{"id":1369,"date":"2017-12-14T17:18:21","date_gmt":"2017-12-14T17:18:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/?p=1369"},"modified":"2017-12-14T17:22:40","modified_gmt":"2017-12-14T17:22:40","slug":"new-school-vs-old-school-stone-restoration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/14\/new-school-vs-old-school-stone-restoration\/","title":{"rendered":"New School vs. Old School: Stone Restoration"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ever heard of these stone restoration terms before: \u201cMagnesite bond segments,\u201d \u201cbricks,\u201d \u201cMunich segments?\u201d If you\u2019ve been in the stone restoration game long enough, I bet you have. I on the other hand, am not very familiar with this vocabulary. Full disclosure: I\u2019m 31 years old and I\u2019ve been in the stone restoration industry for 8 years.<\/p>\n

\"dad-and-me-new-warehouse\"<\/a>
My father Rawi and me at ISI HQ<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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As someone who has been mentored by a stone restoration veteran (my father, Rawi), but who also loves to stalk the Stone Restoration Group on Facebook, I have the pleasure of witnessing two different generations. The \u201cOld School\u201d stone restoration craftsman and the \u201cNew School\u201d stone restoration rock stars.<\/p>\n

\"discs\"<\/a>
“Old School” Diamond Discs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Let\u2019s start with some hot button issues: crystallization, wax, and other topical sealers (gasp!)<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve heard plenty of younger stone restoration professionals completely swear off some of these \u201cold school\u201d restoration techniques.<\/p>\n

On the flip side, we have new hot button issues: engineered Quartz countertops, epoxy grout, diamond impregnated pads (double gasp!) I\u2019ve also learned that many stone restoration veterans are not interested in working with these new materials.<\/p>\n

\"Diamond-impregnated-pads\"<\/a>
Diamond Impregnated Pads<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Perhaps the lesson here is: there is a time and place in stone restoration for all of these services and products. Also, don\u2019t knock it \u2018til you try it! Make sure you\u2019ve done your R & D before you swear anything off.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Next point of contention: How do you attract and retain your customers?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I believe the old school way is by creating actual relationships with their customers; face time (and I mean actual face time, not iPhone Face Time) is important. This direct approach and hands-on method is what helps old school stone restoration specialists maintain a loyal customer base.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Alternatively, new school creates a brand for themselves and for their company. New school has an up-to-date website and has a firm grasp on social media. On these various online platforms<\/a>, new school stone restoration specialists create an online place that customers can go to in order to learn about various stone care methods. They are not afraid to disseminate knowledge because they will be seen as a reliable source of stone care information; no pushy sales tactics needed.<\/p>\n

\"isi-post\"<\/a>
A Post from the ISI Facbook Page<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

What can we learn from each other? A quick wrap up:<\/p>\n

Old school<\/p>\n