Marketing Maestro: C & E Professional Painting – A lesson learned the hard way

C & E Professional Painting – A lesson learned the hard way

A few months ago we started a home improvement project.  I was hoping to blog about the whole experience.  Boy was it an experience that I hope I don’t have to do again.  Well I didn’t get to post regularly between working and dealing with the daily “issues” there wasn’t much time left.  Well I hope to write a few posts on the various lessons learned, highlight some of the great contractors, some of the not so great and who knows what else…

Working backwards I realized I learned a few valuable lessons from, of all people, the painter we hired (and in hind sight we shouldn’t have hired) so here goes…

C & E  Professional Painting in NJ who use the tagline of “Wizard of Walls”

First  some background

1. When he asked for cash payments or a 7% premium for paying by check we should have turned and run.
2. When he showed up and repeatedly told us his plans but didn’t finish them we should have told him to go!
3. When he provided an extra invoice for “extras” that far exceeded our agreement we should have tossed him to the curb.
4. When we found out the reason for all his delays was due to him having a full time job and his “guys” knowing he wouldn’t be there (so naturally they took their time) we should have asked him to leave.
5. When we were too far in to start over and we noticed he doesn’t have an address on his estimates – we should have run
6. Since he was referred to us we didn’t bother to check his references or reputation online.  Turns out he doesn’t have a website or presence online. Go figure.
7. When he asked us for references and referrals before he was a quarter of the way through the work, we should have just sent him on his way.
8. When every touch up became an issue and an argument we were so frustrated that we wanted to kick his a.. out but just wanted the work done so we could move on.
9. He did what he claimed to do but I have to say there is nothing “Wizardry” about it.  Here is the latest conversation:

Chris – I put two coats on but you can see the old paint is still bleeding through
Josef – So what do you want to do?
Chris – I can do a third coat.  (Basically saying it is going to cost you)

10 – Over 4 months we had all sorts of contractors through our house and none of them were as messy or disruptive to our daily lives (even the demolition guys were cleaner) than C and E professional Painting

If you are a professional don’t you want to do whatever is necessary for your client within reason regardless of the black and white contract?

So what do I take away from this situation

1. Check references and web presence regardless of how you find a contractor
2. If the main “guy” is not going to be on the job every day I am not interested
3. If you want cash payments give me a discount.
4. Your friends may not always have the best recommendations
5. When dealing with extended project contractors add a clause to the contract the gives you a credit for principles not showing up or delays beyond agreed upon time frame.

By the time this was all done I was so ticked off that I didn’t even want to talk to this guy and just wanted him out of the house.  Yes I got taken and probably will need to hire someone else in a few months to fix all the stuff he didn’t do correctly but we got Chris and C & E painting out of our house!

The best part of this whole situation is he wanted a reference and referrals from us.  So Chris of C & E Professional Painting in Bergen County NJ here is our recommendation – Don’t use C & E professional Painters.  There is nothing professional about them and there is no wizardry about their painted walls.

Just another set of life lessons I learned the hard way. 

Now to try and enjoy our updated home…