Problem With Customer.. Need Advice

6stringmason

I made two bathroom vanity tops for a customers master bathroom. She chose what color she wanted, what type of finish and polish.

Well I installed them on Tuesday. She calls me on Thursday and says she doesnt like them. Now these are concrete tops. Concrete never can be, never will be perfect. Its the nature of concrete to have imperfections, blemishes, and sometimes even hairline cracking, all of which adds to the character and natural appearance of concrete.

I told this to her a couple times, to make sure I get the point across. It is definitely not for everyone.

Well, when I removed them from the mold, the profiled edge had a couple of voids right on the lip that I had to make slurry for and fill in. There are always voids in concrete no matter how well you vibrate, but anyways... I slurried the tops and built the edge up pretty well. Mind you it wasnt perfect, and I never intended to try to make it perfect. I was keeping with the look of concrete.

So Thursday she says she doesnt like them and I explain what I had just written here, and I even went so far as to say I will make you another top if you're not happy. She says " I think thats what we'll do but I'll talk to 'Joe'" her boyfriend or fiance and call me back.

Friday afternoon she calls, and says come take them out, she doesnt want them. She said she 'doesnt like the way they look' and its 'not what she expected', also saying 'they dont look right'.

So I explain to her that she is the one who choose the color. She says she knows but doesnt like them and wants me to take them out so they can go with something else.

She already paid me %50 down. Do I deserve the other %50?

And as a sidenote, I was being nice and didnt charge for the backsplashes or installation. Which took 2 hours of my time with a helper, because the wall with tile bowed in a little so I had to take my diamond blade and literally shape one edge of the top until it fight tight and even against the wall to look good. That means taking the top off, walk outside so the house and garage stay clean, bring it in, check and repeat until perfect.

Well enough jibberish. Do I get the other %50 or not? I need some advice here. She wants them out by Monday.

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Kamps Masonry & Concrete Countertop Design Green Bay, WI
920-680-3195
Visit our website @
http://www.concretecountertopsdesign.com/

ProWallGuy

What does your contract say? Did she sign off on the fact that 'it won't look perfect', and she 'chose the color'?

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6stringmason

no contract.. it was a cash job.

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Kamps Masonry & Concrete Countertop Design Green Bay, WI
920-680-3195
Visit our website @
http://www.concretecountertopsdesign.com/

Cole

Your screwed buddy!!!

Always get a contract.

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ProWallGuy

You just answered your own question.

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Digital Murals Installation

Chris G

You deserve the remainder. Sounds like she's a reasonable person. How much $ are we talking here?m Are you installing the replacement material?

stacker

you deserve the remainder of your money wiether she likes the look or not.it shouldnt matter if you had a written contract or not,you had a verbal one.you also were very forthcoming with her on how concrete works.now with all that said,will she pay the remaining 50%,doubtful.so what have we learned.WRITTEN CONTRACT.
i would also have in that contract,everything you told that woman about concrete,and have a place at that point in the contract for them to inital(sp)
i had the same thing happen to me years ago when i was manufacturing phoney stoney.a man came in an order 2000 sq ft stone.he picked the color,no deposit,when i had 1000 ft made he came in and picked that up and paid for the 1000 ft.when the rest was ready in came in and picked it up.this was stone colored with acid(rust color)and when it isnt cured it is white.most of this hadnt cured when he picked it up but he didnt say anything,paid for the stone and left.the next day he calls,tells me the stone isnt the same,that he was stopping payment on the check($2000).i tried to explain to him that the stone hadnt cured(same thing i told him the day before)that it would take 2-3 more days in the sun to cure out to the rust color.still he didnt listen.a week later his wife called and told me to run the check back thru the bank that the stone cure to the right color and she was sorry for the problem he husband had caused.this man called me everything from a crook to a sob,but yet he never apoligized to me.i see him from time to time and he waves to me,i wave back with one finger

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calypso

Do you have a picture of the fixed edge? If it fits with the rest of the counters look, like if there were alot of voids filled etc., I would say they owe you the rest. If they think the edge is messed up but don't want another at least you don't have to make any more tops for them and have the 50%. What a pain if they just didn't like the "look" once the tops are in. My father was a high end cabinet maker in Los Angeles and on occasion did jobs for some of the movie stars up on the hill. After finishing a $40,000 kitchen installation the owner decided he didn't like the look and had my dad rip it all out. My dad was bummed but they paid for the old cabinets and then paid him to make a new set.

6stringmason

No I dont have any pics yet. But I will when I go tear the old ones out tomorrow. It boils down to the fact that she just doesnt like how the color came out and matched with her bathroom. She chose the color off of a sample sheet full of colors I gave her to take home and match up.

She is using the edge as an excuse, because I even offered to make her happy and make her an entirely brand new top. I am all for customer satisfaction, and if I think the top did not look nice, I would not have installed it. The last thing I want is for people to talk bad about me, my business, or my craftsmanship. I think she is just one of 'those' people.

__________________
Kamps Masonry & Concrete Countertop Design Green Bay, WI
920-680-3195
Visit our website @
http://www.concretecountertopsdesign.com/

tcleve4911

Hey 6 string
Your are in that area of artist / contractor that is so open to personal taste. Anytime you & I create things from nature, the results can vary wildly. What some like - others don't.
She likes your work, just didn't like what she saw in a magazine somewhere.
She wants you to do another 2 counters. Mark them up as you normally would, take your 50% and chaulk it up to experience. Proguy's right ...contract writing is your friend.
In the future, you should have a page in your contract for expectations when working with natural materials. The granite companies all do this "Colors & patterns may vary from sample..........."
Take your losses, start over with her, with a new contract. You'll win her over & she'll tell her friends what a great business you are. LOL

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tkle

Knowing your integrity and the effort you put into your jobs,I would think you should get paid.All masonry being made from natural materials is variable in appearance.That said no contract you're probably S.O.L. Boy how I've wanted to kick myself for doing the same thing.I don't work for people I don't trust,my main reason for a contract is to make sure all points are clarified.Don't do squat without paperwork.

side note:Got a letter from the contractors board(California) saying I need a vender's license and have to charge sales tax to do cc counters if I produce them offsite.

tkle

Your sample sheet could also be the problem.Colors never match especially when using two different mediums.

Double-A

I know this is a new area of work for you, so with that in mind, I would say this.

Do you deserve the 50%? Yes. Should you ask for it? Yes, but do it in a way that makes sense.

"Do you agree that I completed what you asked of me? Then may I collect a check for the balance of bill when I come to uninstall the counter tops? Would you like me to haul off the counter tops or leave them with you?"

If they say no to the check, then just leave it at that. Bad words and bad vibes do more harm than just hurt your feelings. Try to make her happy no matter how it winds up.

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"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006

stacker

the homeowners from hell i just finshed a home for where like her.they got cultured stone to send them two boxes of stone,because two of the boxes they got didnt match the sample board.but on top of that,they didnt even get the same color stone as the two boxes they had before.
six,some people are like that.no matter how you tell them or show them,and how well you do the job,they are going to gritch and try to pay you less in the long run,and i have found it is the ones who have plenty of money who will screw you.those who have to save to do a job,or borrow the money from the bank will pay off like a slot machine and never bitch about a thing.they are just happy to be upgrading their homes.those are the customers i love working for.

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life is short,do your masonry naked!!
http://ok.local.yahoo.biz/knabemasonry/index.html

widco

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phinsher

Just weigh out your options here. You surely deserve the final 50%, but what will it do to your reputation to demand it?

You can either be the nice guy who was fair, or the "insert whatever bad name you like here" contractor.

The important thing is learning a valuable lesson, make sure there's a contract so that when you provide what you've proposed, you have a way to prove they owe you. Make sure to show them samples of the potential irregularities and have them sign off on it.

Brickie

6string,

You deserve the 50% that is due. When I read "She said she 'doesnt like the way they look' and its 'not what she expected', also saying 'they dont look right" To me it sounds that the woman is having a bout of "buyers remorse"

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tgates

You deserve the money, you did the work, you should be paid..

6stringmason

Thanks all for the replies. I have not spoken with her yet since Friday, and have since removed the tops per her request. I dont know if I will ask for the money. Like some have said, demanding it may be damaging to the rep, but I still feel slighted.

I have one pic I was able to take before the batteries on the camera went dead. It was a pic of the edge she complained was messed up. I will try to take some more pics tomorrow of the front, but it broke in half where the sink knockout is when I was taking it out. I had used liquid nails to secure it to the cabinets and had all I could do to get it free.


The edge shes talking about is towards the wall on the front.

You can see and feel a couple small bumps, but nothing that is out of the norm for concrete. Its surprising really. I thought to myself how nice they were when I put them in and couldnt wait for her to call and say how much she liked them.... my bad.

__________________
Kamps Masonry & Concrete Countertop Design Green Bay, WI
920-680-3195
Visit our website @
http://www.concretecountertopsdesign.com/

Chris G

Very well said.