Everybody each to their own. A decent 5 litre tin of lacquer retails at around £320 alone. Materials are expensive these days. However a bodyshop could look like a total 5hithole, but could have a booth and turn out exceptional work. Speaking from experience, a paint finish is only as good as the guy doing the job. Preperation is key, but is the painters responsibility to ensure the preparation has been carried out correctly. Saying all the above, even the best of painters can have a off day, thus ending up with a sub standard result.