My Customer Wants A Custom Color, What Should I Do?
by Ethan Schneider

Sooner or later you are going to have customer that just will not accept any of the standard colors that CTI has to offer. In general it is not a good idea to come out of the gate telling customers you can custom match any color they want. While it is true that CTI can match most colors, there are pros and cons to doing so.

Additionally, it is never a good idea to try and mix colors to create a desired custom color when you are working on a job site. During every CTI training class Chuck makes it a point not to allow your customer to take over your job. While it is true that in most retail situations the customer is always right, but not when it comes to installing their CTI job. The customer should have already agreed upon and signed off on what colors, patterns, textures, and sealers are going to be used on their job.

If you allow changes to be made mid stream then you need to amend your contract clearly defining the changes and have your customer sign off on them. In some cases it might even be wise to delay the installation and make a new sample board. You may also want to make necessary price adjustments to reflect the changes at this time. Keep in mind that color changes made on the job are going to look very different once they are sealed often resulting in the customer saying that is not what they had in mind. So “CYA” Make a new sample board !

Additionally, even if you are able to create a custom color that the customer approves of while you are on the job site, chances are you will not be able to match that color in the future. So if your customer calls you back 6 months later and wants you match her walkway to her new patio, you will most likely be hard pressed to match it.

Nobody wants to have to to re-do an entire floor because they didn’t start with an approved sample board or they made changes in the middle of the job. Again, don’t put yourself in this situation. It can be avoided. Especially when doing custom Stone Classics, Acrylistains, and Eurobond projects.

In most cases you can order a custom colorant from CTI. Turn around time for custom 190 colorants are usually about one week. There is a small up-charge for custom
colorants. The up-charges can vary due to the raw materials required to produce certain colors. Our chemist prefers that you provide a color number from a standard Sherwin Williams color paint palette. CTI does not use Sherwin Williams paints to make our colorants, but the Sherwin Williams color palette is the most widely used in the industry and is easily accessible. Keep in mind that custom colors may not always be an exact match but will usually be within one or two shades of the original color. Once that color is made it is kept on file for future reference.

Whenever possible try to steer your customers to stay within the standard CTI color palette. Unfortunately, CTI can not warranty custom colors because there isn’t enough time to thoroughly test them. This is another reason why we suggest staying within the standard CTI color palette. Remember your customer will usually buy what you show them.