{bits & pieces: outstanding customer service}

 The knowledgeable experts at Hirshfield’s are here to make sure your painting, staining or design project is a success. We are always happy to help any way we can, as demonstrated in this letter we received from a Woodbury customer praising Faye for her customer service and product knowledge!

Hello to those concerned,

I just wanted to take a moment to relay to you the outstanding service and advice I have been given from Faye at the Woodbury store.

Last spring I came in looking for stain for my deck. Faye quickly asked questions, that led to more questions than answers. I returned later and met with Faye again. With all the facts on hand, she was able to guide me through the process, the products I would need, and steer me to other vendors that had things I would need but were beyond the store’s range (i.e.; renting sanders) and gave me all the tips I needed to be aware of while trying to beat the weather this season.

The bottom line is that while it took all summer to get the job done, Faye was on hand to see to it I had all I needed to get it done to MY satisfaction. It was a big job and it took a long time, but Faye’s advice, driven by her understanding of what I wanted and her knowledge of the products she sells and the procedures required to do the job correctly led to a great finished product.

I hope you know and understand how valuable Faye and others with her skills and customer care concerns are to you, your business, and your customers.

I do. And I’ll be back with the next project.

Sincerely,

 G.

Thanks “G” for the fantastic email. I think we all agree Faye is a rock star!

 

{benjamin moore: highest in customer satisfaction with interior paint}

 

 

Congratulations, Benjamin Moore! This is the fourth year in a row that Benjamin Moore is ranked highest in customer satisfaction with their interior paint products, according to J.D. Power and Associates.

“Benjamin Moore is thrilled to once again receive this prestigious award of Highest Ranked Interior Paint by J.D. Power,” said Mike Searles, President and CEO of Benjamin Moore & Co. “Customer satisfaction, brand loyalty and delivering best in class products are the hallmark of Benjamin Moore. We’re constantly focused on meeting the needs of the most discerning customers and contractors with a suite of interior products and colors that can only be delivered through our network of independent dealers.”

J.D. Power bases satisfaction with paint brands by evaluations from customers who purchased and applied interior paint during the past year. It measures six key factors: application, product offerings, durability, price, design guides, and warranty/guarantee. In addition to paint brands, J.D. Power also ranks paint retailers across five key factors: facility, merchandise, staff, services provided, and sales/promotions.

From the J.D. Powers 2014 Paint Satisfaction Study:

• Application, specifically, adequacy of paint coverage, is the most important driver of customer satisfaction with interior and exterior paint (34% each).

• Seventy-eight percent of paint customers who purchased interior paint apply it themselves, and 74 percent of those who purchased exterior paint did the same.

• More than 90 percent of customers who purchased interior or exterior paint indicate the new color covered the previous color (94% and 93%, respectively).

• Approximately one-half of customers do not use primer or paint with primer mixed in for their interior or exterior paint jobs (52% and 50%, respectively).

• On average, customers apply two coats of paint for both interior and exterior projects. (1.67 times each)

• Customers paint the inside of their homes for a variety of reasons, including remodeling (28%), changing the color (27%), or repainting due to previous paint condition (26%). Exterior painting projects typically address existing paint in poor condition (65%).

• Less than one-fifth (15%) of customers who purchased interior paint used the Internet as an information resource to help with their project, while a higher percentage (20%) of those who purchased exterior paint used the Internet for information.

The 2014 Paint Satisfaction Study is based on responses from more than 8,690 customers who purchased and applied interior and/or exterior paint within the previous 12 months. The study was fielded in January through March 2014.

The above information is from the 2014 Paint Satisfaction Study and Benjamin Moore.

 

 

KEY FINDINGS

• Application, specifically, adequacy of paint coverage, is the most important driver of customer satisfaction with interior and exterior paint (34% each).
  • Seventy-eight percent of paint customers who purchased interior paint apply it themselves, and 74 percent of those who purchased exterior paint did the same.
  • More than 90 percent of customers who purchased interior or exterior paint indicate the new color covered the previous color (94% and 93%, respectively).
  • Approximately one-half of customers do not use primer or paint with primer mixed in for their interior or exterior paint jobs (52% and 50%, respectively).
  • On average, customers apply two coats of paint for both interior and exterior projects
    (1.67 times each).
• Customers paint the inside of their homes for a variety of reasons, including remodeling (28%), changing the color (27%), or repainting due to previous paint condition (26%). Exterior painting projects typically address existing paint in poor condition (65%).
• Less than one-fifth (15%) of customers who purchased interior paint used the Internet as an information resource to help with their project, while a higher percentage (20%) of those who purchased exterior paint used the Internet for information.

– See more at: http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/2014-paint-satisfaction-study#sthash.E8jkTpFu.dpuf

• Application, specifically, adequacy of paint coverage, is the most important driver of customer satisfaction with interior and exterior paint (34% each).
  • Seventy-eight percent of paint customers who purchased interior paint apply it themselves, and 74 percent of those who purchased exterior paint did the same.
  • More than 90 percent of customers who purchased interior or exterior paint indicate the new color covered the previous color (94% and 93%, respectively).
  • Approximately one-half of customers do not use primer or paint with primer mixed in for their interior or exterior paint jobs (52% and 50%, respectively).
  • On average, customers apply two coats of paint for both interior and exterior projects
    (1.67 times each).
• Customers paint the inside of their homes for a variety of reasons, including remodeling (28%), changing the color (27%), or repainting due to previous paint condition (26%). Exterior painting projects typically address existing paint in poor condition (65%).
• Less than one-fifth (15%) of customers who purchased interior paint used the Internet as an information resource to help with their project, while a higher percentage (20%) of those who purchased exterior paint used the Internet for information.

Interior Paint Brand Satisfaction Rankings

Benjamin Moore ranks highest in customer satisfaction with interior paint brands for a fourth consecutive year, with a score of 815, which is a 15-point increase from 2013. Benjamin Moore performs particularly well in three of the six factors: application, durability and product offerings. Following Benjamin Moore in the interior paint brand ranking is Sherwin-Williams (808) and BEHR (802). Overall customer satisfaction with interior paint brands is 795 (on a 1,000-point scale) in 2014, an increase of 16 points from 2013.

– See more at: http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/2014-paint-satisfaction-study#sthash.E8jkTpFu.dpuf

• Application, specifically, adequacy of paint coverage, is the most important driver of customer satisfaction with interior and exterior paint (34% each).
  • Seventy-eight percent of paint customers who purchased interior paint apply it themselves, and 74 percent of those who purchased exterior paint did the same.
  • More than 90 percent of customers who purchased interior or exterior paint indicate the new color covered the previous color (94% and 93%, respectively).
  • Approximately one-half of customers do not use primer or paint with primer mixed in for their interior or exterior paint jobs (52% and 50%, respectively).
  • On average, customers apply two coats of paint for both interior and exterior projects
    (1.67 times each).
• Customers paint the inside of their homes for a variety of reasons, including remodeling (28%), changing the color (27%), or repainting due to previous paint condition (26%). Exterior painting projects typically address existing paint in poor condition (65%).
• Less than one-fifth (15%) of customers who purchased interior paint used the Internet as an information resource to help with their project, while a higher percentage (20%) of those who purchased exterior paint used the Internet for information.

Interior Paint Brand Satisfaction Rankings

Benjamin Moore ranks highest in customer satisfaction with interior paint brands for a fourth consecutive year, with a score of 815, which is a 15-point increase from 2013. Benjamin Moore performs particularly well in three of the six factors: application, durability and product offerings. Following Benjamin Moore in the interior paint brand ranking is Sherwin-Williams (808) and BEHR (802). Overall customer satisfaction with interior paint brands is 795 (on a 1,000-point scale) in 2014, an increase of 16 points from 2013.

– See more at: http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/2014-paint-satisfaction-study#sthash.E8jkTpFu.dpuf

• Application, specifically, adequacy of paint coverage, is the most important driver of customer satisfaction with interior and exterior paint (34% each).
  • Seventy-eight percent of paint customers who purchased interior paint apply it themselves, and 74 percent of those who purchased exterior paint did the same.
  • More than 90 percent of customers who purchased interior or exterior paint indicate the new color covered the previous color (94% and 93%, respectively).
  • Approximately one-half of customers do not use primer or paint with primer mixed in for their interior or exterior paint jobs (52% and 50%, respectively).
  • On average, customers apply two coats of paint for both interior and exterior projects
    (1.67 times each).
• Customers paint the inside of their homes for a variety of reasons, including remodeling (28%), changing the color (27%), or repainting due to previous paint condition (26%). Exterior painting projects typically address existing paint in poor condition (65%).
• Less than one-fifth (15%) of customers who purchased interior paint used the Internet as an information resource to help with their project, while a higher percentage (20%) of those who purchased exterior paint used the Internet for information.

Interior Paint Brand Satisfaction Rankings

Benjamin Moore ranks highest in customer satisfaction with interior paint brands for a fourth consecutive year, with a score of 815, which is a 15-point increase from 2013. Benjamin Moore performs particularly well in three of the six factors: application, durability and product offerings. Following Benjamin Moore in the interior paint brand ranking is Sherwin-Williams (808) and BEHR (802). Overall customer satisfaction with interior paint brands is 795 (on a 1,000-point scale) in 2014, an increase of 16 points from 2013.

– See more at: http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/2014-paint-satisfaction-study#sthash.E8jkTpFu.dpuf

KEY FINDINGS

• Application, specifically, adequacy of paint coverage, is the most important driver of customer satisfaction with interior and exterior paint (34% each).
  • Seventy-eight percent of paint customers who purchased interior paint apply it themselves, and 74 percent of those who purchased exterior paint did the same.
  • More than 90 percent of customers who purchased interior or exterior paint indicate the new color covered the previous color (94% and 93%, respectively).
  • Approximately one-half of customers do not use primer or paint with primer mixed in for their interior or exterior paint jobs (52% and 50%, respectively).
  • On average, customers apply two coats of paint for both interior and exterior projects
    (1.67 times each).
• Customers paint the inside of their homes for a variety of reasons, including remodeling (28%), changing the color (27%), or repainting due to previous paint condition (26%). Exterior painting projects typically address existing paint in poor condition (65%).
• Less than one-fifth (15%) of customers who purchased interior paint used the Internet as an information resource to help with their project, while a higher percentage (20%) of those who purchased exterior paint used the Internet for information.

Interior Paint Brand Satisfaction Rankings

Benjamin Moore ranks highest in customer satisfaction with interior paint brands for a fourth consecutive year, with a score of 815, which is a 15-point increase from 2013. Benjamin Moore performs particularly well in three of the six factors: application, durability and product offerings. Following Benjamin Moore in the interior paint brand ranking is Sherwin-Williams (808) and BEHR (802). Overall customer satisfaction with interior paint brands is 795 (on a 1,000-point scale) in 2014, an increase of 16 points from 2013.

– See more at: http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/2014-paint-satisfaction-study#sthash.E8jkTpFu.dpuf

KEY FINDINGS

• Application, specifically, adequacy of paint coverage, is the most important driver of customer satisfaction with interior and exterior paint (34% each).
  • Seventy-eight percent of paint customers who purchased interior paint apply it themselves, and 74 percent of those who purchased exterior paint did the same.
  • More than 90 percent of customers who purchased interior or exterior paint indicate the new color covered the previous color (94% and 93%, respectively).
  • Approximately one-half of customers do not use primer or paint with primer mixed in for their interior or exterior paint jobs (52% and 50%, respectively).
  • On average, customers apply two coats of paint for both interior and exterior projects
    (1.67 times each).
• Customers paint the inside of their homes for a variety of reasons, including remodeling (28%), changing the color (27%), or repainting due to previous paint condition (26%). Exterior painting projects typically address existing paint in poor condition (65%).
• Less than one-fifth (15%) of customers who purchased interior paint used the Internet as an information resource to help with their project, while a higher percentage (20%) of those who purchased exterior paint used the Internet for information.

Interior Paint Brand Satisfaction Rankings

Benjamin Moore ranks highest in customer satisfaction with interior paint brands for a fourth consecutive year, with a score of 815, which is a 15-point increase from 2013. Benjamin Moore performs particularly well in three of the six factors: application, durability and product offerings. Following Benjamin Moore in the interior paint brand ranking is Sherwin-Williams (808) and BEHR (802). Overall customer satisfaction with interior paint brands is 795 (on a 1,000-point scale) in 2014, an increase of 16 points from 2013.

– See more at: http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/2014-paint-satisfaction-study#sthash.E8jkTpFu.dpuf

{letter of appreciation}

We love hearing from customers who are thrilled with the service they’ve received from our talented sales people. Kudos, Belinda (Hirshfield’s Lakeville) on a job well done!

Belinda,

I have been meaning to send you a card for a while now, to thank you personally for all the work you put into picking out the paint, wallpaper, and window treatments for my home. The colors are perfect, the wallpaper awesome, and the window treatments are absolutely beautiful. I continue to get compliments on how great my house looks, thanks to you!

I’ll be in soon to pick a paint color for the office.

Thanks again,

C.

Thank you C for taking the time to send us a note.

{kudos to kathy}

Kathy helped J & L select paint for their home and in their words, “Every color is absolutely perfect!”  Kudos to Kathy on exceptional customer service, and thanks to J & L for sending such a nice note.

Dear Mr. Hirshfield,
We’re sure you’re already aware of what a treasure you have in Kathy Basil but we just wanted to let you know how happy we were with her work and what a great representative of your company she is!  While we’ve remodeled a lot of homes and bought a lot of paint, this is the first time we had a “color consultant” come with our painter (Edgar Gomez–New Century Construction–aside—a superior painter with an amazing crew).  We are used to buying about 50 versions of the same color to finally arrive at just the right hue.  Kathy is able to quickly narrow down the choices and make the whole process a lot more agreeable!  On top of that, she presents colors that one would never have thought of …and they turn out to be absolutely amazing!
I could go on and on about each of our color choices but in the end, she helped us with paint for at least thirteen different rooms + hallways, trims, stairways, etc….The idea of repainting this whole house (that had previously been filled with wallpaper from the ’80’s) was daunting but Kathy skillfully, creatively, patiently, and cheerfully steered us to just the right colors.  With her expertise and intrinsic sense of color, she facilitated this process to the ultimate degree.
Suffice it to say:   Every color is absolutely perfect!  Whether it’s the kitchen, the work-out room, the bathroom, our bedroom, my office, the living room, etc, etc….
On top of all this, we weren’t the type of clients who just threw ourselves into Kathy’s hands.  We had our own ideas, we had “experience,” and we were a little skeptical, knowing how hard it is to choose just the right color.  Kathy was wonderfully patient with us.  She expressed her ideas, respected our ideas, and explained what was good and bad of the two…
So this summer, we will be painting the exterior of our “new” house and you can be sure, we will be asking that Kathy come back and find us just the right shade of “beige” or…what ever color she recommends.
So many thanks for the professional guidance you provided us through Kathy.
J &L Hovland

{a shout out to the mpls contractor service center}

 

We think we have some great people working at Hirshfield’s and it’s always nice when our customers agree with us. Thanks, Elliot for exceeding this customer’s expectations.

Hi Steve,
I wanted to take a moment and let you know you have a great team.  Your staff is always extremely helpful and pleasant while doing so.  I would also like to make specific mention about Elliot.  At approximately 4:30pm on Friday 11th, I called regarding a gallon of paint that was requested.  The paint was prepared and waiting but I would not be able to get there before closing at 5:00pm.  Elliot went out of his way to deliver the paint to the hotel.  This action was above and beyond what you might expect.  It also saved me a trip and allowed us to execute a project that was planned for the weekend.

Thank you
A. V.
Maintenance Manager
Marquette Hotel

{i will definitely use this paint again!}

My husband and I just finished painting our entryway with your Premium Ceramic Eggshell paint. I wasn’t sure at first because I’d used something “advanced” and “new” from a different paint store and it was very unforgiving. However, I couldn’t be happier with the paint we just used. Yes, it was roughly the consistency of cake batter which was somewhat disconcerting at first but the coverage was amazing and the roller splatter was much less than the average paint. Plus, clean-up was much faster than usual – there was almost no bleeding under the tape. I will definitely use this paint again!

Posted on Hirshfield’s Facebook from satisfied customer R.C.W.

{i have never used such a great paint}

Hello – I want to commend you on your Platinum Ceramic paint.  I am the worst painter in the world and it’s something I dread doing.  However, I recently decided to repaint a bedroom in my home and I used Hirshfield’s Platinum Ceramic paint. I was amazed at how great it was to work with.  No spatter, dried evenly, easy to cut in with, and on and on.  I have never used such a great paint. I may even live to paint another room or two!  Thanks very much for the great product.

Nancy from St. Paul

Thanks Nancy, for taking time to share your opinion on one of our products; we are happy to hear we exceeded your expectations. And we appreciate your support of a locally owned company, who manufactures their paint in Minnesota! (shameless plug)

{great service experience}

To: Hirshfield’s Management

I recently had a delightful experience working with Tom Schoening at your Edina Store. He handled all my questions professionally and did a wonderful job in assisting me with color selections & preparation of paint samples for my client. His work facilitated the decision process and expedited the order…an all around great service experience…and a pleasure to work with your team – especially Tom.

Cordially,

R.H. (designer)

Thank you R.H. for taking time to let us know about your shopping experience at Hirshfield’s Edina. Retail is often a thankless job and it means a lot to our employees when customers go the extra step to say, ” Thanks, I appreciate your expertise.”

Great job, Tom!

{friday finds: letters of appreciation}

It’s always a special treat when our customers take time to send a letter or e-mail of appreciation about one of Hirshfield’s hard-working staff. It makes everyone’s day.

Here are letters of appreciation for the exceptional customer service given by Hirshfield’s employees Beth, Charene, and Mike.

Dear Beth:

I just wanted to drop you a note to thank you for your great service!

I know I was frazzled when I walked into the store, after spending the morning with various building suppliers, I was anticipating more obstacles! How nice to experience the ‘Hirshfield’s difference’ – I appreciated your professionalism in helping with the selection of the exterior colors for my home – thanks for making the process fun and with great results!

I will look forward to the next meeting with the builder, colors in arm, and placing my order!

Thanks so much!

D.B.

Mr. H.,

My mother-in-law and I walked into the Coon Rapids store last Sunday, 4/22 at 4:25 p.m.

We looked at paint chips, then started asking questions at 4:45.

Charene answered them patiently, completely, and professionally.

She brought Mike into the conversation when I asked about full spectrum paints.

Mike looked up information, gave us technical specs, and made recommendations, including discussing the painter that my mother-in-law is working with.

We shut down the store. Mike cheerfully stayed at least 20 minutes after closing, making himself available until he answered all of our questions.

We appreciate Charene’s and Mike’s passion, knowledge, and fine customer service – going the extra mile.

Thank you.

We’ll be back.

J.M.
Coon Rapids

Dear Mr. Hirshfield,

This letter is to commend Beth Zentis, your Hirshfield employee at the Woodbury store in City Center West.

On April 4 we went to the store with two of our large living room pictures in hopes of getting paint to darken the wooden frames. Beth was most helpful in trying to find the shade of dark brown that would work to compliment each picture. We tried a couple different colors and then Beth suggested the perfect solution.  Beth took a paint chip and topped it with some semi-opaque metallic paint. Wow-that was exactly what we needed on those frames, which are now hanging in our living room!

Beth was most helpful, knowledgeable and eager to assist us in solving our problem. Our Hirshfield’s store is most fortunate to have Beth as an employee!

Sincerely,

W & M

 If  you see something in our stores that can be improved upon, please let us know. We want all our customers to have a good experience at Hirshfield’s. Thanks for supporting a locally owned company, we truly appreciate your business.

{happy customer}

A note of appreciation to Dawn Feda, Hirshfield’s Shop At Home, for a job well done.

Good Morning Dawn,

I’ve been meaning to email you since my window treatments were installed–  I love them—you are amazing at walking in and determining just what my tastes are and then finding the materials and designs to compliment

Please pass my email on to your superiors or whoever—you are a real talent

And also—please note that your installer was careful and pleasant to have in my home as well

Thanks again and I will definitely recommend you and contact you on my next project

Regards!

Kathy

Thank you, Kathy, we appreciate your kind words and we appreciate your business.