Business ProfileforDarling Paint, Inc.

I just met with Bill Darling, who said that he is the person who started the business 23 years ago. At one point he asked me about who I had worked for and when I told him, Bill Darling said he felt sorry for me and then proceeded to spend way too much time shooting down the owners of my previous employer based upon a bad experience he had with them about 20 years ago and how he bested him and then told him off. Shortly after, he whipped up a written proposal which I said was significantly higher than a competing contract I had been contemplating. (By the way his proposal was 32.26% higher than the competing actual contract.) He asked me who and after I told him he began to tell me why I should not do business with them. I said that they have the same BBB rating that Darling Paint has. He continued and pointed out a couple of items that I was already aware of. I had provided a list of items to discuss and when I tried to continue, he said - why I was just going to go with the other guy anyway. I said that maybe he had convinced me, and he said no I was just going to go with the other guy, and he is too busy to waste his time. I said then just get out. As he was leaving, I told him that he had spent more time ridiculing my previous employer than actually helping me out. His response was - oh I did - I am so sorry. I said that there was no reason to have that sarcastic attitude to which he continued to tell me with an even more mocking tone - you have a really wonderful day. I then mentioned that maybe I would let the BBB know of this experience to which he encouraged me to do so and made sure that I knew his name: Bill Darling. So here it is.

We were simply at this customer's home, to provide a FREE estimate, that he had requested. He asked if we used subcontractors, which we do not (he also indicated he did not want any subcontractors). When given the quote for his project, he was upset that we were not cheaper than another contractor, who actually did use subcontractors. He asked for us to drop our prices, and was quite upset when we would not... again, we do NOT use subcontractors, and we are FULLY insured, which does increase prices. Sorry we could not meet Adam's budget, but we wish him the best with his project.

Responding to the business's response: True, I asked for Darling Paint to provide a free estimate, along with several other companies. True, we did talk about subcontractors - but that was just a single detail of many items that were on my list to discuss. I am aware that insurance costs are a very expensive component of any company doing construction type work, but I have experience in that area and would not work with any company who doesn't have insurance. I totally disagree with the company's comments that I asked them to drop their prices and got upset when they wouldn't. Not true at all. Why would I when they were just one contractor of many, and I know better than to expect a great job from someone that was strongarmed into a significant price reduction. They have the right to run their company as they like, but they do not have the right to come into my home, ridicule a mutual acquaintance, tell me what is wrong and why I should not do business with his competition and get upset when they lose a bid and then treat their host with nasty sarcasm.