive to pick it up. It’s a case for justifiable homicide when you’re sitting in a parking lot waiting for a job to be finished while Ms. Jones calls every 15 minutes asking where you are for the installation. I’ve been there, and it sucks.

On the flip side, don’t be the wishful thinker who arrives at dawn when the call came to get the job at noon. Standing impatiently over the handwork crew as they finish up your job is not healthy for anyone.

The templater/installer can make the pick-up go smoothly by being ready to load the pieces immediately at the loading dock. Backing in and then cleaning your truck for a half-hour to make room is a waste of time for everyone and looks unprofessional. I know; on a bad day, I’ve been that guy.

The relationship between a fabricator and a templater/installer can be very productive for both parties. It offers the fabricator an expanded base of sales without the expense and headaches of a growing sales staff; a templater/installer gets the opportunity to sell an expensive-to-produce product without having to make a heavy investment in equipment.

The key is for both parties to come to a consensus on how the process works. If this can be accomplished, both sides can find the relationship very profitable.

Jason Nottestad, a 15-year veteran of the stone industry, is National Customer Service Manager for VT Stone Surfaces; he’s now on his third year of “The Installer” columns for Stone Business. He can be reached at JNottestad@vtindustries.com.