Contractor Spotlight: MCS Painting & Decorating

As a lead generation company, we have a chance to work with both contractors and homeowners. As time has evolved, more and more homeowners are choosing to get more involved with their home remodeling projects. As such, they want to hire a pro that will not only get the job done efficiently, but teach them along the way.

Marco Salvino of MCS Painting and Decorating, enjoys teaching the homeowner rather than taking over and as a result, has never had one bad experience. See how Marco is garnering both leads and new jobs in this month’s contractor spotlight.

MCS Spotlight

Jacob Hurwith: How long have you been in the business?

Marco Salvino: I’ve been in the painting business for 23 years. I started with decorative painting, but then went to art school and got into full finishing. Three years ago, I started MCS Painting and Decorating. We offer interior and exterior painting as well as power washing in Northern Illinois.

Our guys are not here to play. We do not hire cheap labor and only work with guys we know.

Jacob Hurwith: What do you love about the business?

Marco Salvino: I like to make people happy and I enjoy making people feel like they got their money’s worth. I do not take the house over, but work with the homeowner to get the job done. I like making them part of the job so we are not just another cheap decorating or painting company.

MCS Painting

Jacob Hurwith: What are some of the most frustrating aspects of the business?

Marco Salvino: There are those painters or carpenters in the business that really shouldn’t be. Non-pros come in and bid half the amount and give a low-quality job. People should adhere to good quality.

I work with customers to come up with an acceptable budget they can afford. I am professional, but sometimes reduce rates just to make sure my guys get paid. If that means offering a discount, so be it. We’ll take jobs under market value just to get a referral, even it means breaking even.

Jacob Hurwith: What is your favorite remodeling story?

Marco Salvino: We completed a job for a lady who did not have the biggest budget and our overall profit was minimal. We went above and beyond to give her the red carpet treatment. The job was exterior painting and siding. We gave her two coats of paint that will last 15 years.

She was so appreciative and now refers us every chance she gets. Not only did she write an outstanding review on my CraftJack profile, but she referred her mother and friend, both of which turned into jobs.

MCS Staining

Jacob Hurwith: What has been your best form of marketing in terms of ROI?

Marco Salvino: CraftJack has been terrific, but most of our work comes from referrals. We have tried other networks in the past, such as Angie’s list, as well as door-to-door flyers, direct advertising and Google.

Jacob Hurwith: What has been the biggest job you won from CraftJack?

Marco Salvino: We painted multiple rooms and the whole downstairs of a home for $5,800. Additionally, we also did a job for her friend where we saved her $1,800.

Conclusion

When you believe in your work, you will be successful. As Marco has shown across Northern Illinois, when the product is superior, one can afford to offer a discount once in awhile.