I've been shopping at JC Licht since I was about 15 years old--roughly 40 years--and I've been a…read moreprofessional painting contractor since I was about 25. I'm 57 now, with approximately 32 years of professional painting experience. Unfortunately, I've had multiple issues with professionalism at the Hinsdale location involving Justin and Jacob.
My original issue with Justin started because I was trying to figure out why Pecos Spice didn't cover in two coats. Instead of helping me figure out what happened, Justin turned it into a personal argument. He insisted that every job--light or dark--needs primer. When I explained that I'm a professional painter and that isn't how bidding works in the real world, he tried to pull rank, saying he was a professional too and had owned his own painting company. He told me his work would look better than mine because he would have used primer.
In my experience, 9 times out of 10, a darker color covers over a lighter color in two coats. When going from a dark color to a significantly lighter color, I agree that primer is necessary for coverage. But darker colors over lighter colors normally cover fine in two coats. I can't automatically charge every customer for primer plus two finish coats when most painters are bidding two coats. I wouldn't remain competitive. Pecos Spice was an unusual coverage problem, which was why I was trying to figure out what happened.
Instead of acknowledging that two coats normally works and helping with this particular situation, Justin became combative and accused me of "disrespecting" him. I don't go to JC Licht to be talked down to or lectured. I expect employees to help contractors solve problems, not try to prove they're better painters than the people buying the paint. I contacted corporate, the situation was addressed, and Justin was required to apologize to me.
More recently, one of my customers contacted the Hinsdale store regarding a painting project. During that conversation, Jacob told my customer there had been previous "interactions" with me at the store.
I found that extremely inappropriate. Saying there have been previous "interactions" with a contractor carries a negative implication when you're speaking directly to that contractor's customer. Whatever technical disagreements or complaints I've had with JC Licht employees are between JC Licht and me. They shouldn't be brought into a conversation with my customer in a way that could negatively affect my professional reputation or business.
I called Jacob specifically to clarify what he meant. He acknowledged that "interactions" was a poor choice of words. Our conversation also returned to previous disagreements about paint-application recommendations, which reinforced my concern about why my history with the store was brought up to my customer at all.
When I continued trying to understand what had been communicated, Jacob told me he didn't want to keep discussing it. Toward the end he asked, "You're not going to call me back again, are you?"
As a service-business owner, I found that incredibly dismissive. I would never say that to one of my customers when they were trying to resolve a legitimate concern.
I subsequently spoke directly with JC Licht management. I appreciate that management listened, agreed the situation needed to be addressed, and said they would speak with those involved.
I've had good experiences at other JC Licht locations, so this review is specifically about Hinsdale. After roughly 40 years as a JC Licht customer and more than three decades as a professional painting contractor, I expect disagreements to be handled professionally. Most importantly, my previous disagreements or complaints with employees should never be characterized to my customers in a way that casts me or my business in a negative light.
