The Well-Planned Installation

Whether the performance ends up being a hit or a dud depends a lot on the rest of the cast: the salesperson, the expeditor, and the templater. If they have played their parts well, the drama unfolds without a surprise, and a quality installation brings everything to a neat and tidy end.
The installer-friendly salesperson always asks, “What is it going to take to get this product successfully in place?” It’s more than simply checking the New Construction or Remodel box on the sales sheet; a good salesperson determines what makes that particular job more difficult than normal. This could involve issues with people or pets (which I’ll discuss in another column), an unusual product application or just the location itself.
One critical job of the salesperson is determining access to the jobsite, with a need to note and describe the location in as much detail as possible. If a separate visit to the site is necessary to assess possible difficulties, the salesperson should make that trip – if for no other reason than to show commitment to the job to the templater and installer. As an installer, I have a natural bias towards people who prove their willingness to go the extra mile to make my job easier, and I’ll do the same for them.
The timing of that particular job, and the jobs that follow, depends on what the salesperson finds out on that site visit. Expeditors – the schedulers, whether they be office managers or shop schedulers or whatever the title – need to know if it’s a difficult site and schedule more time for a template. If a templater gets to the site, only to discover a long driveway to walk repeatedly or long wait for a slow jobsite elevator, it’s not a happy occasion.
A difficult site means that the templater will have to justify the extra time and – regardless of the situation – it’s going to sound like an excuse and look bad to that client. On top of that, the templater will be late for the next template and start to raise doubts in the mind of the next customer.
Doubt is the last thing you want to have your client feeling. Doubt leads to people being nitpicky, so they won’t be taken advantage of by a dubious crew of granite guys who can’t even show up on time for their first appointment.
A quality salesperson will also refrain from making empty promises to the client. There’s no sense in guaranteeing a seam location or unsupported overhang unless you’re positive it can be done. Even if the competition assures the client something is possible, the salesperson should check with the fabricators and installers before promising anything.
More importantly, the salesperson should tell the client if something is doubtful, and list all the available options. Let the other guy sell the job under false pretenses and have his reputation suffer when he has to come back to the client with the bad news that he can’t keep his promise.
The templater is the eyes and the ears of the installer. If the salesperson gets good information and the expeditor schedules well, the templater should be able to measure the job with no surprises. Making accurate templates or measurements is only part of the responsibility, however; the templater also needs to map out every part of the installation.
It starts with the directions to the jobsite. The templater should make sure the directions show the best routes to the site. Computer-generated directions (such as MapQuest® or Google™ Local) are great most of the time, but these automatic maps also don’t take into account the local traffic patterns or the occasional shortcut.
If the templater finds a better way, he or she should make a note of it, as well as offering any alternative routes. Having options can get an installation crew out of a traffic jam; the extra five minutes of effort from the templater could save the install crew an hour stuck in the truck.
With gated communities on the rise across the country, it’s also important that the templater and installer know how to gain access. While some gates are open during normal work hours, the ability to access the community during off-hours is still crucial.
Let’s face it- people in the stone industry work long hours, and sitting at a closed gate is just as bad as sitting in stopped traffic. A salesperson should get the gate information at the start, but the templater needs to know the gate policy and make sure the code for entry is known before the installers head to the site.
Most gated communities (and many condominiums, apartment buildings and some covenant-controlled neighborhoods) also have set hours for work to be done. If the templater doesn’t already know those hours – preferably, the salesperson already asked – it’s vital to get them for the installer. This ensures that the client doesn’t get any irate phone calls from neighbors or, worse yet, a fine from the community government for off-hours work.
Once on the site, it’s imperative that the templater figures out the parking for the delivery vehicle. At a single-family residential install, this often requires making the templates first in order to decide the best route through the house.
If one of the doors is the best for all of the pieces, make a note of it. Sometimes one door will work for most of the pieces, while the larger pieces must follow a different route.
Occasionally, the installers need to do something, drastic like carry a piece all the way around to the back of the house; this needs to be noted and carefully described. The templater also must make sure ground conditions allow this.
People have this funny pet peeve about installers tracking mud into their brand-new house. Put the templater on the other end of that irate phone call and muddy install paths will never be overlooked again.
If the jobsite is a new construction high rise, it’s very important that parking and unloading instructions are included for the installer. Space is inevitably tight; by the time countertop delivery begins, there’s always an established pattern for unloading materials and tools and parking vehicles. The templater should make sure the install crew knows exactly what to do – the installation crew will look professional and, more importantly, won’t slow down any of the other trades.
If union labor is involved, it’s also essential for an install crew to know who is responsible for doing what on the jobsite. As well, the templater should make sure the installers know if they will be waiting in the elements for an exterior elevator. If you want to kill the morale of your install crew, let them stand in the cold for half an hour without being dressed for it. (I guarantee you’ll have your least-productive day on record.)
If the project is a remodel in a high rise, the parking becomes even more-specific and needs to be known in advance. And, most of the newer condominiums don’t have an extra-deep service elevator, and delivery times will need to be scheduled for installers to drape finished elevator walls to protect against damage.
Getting to know the front-desk person at a condominium site, even for a few minutes, can be extremely helpful as well for the templater and the expeditor. The on-site staff almost always knows the unofficial rules for working in the building; and, if asked very politely, may even let your installers park out front.
The final – and key – communication tool between the templater and the installer should be a series of maps. It’s not only a street map to the site; there should also be a parking map clearly indicating the spot for unloading and, if necessary, where to park the delivery truck.
The third map should be the route for bringing the pieces into the house or condo and placing them correctly. These maps can’t be detailed enough, even down to showing the order of the pieces to be brought into the site. Figuring out what room you are in can be confusing in a new construction condominium project; try looking professional after your crew installs a granite kitchen in the wrong unit.
If there are language barriers between the templater and the install crew, a map is also a much easier means of communication than a written list of instructions.
The last act of this play is in the hands of the installers … and, appropriately, the lead installer should orchestrate what I call the “dress rehearsal” just before the pieces are brought in. This consists of each of the installers moving as they would in the real install, only with an imaginary piece of stone or a slightly oversized piece of styrofoam insulation.
If there are tight tolerances for going around corners or fitting into elevators, rehearsing with the insulation can be a great tool for finding exactly how the pieces need to be positioned. The insulation can also be used to practice positioning the stone on the cabinet tops, making sure each of the installers knows exactly where to stand and what motions will be required to get the real piece into place.
We’ve seen the well-rehearsed granite-island install at every home show out there. Your installs should look like that as well, minus the blowhard on the side giving commentary. Using the dress rehearsal will take all the guesswork out of piece placement, and give your install crew a more-polished appearance.
In the end, the well-planned installation is a performance that’s timed well with few, if any, mistakes. The play is done, the audience – well, the customer – cheers, and the check is written. All’s well that ends well.
Jason Nottestad, a 12-year stone industry veteran, is co-owner of Wisconsin-based Midwest Template Services.