[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Hey All,
We just had our house in BLR repainted, and I thought I'd leave a small review of our experience for anyone else considering using these services. I'll keep the review crisp and to the point XD

A. Choosing the Vendor

The house is just over 17 years old and has been painted twice in that period, both times being done by the regular contractor+labourers and not via a "professional" painting service by these paint companies. Hence, this time, we decided to try out the same, and our options were:

- Asian Paints
- Berger Express Painting
- Nerolac Painting
- NoBroker

We submitted the inspection request on all of the above portals on the same day, and we received a prompt response only from Berger and NoBroker. Nerolac didn't bother to respond (apart from the automated message), and Asian Paints was pretty much the same until we called up the customer care, and they allocated an agent. However, the agent called up and stated that he could come only the week after for the site inspection, so we decided to scrap the idea of going with them. I would expect that AP and Nerolac be more proficient with their service because this honestly is just ridiculous.

Anyway, we took quotations from both Berger and Nobroker, both of which sent representatives to the house to measure the premises. Our plot is 1200 Sq Ft comprising of Ground+First Floor+Terrace With Space for a Car Park and One Balcony. Both representatives took measurements with a handheld laser-based measurement machine. We wanted the following services:

1. Waterproofing for the Terrace (3 Coats)
2. Exterior Crack Filling
3. Exterior Painting (2 Coats)
4. Interior Wall and Ceiling Painting (Sanding, 2 Coats of Primer, 2 Coats of Putty and 2 Coats of Paint)
5. Interior Enamel Painting (For the Insides of Integrated Cupboards)
6. Interior Wood Polishing
7. Exterior Tile Cladding Painting
8. Exterior Enamel Painting (Outsides of Windows, Metal Railings)

B. Pre-Painting Experience

We decided to go with Berger, who then gave us the following catalogues.


Due to the large amount of Dust that the area had, due to constant construction and whatnot, the SA Advised us to go with Weathercoat Anti Dust. The paint is supposed to have a 5-year Warranty period.


While we initially planned on taking the "Silk Glamour" Paint, the SA advised us that since we are going with White as a base colour for most walls, its better to take the "Easy Clean Fresh" due to its stain resistance and washability. The Ceilings were painted with Bison XP.


Combinations of Enamels were used for various surfaces, such as wood (Exterior), Metal Gates, Grills etc.


Berger didn't have their own product for this, so the SA recommended the Asianpaints Apex Tile Guard. It comes in both a transparent form as well as in various shades.

The Total Cost for all these services (Paintable Area of 13599 Sq Ft, Interior and Exterior) came up to 2.6 Lakhs, with an estimated completion time of 1 month and 10 days.


C. Painting

Unfortunately, the time estimate was way off. They took just short of 2 months to complete the painting. Most of it was attributed to the improper allocation of people as well as the weather (A lot of rain, so it was difficult to get exterior work done).

Positives
1. Quality of Products is pretty good for the most part
2. Fairly Experienced Workers
3. Fairly Helpful Supervisor

Negatives
1. Wood Polish doesn't work well on furniture; it remains sticky for quite a few days after polishing. It works well for the doors and windows
2. Very few people sent on a day-to-day basis. It started with 4 people per day, went down to 3 and finally became 2.
3. Some workers who came in were extremely lacklustre and lazy
4. Lack of Attention to detail. I had to remind them to do things multiple times, despite which they missed out on spots.
5. Improper Masking. Despite their masking, the furniture under used to get dusty.
6. Inefficient Cleaning post painting, the Exterior Tiles and the interior granite flooring were both dirty after painting, and despite them scraping it post painting, it just isn't as clean as before. The Exterior Tiles were freshly laid, that too, seems to have lost some of its sheen.

They still have stained some spots on the wall due to the wood polishing, which they are to come rectify today. Overall, very average in terms of service. Below are some pictures of the walls and whatnot.


Tile Guard was applied onto the Tiles which were originally orange


Exterior Window Enamel


Waterproofing is available in either white or Grey. We chose the former because it should reflect more light off, thereby keeping the house slightly cooler.


Exterior Wall Paint


Exterior Railing


Interior Paint


Wood Polish (Was Good on this Cabinet)

Overall Score - 6/10. I probably would look elsewhere, next time we paint the house.

[udzgodfather]

I think your experience with Asian Paints is less to do with the company and more with the associate/technician allotted to you, I had requested Asian Paints recently for painting services, received a prompt response, the supervisor/agent came the very next day for inspection, provided me with a quotation by EOD, and he also gave me a quotation on the basis of each colour category selected from Basic to premium.

[aargee]

We've had experience of painting house through company & independent vendors since 2004. From that experience, here're some points that MAY help some of our friends here in taking a decision

• If you're looking for a quality outcome, then simply stick with company such as Berger or Asian Paints or Nerolac whoever woes you with flirting quotes as they have ACCOUNTABILITY despite the fact company sub-contracts the work to locally available painters
• Branded or company supervised painters are headache free {with 10-20% exception}, treat you well, will manage anything & everything on their own; basically well suited if you don't have time to manage/supervise or if you prefer having less tension
• If you're looking for an economic option, simply STAY OFF from the branded painters & hire someone locally to get the job done which will save atleast 30% of your cost without negotiating
• Independent painters needs supervision, a lot of supervision, have to handle them smoothly, no hard talks, not too soft, its an art {atleast for me}, people who're more of emotion than rational & be prepared for surprises
• The other semi-independent people such as nobroker or urban company falls somewhere in between the company owned & independent painters compromising a bit here & there; a notch less than company owned a notch above independent painters
• Ofcourse not all independent painters are wicked nor every company owner painters are honest, but the accountability matters a lot for end Customers

[raj4466]

I would not recommend any of these painting service brands anymore after my bad experience with Berger.
After all, none of these brands have their own painting staffs, they just gives it to a sub contractor. Only thing these brands guarantee is that the painter will use genuine products of the respective brand and the product warrantee applies. Please read the terms and conditions mentioned in the quote.

I contacted Berger, Asian and Nerolac through their online portals.
As mentioned Berger was prompt in responding and arranging site visit, followed by Asian who also did the visit. And about Nerolac, the less I say the better.

I got quotes from Berger and Asian. Even though both were higher than my local painter, I decided to go with them for the 'Professional Approach' they advertise in their ads.

On recommendation of my contractor in charge of some renovation works that was being done at my apartment, went ahead and agreed to the quote submitted by Berger (The quote was addressed in my name). And when the work begins, they are no different from the local painters. The same attitude, no professionalism, no equipment or tools. They even had the audacity to use my DIY tools and bathroom buckets/mugs to mix paint.

I call the Berger executive in-charge and asks for a site visit, he promises to come on the following day. Then he starts to ignore my calls. Work getting delayed and I get no response from the brand executive.

This is where the funny thing starts, there is no option to reach out to the brand for a complaint. The email id for feedback gave no response, I punch in my details for a new enquiry, voila there comes the call. I tell them the issue and they promised someone would reach out to me.
The area manager calls me and asks my concern, I explain everything in detail. He promises to come to the site with the Berger executive who was not picking the call. I wait and nothing happens. He also informed me that as per the system records, the quote was rejected from my end.

The promised date was a no show, I didn't have the time to follow up again as I was already behind my contractor on the total work being delayed. Finally I found out that these guys where working hand in hand; the contactor will give the lead to Berger Executive, they give the inflated quote which the customer approves expecting professional service, they report the customer rejected the quote, and a local contactor will do the work.

I was so annoyed and I emailed the entire details with photos to all the senior officials of Berger through LinkedIn contacts and then things started to move. The area manager comes with the contactor and executive. I explain everything, to which the area manager has nothing to speak about. Nothing happened to the executive or the painting contractor(He works for both the brand and does outside work too).

So I painted my apartment by a contractor disguised as a Berger Approved Person, at an inflated quote provided by Berger and waited 2 months to finish painting the interiors of a 3 BHK 1300 sqft apartment. That was a lesson learned, I started reading terms and conditions of every quote I receive.

*Sorry for the long post.

[eyedocgb]

I too had contacted Berger and Asian paints for my 3bhk flat painting -walls, ceiling,grills,doors.My first red flag was even with their inflated costs,almost 1.6 lakhs,
They gave the details of local contractors -one of whom I knew earlier.
I finally got it done with a local painter with branded paints at a very reasonable cost with accountability (painter stays nearby).

[finneyp]

Originally Posted by raj4466

Finally I found out that these guys where working hand in hand; the contactor will give the lead to Berger Executive, they give the inflated quote which the customer approves expecting professional service, they report the customer rejected the quote, and a local contactor will do the work.

This is a SCAM! Thanks for sharing.
I had once used the services of Berger Express Painting & they did an overall good job except stretched timelines.
But, in view of the above incident, I will be careful.

[raj4466]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

Berger didn't have their own product for this, so the SA recommended the Asianpaints Apex Tile Guard. It comes in both a transparent form as well as in various shades.

From my experience, this is definitely a red flag.
Berger service suggesting a competitor product.
And btw Berger has PU Tile Coat for clay tiles.

[jinojohnt]

The Berger Express painting claims to use machines to the max, to complete the painting in a fraction of the time and also in mess-free mode. They claim to use sanding machine with dust suction, electric putty machine and also electric paint roller. That is what they charge the premium for. Was this followed in your case? I don't see this followed in my town.

[raj4466]

Originally Posted by finneyp

This is a SCAM!

Yes it is.
The difference between Asian & Berger is, for Asian Paints accepting or rejecting the quote is also online and is done by the customer. Whereas for Berger the quote is just a pdf document, and we inform the executive our response. What he punches in in the system remains unknown to customer.

I had asked the area manager to fix this issue in the system they use. God knows if that will be done or not.

Originally Posted by jinojohnt

The Berger Express painting claims to use machines to the max, to complete the painting in a fraction of the time and also in mess-free mode. They claim to use sanding machine with dust suction, electric putty machine and also electric paint roller. That is what they charge the premium for. Was this followed in your case? I don't see this followed in my town.

TBH this was the main reason I gave the work to these professional service.
I was curious to see this machine

I had asked for the machine when work started, the response was "Sir, Bag complaint, will make a mess".

[ADM]

I have done painting of my house now 3 times. Once with Berger & for remaining 2 times with local painter. Following are my observations:
Cost: Local painters are anytime cheaper by 30% as compared to professional service providers
Time Estimates: Local painters tend to complete the job within the estimates provided, since they have limited jobs in hand & it does not make sense for them to keep lingering on one site for long. As against professional service providers, who are mainly interested in getting more and more customers onboard, & not much interested in completing the assignments on time
Quality: Very subjective. If you get well trained or well experienced painter then local guys can deliver the same quality. Just that professional service providers tend to follow more uniform processes which leaves little room for variation in quality
Cleaning: Professional service providers have more focus on cleaning the premises. This can be deciding factor if you are going to stay while paint job is in action
Combining painting work with other civil work: Professional service providers offer little room for other civil work. They will insist that you get every other work done thru some other vendor and then only they will start their work. Whereas local painters offer other guys from their contact who can help in finishing some civil / grill work while paint job is in action.

Net, I feel if you know a local painter with good background check then go for that, else PSPs are more trusted option.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by udzgodfather

I think your experience with Asian Paints is less to do with the company and more with the associate/technician allotted to you

Agreed, however, as an end user, that's not really my problem. The least the supervisor could have done if he genuinely had a personal emergency is to allot the work to someone else or figure it out internally. Asking a customer to wait for 1week+ just for an inspection which takes an hour or so especially when you are shelling out a fairly substantial amount of cash is absolutely ridiculous.

Originally Posted by raj4466

I would not recommend any of these painting service brands anymore after my bad experience with Berger.
After all, none of these brands have their own painting staffs, they just gives it to a subcontractor.

I genuinely feel bad for you sir, I think that this experience can vary wildly with different cities or sub contractors but yes, these guys don't have their own painting staff. The Sub Contractors in my case as well employed local painters.

Originally Posted by raj4466

From my experience, this is definitely a red flag.
Berger service suggesting a competitor product.
And btw Berger has PU Tile Coat for clay tiles.

Oh no this was the case because the colour shade we wanted was not available with Berger so he personally recommended the same. Apologies for missing this out in the post.

Originally Posted by jinojohnt

The Berger Express painting claims to use machines to the max, to complete the painting in a fraction of the time and also in mess-free mode. They claim to use sanding machine with dust suction, electric putty machine and also electric paint roller. That is what they charge the premium for. Was this followed in your case? I don't see this followed in my town.

Nothing mechanised was used in my case with the exception of the pressure washer they used to wash the exterior walls once before painting, and the mechanised sander which I believe I saw only once during the entire painting process, after which it disappeared.

Originally Posted by ADM

Net, I feel if you know a local painter with good background check then go for that, else PSPs are more trusted option.

100% Agree. Unfortunately to find good local painters is easier said than done for most

[thanixravindran]

These so called professional services from painting companies are all just fancy names and targetted the 'do everything' online and NRI crowd because underlying supervising and labour force is the same.

My NRI sister expected 5 star service from Asian paints and burnt her fingers. We have no issues with high cost but too much delay, poor quality of workmanship and most importantly no accountability from Asian paints has left us fuming and fighting.

Just use them to get quote and understand the methodology/rates. If you just want to paint a rental home for tenant and don't care much, engage them.

If you are finicky about quality of work in your own home, get the materials by yourself and engage a local painter with whom you can converse fluently. Don't fall for their upsell or shop recommendation and just ask them to follow your instructions.

The asking rate for painter is 900/day in sub urban Chennai last year. I told him upfront that I will pay 100/day more if he can complete all the painting in committed days without delay tactics apart from tea/snacks and a ride in my Kushaq to and from bus stop .

I was friendly with him and was toiling in the sun inspecting each bit of surface and correcting it. But he finished the work as I expected before time and without wasting the paint.

[aashishnb]

Here is my two bits, the end outcome in these labour intensive / labour skill works is largely dependent on the last man in line i.e. the labour and their skills.

For large companies, the advantage is more professional communication & follow up. For them, this gives them deeper penetration/distribution for their entire product lineup, especially items where they are not market leaders, and do not have to rely on the contractor's recommendations. Apart from that, all of them probably work with the same sub-contractors.

Given the time constraint most of us have, going to them is helpful.

[Sebring]

I was the first customer for Paint My Walls (After getting a high quote from BERGER) in Bangalore and they did a nice job. I gave them good review. They stuck to the quote, and even did few extra meters as complimentary. But that machine that 'sucks debris as it scrapes the wall' is a hack job (Has flickering blue/white LED, to boot) and they just demonstrated it for few minutes upon my insistence. later it was done by hand, messy and just the usual. All my appliances were covered in dust. I was upset about this aspect/letdown, I must say

[Clown Prince]

Originally Posted by jinojohnt

The Berger Express painting claims to use machines to the max, to complete the painting in a fraction of the time and also in mess-free mode. They claim to use sanding machine with dust suction, electric putty machine and also electric paint roller. That is what they charge the premium for. Was this followed in your case? I don't see this followed in my town.

Sadly these claims are just for show. These companies just put these claims in name to attract customers and don’t follow up. Worst part is we can’t report these scams anywhere. Even if we report nothing happens.

I took services of Asian Paints. Miraculously their quote was lower than Berger’s. Work started with 4 painters on day one. No machines and I had to provide all the tools including painting brushes. They completed one room on day one itself. Final coat was done by late night around 9. Next day number reduced to just 2. Started the next room, same size. Cleanliness from day 1 start getting worse and speed slowed down, expected for 2 workers but it took them almost near a month to complete a similar sized room and I was holding straws to keep myself calm. All the dust and other garbage was hidden under the slab in temple room, it’s very low and hard to check. I discovered it later on and was furious. I talked to supervisor what he was doing and got a blank response. Complained to all I could and got work done in a little over 4 months.
The claims of professionalism by these companies is farce to me. I will get the same work done by a local contractor within half the time and cheaper with same product mix.