ADVANCED REFINISHING

"The customer booked an appointment to refinish a kitchen sink from white to black. I explained to the customer that I don’t generally recommend refinishing kitchen sinks, because they often endure so much abusive treatment, as compared to bathtubs, or even bathroom sinks. I also pointed out that if the customer did chip the finish from abusive treatment, that the white finish underneath would show through the black surface, and be aesthetically displeasing. But, I rarely refuse a customer request, if the customer really wants a job done, and confirms they understand the pro’s and con’s of refinishing versus replacing in each scenario. Some customers do have their kitchen sinks refinished and are very happy with the outcome. So, I feel I can’t refuse those customers service just because the solution isn’t a good idea for everyone. Since this customer’s sink was relatively modern and in good shape, I first removed staining with industrial cleaner and polished it. It looked nice in that condition, so I showed it to the customer and offered to just stop there for a significantly reduced price. I again reiterated the risks of refinishing a kitchen sink, and refinishing from white to black. The customer acknowledged she understood, and chose to have me proceed with a full refinish. When the refinish was completed, the customer inspected the work, affirmed she was happy with it, and paid me for the job. Several weeks after the job was completed, the customer contacted me expressing dissatisfaction with the surface. I went back to investigate, and confirmed that the finish was good: no coverage or adhesion problems, or bubbling. But the customer had already damaged and chipped the bottom surface from aggressive scrubbing of pots and pans; so indeed, what I had warned her about had come true. I repaired the chips caused by the customer free of charge, and the customer’s husband thanked me for coming out and seemed happy with the resolution. Later, the customer contacted me again, saying she was still unhappy with the refinish. I gave the customer a full refund, even though I maintain that the dissatisfaction with the refinishing job was due to the customer’s use and abuse of the sink, not the quality of the refinishing work."