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  • #4893

    These are pictures of the concrete countertop before I refinished today:
     

    After:

    That’s not a blotch on the right, it’s a reflection.

    The pit in the first pic is filled here.

     

    There were too many pits to fill with CA; I hit the big ones. I used a 300, 500, 1000 pads and MB20 on a hard felt Dani pad to take out the 1000 marks. I put the Mikta speed at about 2 (I hate throwing crap all over) and really leaned into it. It sucked down some sealer. Fourteen square feet took about four hours.

    Joe

    #66127

    When I left this customer’s home, she was very pleased with the job. As I was finishing the island, I let her know that we had used her entire budget on the island alone, but that I would try some quick spot repairs and sealer on the rest of the tops.

    She called yesterday and is unhappy. She wants the other tops to look like the island, no spots at all, or she wants me to send back half of what she paid me. I explained that I have a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee and sent her check back. She said she will reissue a check for half the previous amount.

    Now most guys would really be pissed by this, but I’m not at all. Why? Well, I had no idea how long it would take to refinish concrete tops before I started this job and now I do. That is very valueable information and I’m willing to pay for it. The alternative? Casting my own concrete sample and refinishing it myself. How much does that pay? Nothing. In fact it would cost me money in time and material. So I’m learning in this woman’s kitchen for half my usual rates. Seems fair to me.

    Hell, I gave Oakland University five large last semester and didn’t learn a damn thing that could make me any money. They aren’t giving me a piece of paper until I fork over another twenty and still no guarantee that I’ll make any money from it. Kitchen tuition seems like a better deal.

    Joe

    #66129
    Andy Graves
    Keymaster

    That sounds like a professional customer to me. Whine and bitch until you get what you want. Did you tell her the entire kitchen would be finished for a certain price?

    Why didn’t you just go back and finish the other side for the full amount?

    #66136

    Posted By Andy Graves on 07 Feb 2011 03:40 PM
    That sounds like a professional customer to me. Whine and bitch until you get what you want. Did you tell her the entire kitchen would be finished for a certain price?

    Why didn’t you just go back and finish the other side for the full amount?

    Andy:

    No, I never gave her a price upfront. I told her I would try to get her island to look better. I did 2SF or so in the corner, she approved the look and I finished the island.

    I’m not going back unless she pays my full rate. I’ve paid for my education. If I went back to get to the original budget amount, I’d be doing more work for half the rates I usually charge and wouldn’t be learning anything new.

    You may be right about being a professional customer. She told me they guy who fabricated her tops did it for FREE because it was the first concrete job he had ever done. Although the tops had the obligatory cracks between the sink corners and rail and if you overlook the plethora of pits from lack of vibration, he did a pretty good job.

    Joe 

    #66142
    David Gerard
    Member

    I wouldn’t take half price to polish a turd either.

    Joe,  you knew what materials to use and what procedure,  I think you cut your self short when your basically saying she didn’t need to pay you to learn.   The procedure is probably the same to rebuff most concrete tops, maybe due to color or patina one top will take longer than the other?   You are too kind!

    nice job bringing her back to life by the way

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