Festool and Sherwin-Williams

[Sparktrician]

I had to stop by the local Sherwin-Williams store this morning.  While the clerk was getting my order ready, I noticed a Festool paint product catalog on the counter.  When I asked when S-W had started selling Festool products, the clerk said it happened about 5-6 months ago.  Being a smaller store, there were no demo tools.  My thought was, if you can't demonstrate a product line, how can you expect to sell it?  When the clerk asked if I'd ever heard of Festool, I responded in the affirmative.  He asked how long I'd known about Festool, and I answered 18 years.  He was astonished that Festool had been around that long.  Seems to me that there's an opportunity for Festool's regional sales folks to get busy and educate these dealers.  Is anyone else seeing Festool products actually in S-W stores? 

 

[nvalinski]

Saw the same recently, just a paint catalog and a cleaning set in a systainer. Nothing else. Asked about it, and the guy shrugged it off and suggested that they were too expensive to actually sell anyways.

 

[leakyroof]

I posted about this issue a few years ago when Festool was making inroads into the Paint stores. It's not good to hear that lack of knowledge and a lackluster approach to explaining and demoing the tools by employees is still happening. The one upside for me is that one of the Paint stores is near where I work and right on the way home. So, at least for Sanders and the Abrasives for them, I MIGHT have a need for something..... if it's only in Granat... [big grin]
Festool noted which Abrasives were moving off the shelves for Commercial users shortly after starting the Paint Program and switched all the offered abrasives to Granat only.
The one dealer near my work will usually have the nozzles and pads for the common Sanders as well. They have devoted 1 small wall to Festool Products. Not sure if there are any Vacs hiding in a back room though... [blink]

And yes, I always seem to know way more about the products than the staff does when I quietly ask them about something. But there's always hope, right?.... [wink]

 

[Cheese]

Asked about it, and the guy shrugged it off and suggested that they were too expensive to actually sell anyways.

Attaboy...that’s the way to do it.

Sounds like a nice symbiotic relationship for Festool.  [tongue]

 

[cgrutt]

I recently bought 4 Sanders and a dust extractor from my Sherwin William's dealer.  They had a RO90, CT36 AC, a planex, some systainers and abrasives on display.  None of what was on display was what I ordered I just went through the catalog.  Main issue for me was that dealer gave me 90-day terms with 25% down.  Big help cashflow wise.  Very happy with purchase and my Sherwin William's dealer.

 

[leakyroof]

Asked about it, and the guy shrugged it off and suggested that they were too expensive to actually sell anyways.

Attaboy...that’s the way to do it.

Sounds like a nice symbiotic relationship for Festool.  [tongue]

  That really reminds me of the L-N /Woodcraft blow-up a few years ago. You'd get the same talk from Woodcraft salespeople while the L-N planes sat in a display case, unused and gathering dust next to the cash registers....L-N was not happy, although there were other issues with their relationship too besides the way the products were being handled.

 

[leakyroof]

I recently bought 4 Sanders and a dust extractor from my Sherwin William's dealer.  They had a RO90, CT36 AC, a planex, some systainers and abrasives on display.  None of what was on display was what I ordered I just went through the catalog.  Main issue for me was that dealer gave me 90-day terms with 25% down.  Big help cashflow wise.  Very happy with purchase and my Sherwin William's dealer.

  That's really a good thing to hear. Maybe there's hope for the Paint Division set-up in the long run.
Did anyone have some Festool product knowledge or did they just fill your order?
That's nice about the 90 day terms, it WOULD help Cash Flow... [big grin]

 

[peter halle]

A few years ago Festool USA started their Paint division.  It is an ongoing push to bring the painting industry into the world of faster, easier, and smarter.  And cleaner.

Peter

 

[cgrutt]

I recently bought 4 Sanders and a dust extractor from my Sherwin William's dealer.  They had a RO90, CT36 AC, a planex, some systainers and abrasives on display.  None of what was on display was what I ordered I just went through the catalog.  Main issue for me was that dealer gave me 90-day terms with 25% down.  Big help cashflow wise.  Very happy with purchase and my Sherwin William's dealer.

  That's really a good thing to hear. Maybe there's hope for the Paint Division set-up in the long run.
Did anyone have some Festool product knowledge or did they just fill your order?
That's nice about the 90 day terms, it WOULD help Cash Flow... [big grin]

I'd say good general knowledge of what was in the paint catalog but not much past that.  For example I asked him if he could order a track saw and he didn't know anything about them.  Certainly better knowledge then you might expect from an associate at one of the big box stores, lol.  Wouldn't say in depth product knowledge as you might expect from a factory rep.  He didn't know the CT36 E came with HEPA certification but the CT36 AC did not (and the CT 36 AC was on the floor).  I did walk in store a few days later and he was talking to another customer about the Rotex sander and dust collector that I purchased.  Customer asked me what I thought.  I told him sander was good but dust collection was outstanding.  Don't know if he wound up ordering it or not...  Very happy with the Shermin Williams staff at location that I deal with.

 

[peter halle]

I recently bought 4 Sanders and a dust extractor from my Sherwin William's dealer.  They had a RO90, CT36 AC, a planex, some systainers and abrasives on display.  None of what was on display was what I ordered I just went through the catalog.  Main issue for me was that dealer gave me 90-day terms with 25% down.  Big help cashflow wise.  Very happy with purchase and my Sherwin William's dealer.

  That's really a good thing to hear. Maybe there's hope for the Paint Division set-up in the long run.
Did anyone have some Festool product knowledge or did they just fill your order?
That's nice about the 90 day terms, it WOULD help Cash Flow... [big grin]

I'd say good general knowledge of what was in the paint catalog but not much past that.  For example I asked him if he could order a track saw and he didn't know anything about them.  Certainly better knowledge then you might expect from an associate at one of the big box stores, lol.  Wouldn't say in depth product knowledge as you might expect from a factory rep.  He didn't know the CT36 E came with HEPA certification but the CT36 AC did not (and the CT 36 AC was on the floor).  I did walk in store a few days later and he was talking to another customer about the Rotex sander and dust collector that I purchased.  Customer asked me what I thought.  I told him sander was good but dust collection was outstanding.  Don't know if he wound up ordering it or not...  Very happy with the Shermin Williams staff at location that I deal with.

In defense of your dealer,  the paint division only offers those dealers a limited selection of items to sell.  It (unless this has changed in last two years) would would be extremely difficult for them to sell you a TS-55.

Peter

 

[Michael Kellough]

The paint shop that worked on this truck bought 2 or 3 Festool rolling work workstations complete with sanders and vac (we paid the paint shop a lot of money, there are 2 more trucks).

 

[DeformedTree]

In defense of your dealer,  the paint division only offers those dealers a limited selection of items to sell.  It (unless this has changed in last two years) would would be extremely difficult for them to sell you a TS-55.

Peter

That actually good to know, I was going to ask if Festool does the All or Nothing deal. Where if you want to sell stuff, you have to sign up to sell it all, not a subset.  If Festool is just pushing stuff that makes sense (vacuums, sanders, stirring) at these stores, that's good. Keeps any training they may do focus, keeps the info the store people need to know focused.

 

[leakyroof]

In defense of your dealer,  the paint division only offers those dealers a limited selection of items to sell.  It (unless this has changed in last two years) would would be extremely difficult for them to sell you a TS-55.

Peter

That actually good to know, I was going to ask if Festool does the All or Nothing deal. Where if you want to sell stuff, you have to sign up to sell it all, not a subset.  If Festool is just pushing stuff that makes sense (vacuums, sanders, stirring) at these stores, that's good. Keeps any training they may do focus, keeps the info the store people need to know focused.

. I was told by my dealer when the whole Paint Division thing got started that Festool was trying to keep it just as you thought, Sanders, their Consumables, and Vacuums, and their Consumables.  I would think the Mixer qualifies as an item for them, yes?...
I haven’t heard anything different over the years so I thought the policy was still in effect.
But I haven’t ordered through a Paint Dealer either... [smile]

 

[pettyconstruction]

My local SW dealer has been carrying Festool also .
The sales dude was very knowledgeable on the vacs and sanders , but less on the saws etc . Understandable in my opinion.
Very helpful on ordering tho.
I have and will ordered from them ,
Cheers Charlie

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[RJNeal]

The paint dealer in Napa ( not the SW dealer I’ll check it out ) carries more consumables for the products they sell than the full line Festool dealer.
Heck the full time dealer doesn’t even have consumables for the products they sell and only have in stock a real partial product line.
So went ever I need sander pads and parts or paper I head to the paint shop.
Rick.

 

[peter halle]

The paint shop that worked on this truck bought 2 or 3 Festool rolling work workstations complete with sanders and vac (we paid the paint shop a lot of money, there are 2 more trucks).

Michael,

Festool teamed up with 3m for bodyshops:

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/total-automotive-sanding-system-us/

Peter

 

[Michael Kellough]

Right Peter, they buy 3M materials but not SW paint.

 

[Bob D.]

I had to stop by the local Sherwin-Williams store this morning.  While the clerk was getting my order ready, I noticed a Festool paint product catalog on the counter.  When I asked when S-W had started selling Festool products, the clerk said it happened about 5-6 months ago.  Being a smaller store, there were no demo tools.  My thought was, if you can't demonstrate a product line, how can you expect to sell it?  When the clerk asked if I'd ever heard of Festool, I responded in the affirmative.  He asked how long I'd known about Festool, and I answered 18 years.  He was astonished that Festool had been around that long.  Seems to me that there's an opportunity for Festool's regional sales folks to get busy and educate these dealers.  Is anyone else seeing Festool products actually in S-W stores?

Yes, there are three within 30 miles of me that carry Festool, mostly sanders, sandpaper, CTs, and the drywall sanding systems. I use them for sandpaper sometimes, but usually pick up what I need when I visit Woodcraft which is only a couple times a year since it is 40+ miles away. There is no Woodcraft, Rockler, or any other woodworking related store in southern NJ that I know of.  Might be something up near Philly or Cherry Hill, but that is 40+ miles away too. I am in the boonies with nothing but tomatoes, soybeans, and corn around here.

 

[nvalinski]

I sue them for sandpaper sometimes

Little extreme, no?

 

[PeterJJames13]

I sue them for sandpaper sometimes

Little extreme, no?

Sherwin Williams is a pretty big company - I would ask for more than sandpaper out of the deal.....