Top Ten Question for the PaintGirl

1. Do you have to prime primer?

2. Can you make this sky blue into a sunshine yellow?

3. Should I put paint over a topcoat?

4. Can you tell me what color my kitchen is? The prior owner bought their paint here. Not sure who they were, or who the builder was or who the painter was, but I DO know my address...so......

5. Can you match the whiteish coffee color residue of my latte on the inside of my Star Bucks to-go cup....not the outside of the cup....the INSIDE?

6. Paint is paint, right? I mean....all paint is the same right? Just a different brand name.

7. I can't remember who my painter was, but he bought some paint here about 6 years ago and I think he said YOU mixed it....you're Yvette, right? I live at (they give me their address) and it is a sort of warm beige color? Can you find it in my computer, or do you remember what color you made?

8. Can you mix my paint or do you just answer the phone?

9. Can I speak with a man? No offense, but I need a paint expert.

10. I know your sign says Sherwin-Williams, but what BRAND do you sell? You know....what KIND of paint do you sell here? You know....who MAKES your paint?

Answers I gave to the above questions:

1. Primer is just that...it primes. You don't have to prime the primer.....you just need to prime and paint the drywall.

2. Blue and yellow are primary colors, so you cannot make one primary color into another. No matter how much yellow I add, it will never overtake the blue and you will end up with green. At this point the lady asked me, "Every time?" My reply, "Yep....everytime!"

3. Paint is a topcoat.

4. Paint is tracked in the computer by who bought it and only track if it is sold through an account. Without a painter's name, an account name, a builder name, a color name, or time frame....I cannot find your color in the computer. Your address cannot help me find your paint color.

5. I can match the color of the cup, but the color eye will "read" the white cup and not take into account the coffee stain. Plus, I cannot scan a wet sample....it would ruin my $40,000 color eye.

6. That is the same as saying "men or men" or "meat is meat". Until you look closely at a man or talk with him and get to know him....they are all men....but very different indeed! Hamburger and steak are both beef and come from cattle, but they are very different tasting. Sure all paints look the same in the can.....but once you actually apply the paint, you will get a better understanding of why high quality paint costs more.

7. Again without more information, I cannot find your paint in the computer. It would be like going to the grocery store and saying to the cashier, "I purchased a gallon of milk here 6 years ago and it was a gallon and it was white. I think you sold it to me. I sued my credit card so it is in the computer. Can you find it in the computer and tell me what kind it was so that I can get another gallon?

8. Yep. I CAN mix paint....the question now becomes WILL I mix your paint?

9. Sure, let me go get him for you. I then head to the back room and get me newest parttimer (the only other person on duty at the time) and he goes out t help the customer. As my fellow employee approaches, the customer says, "Oh good. I need to talk to you about a lacquer. Do I some sort of sealer under my lacquer and do I have to spray it? And if so, what kind of tip should I use?" The parttimer looks scared and says, "I'm gonna have to get my manger on this one." He comes in the back and says, "He needs to know about lacquer and I don't have a clue! Will you help him?" I go back out and say, "Now what is it that you need?" (I have heard the whole conversation but at this point I just want him to have to work for it!) He replies, "Well, I need the paint expert. Is that you." I simply reply, "Yep." After a brief pause and a scan of my entire being followed by a long stare, he SLOWLY repeats his questions again ("so you understand", he adds) and I look straight at him, point blank in the eyes and ask, "Now do you want a nitricellulous lacquer or do you prefer a pre-cat lac.....you know a pre-catalized hi-build non-yellow, self-priming lacquer..........are you with me?" And then I smile and wait for an answer. It usually start out with an, "Ummmmm." or an "Uhhhhhhhh...." Too fun!

10. We only sell Sherwin-Williams paint and we are the world's oldest and largest paint manufacturer. All of our paint are made by and for Sherwin-Williams. We ARE Sherwin-Williams paint.