Table of Contents

• COMMITTEE REPORTS
  • MEMBERSHIP REPORT
  • SOCIAL REPORT
  • SPEAKER COORDINATOR REPORT
  • TREASURER REPORT
• LEADS
• NOTABLE MENTIONS
• QUESTION OF THE DAY
• MAIN SPEAKER

Committee Reports

Membership Report
(Click here to go to the Membership page)

No report.

Social Report
(Click here to go to the Social Event page)

The D-Spur Ranch event is this weekend.  If you signed up to go, you need to give Althea Bussert or Lisa Schnaidt your payment.  Have a good time!

Don't forget your clubs next Friday.  A group of MABE members will meet after the meeting to play some golf.  Contact Jim Crosman for details.

Speaker Coordinator Report
(Click here to go to the Speaker Schedule)

• 10/29/04     Althea Bussert
• 11/05/04     Carol Weishaar
• 11/12/04     Phyllis Prater
• 11/19/04     Gus Dekavallas
• 11/26/04     No Meeting
• 12/03/04     Chris Curran
• 12/10/04     Andy Jensen
• 12/17/04     Roman Okonowski
• 12/24/04     No Meeting
• 12/31/04     No Meeting

Treasurer Report

No report.

Leads Report

16-32, 20-22, 20-43, 20-06, 20-28, 37-43, 17-05, 32-34, 12-13, 26-22, 26-32, 26-17, 26-37, 28-43, 28-17, 24-37, 05-17, 06-28, 34-13, 38-32, 22-26, 35-13, 03-40, 27-31, 43-41, 43-15, 43-11, 43-02, 40-18, 40-32, 40-37, 40-28, 40-21, 25-40, 19-40.

Notable Mentions

Mighty Minute - Fred Vandervort gave a Mighty Minute today for Mark Dreher.  Mark takes care of Fred's business and personal taxes.  Mark periodically sends over his assistant to clean up Fried's "mistakes".  He does good job. 

Question of the Day

What have you done lately to stay ahead of the competition?  Dave Spiess

Mike Whalen - We are in the process of doing a mass mailing to soccer moms.  We have also updated our website to include secured ordering and automatic UPS calculations.  We are also testing out marketing in Casa Grande.  If it works well, we will target all the other small communities in Arizona.

Roger Carpenter - Starting next week we are offering a mini-menu with more options for customers.

Why is it so difficult to buy and sell a house here in America? 
Steve Chilton

George Booth - Because you didn't call me.

Because we have so many lawyers.

Are there any other choices than State Fund? 
Don Ellis

Roman Okonowski - Despite the bureaucracy and cocky attitudes, you are better off staying with State Fund.  Five insurance companies have gone into receivership.  Fremont Indemnity went from and A to a D rating in 6 months.  State Fund is consistent in pricing and they are able to do some things that regulated companies are not able to do.

Gus Dekavallas - Insurance companies are under investigation right now because of issues involving brokerage firms and price fixing.  MetLife was the first company to step forward and open their books.

Everyone wants to pay with credit cards these days.  How do you deal with the credit card fees? 
Mike Tanner

Mike Tanner - I despise them.  I paid over $3000 in credit card fees last year.  People come in holding their insurance checks but instead of handing it over, they want to use their credit cards to get more frequent flyer points.

Mike Whalen - Credit card companies are getting smart.  They know most people are using their credit cards for everyday purchases and then paying them off at the end of the month.  It is one easy check to write.  The only thing you can do to offset the fees is to raise your prices across the board.

Robert Bush - I have a plaque in my shop that explains the fees I incur when customers use their credit card.  Most understand.

Mike Whalen - You have to be careful to not charge extra when customers use their credit card.  It is strictly prohibited in the agreement with the credit card companies.

Don Ellis - I think there is a lawsuit pending regarding your rights over this issue.

Carole Weishaar - I know in my industry when we make a purchase at the resale level, there is no fee for cash or check but there is a 3-4% fee is using a credit card.

Roger Carpenter - I always ask if it is debit or credit.  Because of the way fees are structured, I prefer to run it as debit if it is over $25 and credit if it is under $25.

David Spiess - I gladly accept the credit card.  It is cash in my hands vs. waiting 30+ days to get paid.

Jana Greene - You should look at negotiating fees through a trade association to get better rates.  80-90% of our business is credit card sales.  Our bank deposits are pathetic.

Mark Dreher - The IRS started accepting credit cards a few years ago.  I have people spend so much time analyzing how many miles they would get if they paid this way.  I have never seen the benefit.

Guy Sawyer
Tile Plus

Guy Sawyer was born in North Dakota.  He moved here to Arizona in 1963.  He attended ASU where he earned a degree in Biology.  This naturally made for a smooth transition into tile :)

Guy did a brief stint in the Air Force.  He took a test to evaluate what jobs he would be good at.  He ended up in space surveillance.  It sounds good on a resume but he spent 2 years looking at a radar screen.  He spent another year training people to look at a radar screen and yet another year supervising people that trained people to look at a radar screen.  He couldn't take anymore.

He liked working with his hands.  He spent a couple of years selling tile but decided he would rather install it than sell it.  He started his own installation business about 2 years ago.  He likes it when he has the opportunity to go into a home and see something a customer doesn't like and provide something they appreciate.

The trend in the industry is going to stone.  People are going to granite tiles instead of expensive slabs.  Granite is a great product but it is porous so it needs to be sealed.  At the low-end you are looking at $7 per square foot.

A lot of people also like marble for the appearance.  It is great if you don't have kids or pets.  If you do, it won't be long before you notice wear patterns.  Marble scratches easily.

Travertine is a low cost marble.  You can get it as low as $2-3 per square foot at Home Depot.  I recommend the dull appearance because it hides scratches.  If you get it polished, you will have a maintenance nightmare.  (Althea Bussert pointed out that this is not a good choice for kitchen countertops.  It stains too easily.)

The tile industry was mainly ceramic and stone.  Then they introduced porcelain.  It is non-porous so it doesn't need to be sealed.  For ease of maintenance, you want to steer away from stone and go with the look-alikes.  And they don't cost as much. 

With so many options, the best thing to do is tell Guy your color preferences, likes and dislikes, and he will direct you to something functional.

In doing so many shower reinstallations, Guy found that there is a lot of unskilled labor here in Arizona.  He has seen repairs upon repairs.  If you have a large family or take a lot of showers, you need to seal your shower regularly.  Guy doesn't do sealing.  He prefers the creativity of installing.  He does recommend using larger tiles in showers as they require less grout.  He also recommends sealing them even if it is not required simply because it will be easier to maintain.  Just make sure not to use a cleaner that will remove the sealant.  If you just take a couple minutes after you shower to wipe down the shower, you will cut down on your maintenance nightmares.

When choosing a tile company, whether it be for sealing or installation, you want to find somebody that is established.  Don't choose someone advertising in the Penny Saver.  Also ask for referrals from recent clients and from clients that had their work finished 2-4 years ago - Is it still good?

Guy Sawyer 5+ year member Member since September 2004

TILE SETTING Tile Plus 11219 South Bannock St., Phoenix, AZ 85044 Phone: (480) 893-3390 • FAX: (480) 893-3390 E-mail: tiledude1@cox.net We’re a small tile setting company that specializes in residential remodels. We install ceramic, porcelain and stone tiles. Our installations range from customized showers to floors to tile countertops.