{"title":"Choosing the Right Monument Dealer","description":"\u003ch1\u003eChoosing the Right Monument Dealer\u003c\/h1\u003e\nWhen\n  purchasing a headstone or grave marker for a loved one, you want to \nmake sure  you get it right the first time. Unlike getting a haircut, \nmeal, clothing or  most any other product or service, you are not \nafforded the opportunity to try  again if you are unsatisfied the first \ntime. The cost, let alone the fact that a  headstone is one of the final\n purchases made for a loved one, makes it unlikely.  Therefore, it is \nvery important to take your time and perform the necessary due  \ndiligence required to ensure you get it right the first time. The first \nplace  to start is in evaluating the monument dealer you plan to \npurchase from. There are  several schools of thought when\n selecting criteria to apply to someone who is  doing custom work for \nyou, but let us focus on the three most important items.  In no \nparticular order they are product quality, customer service, and \nprice.\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eProduct Quality\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tThe end  result of all your efforts in \npurchasing a memorial is to have an everlasting tribute  to your loved \none. One that can be peacefully looked upon for years as you  visit your\n loved one’s grave. It is therefore very important that the quality  of \nthe product and the craftsmanship is first rate. How do you determine \nwhat  is first rate? you may ask. Depending on the type of memorial \nand the  material used, there are several factors to consider. Here are \nthe most  important ones broken into two categories\n\t\u003cem\u003esandblasted  headstones\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ebronze grave markers\u003c\/em\u003e.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cem\u003eSandblasted Headstones\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tThese headstones  are made using high \npressure air and sand that are used to carve the details  (design and \nlettering) into the surface of a \n\t\u003ca href=\"\/granite-cemetery-markers-s\/396.htm\"\u003egranite headstone\u003c\/a\u003e. Some  \nthings to look for are:\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAdequate depth of lettering and carvings\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\t- When carving is done on a lighter colored granite it is important that the depth of the carving is of adequate depth. Look for deeply cut       lettering and lines in the design. The \ndeeper the cut the more contrast       will show under natural lighting.\n Some companies spray black paint in the       lettering and design for \ncontrast and this is perfectly fine, but don't let this fool you as a \nway to cover up inadequate depth of carving. \n\t\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShallow carving\u003c\/strong\u003e this type of carving \nis acceptable when it       is on a very dark color of granite such as \nblack, brown or dark red. In this case it is       preferable to lightly carve the \nlettering into the stone’s surface as this       will allow maximum \nlight to reflect off the carved areas providing the       best contrast.\n\t\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLettering finish\u003c\/strong\u003e - The lettering should\n have crisp edges and be properly aligned with consistent spacing. Make \ncertain the floating areas of letters such the center parts of A, B, R, and P’s are \nintact. In some cases these parts of the letters tend to be blown out by\n the high pressure from sandblasting. \n\t\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesign elements\u003c\/strong\u003e - The design should \nlook proportional and appear pleasing to the eye. Of course on black \ngranite, surface etching will work just as well, but some people choose \nto have shallow carved lettering with white paint for contrast on black granite.\n\t\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLaser engraving\u003c\/strong\u003e - On \u003ca href=\"\/laser-engraved-headstones-s\/222.htm\"\u003eblack granite laser engraving\u003c\/a\u003e is sometimes utilized as it allows for very detailed and\n photo quality artwork and images. When viewing samples make sure the \ncomposition looks good and the quality of the engraving is crisp and in \nfocus.\n\t\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tSince granite is a product of nature it is\n acceptable for  solid granite colors to have minor blemishes. These \nslight imperfections give  your loved one’s monument its unique \ncharacter. During the quarrying process it  is difficult if not \nimpossible to procure a perfectly even colored piece of  granite.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cem\u003eBronze Grave Markers\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/bronze-grave-markers-s\/221.htm\"\u003eBronze grave markers\u003c\/a\u003e consist of a bronze \nplaque mounted to  a granite base. In most cases they have a bronze flower vase. \nThey are made using a casting  method in which molten bronze is poured \ninto a special mold made from sand.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tWhile there are quite a few bronze foundries across the country who produce memorial products, not all of them have the same level of quality.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tHere are a few things to look for if you have an  opportunity to inspect samples of bronze plaques.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul type=\"disc\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLettering and dates\u003c\/strong\u003e Look for the \nlettering and dates to be aligned properly with no individual letters \nbeing crooked. Make sure the letters are uniform in size.\n\t\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRelief work\u003c\/strong\u003e The raised areas of the bronze design, also known as \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Relief\" target=\"_blank\"\u003erelief\u003c\/a\u003e work, should have adequate definition and the raised portions should be properly       highlighted.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBronze finish\u003c\/strong\u003e The paint and clear \ncoat should be applied evenly and there should be no runs in it. The \nraised portions of the design and lettering are typically polished to \nreveal the natural bronze coloring. This provides a nice contrast and \nshould look as good as examples you see in the brochures or images \nprovided.\n\t\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCustomer Service\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tCustomer  service plays such an important \nrole in the purchase of any item, but in  situations where emotions are \ninvolved it is often regarded as the most  important aspect of the whole\n experience. Since a person purchasing a headstone  is at some stage in \nthe grieving process, it is always important to recognize  this fact and\n for a monument salesperson to treat them with the utmost care and  \nconsideration.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tUnfortunately,  there are some sales people\n in the death care industry who tend to view this as  an opportunity and\n take advantage of their grief to increase the size of the  sale. \nUltimately, you want to feel as though your interests are being taken  \ncare of by the company you are dealing with. You don’t want to be \ntreated as  though you are at a used car lot.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tSince you  are purchasing a customized \nmemorial that can take several weeks up to several months to complete,  there is the chance \nthat you will be in contact with the company throughout the  duration of\n the whole process. Here is a simple checklist of things to look  for:\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul type=\"disc\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo they actively listen to what it is you want and are you confident they understand you?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAre they available when you contact them, or do they return your calls\/emails within a reasonable time?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf they make promises, do they keep them?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo they seem willing to go the extra mile for you?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf they make a mistake will they correct it on their dime?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tMany of  these things are hard to \ndetermine beforehand. Some companies, especially the  online variety, \noffer testimonials from customers who have purchased their  products. If\n they are authentic testimonials, then they should give an  indication \nof how the company performs in terms of its service.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eProduct Price\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tPrice is  one of the most important \naspects of any purchase. You don’t want to overspend,  but you don’t \nwant buy on the cheap and sacrifice quality either. Yet in the  \nfuneral industry, it has been reported that some firms charge prices \nthat reflect profit margins in the  400% - 1000% range. How can you make\n sure you are getting a good price on a quality  headstone?\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tOne of  the easiest ways is to shop around\n and compare. Unlike the limited amount of  time one has when planning a\n funeral, you can take your time when purchasing a  headstone and become\n informed. Check the cemetery price and compare it to local  monument \ndealers, even compare them against online companies.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tTypically  cemeteries and monument \ncompanies will be priced higher, but offer you the  option of seeing \nactual samples. Online monument dealers cannot provide a  physical \nshowroom, but do offer much better pricing on many of the same  products\n that the cemeteries and monument dealers carry.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tIn many  cases it is hard to actually \ncompare apples to apples when purchasing a  headstone memorial. One \ncemetery may use Matthews Bronze products while an  online monument \ndealer may use Coldspring products. The monument dealer may sell  Georgia Gray \ngranite while the funeral home sells China Gray granite. In general  \ncemeteries, monument dealers, funeral homes and online monument sellers \nget  their products from a variety of different sources making it almost\n impossible  to compare pricing on an even field.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tThe best  way to compare pricing is to \nmake sure you are getting a quote for the same  size headstone or bronze\n memorial from each company. Also, make sure the following  memorial \nattributes are the same or similar for comparison sake:\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/Headstone-Designs-s\/413.htm\"\u003eHeadstone design\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEmblems or design elements i.e. praying hands, angel, military emblem, etc.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNumber of additional letters for an \u003ca href=\"\/Headstone-Epitaphs-s\/416.htm\"\u003eepitaph\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGranite color\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGranite finish all polished die or polished only on the front and back, etc.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/headstone-accessories-s\/109.htm\"\u003eHeadstone accessories\u003c\/a\u003e - vases, ceramic pictures, etc.  \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tWhen  comparing cemetery prices with other\n sources, don’t forget to consider that  many cemeteries factor in or \nitemize their installation fee with the price of  the headstone. This \nfee will need to be added to the price of a headstone you  are \npurchasing from a dealer other than the cemetery.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFinal Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\tAfter the sale is finalized you want to be\n able  to look back on this purchase experience with no regrets. Making a\n bad choice  in choosing the wrong monument dealer will not only add \nstrain to an already  difficult time in your life, but there will be a \nconstant reminder each time  you visit your loved one’s grave. It is not\n uncommon for monument companies to  make mistakes on headstone orders, \nbut you want to feel comfortable that they  will work with you to \ncorrect them. Never be afraid to ask what kind of  mistakes they have \nmade in the past and how they corrected them. If a monument  dealer says\n they have never made a mistake, be very doubtful and consider  moving \non.\n\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"url":"https:\/\/www.everlifememorials.com\/collections\/choosing-the-right-monument-dealer.oembed","provider":"Everlife Memorials","version":"1.0","type":"link"}