How Do I Deal with a Bad House Painter?
If you talk to your friends about painting companies and contractors, you have probably heard some of the same kinds of horror stories that we have. Poor workmanship, dishonest practices, rude customer service… there are a few bad apples out there, giving all of us a bad name! What should you do if your house painter turns out to be one of these types?
First of all, you should know that there are ways to screen your house painting company options to avoid this type of situation. We’ll discuss that at the end of this article. But what do you do if you are in that situation already?
Friendly First Steps
Communication is the key to a good painting project, and if the contractor is not communicating well with you, you can take the initiative. Try to talk to the highest-up foreman or manager you can get a hold of. Take the time to politely, but firmly, explain your concerns and ask how the company plans to address them.
A more assertive step would be to visit the office or headquarters of the painting company, and express your apprehensions to the most senior employee you can find.
Having attempted this civil path, if you are still not satisfied with the responsiveness of your house painter, it’s time to put on some pressure.
Leverage Online Review Platforms
Service companies (such as house painting contractors) rely on online reviews to bring them business. If you have been put in a position of needing some kind of pressure to put on the contractor, tell them you plan to leave them negative reviews online. Be specific, rather than vague. Tell them that you plan to post negative reviews explaining the company’s bad practices on Yelp, Angie’s List, Google Places, HomeAdvisor, the Better Business Bureau, and/or any other helpful and relevant review forum.
Still didn’t work? It’s time to really post those reviews. Be straightforward and honest, without coming across as vindictive or vicious, and your review will be taken seriously by other potential clients. This may finally prompt your contractor to make good on his promises, in hopes that you would modify the review afterwards.
The Law Is on Your Side!
When all else has failed, you can speak to a lawyer to see if you can make a claim or take legal action against the painting company, especially if they have taken a deposit without doing any work, or if they have caused damage to your home or property.
If the company has not collected a significant sum from you, and they have not caused damage to the property, you may do best to just cut your losses and find a quality painting company.
How to Prevent a Painting Company Disaster
Before you hire a painting contractor, it definitely pays to do your homework:
- Read reviews online to find out if other people have had negative experiences with this company. Don’t just look at testimonials on the company’s own site, but look for third-party review platforms.
- Look in detail at the painting company’s estimate before agreeing to it. Is it detailed and specific? Does it have a breakdown of the procedures, the materials, and the costs? If not, you might not be able to hold the company to your expectations.
- Look for signs of professionalism in the company, such as uniforms, letterhead, punctuality, communication, and so on.
- Beware of companies that ask for a large portion of the project cost in advance. It is not necessarily a red light, but if the company shows any other signs of being unprofessional or disreputable, this should cause hesitation.
- Make sure the company is licensed and insured.
A Bay-Area Painting Company You Can Trust
MB Jessee is a reputable, reliable painting contractor that has been painting homes and businesses here in the San Francisco Bay area since 1995. We provide premium services at fair prices, and we make customer satisfaction our number one priority. In fact, we have a guarantee that goes far beyond what most painting contractors will offer.
Call us today, or contact us online to find out how MB Jessee can make your house painting experience a dream-come-true, rather than a nightmare you can’t wake up from! We look forward to hearing from you.
