Dulux Accredited & Taubmans Certified Programs Independent Painters

Independent Painters Vs Dulux Accredited/Taubmans Certified programs

In the following article we will look at Accredited and Certified programs run by paint companies and an independent painter or painting company to see what all the fuss is about and if you should be using a painter that is in this Accredited or Certified systems, Please note there are many paint and decorative finish companies that run accreditation programs .  Some of the biggest painting contractors in Australia are independent and do not belong to loyalty based programs , keep that in mind as we go through.  Please understand right from the start of this, I use, recommend and buy Taubman, Dulux and Resene paints.  They provide great products and i am happy to stand behind their paint products!

Am I just an angry and upset painter that’s not part of a club or elitists system?

To start, am I just an upset painter, not been part of Accredited of Certified style of system. Well I have been asked multiple times by various paint companies to join their systems. Is that because I am better than anyone else at painting (probably yes) but no, it’s because they want to tie up my paint purchasing account with them and not let me spend elsewhere! So, are these style of systems creating a loyalty programme, based on the paint company giving the painter assistance with marketing in return for loyal buying habits? Do you have to be a superior painter, or be at the top of your game to belong?

Why would a painter bother to write this inside info?

So, why write this …….well….I want to keep my customers informed about all sorts of products in the market place. Also I am not comfortable with people maybe thinking that are getting superior painters or higher quality workmanship or better pricing because I am a member of a paint company loyalty programme. This is just plain false and they are almost lying to you by stating it to be the case! Accredited or Certified or member of a painters network, it makes no difference to the painter you will see at your front door!

Does using a certified painter or Accredited Painter extend or affect my warranty in any way?

The warranty on the tin applies to everyone who puts the paint on properly.  Your warranty is identical no matter if your are “Accredited” or “Certified”, how could it be any different. The ads on TV tell you the paint warranties and how long they go for, even for you, the home handyman, that warranty applies to you too! You don’t have to be anything to receive their product warranty! So no issues there……..You do get a peice of mind application Warrenty with some of these programs, however all painters are required to put the paint on in accordance with manufacturer’s specifications.  An independant painter will usually provide any customers with the same warranty and workmanship.

Dulux and Taubmans provide a mediation service if something goes wrong……

In the main,  major paint companies are pushing the fact that if you choose their cleverly named loyalty based buying program painters, somehow, miraculously you will end up with a superior painter! Right about now you would be thinking, hang on one moment, these are huge multinational corporations with bag loads of money, Surely they can find the best painters Australia has ever known, so if something goes wrong with my paint job using a painter who is part of a loyalty club/certified/accredited it will be no problem for them to come along and fix or rectify!

This is sounding almost as good as insurance, or an iron clad guarantee that my job will be better than using a mere mortal independant painter. When it comes to the crunch some paint companies are providing themselves with loyalty based volume selling. That’s right, their painters are locked into guaranteeing they will not purchase more than a certain % of turnover from any other company!

So even if your professional painter thinks there might be a better product out on the market to use on your house or commercial development, chances are they can’t tell you about it or purchase it to use! Independent painters can choose between whatever supplier of paint they see fit and apply the best product for the application, no matter where the paint comes from.

When you pick your painter…….

So really when you choose a painter you can have three basic choices.

•  Unlicensed (just your average gumtree style labour hire with no real guarantee)
• Licensed independent painter (Completed exhaustive amounts of training dependant on the state you live in) Looking after their own professional painting business like any other painter and providing you with the best quality and service they can, able to use whatever products they see fit to best suit the application.
• Accredited/Certified/, licensed where required (sign a piece of paper with their paint rep saying they will purchase a min % of paint from paint company rumors around 70-80% or more paint must be bought from that supplier, maybe something about turning up for quotes and acting professional). They are not allowed to mention or promote in any way any other paint manufacturer. Taubmans Certified painters must purchase 70% of all there products from Taubmans and 70% of that must be from there ultra premium range.  Membership is free for Taubmans program and at time of print Dulux is around $1000 to join.

Unlicensed painter…….well, maybe they can paint, you just don’t have a lot of comeback if something goes wrong. No form of mediation if dispute arises.
Licenced Independent Painter, depending on the sate you get the knowledge that they have had proper and full training, management training and hold enough financial equity to run their business. They are able to supply paint from any manufacture they choose. As the tradesperson on the front line, putting paint on walls you can trust them about their paint choices!

So right from the outset, Accredited or Certified painters are told by paint companies that for their protective and promotional wing to be over them they have to purchase your paint  from the one manufacturer, even if a better product exists, chances are you won’t get it!  I am not knocking their business decision to make such a program, all businesses are around to make money.  To profess the painters customer is getting a “better painter” is where my problem starts.

These extracts are virtually word for word the same thing no matter what paint company, Dulux or Taubmans.

Extract from Taubmans web site
Premium and reliable workmanship
Taubmans Certified painters have been selected for their reputation.
For a customer, it’s about working with a professional they can trust to return their calls, communicate effectively and produce high-quality work. What’s more, a Taubmans Certified painter is courteous and respectful of time, and aims to complete projects within the agreed project period

So let’s look at this statement……………..It says Taubmans Certified painters are selected on reputation……….really!, if I purchase say 50% of my paint through Solver or Resene I can’t be certified…….so where does reputation come into it. This is built on purchasing the Taubmans product and very little else. If they tie you up into a contract to purchase their products only it can only be very, very good for their business.

An extract couresy of Dulux
Skilled Painters:
Dulux Accredited Painters are specially selected by Dulux for their superior skills and their commitment to the painting industry. This commitment ensures that they engage in proper quality assurance practices.

How is an Accredited painter especially selected for their superior skill? As far as I know the state recognised training to obtain a QBCC licence (in QLD) is the only superior skill required, anything else would just be a printed off certificate of appreciation for buying a suppliers product…….
This is a loyalty based volume selling program.  You can have a great, informed and highly skilled painter that is not aligned with a single paint company!

So what do Dulux and Taubmans give you that you don’t get with any licensed painter……..

They do give you a painter that is void of paint choice, one that is locked into purchasing from a single company or telling you about other paint companies products on the market.
So, if you have come to the end of this and are still left thinking maybe I should get Accredited or Certified painters…………………

Your independent painter is a painter or painting company that just want to do the best quality job for their customers and love to purchase the paint of their own choosing is still able to supply all premium lines of paint, they are still able to provide quality workmanship, with or without the paint companies controlling their purchases!

You don’t have to be swayed by some marketing hype. Choose a painter based on your own gut feeling……….choose the painter that you connected with and trust, not someone with an accreditation worth nothing but the joining fee the paint company has charged! Choose an independent painter, one who has the freedom to choose the paint manufacturer he or she works with.

Steve Lockyer

040 33 111 25