# Costco's Guide to Custom Painting: Hire CertaPro?



## Nathan (Mar 28, 2007)

I was on my way out of the Costco the other day and passed by those little booths they have for special orders and long behold they had one for custom painting. 

In the kiosk they had large pictures of nicely painted homes and a large logo for CertaPro Painters. I picked up the brochure and they had a "Special Offer" for Costco members... "a FREE in-home consultation."  

Anyone else seeing these?


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## Humble Abode (Apr 11, 2007)

Wow that's crazy, I wonder how much CertaPro is paying for that. We don't have Costco's here...


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## Nathan (Mar 28, 2007)

It must be through their parent company The Franchise Company because I also saw California Closets there too.


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## Humble Abode (Apr 11, 2007)

dang... I didn't realize that Paul Davis was a franchise.

That website is the true representation of all that is mediocre...


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## Brian (Apr 10, 2007)

I certainly have problems with Certa Pro. But I do admire them marketing through CostCo. 

Marketing is about getting your name out there. I may not admire a company, but I still try to learn from their marketing. Certa Pro paints more houses each year than I do. I have to attribute a lot of that to their marketing.

We tried a similar thing with a local flooring company. It had minimal impact, but we may bring the idea back on a bigger scale.

Brian Phillips


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## Nathan (Mar 28, 2007)

Brian said:


> Certa Pro paints more houses each year than I do. I have to attribute a lot of that to their marketing.


I believe they are the largest residential painter in the country.


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## slickshift (Apr 8, 2007)

Nathan said:


> I believe they are the largest residential painter in the country.


Hmmm...the one out here's radio ads are positively offensive
They absolutely bash "Other Painting Companies"
Extreme Negative Ads

I did get a postcard from them though, maybe I'll call them up and ask for a quote

:devil:


...oh yeah, brilliant on the CostCo thing-I don't like it, but it's brilliant
-if you going for the low price market
....I'm assuming CostCo is like BJ's out here, a warehouse-type store?
5 gal. jars of mayo? TP in 40 roll bundles?


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## Humble Abode (Apr 11, 2007)

slickshift said:


> 5 gal. jars of mayo? TP in 40 roll bundles?


Yea, we have Sam's Club here.

But you have to admit if we could afford it we would advertise at CostCo... I would even go so far as to advertise a free in home consultation. :laughing:


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## George Z (Apr 15, 2007)

> Hmmm...the one out here's radio ads are positively offensive
> They absolutely bash "Other Painting Companies"
> Extreme Negative Ads


What do the ads say. Do you remember?
Maybe we can talk about it and them...:whistling2: 

They are always on the look-out for slander themselves


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## MAK-Deco (Apr 17, 2007)

They are painting a house 4 houses down from the house I am doing right now. A neighborhood in which I have done 15 out of the 40 houses on the block (dead end street) Homeowners are new to the block I guess they didn't ask for my number from the their new neighbors


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

I love Costco, i also use Sams club. I have not seen a kiosk, but i will look for one next time i go.


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## slickshift (Apr 8, 2007)

George Z said:


> What do the ads say. Do you remember?


Well, going from memory (from last year, I haven't heard any this Spring)

It was a radio spot with "two homeowners" talking to each other
They were saying how they needed the house painted, but didn't want any dirty contractors messing up the house, and how contractors always lie and never call back etc...it really focused on bashing "other" contractors


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## MeridianNE (Apr 23, 2007)

corp. america is taking over everything. pretty soon well all have a boss that wares a suit and tie. I live in new york here thank god they keep targert, wall mart out, costco has some stores. certafoe does not have a franchisee in my areas. But i have Sales geine and i get sales figures and one staten island certafoe contractor did 1.5 mil in busness 2 years into. They are someting to learn from. they did a ton, of d-mail which i recieved, and posted signs everywhere(even illegally). You never see them in the newspaper but they are on cable tv. The owner of certa-foe never even touched a brush or roller in his life. They branded the word CERTANTY
which was brilliant because of this industrys fractional market (drunks looking to just eek through life) someone figured branding this industry would work and to a significant degree it has. In the next few years they may trample the entire suburban market. I think locally indy painters in order too survive will have to work more closely together in order to compete.


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Well i was in Costco today, and there is no certapro there.


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## Humble Abode (Apr 11, 2007)

slickshift said:


> It was a radio spot with "two homeowners" talking to each other
> They were saying how they needed the house painted, but didn't want any dirty contractors messing up the house, and how contractors always lie and never call back etc...it really focused on bashing "other" contractors


:furious: 

As much as that angers me, I don't think you could totally blame CertaPro for that kind of crap. I know of at least one of my local competition who does the same thing.


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## Rich (Apr 26, 2007)

Brian said:


> Certa Pro paints more houses each year than I do. I have to attribute a lot of that to their marketing


I'm a bit late to this thread but...

Certa Pro paints more houses than everyone in here--combined-- yes because of marketing and because they are a national company. After all, I never heard of you all until the forums...I've known about them for years.

That being said, you know how we bash Home Depot to bits?...I would like to inform everyone that I had the pleasure of watching the local Home Depot being painted :whistling2: 



By Certa Pro :laughing:

2 peas in a pod...


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## ROOMINADAY (Mar 20, 2009)

Cool.


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

ROOMINADAY said:


> Cool.


lol what a bump. One of PT's first threads. #26


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## ROOMINADAY (Mar 20, 2009)

I am still laughing about it.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Paint Talk


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Not many recent posts from most of those guys.


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## ROOMINADAY (Mar 20, 2009)

MAK has been around, Brian pop's in

Slickshift? 

Rich?

Humble - Out of Biz? Website dead


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Leave the lights on.


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## MikeCalifornia (Aug 26, 2012)

They have been the ad painter for Costco in CA for at least 3yrs or more. Costco is much more high end then the other chains. They promote quality so Certa Pro seems a natural fit for them (na franchise). The one thing I read about Costco is they will not bring your product into the stores unless they are less than (trying to remember the %) 10% of your gross sales. They do not want to put a business under that can't handle their needs. Not that a service provider has product in the store, but I am sure Costco gets a nice cut of the total contract.

I bought a garage door from Costco, and the company that did the work has a contract with Costco for better quality doors. I got an insulated door for the price of the non.


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## NEPS.US (Feb 6, 2008)

MikeCalifornia said:


> They have been the ad painter for Costco in CA for at least 3yrs or more. Costco is much more high end then the other chains. They promote quality so Certa Pro seems a natural fit for them (na franchise). The one thing I read about Costco is they will not bring your product into the stores unless they are less than (trying to remember the %) 10% of your gross sales. They do not want to put a business under that can't handle their needs. Not that a service provider has product in the store, but I am sure Costco gets a nice cut of the total contract.
> 
> I bought a garage door from Costco, and the company that did the work has a contract with Costco for better quality doors. I got an insulated door for the price of the non.


Certa and high end quality go together like peanut butter and jelly.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

Nathan said:


> I was on my way out of the Costco the other day and passed by those little booths they have for special orders and long behold they had one for custom painting.
> 
> In the kiosk they had large pictures of nicely painted homes and a large logo for CertaPro Painters. I picked up the brochure and they had a "Special Offer" for Costco members... "a FREE in-home consultation."
> 
> Anyone else seeing these?


I must be doing some thing wrong, I always give our customers FREE in home consultation with out asking for their Costco membership cards.


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## 6126 (May 9, 2010)

cdpainting said:


> I must be doing some thing wrong, I always give our customers FREE in home consultation with out asking for their Costco membership cards.


What?  Are you serious? You dont ask for their Costco card? :blink: Most of us here at PT all require a Costco membership card for any kind of free in home consultation. I know I do. :whistling2:


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## NACE (May 16, 2008)

Certa Promis Sherwin Williams largest customer. Total SW purchases are $38,000,000.


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## premierpainter (Apr 17, 2007)

MikeCalifornia said:


> They have been the ad painter for Costco in CA for at least 3yrs or more. Costco is much more high end then the other chains. They promote quality so Certa Pro seems a natural fit for them (na franchise). The one thing I read about Costco is they will not bring your product into the stores unless they are less than (trying to remember the %) 10% of your gross sales. They do not want to put a business under that can't handle their needs. Not that a service provider has product in the store, but I am sure Costco gets a nice cut of the total contract.
> 
> I bought a garage door from Costco, and the company that did the work has a contract with Costco for better quality doors. I got an insulated door for the price of the non.


Any company can get into Costco. We had one competitor of our who sold lots from them. He gave a percentage of each contract sold. Doesn't mean your quality. It means your willing to pay a commish


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