As the holiday season approaches, and the Lawrence KS area works to recover from the stress of the Covid-19 pandemic, finding the time to paint your business can seem overwhelming. However, Absolute Painting can get the job done. We are a full-service commercial painting contractor with decades of painting experience.
Repainting your business, or updating the existing paint, is more than a cosmetic investment. It is an investment in building trust with your customers. By making sure that paint looks professionally done, you signal to your customers that you care about the quality of your product and their experience. However, trying to repaint or update existing paint certainly becomes trickier the closer you come to the holidays. However, the guidelines in this post can provide a framework that ensures that the work the commercial painting contractor was hired to do is completed and that your customers can enjoy an uninterrupted shopping experience.
Painting in a retail setting brings specific challenges, particularly if there is painting that needs to be done while customers are present. Of course, you want your customers to feel welcomed into the store and to enjoy their shopping time. Likewise, it is important to protect commercial painters, customers, and your liability. Given those needs, here are some important things to keep in mind.
The first and most fundamental step is to make sure your customers have the information they need. An easy way to do this is by making sure that notices are posted near the entrances and throughout the store stating that commercial interior painters are at work. You should post these notices a couple of weeks before you begin so that shoppers can adjust their schedules if they want to buy something before or after the painting begins. Clear information that tells customers your plans, where you intend to paint and which areas of the store will be painted allow your customers to feel cared for and be aware of any areas that might need to be temporarily blocked off during the process.
In addition to written notices, it is vital to section off areas where the commercial interior painters will be working. This makes it far less likely that a customer will inadvertently trip over a ladder, knock over paint or obstruct the work in another way. In addition to making the process go more smoothly, this precaution makes it far less likely that you will be liable for an accident that occurs in your store. Making signs for areas with wet paint or where customers are not allowed is also helpful. Having one or two staff members stay nearby can increase safety and give your business a chance to talk with customers and give them information about the project they might want to have. Blocking off work areas can also make it less likely that customers are less distracted or bothered during a shopping trip.
If at all possible, have your commercial painting contractor work while customers are not in the store. This avoids completely the need to navigate painting work and customer service simultaneously. Of course, you might not be able to avoid painting during business hours completely depending on the size of the project and your business’s hours. However, if you do need to paint while shoppers are around, it is best to avoid painting during the heaviest shopping hours. Work could begin a few hours before opening, take a pause during the busiest time of your day, and resume when there are fewer shoppers. You can also schedule painting to take place after business hours.
A key way to ensure safety is to make sure that tools and other painting equipment are kept out of reach, and if possible, out of sight of customers. In addition to making a store feel more comfortable, this precaution dramatically reduces the chance of accidents or other problems. A boundary between customers and work areas of eight to ten feet is advisable. Additionally, once the work begins, it is important that the area is never left unattended. This is particularly vital if your store is a place where children are frequently present. If the workers need to go elsewhere, have an employee stay near the site to make sure that customers don’t enter the work area by accident. If they are going to leave the worksite for an extended time, the workers should also place their tools in a safe location off the sales floor.
Because painting work might mean that certain areas of the store will be inaccessible to customers, make sure you have a plan for when customers need something from an area that is being painted. You can put up signs that make clear what products are not accessible and tell customers to contact a store associate for help. Likewise, if you have an employee stationed near the work area, they can assist customers with getting products they want. These steps can help your customers feel served and make sure that you don’t miss a potential sale.
Taking these steps can make painting your business, even during the busy time of the holidays, a successful experience. A carefully designed plan that educates your customers while giving workers plenty of space can allow painting and shopping to coexist effectively in your space. Your customers can experience as little disruption to their shopping routine as possible, and your business can improve its image while minimizing its liability risk. Contact Absolute Painting for all your retail painting needs. We pride ourselves on doing the job well and on time. We would love to talk with you about any questions you might have. We are well versed in commercial and industrial painting as well as specialty coating. We can talk with you about the needs of your space and can apply a variety of finishes to a variety of substrates. You can talk with our experts about color selection, the types of surfaces you need painted, and scheduling. Reach out to us for a consultation.
