How Would You Handle This?

[Palmetto Home and Deck 167]

A man called me the other day about cleaning and sealing his deck. This deck was sealed a couple of years ago with Olympic solid stain. (I have never understood why someone would take a beautiful wood deck and try to make it look like red brick.)

Anyway, this Olympic sealer he has on it is failing and has cracks appearing in it and is actually coming off in some places. For some reason all he wanted me to do is wash the deck off and apply Thompson's Water Seal to it.

I have informed him about the already failing sealer and that it would do no good to apply anything over the top of it. I have also pointed out "tactfully" the short coming of Thompson's Water Seal and the benefits of good products like Ready Seal and Woodtux. This deck is in serious need of a total strip and seal job, but this guy so far is still set on what he wants me to come out and do.

This deck is in a nice neighborhood and one I would like to get into.I pride myself on the work I do and in my reputation. I fear, in this case, giving the customer what he wants would come back to haunt me so this might be one better to pass on.

How would you guys handle this?

P.S. I am going to meet with him again this week so there is still a chance.

[KC Deck 14]

Wow. I'd refuse to do it. Like you said, your reputation may be on the line, and applying Thompsons over a failing solid is like pissing up a rope. Pardon the analogy. It sounds like the customer is pretty set in his ways so no matter how much talking you do you wont convince him.

Then best thing to do is...im my opinion....walk away.

[PressurePros 249]

I agree with KC. You answered your own question, Len. You will be shooting yourself in the foot. As a deck professional you know you cannot apply anything over a solid but another solid. Follow the customer's lead and yes, you will get a reputation in this community alright..as the contractor to avoid using.

[PLD 14]

Wow. I'd refuse to do it. Like you said, your reputation may be on the line, and applying Thompsons over a failing solid is like pissing up a rope. Pardon the analogy. It sounds like the customer is pretty set in his ways so no matter how much talking you do you wont convince him.

Then best thing to do is...im my opinion....walk away.

I agree. Pass on this one. It'll look horrible and when it does, you'll probably be expected to make it right at original bid price. No good can come of this one...

[Russell Cissell 65]

I vote for walking away!

The customer calls you in as a wood restoration professional. As soon as they start telling you how to do your job RUN!

I guess when they hire a limo company they want to drive too!

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Me too...vote for scadoo~

Leave this one and move on, nightmare waiting to happen and I sense flags popping up on this particular homeowner.

This deck is in a nice neighborhood and one I would like to get into.I pride myself on the work I do and in my reputation. I fear, in this case, giving the customer what he wants would come back to haunt me so this might be one better to pass on.

I also sense that this person has been sold by tv ads and/or little investigation on their part and feel that they are doing the best thing without the benefit of knowledge that they are only complicating things by not following the advice of a professional.

There are plenty of others out there who will appreciate your knowledge and experience, they are the ones you want. They probably live next door to this one too! :)

Rod~

[Russ Johnson 141]

Give him the phone number to the nearest rental yard.

[reed 500]

Walk away for sure. You don't want a customer like this one. You know the right way to do things and he doesn't. If he wants it done another way, let him do it himself.

reed

[Palmetto Home and Deck 167]

Seems like every one is on the same page with me about this one. Beth, I also think you are right and he had been sold on Thompson's Water Seal by their TV ads and also by some friends that put TWS on their deck.

There are very few professional wood preservation contractors in this area and most decks get sealed by house painters that are more than happy to give the customers what they ask for. That means many of them will put anything over everything. I know one painter that just sealed a deck with automatic transmission fluid. Yes, there are plenty of people around here that think ATF is the way to go.

After I first looked at this deck I provided an estimate for completely stripping the failing stain and re-sealing with Ready Seal. I put together a pocket folder that included the estimate on company letterhead, a complete description of my stripping/ cleaning and sealing process, some general information about treated wood and wood care, and a Ready Seal brochure. All together this made a professional and nice looking package.

I'm not sure if was this package or my willingness to walk away from this deck or both, but now after having time to read over and think about the information I provided him the homeowner seems to have had a change of heart. He called me back Friday and after we talked about how the sealer that is on his deck and how it is failing he now agrees that it should be stripped back to wood and re-sealed. He actually sounds excited that the old solid color stain can be removed without forcefully blasting away with a pressure washer and damaging the wood.

He now wants to know when I can start. Maybe there is a chance people will discover there is a difference between wood care specialist and the typical house painter after all.

[JeffW 14]

It's not any fun doing a job that you know is not "normal" procedure.It's nice to jobs where the end result is to the positive,.. instead of adding to an already existing problem.

[JFife 14]

Len,

...atta boy. What sold him was that you were not willing to do an inferior job, even if you would make a profit. Well played.