In Search of Perfection
Let’s just distinguish this thought of perfection in two different situations that occur almost daily in the stone-restoration world (and in fabrication as well). First, the search of a customer for the “perfect” natural-stone surface; and, second, the restoration worker in search of the perfect finish on his customer’s stone.
It matters not which species of natural stone I find my staff working on; there’s always the odd customer that demands perfection from it. And why not? They demand perfection from their Maserati, their custom home builder, their servants and just about anything else that crosses their paths.
It may come in the form of a question like: “What is that brown blotch on my black countertop?” Or, “Why does my travertine have holes?”
There are many ways in which you can field these queries. On one hand, you can help your customer to see that, in nature, rarely is anything “perfect.” If the question arises before installation, the perceived problem can be avoided – for a price.
On a countertop, it involves cutting around the alleged blemish (which may involve the customer’s purchasing an extra slab to account for waste). On a floor, the customer can purchase an extra crate or two of extra tiles and select the ones closest to perfect for the installer to set.
These options both involve the outlay of extra cash for the waste. Also, many tile sellers are wise to this practice, and strictly follow expensive return-fee policies to prevent being saddled with lower-quality tiles for resale. (The guy who supplies me with the tile for my home charges 35 percent for re-stocking.
Not everyone desiring natural stone, however, has an unlimited supply of funds to allow the plastic surgeons of stone to nip-and-tuck their ideal counter or floor into their perceived vision of perfection. And everyone has different versions of perfection; some may prefer blondes and others redheads or even brunettes (although Tommy is not prejudiced when it comes to hair which, like the occasional slab of stone, can be dyed).
Unfortunately, it’s also common for someone to see the problems after the deed is done, such as after installation. So how do you help a customer view their stone in a loving way after they’ve noticed its natural “flaws?”