[Dave Mac]

Do you guys work for them???

Do you give them a cut of your job??

I have two I currently work for, they are a good source of work, one desighner was getting 5% off the top, now gets 8%, another one I work for pays me, and bills the client, I really dont like this, because when the scope of work changes, she is the middle man, and usually makes a mess of things, I need to be in total control of the job.

They are a steady flow of work, but I find most desighners to be dingbats without a clue.


What do you guys think about desighners??

 

[bikerboy]

I work with two, but only offer their services to my customers as a sales tool. The design and color consultation is something we worked out with an independant paint dealer here. They have designers on staff and pay for the first hour as long as we buy the paint from them.

 

[vermontpainter]

Dave

We have done a fair amount with designer involvement. Its like dealing with a combination of a homeowner and a contractor. They are not much more educated about paint products and apps than a homeowner, and they add the layer of project management same as a GC.

There are good ones though. When they are good, its a great way to work. By that I mean, if they look to you for the product, spec and application expertise, are open to your professional input, appreciate what a professional paint company does, and pay well, its a great way to go. I have met precious few who meet these criteria, but they are out there.

 

[PinnacleResidential]

I work with two, scratch that, I worked w/ two. One is great and I continue to do one to two jobs a month for her. On jobs that she calls me in for, I give her 5%. On jobs that I recommend her, she gives me 5%. It's win win and she keeps me going in the winter. The other one is a goof ball. I would have let that slide but she wanted me to bill her on all the jobs and then wanted to wait 30 days in case of customer complaints? When I paint, I finish each project by walking around with the homeowner to ensure that everything is perfect. When I explained this to the designer, she came up with some other reason she holds out to pay 30 days. I let it slide for a while until I waited 90 days for one job to pay (About $8000 I was waiting on). After that, I told her she'd have to find someone else. She still calls once in a while to see if I'd like to work w/ her again. I politely decline.

 

[slickshift]

...I find most desighners to be dingbats without a clue.

Ayup

Technically, a Designer is supposed to have formal education in the area
An interior decorator can just be someone who's had a few compliments on their FingerHut living room and decides to put out a shingle

The decorinas have figured out they can charge more if they call themselves Designers
As there's not much in the way of enforcement, they pretty much all do around here

Out of the last 12 designers I've met, only one had any sort of formal design study whatsoever (furniture design)
One, when I asked her credentials, actually said "I was an exchange student in France for a semester in college"
(which had to have been in the 70s btw)
...she wasn't studying design...she wasn't even a liberal arts major

Although I have had a few good experiences with a few, for the most part...I really can't argue your statement there

 

[Roadog]

Ayup

Technically, a Designer is supposed to have formal education in the area
An interior decorator can just be someone who's had a few compliments on their FingerHut living room and decides to put out a shingle

The decorinas have figured out they can charge more if they call themselves Designers
As there's not much in the way of enforcement, they pretty much all do around here

Out of the last 12 designers I've met, only one had any sort of formal design study whatsoever (furniture design)
One, when I asked her credentials, actually said "I was an exchange student in France for a semester in college"
(which had to have been in the 70s btw)
...she wasn't studying design...she wasn't even a liberal arts major

Although I have had a few good experiences with a few, for the most part...I really can't argue your statement there

Similar to the paint trade. Some have had training/apprenticeship, some painted moms kitchen and put out the "shingle", some owned a ladder...some seen it done once!

 

[plainpainter]

I've worked for two - one actually worked for a design firm - the other was a total 'decorina'. They were both disasters. IMO - they should get H.I.C. licenses and just take all the responsibility like a Contractor does. I find they want to 'control' a job - but have no clue about change orders - make you stop working without warning, wasting time - and then run for the hills should any problems or mishaps happen - leaving the sub to deal with it - after not having developped a relationship with the homeowner, because they were in 'control'. I am sure there are plenty of guys that love 'em - it's a good thing too - because somebody has to work with them, I most certainly won't!

 

[NEPS.US]

They are a waste of space and money.

 

[slickshift]

Similar to the paint trade.

Not really
Not many bored, rich, South Shore housewives picking up a brush and painting my house for a tax write-off and to be able to say they do something other than "raise(d) the kids (now gone) and spend hubbie's money" at cocktail parties

I'm not saying that's all designers
I'm just saying that's an enormous percentage of designers
If you are a designer, you know what I mean, and you know it's true

 

[TooledUp]

They are a waste of space and money.

That's it in a nutshell. I've worked on jobs where they've been involved - Whacky ideas and totally impracticle. They don't have a clue about suitability of materials, won't listen to the "why you can't do that" reasoning and charge a fortune for their services.

 

[cole191919]

I share the same opinion as most.

The most recent was when I was contracted to paint 2 new stores opening up in my city's busiest mall. She honestly did a decent job of designing the store as far as colours, tile, use of the space, etc. Afterall, she apparently went to school for it. When it came for me to paint the stores, she was unreasonable and started painting a feature wall herself with consulting the owner or me. She did a hackjob of it and explained she isn't a good painter. Well hello - why not let the professional painter paint the feature wall?

Unreasonable, overpaid (for that job) and hard to deal with. But I am sure they have their moments to shine...

 

[George Z]

We do work for 2 designers and three colour consultants.
I think, like anything else, you have to pick the ones you like working with.
We pay them 5% up to $200.00,
they sent us 10% of their fee as a a referral, and of course, they sell us.