|
CertaPro
Complaints?
Of
course there are complaints, despite the denials
you may hear from CertaPro.
CertaPro doth protest too much, methinks.
And, it appears CertaPro has been trying to bury complaints,
with
hired help, in the form of "reputation
management".
CertaPro Painters Complaints
May Originate From
"No Experience Required"
Some complaints involving the quality of work may be
attributable to CertaPro's practice of marketing franchise
sales with the proclamation "No experience needed".
Yes, that's right. People with little or no painting
experience suddenly become painting contractors.
They
may have to do a lot of on-the-job learning.
And, of course, we learn from our mistakes.
CertaPro Painters Complaints
May Originate With
Subcontractors
(Pick One: Quality or Quick)
CertaPro franchisees may
use subcontractors.
In fact, I believe CertaPro recommends using subcontractors.
It can improve profitability: A subcontractor is generally
paid a flat fee (e.g., maybe 50% of the price), not
an hourly wage.
So
think about it: A subcontractor's goal may be to complete
the job as quickly as possible--to be able to move on
to the next job. "Quality" and "Quick"
may not be compatible.
Related:
CertaPro
Subcontractors.
"CertaPro
Painters Pricing High":
Some customers who get several quotes may say CertaPro's
price is higher than others. The CertaPro franchisee
may say it's because of insurance, or warranty, or high-quality
materials. There could be several reasons for a higher
CertaPro price. But if the CertaPro franchisee uses
subcontractors, there might be room for bargaining (in
which case the subcontractor may simply be paid less).
CertaPro Painters Franchise Complaints:
A History of Franchise Failure
CertaPro franchisees are usually great people who work
very hard.
However, they may find themselves in over their heads...many
(most?)
franchisees go
out of business. I suspect that, for most, it's
for financial reasons.
CertaPro's
Marketing Hype:
Certa ProPainters Ltd. must spend a tremendous
amount of money marketing its franchises. Selling franchises
is virtually all it does. It doesn't actually run
a painting business, it sells franchises.
CertaPro
has been stuffing the web with all sorts of marketing
propaganda, including a number of "franchisee testimonials".
Take them all with a grain of salt. Many of them appear
to be relatively new franchisees whose "minimum
annual franchise fee" has not yet kicked in. Check
back in 3 or 4 years to see if they're still around.
A lot of those complaints have been posted by a suspicious
"larrycarnier"
or "Larry Carnier".
Certa
ProPainters Ltd. Recruits People With NO Painting Experience:
CertaPro is in the business of selling franchises.
There are no corporate-owned painting companies.
One of the methods of selling CertaPro franchises: Dangle
the promise of a successful business and tell people
"no experience required".
Many
(most?) CertaPro franchisees had little or no painting
experience before starting their own painting company.
After a quick training session or two, they call themselves
"painting contractors" who hope to book lots
of jobs and make lots of money. Unfortunately, many
of them fail.
The
new CertaPro franchisee is probably personable and well-spoken
but may have no real-world experience as a painter or
a painting contractor. He/she may be dependent on the
painters (who may be subcontractors) to know how to
address issues or problems on the job.
|
