I have a flooring vendor over and he's just completed staining after sanding. I see small sanding circles when looking up close (see pics).

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TGJVTip8pmSVLvzb7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/giRAbA62YERQ9bXE9

I pointed this out to the vendor and he's say it's normal and unavoidable.

Is this true or something I should be concerned about? Should I insist it be corrected before the finish goes on?

Thanks.

If you can't see it from a standing position it does not exist.

You could probably see the wood cells if you zoom in closer.

As a customer, I would hold them accountable. I'm currently having my white oak floors refinished and stained with a mix of Bona Aged Pewter and Bona Natural. Color is perfect but I noticed swirl marks as soon as the stain went down. Some visible from a standing position and many more with a high intensity light.

I had them scrap them out, every inch. Who cares what the NHFA says, you're the customer and you're paying them. Everything is so expensive with inflation and that's fine, its the way of our world. But with those higher costs I'm holding people accountable to higher degree. It is what it is.

Expect to pay more for custom work. Production work has expectations that follow industry standards. If you have perfection in mind, you had better complain as soon as you see a "problem".

Or state your expectations ahead of time instead of being the Ahole with a high intensity light looking for problems and trying to screw people over.