[vermontpainter]

Hang in there guys, homeowners often do learn lessons the hard way on contractor selection:

Hi Scott:

I hope you would be willing to give me another estimate for painting. The only reason I didn’t hire you last fall was sticker shock, and then, the general contractor who was doing the floors and tile offered to have his crew paint at the same time. Well, I learned my lesson, because they were sloppy and I had to supervise a lot more than I would have liked.

Now, I have a new built-in in the dining room by ****** Fine Woodworking that needs to be painted the trim color. It’s a big job, because it covers one whole wall of the dining room, and has 22 doors and lots of shelves. I was going to try to do it myself, but then looked at it and researched it, and decided to try to hire you to do it.

I would also like to have the entire upstairs painted this fall (everything up to the top of stairs was done in December).

Thanks.

 

[Brian]

And that's why I continue to market to the people who didn't hire me. I get several jobs a year from such people.

Brian Phillips

 

[vermontpainter]

And that's why I continue to market to the people who didn't hire me. I get several jobs a year from such people.

Brian Phillips

Thats a great point. When they do learn the hard way and are ready to work with a good company, its important that they still remember our names. In the end its a good thing to be remembered as the expensive company who is professional. They dont always come back. Sometimes when they go off and have that bad experience with another company, they lose faith entirely in professional painters. I actually respect and treat with care the ones who do come back more educated than they were. I am excited to give her a proper experience, now that she is ready for it.

Keeping in touch with customers who didnt hire us the first time...we could call this "future customer retention." At least the second time around the lead acquisition cost is slightly lower.

 

[Dave Mac]

good job Scott!!

And very good point Brian, Hey Brian do you have any marketing work shops comming up, let me know when you do.

thanks
dave mac

 

[timhag]

Reminds me of a job I did last fall. Going back 2 years we did a house, the next door neighbor wanted a bid from me saying he had a painter and wanted to see what i would come up with. After submitting my bid I didn't hear anything back until the other painters showed up to do the work. While we're working side by side I hear a crash, I go over to investigate and find an eight foot step thru this guys garage window and a gallon of paint all over the driveway. I start helping this clown clean up because i felt bad for him. The owner comes out and doesn't say a word then goes back in his house. After all was said and done, last fall the neighbor calls me to come paint his house(Has is done every two years) Said the reason he didn't pick me for the job was my pricing and reminded me of the previous clowns he hired. I told him "you get what you pay for" should of hired us. Anyway, we do the job and three months later I get a call from Angie's list wanting info due to one of their clients recommendations.

 

[MAK-Deco]

Scott, Ironic had a similar thing just happen to me, Had a potential client who needed a ceiling fix from water damage and finish basement painted. She didn't like my time frame so she said she found someone else, well she called the other day looking for a price to paint the basement. Guess the guy who fix the water damage said he would paint but it took him over a week to fix the water damage.. given when I saw it was one day of work basically some bad seems and a small piece to replace.

She said she had him attempt to paint another small area of the house (prior to starting the basement)and he bombed totally. So anyway I got the job to paint he whole basement, she's willing to wait till we can get there etc..

BTW - as Brian mentioned even tho I did not receive the initial job I thought in the back of my head that this client still had potential and I would retain her info and market to her in the future.

she also informed me that he was a builder/carpenter out of work that how they new him... I thought hmm... maybe you should of hired the "painter" from the start