In any industry or practice, there are some who are exceptionally great at their jobs, and then there are others who give the industry a bad name. Not surprisingly, that is true of house painting companies as well. Many local house painters in the Portland metro area dedicate themselves tirelessly to providing honest service and fantastic painting, while others turn out to be slippery, shoddy, and shirking.
The best way to deal with any problem, of course, is to prevent it. There are many ways to scout out your residential painting company ahead of time, and we heartily advise you to do so. We'll give some advice about that at the end of this article.
But what if it's already too late? You've paid a deposit, you're committed, and it turns out your house painter is a lemon, maybe even a rotten one. What can you do? How can you deal with a bad painter?
Friendly Options for Dealing with a Bad Painter
If you have a concern about the quality of the work or the behavior of the painters in your home, the first step is to talk to the highest-up foreman or manager you can get a hold of. Express your concerns politely, but firmly, and ask them if they are willing to address your requests.
An in-person visit to the painting company's office is a good step, if a phone call doesn't seem to elicit the response you desire.
Probably, if you find yourself searching online for “How to Deal with a Bad Painter,” however, you have already done this, to no avail. What else can you do?
Ideas for Motivating an Unhelpful Painting Company
When your initial concerns have been met by indifference, delays, or denials, you have an excellent resource at your fingertips: the internet! Painting companies depend on their online reputation to bring them business.
If you are seriously unhappy with your house painter, let them know that you plan to post a detailed, negative review on various online review sites. Be specific: Yelp, Angie's List, Google Places, Home Advisor, Better Business Bureau… this could change their mind about ignoring your requests.
Still no positive response? Go ahead and write those reviews. Don't be vengeful or spiteful, since people will be less likely to take your review seriously. However, be clear and specific about how your painting company failed to provide honest and reasonable service.
The Law as your Last Resort
Sometimes, a painter really messes up big time. Maybe they caused property damage, or they collected a large deposit from you and never did the work. Maybe they started a project, leaving your house in shambles, and never came back to finish it.
In this type of situation, you can either determine to cut your losses and find a reliable, reputable painter to do the job right, or you can pursue damages in small claims court.
How to Avoid Bad Painters
There are lots of ways that you can evaluate a house painter ahead of time to make sure you don't end up in a regrettable situation.
- Read online reviews before getting a house painting estimate from a painting contractor.
- Interview your prospective house painters thoughtfully (read more about Questions to Ask you Painting Contractor).
- Look for signs of professionalism (or lack of it) from the local painters.
- Beware of painters who ask for an unusually large deposit, and painters who have no physical office or headquarters that you could visit.
Reputable House Painters in the Portland Metropolitan Area
Sundeleaf Painting has been serving Portland and the surrounding communities since 1930, offering exceptional painting and honest service. We have generations of satisfied customers who can testify to our integrity, quality, and professionalism. If you have a house painting project coming up, we would be honored if you would consider Sundeleaf Painting!