PURCELL’S was incorporated forty-eight years ago by the four Purcell brothers, and I began working at the store when I was 16. I was hired by one of the brothers, John Purcell. The story goes that I walked into the store, and Big Rich, one of the brothers, told me, "We don’t need you!" I was about to leave, but John quickly called me back, saying, "No, no, no, come back." So, I started sweeping and stocking shelves almost 30 years ago. I was shy and quiet, keeping my head down, and I was intimidated by the older staff members who were always busy and in a hurry.
At the time, Purcell’s operated three stores. In the community, working at Purcell’s was seen as a respected job. Jobs like that were hard to come by, where people could work and make a good living. I also had the opportunity to get to know the family members, who were all involved and kind. I was proud to be a part of Purcell’s.
Throughout college, I worked summers and weekends at Purcell’s, really whenever they would let me. I had plans to pursue exercise physiology, but I found myself drawn more to the physical aspects of working at Purcell’s—the dynamic, unpredictable nature of the paint store. About ten years ago, John and I bought out the founding brothers, and three years ago, Neal (Purcell) and I bought out John. Owning the business comes with significant responsibility, and it has been a rewarding journey to reach this point.
Over the years, Purcell’s has continually sought ways to improve the business, embracing cutting-edge technology for the paint industry. We were one of the first paint stores in the country to use a photospectrometer to analyze paint and color match! Given our tradition of embracing advancements, it’s no surprise that we decided to adopt Rundoo. Our industry is slow to adapt, and we were excited about the state-of-the-art, modern technology that Rundoo offered.
Our old POS system had become difficult to manage for several reasons. It was antiquated and lacked flexibility, requiring us to work with specific computers and credit card machines, and the relationship with the provider wasn’t there. We didn’t feel the sense of partnership that I’ve come to value more and more over time. We’re a small business that has had to be nimble over the years, managing a pandemic, a changing industry, and adapting to new customer needs. We appreciate the scrappiness and client service we’ve received with Rundoo. Max, our salesperson, brought great energy and a collaborative spirit, which assured us that Rundoo could provide value to our customers. Though some features were missing, the team was ready and willing to grow with us over time, which meant much more to us.
Since transitioning to Rundoo, we’ve enjoyed the efficiency of a modern tool: quickly finding colors, customer data, and more through their powerful search engine, sending formulas directly to the computer, and using the POS mobile app to track sales in real-time. Anyone working the counter and using the POS for customers loves Rundoo. Personally, I’ve appreciated the screen interface and the automatic launching of new tabs, which is especially helpful when I want to click into and view a product from a sale. With a new tab, I don’t lose my place and waste time searching for the sale information again.
We are all about speed, and that simple workflow experience has made a big difference. A recent update that has been particularly helpful is the new cancel button for credit card transactions, allowing us to quickly cancel transactions without waiting. Operationally, our back-office team meets weekly with Rundoo’s Client Success team to discuss POS experiences and workflows we encounter on the floor. This collaboration helps us address pain points and prioritize product feedback for development. It’s been a rewarding partnership so far, and we’re excited about upcoming updates we’ve collaborated on, such as improved statement designs and job account functionalities.
Excited to see what’s next with Rundoo!
