# Irritated with Sherwin Williams



## Dorman Painting (May 2, 2006)

Let me start by saying that I buy ALL my paint from SW, literally I buy probably 99% of my paint from SW. Here's my problem, they carry very little inventory, so when I need something it's usually not in my store of choice. 

This little issue reared it's ugly head today when I needed one more kit of tile clad for a mechanics garage floor. It's a 2800 sq. ft. building and I knew we would need five or so kits and we only had four. Long story short, my local store didn't have the one kit on hand, sending me on a goose chase across the river into BUSY downtown Louisville at lunch hour. It cost me 1.5 hours extra to do this, had the kit been at my local store, we'd have been done almost two hours before we actually got done. 

My schedule's a tight one, and issues like the one above seem to happen with more and more frequency at SW. I've been told it's an order from above to keep little inventory on hand. But it kills the paint contractor, because chances are a painter will need products in bulk on a fairly regular basis. If not me, then the other five hundred painters trolling around town will need product. I simply don't understand the concept of keeping so little supply on hand that you actually screw the contractor over on a fairly regular basis. 

Oh, and I'm SICK of them hem hawwing around on their prices. Heck, one day it's 22 bucks a gallon, the next week it's 24 bucks a gallon. My area needs a Ben Moore!


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

Dorman Painting said:


> Let me start by saying that I buy ALL my paint from SW, literally I buy probably 99% of my paint from SW. Here's my problem, they carry very little inventory, so when I need something it's usually not in my store of choice.
> 
> This little issue reared it's ugly head today when I needed one more kit of tile clad for a mechanics garage floor. It's a 2800 sq. ft. building and I knew we would need five or so kits and we only had four. Long story short, my local store didn't have the one kit on hand, sending me on a goose chase across the river into BUSY downtown Louisville at lunch hour. It cost me 1.5 hours extra to do this, had the kit been at my local store, we'd have been done almost two hours before we actually got done.
> 
> ...


Tis the way of the world.
Seeing the same thing at lumber yards
and else where.


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## antnepi (Aug 26, 2008)

I will take a SW before any Ben Moore any day! Ben Moore paint is better, but not 2x the price better.


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## Dustyrose (Feb 13, 2009)

Sounds like a franchise issue. The clerk should have looked in the computer to check the inventory of the other stores before sending you on a mission. SW has the technology. 
I have noticed that they do limit supply on some speciality items. 

My SW store is great. One phone call and they take care of me.


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## Al The Painter (Mar 9, 2010)

Yes I agree with dustyrose SW should be checking all nearby stores and sending one of there associates ASAP to the one that has it.

Thats what we get for service here. Of course SW 's around here are like Walgreens.


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## RCPainting (Jan 29, 2006)

We only have one in town, next is 50 miles away. They will pick up/deliver what ever I need.


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## fix it man (Feb 7, 2010)

this happens at my store. they dont keep surplus on hand. just what they think they will sell. very frustrating i know. i would call the store a day or so before the job and find out what store has it in stock and they will hold it for you. that way you can maybe get up a little earlier and get it so you wont lose time.


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## rselectric1 (Sep 20, 2009)

I must say that SW has been extremely responsive to my needs as a GC. I have no plans to go anywhere else.


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## JCpresto (Dec 14, 2007)

Dorman Painting said:


> Let me start by saying that I buy ALL my paint from SW, literally I buy probably 99% of my paint from SW. Here's my problem, they carry very little inventory, so when I need something it's usually not in my store of choice.
> 
> This little issue reared it's ugly head today when I needed one more kit of tile clad for a mechanics garage floor. It's a 2800 sq. ft. building and I knew we would need five or so kits and we only had four. Long story short, my local store didn't have the one kit on hand, sending me on a goose chase across the river into BUSY downtown Louisville at lunch hour. It cost me 1.5 hours extra to do this, had the kit been at my local store, we'd have been done almost two hours before we actually got done.
> 
> ...


Simple. Noones buying it. Down here theres an abundance of paint stores, all pretty close together.

Always used Ben Moore since the very beggining. Got fed up with the prices this year, walked into SW with my receipt from BM. He basically cut theyre prices in 1/3, and handed me 3 free gallons of his best paint. Everyones going to HD buying behr, theyre struggling right now. No need to stack the shelves at this point


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## JKBARR127 (Jan 13, 2010)

agree w above. All stores, not just in construction but in most retail, have had to cut inventory on merchandise that is not moved regularly to keep afloat. That said, our sw distributor has been extremely accommodating to our needs. If we need something they don't have in stock, it is always there within 3 days. On occasions they have had material over nighted for me and on 2 instances made the drive to another store, 30 milesish away to get something we needed by lunch. Customer service is def top notch. Now if they could only do something w that damb pro classic


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## ModernStyle (May 7, 2007)

I called BM today about some pricing so I could put togther a quote, they couldnt even tell me the price on their exterior paint, said they were in the process of changing products ..... said they would have the pricing in a few weeks. I had to tell her that I dont have a few weeks and will just go to a real paint store.


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## JKBARR127 (Jan 13, 2010)

how does that even happen. thay sell paint and they couldnt sell u paint. wow


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## thom (Nov 3, 2006)

I don't understand why you pick up paint. My paint store (DE) delivers. I either have it dropped at the job, or at my own house the day before I need it. I have no idea how much they have in any particular store, I just know they deliver what I order.


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## THINKPAINTING (Feb 24, 2007)

Allot depends on store manager as they are under the knife. We don’t do any business with SW the local stores we have change managers few times a year it seems, and there color matching and delivery sucks.

I am lucky as I have 3 different independent stores who carry several lines like BM, PPG,Muralo and will bend over backwards to help u out.

SW has some good products but you cannot buy Zinsser or any private labeled primers anymore in there stores at least here.

It’s all in the manager but believe me they get hounded on by corporate to make a profit and do better than the previous year or manager.

SW industrial prices are better than BM because they cater to more commercial contractors than BM...

Tile Clad is evil, if I smell it I’m sick.....that’s all we used years ago in schools brush and roll sh*t is nasty


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## i painter (Mar 13, 2010)

It's a problem at vertually all SW stores. I've asked my sales rep about this and was told it's because the individual stores actually get charged or penalized by corprate for having unsold product. That's why they only carry what they _think_ they're going to sell.


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## Mr. Mike (Dec 27, 2008)

> My area needs a Ben Moore!


Ben Moore Jim Taylor in Prospect delivers paint, even in Indiana... 502-228-4887


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## plazaman (Apr 17, 2005)

Not sure what to say.. but i pretty much have all my stuff delivered from Sherwin Williams. Even if they dont have it in 1 store, they will locate it in another store. But, i live in NYC, which prolly has alot more stores than your area.


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