Q: I’m a professional contractor. Will Gaye’s materials give me the knowledge I need to add concrete staining to my line of services, at the same level of professionalism as my other services?
A: Yes, definitely. Gaye is one of the leading stainers in the country and responsible for numerous innovations in the industry. In her materials she has held nothing back. Her reasoning for this is simple:
“The more educated the customers and the better trained the stainers, the higher the quality of staining work that will be done. The better the acid staining work, the more certain we can be that concrete staining will endure as an important architectural medium. Improving the level of knowledge is good for property owners and it’s good for the industry.”
Q: Am I saving money with these packages?
A: Yes! the table below shows the retail values and the discounts.
Q: I’m a do-it-yourselfer. Can I really do this stuff?
A: Yes! Thousands of ordinary people have discovered that with training and some effort, they can produce beautiful floors that enhance the beauty of their homes and businesses and amaze their friends. Some have been so enthusiastic about the process, they have actually gone into the business and generated six-figure sales.
Q: I’m remodeling my house and I want to stain the floors. What do I do if it turns out the floors can’t be stained for some reason?
A: This can happen. The contractor may have sealed the slab before laying carpet or tile. The slab may have been acid etched. There are things you can do in this case, but they involve grinding the surface layer of the concrete off. If for whatever reason you decide not to stain your floors and you can’t use Gaye’s materials, you have 24 months in which you can return them for a full refund of price you paid for the product. See our returns policy at the end of this document.
Q: I probably will hire someone to do the staining. Which package will make the most sense for me?
A: If you plan to hire a stainer, you need to know 1) how to evaluate the qualifications of the stainer and 2) how to manage the stainer to get the look and quality of job you want and deserve. With the Standard Package, you will learn all the basic techniques of staining. With the Master Package you will also learn many creative techniques for getting specific textures, colors and patterns. You may wind up knowing more about these special looks than your stainer! If your job is simple and straight forward, the Standard Package is probably adequate for learning how to select and manage a professional stainer. If you are doing your home living room, family room or kitchen where the floor will be very visible, we strongly recommend the Master Package. The Professional Package includes material that is useful only to professional stainers.
Q: These training materials seem expensive. A lot of how-to DVDs only cost $10 at my local home center and I’ve seen a book for much less. Why so much?
A: There are two reasons these materials are more expensive than run of the mill DVD’s and books.
First, this is highly specialized knowledge that isn’t available just anywhere. It is the product of a decade of research and experimentation by one of the world’s leading stainers and the leading trainer of stainers. Second, it’s the most comprehensive material available. The manuals are over 300 pages in full color on high quality, heavy glossy paper. The three ring binder means that they will lay flat when you are referring to them while you are working.
Most importantly, the cost of something only matters relative to the value received. You don’t expect to pay fast food prices when you go to a fine restaurant because you know you are getting more value. When you think about the investment you will make in materials and time and the impact this knowledge will have on your ability to create a fabulous floor, the cost of your training materials is really nominal. If you are a professional contractor, you know that just one idea or tip can make or save you many times the cost of the materials on just one job. Thousands of our satisfied customers are testimony to the fact these materials are worth much more to you than their cost.
Q: Are the materials available in other languages?
A: Unfortunately not. Translation of technical material is very expensive, and we don’t have enough call for non-English language editions to justify the expense. So at this time we have no plans to produce non-English versions. The How to Maintain Concrete Floors DVD does have both English and Spanish versions as many maintenance crews are Spanish speaking.
Q: I’m uncomfortable ordering with a credit card on the internet. How do I know it’s safe?
A: There are several things you need to know to feel safe when ordering on the internet.
Am I dealing with an established and reputable company? Gaye's company, Faux Real LLC has been in business in Albuquerque for more than ten years. They are not located in some country that you’ve never heard of and can’t even pronounce.
Gaye's fulfillment company, Bridgeworks Inc. is located at 414 1/2 Central Ave SE Suite 4 Albuquerque NM 87102. the phone number is 505-837-1400. Bridgeworks is a registered New Mexico corporation. Feel free to call or stop by if you are in the neighborhood.
What if someone reads my credit card information on the internet? Our online store is a secure site. This means that when you enter your credit card information, your browser knows it is talking to a secure site and it encrypts your information on your computer before it is sent to our server where it is forwarded to authorize.net, one of the largest credit card processing companies in the world. The credit card companies (American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and others) have issued stringent guidelines for the protection of credit card information called the PCI (payment card industry) Standard. Our online store is fully PCI compliant.
In addition, we subscribe to ScanAlert by MacAfee, one of the premier data security companies in the world (www.scanalert.com). Our site is scanned daily for potential security problems that might threaten the integrity of your information.
Buying from a reputable company online is actually safer that paying for your dinner with a credit card at a restaurant. There is nothing to prevent your server from copying down your credit card number, expiration date and security code, going online and buying a new TV set. When you buy online, generally the vendor never actually sees your credit card information. It is either passed through to the clearing house and deleted or encrypted so that only management level employees have access to it.
Q: Why do you only ship via Postal Service?
A: We use the postal service exclusively for a number of reasons. We do a lot of international business and the Postal Service is the most cost effective way to ship internationally. Other shippers have high charges particularly for getting packages through customs. The Postal Service is convenient for almost everyone and their rates are very reasonable relative to private shippers. We normally ship Priority Mail which generally means 3 day delivery or less. Other shipping options are available. We do not use Media Mail, while it is very inexpensive, delivery can take up to three weeks which is longer than most customers are willing to wait.
Q: What if I have technical questions after I buy Gaye’s materials?
A: As a Gaye's customer, you get access to information updates that Gaye posts from time to time. Access information is included with your package. You can also access Gaye’s website where you can post questions on Gaye’s forum. Professional stainers from around the world will offer advice, suggestions and solutions to problems you might encounter.
Q: Does Gaye provide hands-on training?
A: Gaye is not currently conducting seminars as she has done in the past. She does, however, occasionally offer a Protege Program where a participant comes to New Mexico and works on a job with Gaye and is trained by her over a three or four day period. For more information on the Protege Program, visit www.gayegoodman.com/protege.html.
Q: What if I need to talk to someone about a technical issue?
A: Gaye is available for technical consultation. Call the Bridgeworks office and we can arrange a consultation.
Q: Who do I talk to about my order if I have questions?
A: Call Nikelle Gessner at Gaye's fulfillment house Bridgeworks Inc. (505) 837-1400 between 10 AM and 4 PM Monday through Thursday and Nikelle will help you out. If she’s tied up or on another line, leave a voicemail and she’ll get right back to you.
Bridgeworks Inc. return policy:
You may return Gaye Goodman’s materials any time within 24 months of the date you ordered the materials for a full refund of the product price you paid. A return authorization is not required. To qualify for the refund, all the materials must be carefully packed and returned to Gaye's fulfillment house, Bridgeworks Inc. 414 1/2 Central Ave SE Suite 4 Albuquerque NM 87102.
Gaye does not pay for return shipping nor does the refund policy cover the cost of shipping the product to you when you originally ordered it. You should insure the package when you ship it for return as we are not responsible for packages lost in transit. Refunds requested within 90 days of the initial order will be refunded to your credit card. Refunds after that period will be made by check in US dollars and sent by mail.