In these times, support the local paint stores!

Eagle Paint and Wallpaper, Englewood NJ

I am writing this blog because I found myself in awe when I went to a home center "box store" over the weekend and watched people purchasing paint.  I started to listen intently to what type of advice was being given to the "do-it-yourselfers" and I was a bit taken back.
   I will start off by saying that there will probably be some disappointed people that will be coming back complaining after they brought home their paint.  There was one women who caught my attention because it looked as though she was making a substantial investment in these products and she was trying to educate herself on how to apply this paint.  What struck me as odd was that she had sample boards that she was matching that she had painted herself.  (The one thing I can say in this industry that needs to be changed is the notion that you will always get an exact match when color sampling.  It is not always true, and I believe that this is a perfect example as to why it can be a bad idea.  That is for another blog entry...)
   I watched the employee take her painted board to put on the computer to read the color, and he did not even check the formulation.  Then the next question was, "Do you plan on doing one coat or two?" This is not a question that a seasoned professional in this industry should every ask! Her response was "I did not know I could do just one coat, but you would know better than I do".  Then he said "Well, you will use less paint with one coat, and since it is a lighter color, this paint should do the trick". The paint he tinted was a lesser quality gallon of paint-I will not mention brands because I do not want to offend anyone.   This woman probably thought she was getting a deal which is why she went to the box store in the first place, but now she will need more paint because there is no way it will ever cover in one coat, and in a year it will probably need to be repainted because that paint will never hold up on the wall.
    When the man took the gallon out of the shaker he did not even test the color.  He just handed it off and said "next in line...".
    This women spent her valuable time making this sample, and then trusted that it would come out exactly the same when switching brands.  Why would she not trust this? They are the professionals, right?
  Not only did she take the time to make a sample board to approve her color, but she also asked about the procedure as well as took the time to try the paint out before using it on her wall.  Now she does not know what color she got, and the product is not even the same as she tested out.
   I wanted to take her aside and send her to the local "town paint store", but the damage was done.  This is probably something that is happening every minute in this industry, and it is a shame.  People do not know what they are purchasing, and this is not like a shirt that will be worn a few times, and then sit in the closet.  It is a material that will be in their homes for years to come.  It is the overall appearance of the walls when you see your space every day.  I hope for her sake that the color matched, but something tells me that it did not, and she will end up repainting this space, wasting time and money, because of the careless procedure of the box store.  Not to mention that she will be back to purchase more paint for sure and probably end up spending more money.
    The moral of the story is this.  Shop local paint stores, and support small business. The type of service and products you get will be worth every penny, and the advice that you receive should be worth everything when your space looks fantastic in the end. Good luck and Happy painting!