The Online Resource for the Painting Industry
Ideas and tips on how to improve customer service
We’ve all experienced it before: That feeling of being let down when things don’t go exactly as we’d planned. It’s the feeling that arises when nobody comes to your New Year’s Eve party, or when you lose a football game against the worst team in the district. Your clients may very well have gone through this disappointment […]
What if you could know in advance what homeowners most wanted to hire you to paint for them? Would you plan your advertising program around it? Would you learn key design trends of those spaces to give yourself a leg up in an estimate? Thanks to Sherwin-Williams, paint contractors can have the inside scoop on […]
It used to be a customer found us in the phone book, called and scheduled an appointment and from there on out everything was done verbally, whether in person or on the phones. These days, the availability of handheld technology has created an “on demand” type of mentality. We are all seemingly available 24/7 (I am not so sure that is a good thing!). How do we handle communication these days?
Leftovers in the fridge are sometimes amongst the most coveted cuisine, especially when you are hungry and just need to eat. Cold pizza can be better than hot pizza. Same holds true for other delicacies. And here’s the large leap where I state that good contractors are to be coveted too. Residential repainting in particular […]
“As a Painting Contractor, Is the Customer Always Right?” The term the “customer is always right” was a slogan launched by the retail industry in the late 19th century. It’s intention was to make the customers “feel special.” I, like many others, have adopted this slogan into my business practices. But I must admit at times I […]
The 2012 U.S. Interior Paint Satisfaction study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates came out in April. Benjamin Moore ranked highest in customer satisfaction, Sherwin Williams was second and Behr third. While we salute the manufacturers who scored well, we also have to peel back the layers of this onion and see if it brings any […]
When it comes to choosing paint colors, most painters will simply hand their customer a fan deck. They don’t want to be involved in the process of choosing color because they don’t want to be blamed if the end result wasn’t what the customer envisioned. I get that. However, I think they are forgetting a […]
The telephone isn’t going anywhere and for good reason. Nothing will ever be able to replace the effectiveness of an actual conversation. When it comes to solving your customer’s problems, being effective means picking up the phone and talking to your customer. I was just reminded again of how important it is to do this […]
The Commodity Price Trap Every business is a commodity business in the eyes of your prospective clients. As with any commodity ( take gasoline for example ) it’s all about price. In the new economy contractors need to understand that they must think and act differently to gain market share and create success. During the […]
A painter who has mad computer skills?! One of the great thinks about having a variety of online friends is learning what other skills they have. Fellow Painting Contractor Patrick Miller has long been a contributor to a popular forum I frequent. He recently share an app he created with the members and I asked […]
“There is an endless amount of people willing to waste your time.” Unknown. As a paint contractor, performing estimates is as certain as buying paint, it is going to happen and its part of the job. When estimates are free, people have no qualms about asking you to come out. While estimates […]
Nobody enjoys a dispute with a customer. However, no matter how diligent and conscientious you are, disputes will occasionally occur. While these situations can be stressful, they can also represent an opportunity to improve your business. I recently concluded a three-month dispute with a customer. I will spare you all of the gory details, but a brief summary of the […]
Are you interested in closing more business? If the answer is yes, a good place to start is with the business you didn’t get. I am not suggesting that you should be going back to customers with revised pricing or asking for a second chance. But you should be doing a follow-up on every estimate […]
One of my favorite bloggers is Heidi Nyline of Warline Painting, she has a great writing style and is very knowledgable when it comes to color (or as my Canadian friends say, “colour”). She recently completed some color training in order to assist her customers better, maybe she’ll share some of her insights here in […]
Ask for references. This is very important as it shows if their past clients were happy with the work performed, and the overall customer experience. Any professional painting contractor should be able to provide plenty of references. I would suggest getting and contacting at least three. Below are six examples of questions you should be prepared to ask […]
