Our clients never cease to put a smile on my face. ESPECIALLY when they send in their installed photos, and share a little blurb about their PAVERART design's impact on their home.
So in that spirit, I'll present the brief journey of bringing a Custom Compass Rose to life.
It usually starts with a simple email from our client:
As things do in the age of the Internet, one thing has led to another which has led to me deciding that I cannot live without a compass rose set into the new garage courtyard... (Thanks a lot, by the way.) An idea, please, of the cost for a compass rose, probably the NCRHOPE001-B, in a 6-foot diameter? I like that one just the way it is, colors and all. Unless - we can engrave the degree numbers at the four cardinal directions - ?
We try very hard to NOT simply answer the questions asked, but to actually engage in a live conversation. Almost always, if we simply answer the questions posed, our clients would not have all the important information. 2 simple questions were asked, price and can we engrave.
BUT what about the application? This was a driveway application, which we do a ton of, but certain things need to be discussed
What is this going into? Surrounding colors?
Are there BETTER ways to approach this that should be considered? Engraving vs Cut letters.
We live in a world of Amazon where people are used to one click, having the answers, and products showing up at the doorstep. PAVERART is NOT Amazon, and the designs we build are ART pieces that are meant to last a lifetime. They are a much more emotionally centered product, so conversations really are important.
So we got to work collaborating with our client, sizing it, adding the four cardinal directions, and simulating color combinations like we did here.
Eventually, it gets built at the shop here at PAVERART. We get it on the floor, take measurements, inspect it, clean it, and photograph it.
Some designs at PAVERART have what I call "stopping power" where our team hovers around, takes a minute and says, "this one's special!"
For me, installed photos are great. But I am such a sucker for the personal anecdote and how the designs bring a smile to people's faces. And if pets are involved, even better!
"So the evenings here are getting cooler (by cat standards, anyway) and my old "barn" cat, who has become a garage cat (it's closer to the house) has taken to spending his last half-hour before coming in the house on the compass rose. Those permeable pavers are too lumpy and not warm enough, apparently!
Bart, former Montana Barn Cat, now Pool-Porch Sofa cat. We had to put a short cat-condo in the new garage for him; he'll spend all day out there with my husband. (The cat is completely deaf, at age about 17 now, so the Sirius Radio 70's channel at volume about "19" doesn't bother him.)"
Running a business presents all sorts of challenges. Some days are a massive grind and nothing seems to go right.
But when feedback comes back to us from our customers, life gets significantly brighter. Everyone needs fuel to keep the fire burning, and we thank our clients for taking the time to share their experiences with us!