How to Offer Custom Paint Color Matching on a Budget

When a customer walks into a paint store and asks for a specific swatch on a fan deck, there’s really only one acceptable response: “We can match that.” For small retailers, that response might be somewhat elusive. Traditional formula lookup, while it may find a close match, typically falls short of the exact match a customer seeks. Without access to a spectrophotometer, paint shops with smaller spaces and smaller budgets are likely to be shut out of the spot-on results. Until now.

Datacolor is on a mission to set up every paint and hardware store for color matching success. That’s why we built our most compact and affordable paint matching device ever: The ColorReader Spectro.

The Subjective Nature of Paint Color Selection

Paint is a ubiquitous element of everyday life, particularly when it comes to architectural and interior design. The colors we choose for our walls can set the tone of a room, whether it’s the place we gather or the place we sleep. It’s no wonder customers have a hard time settling on a paint color.

It’s critical to get color selection right in the retail environment. Yet, retailers are often left with only a best-guess scenario when it comes to matching paint colors. When an existing color off a fan deck is not available, stores often resort to matching by eye. This can quickly lead to mistints, frustrations and returns. It can also sabotage customer trust.

How each of us interprets color is a complex process, and it varies from person to person, retina to retina. What’s more, myriad factors, from lighting and altitude to mood and medications, influence how we perceive color. We also bring pre-conceived notions to the process. For example, we might identify an orange-yellow hue as “orange” when we see it on a carrot, yet we’ll call that same orange-yellow hue “yellow” when we see it on a banana.

The ColorReader Spectro takes the emotion and the subjectivity out of the process, allowing customers to match a pillow, a paint chip from a competitor’s paint brand or a spool of thread to an exact paint color. Digitizing the process means the paint on the wall will match the vision of the customer.

Advantages of Custom Paint Color Matching

Businesses that offer custom matching see the following benefits:

1. Custom matching attracts professional painters and contractors to the store. This audience expects top service, accurate color and a quick turnaround. Getting repeat business from professional painters and contractors is a great revenue driver.
2. An improved customer experience. When colors can be matched quickly and accurately, customer satisfaction increases and often leads to repeat business.
3. Mismatched colors are reduced significantly as well. When a color is matched correctly the first time—whether it’s a pillowcase from the customer’s bedroom or a competitor’s paint color—it reduces waste and improves the bottom line.

Technology Meets Customer Service 

In the retail paint business, attention to detail and great customer service are key to repeat business.

When new equipment aligns with existing software, accuracy and efficiency soar. The ColorReader Spectro is designed to integrate easily with a store’s own POS system and  seamlessly with Datacolor Paint software. This creates a turnkey and easy-to-use solution that allows for shorter deployment time and a better store experience for both contractors and do-it-yourselfers. It all adds up to a greater ability to attract and maintain loyal customers.

Datacolor’s ColorReader is an affordable, handheld, Bluetooth-enabled solution that puts the power of precise color matching in the palm of your hand. An intuitive and compact design makes it easy to use, and the accuracy of first-time matches makes ColorReader Spectro a must-have tool for paint and hardware businesses.

Whatever your retail paint needs and whatever your budget, Datacolor’s team of color experts will work with you to implement solutions that set you up for success. Contact us to learn more.