Great Lakes Granite

Home Granite Blog
Granite Blog
Monday, March 21 2011 14:32

Customer Service - Who Cares?

Written by Great Lakes Granite Staff

Who Cares?  You Do!

 

There is more involved in the end product - beautiful, room-changing, atmosphere-setting granite applications--than you might think. We are driven to accept nothing less than a result that exceeds your expectations.

 

Sales staff: What they do (why you care)...


 

  • Assist you with color selection--did you know there are many hundreds of colors of granite...not to mention shades and hues?  Our staff knows, and when you work with them...you'll know too.
  • Insure that optimal slab sizes (pieces of granite) are used in order to reduce the number of seams and control total job cost your granite is not simply priced as professionally installed but looks professionally installed, without wasted material or money.
  • Help you understand the ins and outs of buying natural stone products. Taking time to make sure you know what have every right to expect v. what you may have been lead to believe.  Replacing stone myth with stone fact.
  • Provide actual stone/granite samples. Take them home...look at them for a few days.  This isn't something you want to pull up and throw out in a month!
  • Assist with edge treatment selection. Should the edge be a more square style?  A bit rounded?  Some combination?  It makes a difference you might not believe.
  • Quotes in 24 hours or less.
  • Keep you informed. Helping you understand operational procedures so the job will proceed smoothly - what's first, then next, and then what comes after that. The time frames you can expect.
  • Inspection. Making sure your slabs are exactly what you expect them to be, rejecting substandard materials.
  • Invite your participation. Meet with our staff, your project partners, to participate in the actual inspection of your slabs, if you would like. Some of our customers want to participate in the process of laying out the granite cuts on the actual slabs
  • Trained Interior Designers. Our staff members are trained interior designers who will work for you--they are not commissioned sales people but a Great Lakes Granite assistant provided for you to make the process and experience the best it can be and the result one that exceeds your expectations. Our patient staff members do what they do because they enjoy it and when your satisfied, they are satisfied

 

 

 

Our Scheduling Staff:

 

  • All phases of coordination and communication. Making sure all details are discussed and tracked...nothing lost; giving attention to peripheral items, e.g. sinks, faucets, cook top specs, etc.

 

Templating and Install Staff:

 

  • Meeting with builder and customer at job site to cover details to perfection; seam placement, overhangs, inside and outside radius work (you'll know all about these terms at this point in your project!).
  • Provide care instructions and any other information you require that will make you comfortable with caring for your natural stone product for a lifetime.

 

 

Thursday, February 03 2011 18:24

Caring for your granite countertops

Written by Great Lakes Granite Staff

The polish or sheen on granite countertops is the result of high pressure polishing wheels and very fine abrasives.  Maintaining the “factory” polish requires very little effort.  Here are some guidelines:

  • Using a pH balanced, anti bacterial cleaner regularly will maintain the surface.
  • Many granite-specific cleaners will also prevent build up of lime deposits, which have a tendency to dull the finish.
  • Use ONLY cleaners that are specifically formulated for granite.  Inappropriate cleaners used repeatedly can and do permanently dull the finish.
  • Sealing your granite: sealing your countertops will also help to maintain that brand-new appearance.
  • ALL Great Lakes Granite installations are sealed during production with a high quality sealant that should not require re-sealing for approximately five years.
  • If your granite is not Great Lakes Granite, check with your granite source regarding their factory sealant.

As you can see, with just the simplest of maintenance your granite countertops are designed to last a lifetime...or more...