Benjamin Moore ranks highest in customer satisfaction with interior paint with a score of 791 on a 1,000-point scale, J.D. Power said in announcing the results of the study.
Hard on the heels of Benjamin Moore were Porter (789), owned by PPG Industries Inc., and Sherwin-Williams (788).
Benjamin Moore “performs particularly well in three of the six factors: application, product offerings and design guides,” J.D. Power said in announcing the rankings.
The study’s customer satisfaction index rankings are shown in the chart here. Survey findings are detailed at Interior Paint Study.
The study, now it its fifth year, examines five key factors of the “painting experience”: application; offerings (including variety of colors and finishes); durability; price; and warranty/guarantee. The study, however, focuses on retail consumers and not professional paint users.
J.D. Power said overall satisfaction with interior paint brands increased considerably, to an average of 770 on a 1,000 point scale in 2011 from 754 in 2010. Satisfaction has increased in five of the six factors included in the study—all except design guides. The most notable improvements have occurred in the warranty, product offerings, application, and durability factors, the company said of the study’s findings.
“The highest-performing brands in the study also benefit from the highest levels of customer loyalty,” said Christina Cooley, senior manager of the real estate and construction industries practice at J.D. Power. “Among customers of some of these brands, the proportion who say they definitely will purchase the brand of paint again averages as high as 50%, which is considerably greater than the industry average of 36%,” Cooley said.
The study finds that a majority of customers—54%—rely primarily on their past experience with paint brands when shopping for interior paint. More than one-fourth (26%) say they rely on recommendations from store salespersons, family and friends or a contractor or designer professional. An additional 10% of customers consider paint brands primarily based on the in-store product displays.
“It’s particularly important for consumers to do their research prior to purchasing paint at a retailer; with brands constantly introducing new product lines, customers may limit themselves if they don’t consider the new offerings available,” said Cooley.
The study also finds that paint customers choose a paint brand primarily based on past experience, quality and color and texture.
Increase Noted in Hiring of Painters to do the Job
The study findings also include the following key trends:
• A majority of customers in 2011 indicate they applied the paint themselves (82%). More customers in 2011 say they hired a painter or handyman to apply the paint for them (16%), compared with 2010 (11%).The 2011 U.S. Interior Paint Satisfaction Study is based on responses from more than 8,900 customers who purchased and applied interior paint within the previous 12 months. The study was fielded between March and April 2011.
• More than one-half of paint customers (53%) say they do not apply primer to their walls prior to applying the first coat of paint. The percentage of customers who purchase paint that includes primer, however, has increased from 12% in 2010 to 17% in 2011.
