When a client goes against your recommendations I would have them sign off. What don't they like about it?

He says it's not what he picked out but he would only select from the sample slab in the showroom...even though I heavily discouraged this because of the veining variations, etc. It was installed while he was on a business trip and he hates it and is going with the "it's not what I picked". It looks great, in my opinion.

You have to go back to the sample he selected and confirm to him that what was installed was indeed his selection and reiterate that you advised against it.

I did that...in the showroom and at his home. You can see in areas that the sample is the slab. I have also confirmed with the fabricator that the correct one was installed. I just cannot make him see that it is what he selected.

Do you have emails where you counseled him to schedule a visit to a stone yard? You can say that purchases for stone are final, that you worried that he would experience this. If he really hates the granite and is willing to pay for new granite, that you will go to a stone yard, photograph a large number of slabs, then let him choose from the larger photographs (for hourly cost x). Once he chooses, you can say you will work with the granite yard to get his new slabs installed. Still, there's absolutely always a way to change the granite & this is what it will take. Alternatively, counsel him to go with quartz, which is the only product where a 12x12 sample actually looks like a 4' x 8' slab.

We had a lot of verbal conversations but I take notes with dates and times, and we did have a contract that he signed off on. Thank you everyone.

I agree Lynne--I am trying to keep the "client is always right" attitude and make him happy.

This type of situation is the reason for the rule.....always have things in writing. I'm assuming that you have his sign off on the granite color? You also have something where you can show him that you recommended against not going to pick out the slab? You could have the stone supplier's rep come out to take a look to assure him that it is in fact what he ordered. Then, if he still doesn't like it, the only option is to follow Lynne Mysliwiec's advice above. It can be fixed, but will cost more $$

Unless, of course, this is a ploy to prevent him from making his next payment. Then you're going to have to be polite, even apologetic, but firm.

You also have the visit to the showroom with the order he placed and signed in the show room. Time to get him out of the broken record track of "not what I ordered" and started on a solution. You and I and everyone on Houzz and the stone yard know he got exactly what he ordered. The fact that he didn't listen when you tried to explain how variable natural stone is and can be is unfortunate, but absolutely fixable.