Broad-Brush View: Customer Satisfaction Driven by Paint Variety, Stain Durability

"Colors, colors and more colors are what consumers want when it comes to interior and exterior paints," said Greg Truex, senior director of the at-home practice at J.D. Power. "The myriad choices doesn't confuse paint shoppers; rather, it helps them zero in on the color they think is best. Satisfaction among exterior stain customers comes after the purchase when they judge the product's durability, which mostly encompasses longevity of finish and weather resistance."

The study measures customer satisfaction in the $12 billion[1] interior and exterior paint and stain consumer market. In the interior paint, exterior paint and exterior stain segments, satisfaction is measured across six factors (in alphabetical order): application; design guides; durability; price; product offerings; and warranty/guarantee. In the paint retailer segment, satisfaction is measured across five factors (in alphabetical order): merchandise; price; sales and promotions; staff and service; and store facility. Satisfaction is measured on a 1,000-point scale.

Following are some of the key findings of the 2017 study:

• Retail and sales associate engagement: More than four-fifths (84%) of purchasers visited a retail store after deciding to purchase paint/stain. Of those purchasers, only 35% spoke with a sales associate at length about the products. Satisfaction is significantly higher among purchasers who spoke with a sales associate at length rather than briefly or not at all (849 vs. 817, respectively).
• Salespeople make a difference: According to the study, the three key performance indicators (KPIs) that have the highest effect on satisfaction are (in order of importance) sales staff greets customer promptly; sales staff listens carefully to questions; and sales staff is professionally dressed. There is a significant association with likelihood to repurchase and recommend and the number of top KPIs met. When each of the top three KPIs are met, 59% of customers say they "definitely will" repurchase the brand vs. 27% when two KPIs are met and 18% when only one KPI is met.
• Satisfaction drives loyalty: Among delighted customers (overall satisfaction scores of 901 and above), 78% say they "definitely will" repurchase the brand, compared with the study average of 44%. Additionally, 80% of delighted customers say they "definitely will" recommend the brand to others, compared with the study average of 46%.
• Delightful experience influences recommendations: Among delighted customers, the average number of positive recommendations is 3.8, compared with the study average of 2.3.

Interior Paint Rankings

• Sherwin-Williams (846) ranks highest in customer satisfaction among interior paint brands and performs particularly well in the application; design guides; and product offerings factors.
• BEHR (843) ranks second, performing highest in application and durability. Benjamin Moore and Dutch Boy (840 each) rank third in a tie.

Exterior Paint Rankings

• Valspar (848) ranks highest in customer satisfaction among exterior paint brands, performing particularly well in the design guides and product offerings factors.
• Sherwin-Williams (846) ranks second, performing highest in application and durability. Benjamin Moore and Dutch Boy (845 each) rank third in a tie.

Exterior Stain Rankings

• Benjamin Moore (820) ranks highest in customer satisfaction among exterior stain brands, performing particularly well in the durability and warranty/guarantee factors.
• Sherwin-Williams (817) ranks second, performing highest in application; design guides; and product offerings. Royal (Ace) (815) ranks third, performing highest in price.

Paint Retailer Rankings

• Ace Hardware (864) ranks highest in customer satisfaction among paint retailers and performs particularly well in the staff and service and price factors.
• Sherwin-Williams (857) ranks second, performing highest in merchandise and store facility. Menards (846) ranks third, performing highest in price and sales and promotions.

The 2017 Paint Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 8,758 customers who purchased and applied interior paint, exterior paint and/or exterior stain in the previous 12 months. The study was fielded in February-March 2017.

For more information about the J.D. Power Paint Satisfaction Study, visit
http://www.jdpower.com/resource/us-paint-satisfaction-study.

See the online press release at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2017046.

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. These capabilities enable J.D. Power to help its clients drive customer satisfaction, growth and profitability. Established in 1968, J.D. Power is headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., and has offices serving North/South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. 

Media Relations Contacts
Geno Effler; Costa Mesa, Calif.; 714-621-6224; [email protected]
John Roderick; St. James, N.Y.; 631-584-2200; [email protected]

About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules www.jdpower.com/about-us/press-release-info

[1] Source: The Home Improvement Research Institute

SOURCE J.D. Power

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