The demands placed on stonemasons in terms of technical skills, planning, and cross-trade expertise are increasing. Added to this are customer expectations. Anyone who wants to keep up must continue their education and understand these requirements.
Complaints are a disappointment for customers
For 25 years, consumer advocates at the Bauherren Schutzbund (BSB) have been investigating construction defects and the costs of damage resulting from construction projects. “Many defects are caused by construction work that does not comply with recognized technical standards or deviates from the contract,” is the current conclusion of BSB Managing Director Florian Becker. A classic example: moisture damage. But planning errors, coordination errors, or errors in construction supervision also cause damage, some of which results in significant costs.
According to the BSB, half of all private homebuilders have to contend with construction defects. Added to this are contractual deviations (in one-third of cases), delayed completion (in nearly one-quarter of cases), and problems with final inspection. Given these figures, one might almost say that customers for whom everything goes smoothly are the lucky ones.
From the customer’s perspective, every complaint—even if it’s just a minor issue—is initially a disappointment. Service specialist Ralph Lange emphasizes this point. Companies should therefore handle complaints with sensitivity. After all—whether rightly or wrongly—the customer’s expectations were not met. Ralph Lange: “From a purely emotional standpoint, there can be very different reasons behind a complaint: annoyance, anger, the concern of having been taken advantage of, or simply a lack of understanding.”
However, not every complaint needs to be blown out of proportion, just as not every customer inquiry is highly emotional. “This is often confused,” Lange warns, urging caution and advising that one first assess the level of agitation and the possibility of a straightforward resolution. A purely factual response isn’t advisable when emotions are running high. A better approach is to first show understanding and acknowledge the customer’s situation.
The Stonemason as a Guinea Pig
The customers Thomas Wilder—a publicly appointed and sworn expert in the stonemasonry and stone sculpture trades—deals with have long since passed this phase. Thomas Wilder, however, first comes to the defense of the businesses: “It’s not getting any easier for the trade. New products are flooding the market at an ever-faster pace and are heavily advertised. The stonemason sometimes ends up serving as a guinea pig, both in the workshop and on the construction site.”
As an expert, he naturally sees things differently. “We’re usually called in after the damage has already been done. Then the rules of technology, the standards, the technical guidelines, and the procedures generally recognized in practice over the years apply.” And the rule is: What’s in writing stands. “I can only recommend that my colleagues protect themselves. Perhaps they should also get customers and retailers on board,” advises Wilder.
But he also knows that, in practice, it’s impossible to protect against every eventuality. To do so, customers would have to sign “folders full of documents.” However, it helps if you can explain to your customers when claims are unrealistic.
Read more in STEIN 5/2021.
