Update 6/20/17: Have no heard one word from Sherwin Williams. Clearly, they do not understand the community of Vintage trailers. So glad that we went with a different company’s paint.
Update: Sherwin Williams reached out to me on April 12, 2017 via Twitter. I’ll post any responses, if any. Knowing Corporate America, it will probably be a very kind letter from their Corporate Attorney since they wanted my “full contact information.”
It is extremely rare that I say anything straight up negative about a company but today’s the day! The following is my rant about my local Sherwin Williams….
Background Story
After researching several blogs and talking with MANY Vintage Trailers owners, including several Sisters on the Fly, I decided to purchase a product by Sherwin Williams called Sher Cryl to DIY paint our Airstream Argosy.
Off to my local Sherwin Williams store which is literally 2 miles from my house. I have not had good customer service from this store in the past (well over 6 years ago) but felt things would be different this time. I was wrong.
A very lovely and helpful female employee helped us with colors and found the four lonely cans of Sher Cryl in their back storeroom. So, if they have it in their storeroom, would they not be able to sell it?? We visited the store on a Sunday to avoid all the contractors. This store always serves all the contractors in the store before they will help a non-contractor patron. This was my number one reason for aggravation with this store.
Continue reading about our incredible results after the break.
Our colors picked, an off white and a light tan, we went to the register to pay for the paint. The employee then informed us that she can not tint the Sher Cryl for us because the can would overflow. Ooooh Kay. She is the expert so I showed her three blogs where three Vintage Trailer DIY’er’s were paid by Sherwin Williams to use and blog about their product and she was clueless. The bloggers colors were much darker than the two I picked out!! The employee recommended we stop back by in an hour so she could consult with her manager who was at lunch. An hour later, the employee would not sell us the Sher Cryl product but wanted to put us in a much lessor product called “All Enamel.” I refused to purchase All Enamel because I knew nothing about it or wanted it. The employee told us that she would call their product hotline for advice. We should expect a call the next day with further information. She did offer to help us pick a color for our “mudroom door” before we left. Um, we do not have a mud room or the door that goes with it.
The Next Day…..
I got a got a voice mail basically saying, “Thanks for stopping by but the hotline said you have to go to a Sherwin Williams Automotive paint shop.” I knew this was a dumb idea. Automotive Paint is NOT for DIY’ers. I stopped by the Sherwin Williams Automotive Paint Store just to be told what I already knew…. this product is too advanced and expensive for a DIY project based on my needs. I absolutely agreed with this manager!!! Refreshing to get actual Great and honest advice!! She called the Commercial stores and they had the product and were willing to tint it. So, if they were willing, why not my local store that also has the paint?
Instead of stopping by my local store, I called the employee that has been helping me. I made it clear, AGAIN, that we are DIY’ers and not paying $1200 a gallon for Automotive Paint! I told her the Commercial Store was willing to tint it so I specifically asked “Are you not willing and able to tint and sell me Sher Cryl?” Her answer was, “Oh I apologize if that is what you thought. Of course we can do this for you.” Why was I being shoved off to other stores then??? Why did she not sell me the product I wanted on my first visit? She asked for details on who was contacted at the Commercial store and said “I am going to see if they will send the product to our store.” Ordinarily, I would go pick up the paint at the Commercial store myself but with Atlanta practically shutdown due to the I-85 bridge collapse, I seriously appreciated her offer.
The Next Day….
At 8am, I get a voice mail from the employee stating that she called the HOTLINE (omg!!! I am going to die over this hotline!!) and they said that I “have to go to the Commercial store and thanks for stopping by.” Seriously? This is customer service? A dump you voicemail. Why is she still calling the hotline when I did all the groundwork for her? Why is she not addressing HER suggestion of having the paint delivered to her store? She said she would call the Commercial store… not the hotline!!
Completely angry at this point, I call the store. She is not available so a male employee said he could help. I briskly asked why are we dealing with a hotline when she offered to get the paint delivered?? His reply,” We don’t do that. You will have to call the Commercial store but I doubt they deliver to a person’s HOUSE because they are Commercial.” Really????? I never asked for HOME DELIVERY!! I just wanted to go to my local store and buy paint they already had in stock! Then I said, “Well, I am tired of the run around so I guess Sherwin Williams can not help me.” His response? “Have a great day.” End call.
I am done with Sherwin Williams. I gave them enough opportunities to help and all I got was the run around without actual understanding. The employee never heard what I said (DIY’er and that mud room door?). I drove around Atlanta and still have nothing to show for it.
Thanks a lot Sherwin Williams. It could have been a great relationship.
Mike
Sandy
