That’s a red flag for me too—if someone claims,
it’s just not believable. I actually had a painter once who told me about a time he accidentally spilled an entire can of paint on a client’s carpet. He explained how he fixed it and what he learned. That kind of honesty made me trust him more, even though the story wasn’t flattering. I’d rather work with someone who owns up to mistakes than someone who pretends they never happen.“nothing ever goes wrong,”
I get where you’re coming from—nobody’s perfect, especially in renos. If I hear “nothing ever goes wrong,” my first thought is, “Okay, what are you hiding?” I’d rather someone admit they’ve messed up and learned from it. Here’s how I usually size people up:
Step one: Ask about their trickiest job or a time something didn’t go as planned. If they get defensive or try to dodge the question, that’s a red flag for me.
Step two: Look for folks who can explain how they fixed it. If someone can walk me through the steps they took to make things right, that tells me they actually know their stuff.
Step three: Check references, but not just for glowing reviews. I want to hear about jobs that had hiccups and how things were handled.
Honestly, I’m more worried about the ones who act like they’ve never spilled a drop of paint than the ones who admit to a mess or two. At least with the latter, you know what you’re getting into.
I get where you’re coming from, but I actually don’t mind if someone’s a bit tight-lipped about their mistakes—at least at first. Some folks just aren’t great at talking about their screw-ups, especially if they’re not super chatty by nature. I’ve worked with a couple of quiet types who did flawless work but hated talking about past blunders. For me, seeing their process in action or checking out their finished projects tells me more than a story about a botched job ever could. Sometimes actions really do speak louder than words.
I get what you mean, but I actually like when someone’s upfront about their mistakes—at least a little. I mean, if you can admit you once painted an entire room “eggshell” only to realize it was more “lemon meringue,” that tells me you’re honest and probably learned something. Everyone messes up sometimes, right? I’d rather hear about that than just see the highlight reel.
Totally agree—honesty goes a long way, especially in renos. I’d rather someone admit they accidentally installed a door upside down than pretend everything went perfect. I once hired a guy who straight up told me he’d messed up a backsplash before but learned how to fix it. That actually made me trust him more. Nobody gets it right every single time, and if they say they do, I’m a little suspicious.
That said, I do like to see some actual skill too. Admitting mistakes is great, but if every story is about a disaster, I start to wonder if I’m just hiring a storyteller. Balance, I guess. Give me the real talk, but show me you’ve learned from it. And yeah, I’ve painted a “neutral” wall that looked like a banana split under sunlight... still gets a laugh from my friends.
