Glass professionals make a customer’s glass shower design idea a reality, but sometimes the vision needs to be tweaked. While the saying, “The customer is always right,” can help businesses maintain polite and positive approaches, it shouldn’t be taken literally, especially not in the world of glass shower installation. This is because flawed designs – especially for frameless or semi-frameless enclosures – can result in a plethora of problems, from safety issues to cleaning nightmares to client dissatisfaction.

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1. How can I point out a problem with a client’s design idea without giving offense?

While it’s impossible to be sure that a person won’t take offense, here are some ways to improve the odds of having a fruitful and friendly conversation about a design concern.

• Start with something positive. Comment sincerely on an attractive or convenient aspect of the proposed glass enclosure.
• Ask questions to understand the reason for the problematic aspect of the design. Cutting costs? All glass look? Copying a picture?
• Be brief and objective when pointing out the issue. Keep in mind how you feel when someone says you made a mistake. Avoid “you” statements altogether, and simply state the facts – ie, “A header will need to be added to keep this panel from wobbling,” rather than “This won’t work! We can’t install this without a header.”
• Show that you are solution oriented. Acknowledge and validate the desire behind the flawed design and propose alternative ways to achieve this goal if at all possible.
• Honestly but tactfully make your client aware of the problems that could result from following the design as-is. Focus on how they will enjoy a better outcome with your proposed alterations.
  
  

2. What kinds of shower design issues should I point out?

It’s important to know which concerns warrant a conversation at a minimum and a refusal to install the original design at a maximum.

Safety Concerns

If a design violates building codes or industry standards for safety and stability, it’s important to not only point it out, but to only undertake the job if these matters are addressed.

Cleaning Concerns

Some glass shower designs make bathroom cleaning more of a chore. For example:

• Metal grids need to be regularly dusted and washed, which will significantly add to the time it takes to clean the shower area.
• Homeowners may want to squeeze a glass corner shower and a separate soaker tub into a bathroom that formerly had one tub/shower combo. Having the free-standing

tub close to the shower glass can leave a small uncleanable gap where moisture and dust will accumulate.

• It can also be helpful for customers to know the pros and cons of a product so they can make an informed decision. For example, frameless sliders take longer to clean because of the rolling door mechanisms, but they offer excellent space efficiency.

Practical Concerns

Sometimes your industry experience might bring something to mind that your client has overlooked. For example, if they’ve mentioned they want to age in place but have chosen a small knob for the shower door, the suggestion to use a more ergonomic pull handle may be a welcome one.

Aesthetic Concerns

Finally, you might simply be worried that the proposed design will look bad in real life or that it is too much defined by passing fads. Here it is crucial to avoid criticizing the customer’s tastes. Approach this topic from perspectives like resale appeal, expense of replacing a faddy choice, information about current trends and favored approaches, etc.

3. When should I keep my thoughts to myself?

There might be a stylish look that you simply don’t care for. For instance, many designers and homeowners love glass with grids, but you only have to peruse a glass shower professionals Facebook group to see that many think it looks terrible and is reminiscent of a jail or a gaudy palace. In a case like this, it makes sense to ensure that the customer knows any practical concerns with the style – ie more involved cleaning – but your own personal dislike for the trend does not need to be shared.

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Speaking of customers, the Glass Simple team is happy to place our decades of industry experience at the services of our clients, whether glass professionals or homeowners. Give us a call at (571)707-7760 to get answers to your questions or to place an order.