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I agree, almost identical. I would go and have a face 2 face with client. Could Ben that they have just changed their mind on slabs??
every customer i’ve EVer dealt with has fully appreciated the fact that if they change the brief, it’s going to cost.
It does seem very unresonable of the customer, given the slight disparity of the photos to expect the builder to start again from scratch. Could it be that the stones on the right have had sealant applied?
The builder's done a great job. If it were me I'd (slightly passive-aggressively)ask if there are any particular stones are unhappy with and make a real meal out of lifting them and replacing them. And also explain that the light hue will disappear soon enough as they weather/acquire algae etc
Crisis averted! It turns out that the client had not seen the job himself as he was away on business, and was relying on photographs that his wife had sent him - where some stones were wet and others were not, giving a much more patchwork effect! He is actually very pleased with the job so far and has given a thumbs up! I think my landscaper needed a stiff drink after that, especially as he has already had so many delays down to the weather.
Good news in the end! The colour variation in the photos simply looks like a difference in white balance settings between cameras.
Glad to see all is sorted, but what a lot of fuss about nothing and all caused by an unecessary text. I know that texts are a big part of world in which we live, but in this case, a phone call would have solved the problem immediately as I am sure the landscaper would have mentioned that the slabs were wet.
It's certainly a timely reminder to make the customer completely aware of all possible variations in the materials they have chosen before delivery. Even then there will 'always be one'! My worst was a small 12 sq m front garden. The customer already had a sample of the sandstone slabs she wanted, so we went ahead, prepared and laid them. That evening she called to say she didnt like them as they were 'too brown'. So the following morning, up they came. After much deliberation, she picked a lighter shade and after couple of hours work and a few sq m down, she decided she didnt like them either!
She ended up paying for the preparation, laying first time, lifting, taking away, laying part of second time, lifting and taking away and 50% of value of slabs that I was able to use elsewhere. All of which came to more than the original job was priced at - she complained, but paid up.
Not long after, the whole area was covered in gravel!
I agree, if the wife had sent her photo to the landscaper as well as her husband it would have been settled immediately! And what a nightmare customer yours was! Thankfully this didn't escalate.
I wouldn't rely on photos. Better to take a sample to the client & get them to agree in writing.