College Works Painting is a nationally know company and prides itself of being the leading provider of house painting services throughout the United States. Every year, their group of energetic and well-trained branch managers set the bar for professionalworkcustomer service, clean and safe work sites, and top notch workmanship. Moreover, to ease their clients worries, each of their house painting projects has an iron-clad warranty backed by the strength of a national company.

Although, College Works is a nationally know company some bad publicity has risen recently. There has been some hinting at some shoddy practices in the way that they treat customers and staff alike. Picking through the conflicting posts, in an attempt to get to the truth of the matter, is very difficult, considering the sheer volume of information online. The internet is a powerful tool for finding information, but its success is also its downfall. Even the most thorough research can simply muddy the waters and leave the researcher even more confused.

A quick look online will reveal some testimonials narrating how the company provided a poor and substandard service, or refused to fix any problems. Conversely, there are many testimonials from satisfied customers, praising the enthusiasm of the trained interns and the quality of their work. The difficulty lies in trying to find the balance between the two, sifting out the genuine testimonials from the misleading ones.

The Difficulty of Sifting Through the Information

The main problem is that the internet is a very bad place to find meaningful reviews, because it is so easy to abuse the anonymous nature of most sites. Some companies have been known to ask employees to visit forums and leave glowing reviews about products. On other occasions, one unhappy customer, or steamed competitor, may open multiple IDs on different forums and saturate the internet with negative reviews.

There is a very sinister side to the internet, and commercial sabotage of competitors is commonplace. Companies deliberately set up false testimonials to damage the competition’s image. It is extremely difficult to be sure where the truth lies, or to make any reasoned judgment about the best company for the job.

Despite this, there are definitely some negative testimonials that portray the organization in a very bad light. A few unhappy homeowners give a bleak picture of College Works Painting Company, stating that the Branch Managers were out of their depth, and the work was amateurish and shoddy. Many testimonials also decry the lack support in fixing the problems after they were brought to the company’s attention. Finally, there are a few reports from disgruntled ex-employees, complaining about the working conditions, or the way in which they were treated by the organization.

It would be very easy to discard College Works as a potential contractor and search elsewhere for a company to paint your home. There is one factor to bear in mind before following this course of action; it is important to remember that no business is perfect. If you surveyed the customers of any contracting business in the US, you would stumble across the odd unhappy customer. You would also find many satisfied customers, but human nature dictates that people are more likely to complain than praise. The old business adage states that every unsatisfied customer tells ten other people, whilst a satisfied customer tells only one. It is certainly true when attempting to research any company online.

College Works Painting certainly does not appear to be a cowboy outfit, or operate a ‘take the money and run scam.’ Yes, there appear to be a few genuinely bad reviews amongst the various online obfuscations, but no more than with any other contractor. When the price and the chance to help a budding entrepreneur are taken into account, the organization offers a competitive deal.

Certainly, there is no harm in using the internet forums and blogs to find out about a company. However, in the world of contracting; it is wise to seek testimonials from locally based customers. For any franchise business, every region is different, and the quality of service depends largely upon the talent of the individual running that particular franchise. If your neighbors had their house painted by College Works Painting, and were delighted by the experience, then that recommendation is worth far more than an anonymous post on a forum. There is no harm in using the internet as a starting place for your research, but it is a poor substitute for old-fashioned word of mouth.

The key to hiring any contractor for major building work is to take a few precautions, ensuring that you minimize the chances of heartbreak. These tips apply to College Works and to any other company wanting to work in your home. If you follow this common-sense advice, you will be able to make a rational decision about the best contractor for the job.

The Precautions Needed for Hiring a Painting Contractor

Any company is going to have poor employees, or managers that are completely out of their depth. Mistakes happen, and customers can certainly have an unsatisfactory experience, even from a highly rated company. College Works Painting is no better, or worse than any other painting contractor, so you need to be sure that you are making the best choice for your individual circumstances. When the branch manager visits, to provide you with an estimate and discuss your exact requirements, make sure that you ask them a few simple questions. If they appear to be evasive or unsure, then trust your gut instincts and look elsewhere. If they are sincere, enthusiastic and knowledgeable, then you can certainly think about hiring them.

The first precaution is to ask around your local area and obtain references from genuine customers, rather than trust the testimonials that you find online. Major building work is not the same as buying a new mobile phone or a choosing an insurance company. It is a big commitment and you should be doubly sure before signing any contract or handing over any money. Do not fall for any hard sell, and pay no heed to any suggestions that you should sign quickly or lose the opportunity. A good contractor will be keen to take on the assignment, and will wait for a day or two whilst you think things over.

Ask the representative to provide you with some examples of work performed for previous clients of that particular branch of College Works Painting. The Branch Manager should be very happy to do so, and will put you in touch with satisfied customers. If the featured home is in your neighborhood, go and look, so that you can see the results with your own eyes, rather than trusting unreliable testimonials.

If you are confident that the organization will provide a good service, then you can proceed to the next stage, and begin to negotiate a contract. For safety, make sure that you do not hand over a large sum of money as a deposit, limiting the amount to a maximum of 25% of the final estimate. This minimizes the losses if anything goes wrong, although disasters are not as common as the testimonials would lead you to believe.

The company has recently improved its procedures for handling customer complaints, finally realizing that the negative publicity is harmful to the organization. This provides an extra layer of security to the homeowner, as they know that the franchise will make good any problems. Nevertheless, it is good practice to keep on top of the contractors, ensuring that any potential problems are pointed out as early as possible.

For example, it is much easier for the contractor, and for you, if you point out that the shade is not the one that you asked for when they have opened the first tin. Waiting until the house is half-finished, before highlighting the issue, means that the contractor cannot return the paint for a refund, and has lost money. Understandably, they will become a little more reluctant to change the shade the further they are into the job.

Many bad testimonials about contractors arise because the homeowner did not raise issues quickly enough, preventing an amicable solution. Of course, this is not to say that all of the bad testimonials are inaccurate or untrue, only that some problems could easily have been prevented.

College Works Painting - Conclusions

The above precautions should be followed with any contractor, and give you some protection from the scammers and cheats. Judging by the information available online, College Works Painting is as safe as any of the other options, and certainly offers a competitive price.