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COATINGSPRO SEPTEMBER 2015 83 just prior to application. Unfortunately for the manufactur- er's representative who challenged us to " just test it," his coating was becom- ing part of the problem. W hile not the fault of the manufacturer, they were no doubt going to end up participating in the foor's repair. It was decided that the foor would be recoated and the district would accept whatever scratches could not be bufed out. Tis second time around, everything was done by the book: mixing times were noted, test tablets were made, and arrangements were made for their safe keeping. Te district required my involve- ment during the entire repair process, meaning I spent the better part of a week watching coatings mixed — and then dry. But here's the rea l ly good par t: T hat same manufacturer's represen- tative was d irected to be on site as wel l. Apparent ly, the "get it tested yourself " was a d irect company ed ict, and no one had ever fol lowed through on it unti l now. Since then, the company ed ict has changed. As for the contractor, there were a few lessons for him and others to take away from this project. First and foremost, read the manufacturer's written instructions before you start the project. Products change over the course of time. "I've been doing it this way for 10 years" will be a problem when you later learn the product was modifed 3 years ago! It's critical on any project to dot your i 's and cross your t's. Take the time to do it right the frst time. Tat means: • Mi x according to the manufac- turer's written instructions. If they call for a slow mi xing speed for three minutes, someone needs to have a watch on hand. Over-mi xing and under-mi xing are two of the most common mistakes made on the jobsite. • Take the time to prepare tablets of each mix, and arrange for proper storage of the tablets for at least a year. Problem resolution is where the real professional contractor shines. Arrogance, or an "us against them" mentality, will only guarantee that you will ultimately lose, including lost future business (this school district has decided not to use product from this manufacturer for future projects just because the technical representative was arrogant in his approach to under- standing the issues). Regardless, applicators should be prepared to handle the challenge of any customer complaint with profes- sionalism. Believe it or not, complaint management is an opportunity to shine and to set yourself apart from the competition. CP Roland Vierra is president and CEO of FLOOR ING FOR ENSICS Inc., which is an independent consu lt ing f ir m specia l i zing in t he science and forensic eva luat ion of f loor cover ing per for mance fa i lures. Vier ra has been a t hird-par t y c la ims consu ltant for more t han 30 years. For more infor mat ion, contact: Roland Vier ra , (408) 999-0922, Roland@Floor ingForensics.com, w w w. Floor ingForensics.com Tablets were tested using microscopy and the Taber Abrasion Test. Test results indicated that the coating was too soft. The underlying cause was believed to be improper mixing of the product just prior to application. Coring occurred in three locations: two areas where the scratches in the coating were prevalent and one area where the coating was thought to be in a "near pristine" condition (sampled in an area of little use). Epoxy School Floor