How do people know who are reputable panting firms and who is not? How do they find an excellent professional, and not just someone who hired an excellent marketing firm to make them look good? After all, it is pretty easy to make just about any company or business look good on the Internet. What should people look for in a professional painter? What questions do they need to ask? Here are some tips for finding an excellent and reputable painting firm anywhere in the country
Evaluate the website
Almost every reputable professional painting firm today has an online presence, whether it is their website or social media accounts like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube. An Internet search is an equivalent of the old White and Yellow Pages. But an impressive and slick website that looks very good at first glance (or full of keywords and key phrases to get more online traffic) may not tell people much about the company itself. A good website should have:
Real face – Possible clients should be able to see the company’s local owners, even if they are a national franchise. It would be an added bonus if they also see images of the firm’s employees and their actual painters. It is a big deal, and a dead giveaway to see if contractors have just hired an outstanding web developer to come up with a generic keyword to help them rank well on search engines like Google, Yahoo, or Bing.
Check out this site to find out more about how to advertise businesses on the Internet.
Reputable painting contractors need to have a lot of pictures of the actual painting projects to show the type and quality of work they do. How can people tell if a site uses stock images? Stock images look too polished, too perfect, or too generic. Property owners do not see the individual style and personality that they would find in a real house. Usually, they will see stock images of painting brushes, tools, and can of paints.
Or if there are humans in the picture, they will have perfect smiles and be in a generic setting. A contractor usually relies on these images, since their own portfolio of projects is pretty weak. They might see a large image of a lovely kitchen at the top of the gallery page (that looks pretty generic). Scrolling down to actual images of their project and they will be not that good.
Read customer reviews
It is imperative to look at customer reviews on a website. Check out the company’s customer reviews on at least three platforms: Google, Yelp, Angie’s List, Facebook, or the Better Business Bureau. Company owners need a grade of at least 4.5 on Google. Not only that, but they also need to see if they can handle negative reviews from past clients.
What is BBB? Visit https://www.investopedia.com/what-is-the-better-business-bureau-5024818 to find out more.
Most contractors who have been in this kind of business longer than a couple of years will get one or two negative reviews; it is normal and just human nature. See how the company responded to the review. Does the company’s story sound reasonable and credible? How did they handle problems? Did the company treat these negative reviews with respect? People want to choose a professional who is reputable and with integrity.
What kinds of projects does the company focus on?
Most professional painting firms will mention residential, exterior, or interior, and even commercial painting jobs on their website. But the majority of contractors focus on specific types of projects. Clients can usually measure this by the project pictures on their site. Make sure that the professional you are planning to hire is competent enough to do your project.
For instance, if there are two franchises under one company operating in different areas, one might excel in painting kitchen cabinets. At the same time, the other focuses on local high-end residential properties. Find a good professional at what type of project you are planning to do for your home.
Are the workers actual employees or subcontractors?
There are two known business models in the residential painting industry: firms where the workers are direct employees of the firm and do not work for anyone, or firms that call upon their subcontractor crews as needed to help them to the job. How does it affect the customer or property owners? Actually, quite a bit. Professional companies with in-house workers are preferable for a lot of reasons. Their staff is usually:
Well-trained
Get a better safety training
More loyal to the company
Have vested interests in pleasing both the property owner and their boss
Use well-maintained tools and equipment provided by the company
Not only that, these top-rated BBB painting contractors usually enjoy advantages that mean a great deal to the workers and their family members, like paid time off or health insurance. Since they work exclusively for the company, they will stay at the project until it is completed to the client’s satisfaction and are quick to return if needed to do any touch-ups.
On the other hand, sub-contracting workers are required by the law to work for more than one firm. It means that their loyalty is usually divided among one or more organizations. These workers might split their time between clients, especially when it comes to large projects that take more than a couple of weeks to complete. These professionals also:
Differ significantly when it comes to training and experience
Use their own equipment and tools, which are regularly upgraded
Rarely get safety training
Less likely to stay on the site to resolve any issues if they are already contracted to start the next job
They are on their own if they have problems with clients or get injured
It will cost the firm extra for their workers to be considered actual employees since they have to make sure they comply with safety protocols, withhold taxes, go on particular training thoroughly, provide the necessary benefits, and process payroll. It is why a lot of contractors out there use sub-contractors instead of in-house staff. When people are trying to find a reputable painter, make sure to ask whether they have in-house staff or use sub-contractors.