# Is Behr paint safe?



## j.l (Feb 12, 2015)

After using Behr ceiling paint and Behr Superior Plus paint I am unable to enter room without my eyes watering and throat swelling even though it has been dry for weeks. I have been renovating contractor for 25 years never been bothered by other paint before. What is in Behr paint? Has Behr paint made you sick? There is warning label on can maybe Behr paint should have poison skull symbol on the cans!


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## ExcelPaintingCo (Apr 16, 2011)

Another Behr attack! Probably ammonia off gassing.


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## j.l (Feb 12, 2015)

Has this happened to you with Behr paint?
It didnt bother me when applying only after when dry.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

http://www.painttalk.com/f2/behr-paint-project-major-smell-lingering-34929/


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## Krittterkare (Jul 12, 2013)

daArch said:


> http://www.painttalk.com/f2/behr-paint-project-major-smell-lingering-34929/


Yep I think it is a unique product and to me the smell is nauseating and I can not say I even smell ammonia like some other primers or paints.


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

ExcelPaintingCo said:


> Another Behr attack! Probably ammonia off gassing.


The key is not to come upon it too suddenly. So next time makes lots of noise before entering a room where it's been used. Some people blow whistles but the most common method is to make a really loud retching noise.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

j.l said:


> After using Behr ceiling paint and Behr Superior Plus paint I am unable to enter room without my eyes watering and throat swelling even though it has been dry for weeks. I have been renovating contractor for 25 years never been bothered by other paint before. What is in Behr paint? Has Behr paint made you sick? There is warning label on can maybe Behr paint should have poison skull symbol on the cans!


Pull up the MSDS and see if you can recognize anything that you might be sensitive to.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

Wear a respirator.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

TJ Paint said:


> Wear a respirator.


better yet, just stay out of home depot, problem solved:whistling2:


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

In case anyone missed it in an earlier post, the quarts of Marquee, premium plus ultra, and premium plus that I have here in my store still smell like cat pee. Even with the dead mouse under the rug. (how D'arch new I had a rug in my tinting area i'll never know)
There is a bit of a gooey squish when I use my Cali tint machine.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Proalliance coatings said:


> In case anyone missed it in an earlier post, the quarts of Marquee, premium plus ultra, and premium plus that I have here in my store still smell like cat pee. Even with the dead mouse under the rug. (how D'arch new I had a rug in my tinting area i'll never know)
> There is a bit of a gooey squish when I use my Cali tint machine.


Cause it's a rental (or lease) and you don't want to spill on the floor. We had one near the paint mixing area when I did retail :thumbsup:


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

daArch said:


> Cause it's a rental (or lease) and you don't want to spill on the floor. We had one near the paint mixing area when I did retail :thumbsup:


You are indeed a man of great wisdom. The best part is the matts I use can absorb up to two gallons of liquid like a sponge. If I drop a gallon, I just shmear it around with some cardboard, let it dry in the warehouse, and depending on my cash flow either put down a new one or spray paint it black again.
Of coarse after replacing the dead mouse to kill the Behrs.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

chrisn said:


> better yet, just stay out of home depot, problem solved:whistling2:


Touché. Yet I think many don't consider breathing protection a relevant issue with waterbornes, when perhaps we should.

Speaking of ammonia smelling coatings, anybody else smell it in 123?


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

TJ Paint said:


> Touché. Yet I think many don't consider breathing protection a relevant issue with waterbornes, when perhaps we should.
> 
> Speaking of ammonia smelling coatings, anybody else smell it in 123?


Anybody else remember DuPont Lucite? That stuff smelled like vinegar, I'm assuming acetic acid was a component.


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## DrakeB (Jun 6, 2011)

My first instinct on seeing this thread was like Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead- the look on his face after he drops the hand grenade in the CDC. Run! It's a Behr thread!

But yeh, Chrisn has your solution.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

just sniffed some 123 and yup, smells like ammonia.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

Gough said:


> Anybody else remember DuPont Lucite? That stuff smelled like vinegar, I'm assuming acetic acid was a component.


You can still buy Lucite at Menard's! And if they have a rebate on it, it's free! The name has been owned by PPG for some time. Menard's wanted a line of cheap crap (should I say cheaper crap?) so PPG dusted off the old Lucite name. There's so much chalk and water in it, you could probably drink it instead of Pepto-Bismol.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Gough said:


> Anybody else remember DuPont Lucite? That stuff smelled like vinegar, I'm assuming acetic acid was a component.


YAH, I remember it.

But I wish I hadn't. thanks


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## DrakeB (Jun 6, 2011)

daArch said:


> YAH, I remember it.
> 
> But I wish I hadn't. thanks


I'm surprised anyone remembers it; I just figured the fumes had wiped everyone's memories clean.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

Woodford said:


> I'm surprised anyone remembers it; I just figured the fumes had wiped everyone's memories clean.


Memories of what?:whistling2:


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## ExcelPaintingCo (Apr 16, 2011)

Proalliance coatings said:


> just sniffed some 123 and yup, smells like ammonia.


 I think we can all agree that Behr paint doesn't pass the smell test.- mudbone


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## mudbone (Dec 26, 2011)

Can remember when sw use to have their "Everclean" paint it smelt like dirty socks!


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

mudbone said:


> Can remember when sw use to have their "Everclean" paint it smelt like dirty socks!


That's what Manor Hall always smelled like to me. I eventually refused to use it for that reason.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

My armpits smell worse then any paint I've used. 

Thanks for letting me share


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

CApainter said:


> My armpits smell worse then any paint I've used.
> 
> Thanks for letting me share


That's because you never see (or should I say smell) any Porter paint after it spoils in Cali. You definitely took a step back after you opened an old can of it. When you had an old can start to bulge, you grabbed a respirator before you opened it. Porter changed their colorants at one point and we had to do all kind of rematches. It was nasty! It smelled like someone had a spoiled milk enema.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

mudbone said:


> Can remember when sw use to have their "Everclean" paint it smelt like dirty socks!


That was what I said when SW showed us the product when it first came out. They gave us a demo at a district meeting, and the room smelled like a locker room.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Proalliance coatings said:


> That's because you never see (or should I say smell) any Porter paint after it spoils in Cali. You definitely took a step back after you opened an old can of it. When you had an old can start to bulge, you grabbed a respirator before you opened it. Porter changed their colorants at one point and we had to do all kind of rematches. It was nasty! It smelled like someone had a spoiled milk enema.


NO, please do NOT tell us why you know what that smells like


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

daArch said:


> NO, please do NOT tell us why you know what that smells like


I once new a girl from Nantucket, who liked to **** in a bucket.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

And back to the op's topic, NO!


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

Proalliance coatings said:


> I once new a girl from Nantucket, who liked to **** in a bucket.


Shall I continue?
the smell was the same,
Porter Paints was to blame.
So she opened the lid, 
and said ****it.


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

Proalliance coatings said:


> I once new a girl from Nantucket, who liked to **** in a bucket.





Proalliance coatings said:


> Shall I continue?
> the smell was the same,
> Porter Paints was to blame.
> So she opened the lid,
> and said ****it.


I'm pretty sure Steve is gonna want you on his poetry writing team. :yes:


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

slinger58 said:


> I'm pretty sure Steve is gonna want you on his poetry writing team. :yes:


Maybe we should start a paint poetry thread.


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## DrakeB (Jun 6, 2011)

I'd be down for that.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

They paint these walls,
to hide my pen, 
using Valspar and Behr,
even Ben!

It still bled through, 
I'm telling you,
they just couldn't win
till they used BIN!

The Painter's Poet!


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

HEY!!! When you sit, 
there's a place for the sh!t! 
So keep it off the wall, 
and you can avoid the call, 
for your painter guy to have to come by.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

"Is BEHR paint safe?" this thread inquires.
And do we want to know?
But debate's been replaced with the poems it's inspired
so move on and get on with the show.

Will we ever know the truth of the odor
this lumbering beast can expel,
or should we resign ourselves to the fact
that most paints tend to smell?


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## PaintersUnite (May 11, 2014)

Over the years I've worked with every type of paint in the industry to include; latex, oil base for trim and doors, oil primers, alcohol primers, stains, varnish, urethane, (2) epoxy, etc, and I've used all types of solvents to include; mineral spirits, turpentine, methyl ethyl ketone, denatured alcohol, etc. 

So regarding the title "Is Behr paint safe"? If you need to ask that question in a pro painters forum, I believe you are in the wrong trade. :whistling2:


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

CApainter said:


> "Is BEHR paint safe?" this thread inquires.
> And do we want to know?
> But debate's been replaced with the poems it's inspired
> so move on and get on with the show.
> ...


There seem to be enough reports of people, both in the trade and out, having what appear to be allergic reactions to Behr that it seems like a legitimate question. Even if the answer to the professional who posed the original question is, "Not for some people".

I know the labels of some of the Behr product lines used to carry some sort of seal of approval about allergy and asthma. Is that still the case, and is it on all of their products?

Sorry for changing back to free verse.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

Gough said:


> There seem to be enough reports of people, both in the trade and out, having what appear to be allergic reactions to Behr that it seems like a legitimate question. Even if the answer to the professional who posed the original question is, "Not for some people".
> 
> I know the labels of some of the Behr product lines used to carry some sort of seal of approval about allergy and asthma. Is that still the case, and is it on all of their products?
> 
> Sorry for changing back to free verse.


Gough, only you could extrapolate a serious conversation out of a poem!


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

Gough said:


> There seem to be enough reports of people, both in the trade and out, having what appear to be allergic reactions to Behr that it seems like a legitimate question. Even if the answer to the professional who posed the original question is, "Not for some people".
> 
> I know the labels of some of the Behr product lines used to carry some sort of seal of approval about allergy and asthma. Is that still the case, and is it on all of their products?
> 
> Sorry for changing back to free verse.


Free verse instead of the rhyming game? 
Man that certainly is lame.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

Five syllables here
Seven syllables there
Are you happy now?


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## PaintersUnite (May 11, 2014)

Gough said:


> There seem to be enough reports of people, both in the trade and out, having what appear to be allergic reactions to Behr that it seems like a legitimate question. Even if the answer to the professional who posed the original question is, "Not for some people".
> 
> I know the labels of some of the Behr product lines used to carry some sort of seal of approval about allergy and asthma. Is that still the case, and is it on all of their products?
> 
> Sorry for changing back to free verse.


Can anyone provided medical test results, to confirm that they have had allergic reactions, *specifically* from Behr paint, and no other paint brand? Come on Mr Gough, where is that Lawyer in you? We need proof of claims to have a case. 

And you do realize that some people are allergic to everything under the sun?


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## stelzerpaintinginc. (May 9, 2012)

PaintersUnite said:


> Over the years I've worked with every type of paint in the industry to include; latex, oil base for trim and doors, oil primers, alcohol primers, stains, varnish, urethane, (2) epoxy, etc, and I've used all types of solvents to include; mineral spirits, turpentine, methyl ethyl ketone, denatured alcohol, etc.
> 
> So regarding the title "Is Behr paint safe"? If you need to ask that question in a pro painters forum, I believe you are in the wrong trade. :whistling2:



Oh come on Joe, that doesn't even rhyme.

Just kidding. I agree.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

PaintersUnite said:


> Can anyone provided medical test results, to confirm that they have had allergic reactions, *specifically* from Behr paint, and no other paint brand? Come on Mr Gough, where is that Lawyer in you? We need proof of claims to have a case.
> 
> And you do realize that some people are allergic to everything under the sun?


bear lover


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

PaintersUnite said:


> Can anyone provided medical test results, to confirm that they have had allergic reactions, *specifically* from Behr paint, and no other paint brand? Come on Mr Gough, where is that Lawyer in you? We need proof of claims to have a case.
> 
> And you do realize that some people are allergic to everything under the sun?




Quite true. everyone dislikes different odors. I am allergic to cats, and through the years I equate the smell of ammonia to cats, and I have gotten to the point where I can't stand the smell of it. To other people, it either doesn't offend them, or they flat out can't smell it. The bottom line anyway is that if we were all following best practices, we would always have proper ventilation whenever we open a can of paint.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

and there is the fact that the most harmful aspect of most paints is almost completely odorless. The amount of ammonia that is put into a gallon of paint, even when it is spread, is far, far below the threshold of what the EPA considers to be dangerous. Most people are far more likely to have a reaction to what they can't smell.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

The op is long gone. Must have had to put on his orange apron and go back to the tint counter.


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## Bender (Aug 10, 2008)

:laughing:


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

Proalliance coatings said:


> The op is long gone. Must have had to put on his orange apron and go back to the tint counter.


So _that's_ where the HD paint department employees are when I go in there.....in the break room, logged onto PT!

On the job we just finished, the "designer" picked all Behr colors. I bought some Behr paint to do the ceilings (Creamy White) and the stuff wouldn't cover in 3 coats over primer. After that, I had all the colors made in BM paint. That's the only way I could have survived the job.


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## DrakeB (Jun 6, 2011)

slinger58 said:


> So _that's_ where the HD paint department employees are when I go in there.....in the break room, logged onto PT!


Really, when I go in they're all out on the floor... doing their best "house plant" impersonation. They must teach them that customers are like T-Rex's... if you hold still, they might not see you!


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

Woodford said:


> Really, when I go in they're all out on the floor... doing their best "house plant" impersonation. They must teach them that customers are like T-Rex's... if you hold still, they might not see you!


Avoiding eye contact with customers must be part of their training, too.:yes:


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## PaintersUnite (May 11, 2014)

slinger58 said:


> So _that's_ where the HD paint department employees are when I go in there.....in the break room, logged onto PT!
> 
> On the job we just finished, the "designer" picked all Behr colors. I bought some Behr paint to do the ceilings (Creamy White) and *the stuff wouldn't cover in 3 coats* over primer. After that, I had all the colors made in BM paint. That's the only way I could have survived the job.


I've demonstrated through video, the opposite HERE You do realize that BEHR has different grade products? In the video, we are utilizing *BEHR Premium Plus ULTRA* @ $32 per gallon (with no problem whatsoever). I'm sure you had a lower grade BEHR product. 

I am not the type of person that likes to waste time or money. And if I had a problem with ANY product, I would discontinue it's usage immediately. 

Maybe the problem some are having with BEHR product, is not the paint itself, *it's the painter. *Just saying


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

And another Behr thread winds down to it's inevitable conclusion…

yawn… :sleep1::sleep1::sleep1:


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## SemiproJohn (Jul 29, 2013)

PaintersUnite said:


> I've demonstrated through video, the opposite HERE You do realize that BEHR has different grade products? In the video, we are utilizing *BEHR Premium Plus ULTRA* @ $32 per gallon (with no problem whatsoever). I'm sure you had a lower grade BEHR product.
> 
> I am not the type of person that likes to waste time or money. And if I had a problem with ANY product, I would discontinue it's usage immediately.
> 
> Maybe the problem some are having with BEHR product, is not the paint itself, *it's the painter. *Just saying


I'm in agreement with you. Whenever I do work for realtors, it is cheaper for them if I use Behr, so I do and have had zero problems. I've never had an issue with the smell, and every job I've done for them so far (knock on wood) has sold. 

My go to for residential repaints (individual customers) is SW. I would love to try out the Benjamin Moore lines but I just can't get enough of a discount from them to justify using it (I don't get too many high end customers).


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

SemiproJohn said:


> I'm in agreement with you. Whenever I do work for realtors, it is cheaper for them if I use Behr, so I do and have had zero problems. I've never had an issue with the smell, and every job I've done for them so far (knock on wood) has sold.
> 
> My go to for residential repaints (individual customers) is SW. I would love to try out the Benjamin Moore lines but I just can't get enough of a discount from them to justify using it (I don't get too many high end customers).


I'd keep knocking.


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## Northwest_painter (Jan 27, 2012)

Gough said:


> Anybody else remember DuPont Lucite? That stuff smelled like vinegar, I'm assuming acetic acid was a component.


oh man that smelled like old wet diapers!:blink:


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

Woodford said:


> Really, when I go in they're all out on the floor... doing their best "house plant" impersonation. They must teach them that customers are like T-Rex's... if you hold still, they might not see you!


Our local HD must be an exception. I can't walk past an employee there without them asking if I need help. When I do, 9 out of 10 have the answer. A lot also have trade experience and are well place in the store departments. I do live in a rural, blue collar area so that provides a decent workforce. I have yet to use the paint dept.
I still always visit the True Value next door first.The prices are better on lumber and most other things. And they carry Ben Moore which is my go to paint.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

PRC said:


> Our local HD must be an exception. I can't walk past an employee there without them asking if I need help. When I do, 9 out of 10 have the answer. A lot also have trade experience and are well place in the store departments. I do live in a rural, blue collar area so that provides a decent workforce. I have yet to use the paint dept.
> I still always visit the True Value next door first.The prices are better on lumber and most other things. And they carry Ben Moore which is my go to paint.


I don't think anyone is implying that all HD's are the same, I am sure some of them do quite well with their service. In fact I frequented one years ago that was so busy on Saturdays that if you weren't there by 8 you would have a hard time finding a parking place. But for me, that was a long time ago in a land far, far away.


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## PRC (Aug 28, 2014)

Proalliance coatings said:


> I don't think anyone is implying that all HD's are the same, I am sure some of them do quite well with their service. In fact I frequented one years ago that was so busy on Saturdays that if you weren't there by 8 you would have a hard time finding a parking place. But for me, that was a long time ago in a land far, far away.


I don't imagine they are. My experience with the several other HD in a 50 mile radius and other parts of the country is similar to what Woodford described. Local hardware stores are the way to go where they still exist.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

PRC said:


> I don't imagine they are. My experience with the several other HD in a 50 mile radius and other parts of the country is similar to what Woodford described. Local hardware stores are the way to go where they still exist.


I have worked for short periods of time for Lowe's and Menard's, and a local True value hardware store. The difference was night and day. The people at the local store were much more service oriented and had a bit of pride at being able to help a customer. Lowe's and Menard's, and I am pretty sure HD is the same way, tend to burn out their good salespeople fairly quickly. If someone actually puts forth an effort to do a good job, they get work piled on them because they are the ones stupid enough to do it. eventually they will figure out they are getting paid the same, and quite often less, then the employees that spend most of their day socializing. Then they will slow down as well. This is one reason I put a large portion of my retirement into starting my own paint store. I am still too young and too hard working to have to put up with that crap for another 20-30 years.


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## SemiproJohn (Jul 29, 2013)

Proalliance coatings said:


> I have worked for short periods of time for Lowe's and Menard's, and a local True value hardware store. The difference was night and day. The people at the local store were much more service oriented and had a bit of pride at being able to help a customer. Lowe's and Menard's, and I am pretty sure HD is the same way, tend to burn out their good salespeople fairly quickly. *If someone actually puts forth an effort to do a good job, they get work piled on them because they are the ones stupid enough to do it. eventually they will figure out they are getting paid the same, and quite often less, then the employees that spend most of their day socializing. Then they will slow down as well. *This is one reason I put a large portion of my retirement into starting my own paint store. I am still too young and too hard working to have to put up with that crap for another 20-30 years.


You nailed it. It is sad that this mentality (do as little as possible) has become the norm for employees at so many places. A truly motivated individual will get taken advantage of, and not get properly compensated for their efforts.

I don't think anyone on PaintTalk could stay in business operating in such a fashion. Bad employees need to be weeded out so as not to have a de-motivating influence on productive employees. At many retail stores, motivated individuals usually realize that they have to weed themselves out from the flock of sheeple by quitting. 

Apparently a widely adopted business plan exists and is highly successful...that has an employee hierarchy largely comprised of poorly motivated workers at the base of the pyramid. Thanks WalMart.


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## kdpaint (Aug 14, 2010)

The good ol' bare minimum...


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

It must be difficult for young workers to be motivated in menial jobs when society affords obscene amounts of monies to mediocre performers by means of subprime lendiing, bloated pensions, and reward for exaggerated superficiality.

It also doesn't help with motivation when the multi billion dollar tech industry aggressively enables crippling distraction among our Nation's youth. 

In the future, will there be anyone left paying attention besides Apple?


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

CApainter said:


> It must be difficult for young workers to be motivated in menial jobs when society affords obscene amounts of monies to mediocre performers by means of subprime lendiing, bloated pensions, and reward for exaggerated superficiality.
> 
> It also doesn't help with motivation when the multi billion dollar tech industry aggressively enables crippling distraction among our Nation's youth.
> 
> In the future, will there be anyone left paying attention besides Apple?



I swear, CA. Sometimes I don't know whether to laugh or cry at your posts. 

Either way, I hereby dub you _The_ PT Pontificator . :thumbup:


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

SemiproJohn said:


> You nailed it. It is sad that this mentality (do as little as possible) has become the norm for employees at so many places. A truly motivated individual will get taken advantage of, and not get properly compensated for their efforts.
> 
> I don't think anyone on PaintTalk could stay in business operating in such a fashion. Bad employees need to be weeded out so as not to have a de-motivating influence on productive employees. At many retail stores, motivated individuals usually realize that they have to weed themselves out from the flock of sheeple by quitting.
> 
> Apparently a widely adopted business plan exists and is highly successful...that has an employee hierarchy largely comprised of poorly motivated workers at the base of the pyramid. Thanks WalMart.


And they want a raise!


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## DrakeB (Jun 6, 2011)

CApainter said:


> It must be difficult for young workers to be motivated in menial jobs when society affords obscene amounts of monies to mediocre performers by means of subprime lendiing, bloated pensions, and reward for exaggerated superficiality.
> 
> It also doesn't help with motivation when the multi billion dollar tech industry aggressively enables crippling distraction among our Nation's youth.
> 
> In the future, will there be anyone left paying attention besides Apple?


Quite agree with the last chunk of this thread.

I'm one of those "young workers" and also a motivated type. I worked at a "regional big box" (Fleet Farm) which operates in this part of the country. Got consistently used by my managers. The service was so bad at their new store that I got weekly calls from my old customers (who used to drive 50+ miles to get to me) asking me for help because the people at the new store couldn't/wouldn't. I was the first person to step up when above-and-beyond work needed to be done, and I got myself trained on all of the machinery and tech in the entire store so that I could cover for any dept. should the need arise.

I had my raises shot down three years in a row because the first year I almost died (was in the hospital, naturally couldn't work XD ). They wouldn't excuse the absence, and because of how their sick time/absence system works they used it as an excuse to decline my raise for 3 years, barely paying over minimum wage.

That's why I'm now Woodford. Big boxes should be ashamed of the way they treat their employees and their customers.


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## PACman (Oct 24, 2014)

Woodford said:


> Quite agree with the last chunk of this thread.
> 
> I'm one of those "young workers" and also a motivated type. I worked at a "regional big box" (Fleet Farm) which operates in this part of the country. Got consistently used by my managers. The service was so bad at their new store that I got weekly calls from my old customers (who used to drive 50+ miles to get to me) asking me for help because the people at the new store couldn't/wouldn't. I was the first person to step up when above-and-beyond work needed to be done, and I got myself trained on all of the machinery and tech in the entire store so that I could cover for any dept. should the need arise.
> 
> ...


I knew a guy who got fired from Menard's because he had to take an extra 3 days at the end of his vacation to bury his father! He went to visit him in the hospital on his vacation, and he died on the last day. Called his Menard's manager, was told he would not be paid for any missed days. When he came back, he was fired.
When I moved into the Chemical coatings division of Sw, The branch manager at the store I transferred to called me at 4 am on my second day to tell me he was at the airport on his way to Virginia. His mother had past away. So on my second day, I was in charge of a 5 million dollar coatings store. He was gone for 3 weeks, and Sw didn't take away any vacation time or personnel days, and paid him his salary while he was gone! The chemical coatings division of SW was great to work for.


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## DrakeB (Jun 6, 2011)

The only reason I was working the place to begin with- I moved 1,500 miles across the country with $ 200, my Nissan Maxima, and a jacket and it was the only place hiring in this tiny town. Thus begun the cycle of abuse. Worked every holiday, took all of the over time they asked me to do, came in at a call's notice, dealt with 3 socialites who didn't even realize they were at work, and a department manager who had to constantly ask my help because she didn't have any product knowledge. Tried to move up in the company and got friendly speeches about "how great I was" and how they'd "keep an eye on me and maybe if I worked real, real hard" they'd promote me. Yah right.


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