So....... I have a customer who picked out a high end laminate that is offered in 3 sheens.  She was very specific on which one she wanted.   I had her order the color and sheen person to person with my supply store.   It was a special order and took 3 weeks plus to get,  also I had to buy 2 @12' x 5' sheets.

2 days ago the material arrived,  while paying the invoice I asked the person who ordred the good if the sheen was correct on the P.O. as well as the invoice.  She replied yes.    We had the substrate portion all set to go,  we opened the box,....... all the corners of the lam  intact,  no splits , tears or blemishes.
I took 1 sheet over to my 2 tops and my bro took the other to his top and continued to laminate  the tops.    We installed them all today and as Im about to leave,   the customer notices the sheens are different from one top to the next,  a very suttle diff but still diff.   I call the supply store and plea my case,  she asked "   what do you want me to do?"   I mentioned that I would like another sheet (free)  and 6 hrs back charge to uninstall, transport back to shop,  de-skin and re-skin then refinish the cherry bevel with stain and 3 coats tinted poly then re-install and reconnect the sink and D/W.  

  Is this my mistake or the distributor's wharehouse who knew we special ordered specificaly for that finish.   They are sending another sheet tomorrow but Im not sure what will happen with the back charge I proposed.

What a day,  the customer was very understanding and I reassured her It will be resolved at no expense to her and as little impact to her life as possible.

Im obviously not ready to eat 6 hrs and the  impact on my schedule

David,  I would say it is your brothers fault for not noticing his was different than yours.

I would say he needs to buy the next rounds of beer!

Just kiddin of course...   It happens to all of us....

Sounds like a tough situation. Once you get the new sheet of material you're also going to need to make another trip to the jobsite (with the material) to see which top it matches.

There isn't some chance that the finish is directional at all, is it?

David,
I'd say that the ultimate responsibility falls on you. If you've got a good relationship with your vendor then they will most likely replace the sheet. But checking your sheet goods before cutting to ensure you have the right material is on you. It would be nice if they reimburse you but I wouldn't hold my breath on it.

David:

Sorry, but I'm with Mike on this one. You cut it, you own it. It was ultimately your responsibility to confirm that the finishes were correct and matched. No soup for you.

Joe

Dave - Not to "pile on" here - but IMHO - you are responsible.

This is what us guys on the "stone side" have to do on every job we cut.

In the Tile industry - the saying goes: "Use Constitutes Acceptance"...

I have to agree with Joe, Mike, Brian & Kelsey on this one - and Brian has a great point
to confirm the replacement stuff if you are doing a partial re-do....

Fortunately - (it sounds) like this loss is not going to be devastating to your overall
business, and moreover, you may be able to turn this into a positive the way you
react to and take care of the mistake - kind of like turning a "lemon" into "lemonade"...
by getting some customer positive PR when the job is completed.....

Sounds like you are "taking the high road" on this - so KUDOS to you!!!

kevin

Thanks guys,   I needed t hear this.   I was so pissed yesterday I couldn't see past my own .......... well,   ego!


I guess what made me so frustrated was since there was so many sheen choices and the supply store didn't carry sheen # 2 ,   i put it in the hands of the customer and  sales person so they got it right,  "just get me the stuff" in other words.     it was a long process just to have the customer deceid and find the right sheen.
    Thanks   friends        im movin forward

I thing it is your responsibility but given the situation if the supplier would cover the cost of the material, at least you won't be out any additional money.

I truly feel your pain. This has happened to us more than once and I rarely get reimbursed from the distributor.

I recieved the replacement sheet yesterday afternoon and promptly went up to the customer's place , pulled the top and worked late to change the skin to the correct  "Sheen".   The suppier paid for the sheet  and I ate 4 hrs (I haulled a$$).    While I was there at the site though...the customer wanted me to change the color of the stain on the cherry bevel.

At first I opened my mouth in frustration to say something to point out her praise from the moment we showed up with the finished tops and that she commited to the color during the 2 coats of finish I applied.... but instead I said
" I want you to be happy"  I stuck my finger in the stain and painted on a great big smile and scraped the finish off and restained with an audience.                  After awhile it just gets to rediculous to expend anymore energy after bad.    Its done and she is happy,   i knew from the big hug she gave me.
   Next time I will check the stupid sheen

David,
You will recoup that lost time with all the additional referrals you are going to get from that customer! Glad your distributor stepped up to help you to.

You will probably get lots of referrals from a customer like this because of the story she can tell.

Thankfully it is done before the weekend.

More drama from yours truly.

While visiting my folks in New England  they asked that I help them order a solid surface island top.   I could have ordered it from my bro in CT and my other brother in Maine could have installed it.   My folks said they wanted to support the local building supply store in stead.   We went in to the design center and our sales person was out,  the alternate sales person gave me some paper and I drew up a shop drawing including the size of the cabinet and the overhangs, the steel support, the type of edge construction  ect.    I went over it with the sales guy and he understood completly, its a 38 x 48 inch island top for crap sake.  All parties commited in agreement on the drawing

The price was agreed on(holy crap, way more than I would charge) and the order was made.      The installer showed up and my step father was looking for the steel support.  There was none.   He stopped the installer and asked if he had the same drawing with the steel diagram.   the answer was yes.   Why no steel?  Only 1" mdf.      The first answer was,  "this is how we do it"   12" overhangs on 2 sides at a corner?    My folks rejected the top till the steel was resoved,  the next answer was " we didn't know what size or lenth you wanted the steel" and "we thought you the customer were doing the steel"
In the end my brother will be plowing out the trough for the steel support and doing the install, no warranty and my folks are very dissapointed with the entire supply store and their abilities.    My folks just retired, step dad has been in construction for 40 yrs both res and commercial and mom has been a personnel mngr and store mngr so the know how to read drawings get along with people.

where did we go wrong here?

now after I think about it ,  if the bottom is covered with 1 "mdf then there probably is no seam support?    just one more phone call to frustrate my folks

Whoa, Nelly!
Before you go worrying them, instead ask the fabricator if the relief for the seam support is milled out of the solid substrate. Not that you might trust them at this point....

I agree with you on the steel. If they had a 12" o.hang on a back and an end, it should not only have been steel, but the steel should have been a welded lattice.

Posted By David G. on 31 Oct 2009 11:50 AM
now after I think about it ,  if the bottom is covered with 1 "mdf then there probably is no seam support?    just one more phone call to frustrate my folks

Don't be surprised if the 1" MDF had been routered out to allow for the seam support.

If the top was not right, why did they accept it?

Hah! Beat you to it, KC.

That doesn't happen a lot, so let me enjoy my "first".

wow Tom, we must have been typing at the same time

David:

The very best thing your parents could have done for this business was make them eat this top.

No full underlayment, no steel, no brother, no nuthin'.

After digesting a few of these jobs, they will quickly learn to read approved shop drawings or they will go out of business.

 

Joe

David,
Even if they used 1" full substraight, and they did use seam straps that were let into the substraight. The dado' for the strap leaves the substraight at 1/2" at best (it is only as strong as it's weakest spot). Hardly enough support. No, let me rephrase that. NOT ENOUGH support.

Refuse the entire top.

Johnny C

I have used solid substraight many times, but under the overhang area only to conceal the seam straps in a dado, and only if there are corbles supporting the overhang no farther than 24" apart. With no corbles, a steel frame latic is a good way to go.

Johnny C