Can’t Please Them All, Doesn’t Mean You Shouldn’t Try!

Here was an unsolicited email response to our latest “Start and Finish” guarantee radio spot:

Good morning

After hearing another one of your radio ads on the Peak (I think) I thought I would write in and give you an unsolicited opinion.

First of all, let me say that it’s good to see that the BBB doesn’t have any complaints filed against you in the past 36 months, and also your high rating.  That automatically puts you ahead of about 75% of the painters out there.

As far as your radio ads go, they make me laugh when I hear them.  I think your intent is good, but your offer falls short for a couple of reasons.

A refund offer of 5% is nothing.  5% is not even a decent discount for a large job when negotiating the price.  So, to offer a 5% discount if the job isn’t finished on time is like McDonalds giving you a free apple pie if you order $20 worth of food.  It’s something, but it’s essentially nothing.  The reason it doesn’t mean anything to me, and makes me snicker, is because in almost every single instance of hiring a contractor (be it for commercial or residential purposes), the result has been the same- a HUGE inconvenience caused by jobs that are not done properly or completed on time.  Everyone I know has gone through exactly the same thing.  We recently had some contractors finishing a retail store for us, and the owner of this company showed up at our office within 30 minutes of the job being finished demanding to be paid.  We told him that as soon as we could inspect the work on the following day, we would be happy to pay him.  The next morning at 8AM he was on the phone to us, yelling and screaming, saying we were going to rip him off and not pay.  Do you know why that was?  Because upon inspection, there was a lot of the work that needed to be redone as it was done poorly.  Had we have paid him up front, or before checking the work, we would never have seen him again.  Unless it was a family friend that was hired, I have never had an experience, or known of an experience with someone using a contractor that turned out well.  Turned out well meaning the work was done properly, and on time.

Tell me, what good does a 5% refund do if you are dealing with a contactor that buggers off for days (or weeks or even months!!) at a time, leaving your home or business in a state of chaos?  I have known people that have lived in situations like that.  A job that should have taken literally a week took almost 6 months.

So, while I appreciate the sincerity of your ads, in a world where you may be the exception to the rule, your 5% back offer falls flat.

If you really are true to your word- as I suspect you may be- why not just say something like:

At Wolfgang Commercial Painters, when we give a client our word, we keep it.  Your job will be finished on time, and on spec. Period.  If it’s not, we will correct it IMMEDIATELY. 

As I said, an unsolicited opinion.

Have a great weekend,

Our Sales Representative, George, responded immediately:

We appreciate your feedback and it will be considered.  I would like to have you as our customer from now on so that your hassles may be minimized. Please read through our information package and call me so that I can learn about what you do and some of your potential needs.

Sincerely,

George

You never know, one day, because of George, our frustrated consumer may hire Wolfgang and give us a chance to prove our sincerity. Either way, I am glad that George is on our team!