True Story: I called 3 local businesses this week, and you won't believe what happened...

May 19, 2023

by a lender from Baylor University - Hankamer School of Business in Houston, TX, USA

I need the mud room painted in my house.

So I called 3 local painting companies to get a quote.

Here is what I got...for the EXACT same painting job.

- Quote #1: $1,300 all in (Sidenote: I almost fainted)

- Quote #2: $675 for labor, but I need to provide the paint and supplies

- Quote #3: $950 all in but no idea when they can even get to it

Is this some kinda joke? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!

So, after picking my jaw up off the floor, I settled on Quote #2.

> I called the company back. No answer.

>> Another phone call. Crickets.

>>> A third phone call, text message and voice mail.

STILL no answer.

I haven't heard from this guy in 5 days.

Tired of waiting, sooooo....I tried calling one of the other two painting companies.

SAME THING HAPPENED!!!

Will someone reading this -- literally anyone -- please buy a dad-gum painting company in Houston???

I'll even bring the paint!

This is your friendly reminder that the world needs more Searchers.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

- Grant

Reply by a searcher
from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in South Orange, NJ 07079, USA

My preference would be to raise prices on the customer vs going the incompetent route. Make the pain worth it and raise prices every 6 months. They’ll either price themselves out and go away or you’ll make some extra money off the PITA tax. But I’d maintain exceptional service/quality.

Reply by a searcher
from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Is this a management problem or a labor problem. I'm generally concerned with a labor driven acquisition target as in the service industry. How do you do better? Worker incentives? Productivity? Capital investments? I haven't figured out the answer.

+3 more replies.

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