I recently received a questionnaire from a potential client. It’s a bit long but I feel like it’s an important read for anyone considering a new roof.
1) When it comes to service, do you extend any unique customer service to your clients?
We offer all of our clients our cell phone numbers so they can contact a company owner directly at any time. We always answer the phone or get back to our customers the same day. Usually as soon as we are free.
2) Do you have any special training to your people that may result to good service and etc.?
Our crews are manufacturer certified applicators. This allows our crew to install commercial roofing according to exact specifications. This is the key to the outstanding longevity of our roof systems. This also allows us to offer full NDL (no-dollar-limit) Roofing System Warranties.
3) How long have you been in the business?
We have been in business for 12 years. We have been in the industry for over 35 years.
4) Considering your years of experience, have you found a better way to do things in your company?
We find that the most important thing is to hire and keep skilled roofers. We create an atmosphere where people take pride in their work and craftsmanship. We also make safety and common sense a priority. A roof is only as good as the people that install it.
5) What mistake do new people in the industry make that you don’t?
Most roofers come from a residential background with very little, if any, knowledge in commercial roofing applications. They tend to rush the product and simply glue down a sheet of single-ply membrane. They do not follow required manufacturers specifications and therefore do not offer a true system warranty. This leads to a new roof that usually leaks worse than before it was installed. The roofer typically tries to fix it once or twice and quickly realize they are in over their head. Then they either go out of business or skip town. This leaves the consumer with a very expensive problem because the new roof they paid for has to be torn off completely and installed the right way. You cannot repair a poorly installed commercial roof. Typically about 5% of our business yearly is removing and replacing roofs installed by a bad roofer. Roughly 20% of our yearly quotes are lost to roofers who severely underestimate jobs, leaving vital components out, thinking they can make a quick dollar. The industry is filled with these bad contractors. If they cannot offer a Manufacturer’s NDL stay away.
6) What does your clients say about you? What do they like about your company?
Our business is nearly 100% referral. Once we gain a customer we do not lose them. Typically they say that L&M Roofing Assoc, LLC is by far the best roofing company they have ever used. I once had a guy call me two weeks after installing a new roof. He owns many commercial properties, he wanted to tell me that the new roof hasn’t had one leak. I said that’s great, we wouldn’t expect it to leak at all. He told me this is the first new roof he ever purchased that didn’t have a few leaks immediately after installation.
7) We strongly believe that it is also important to highlight fast service. How many days do you deliver compared to your competitor? Do you have a guarantee?
Our industry is very weather dependent. We cannot roof in rain, a chance of rain, snow, sleet, hail etc. We also cannot roof in high winds or temperatures below freezing. In order to install a good roof that will last and work, the weather has to be right. Therefore once a job is under contract we schedule a tentative date to complete the job. Then we monitor the weather and usually within a few days or a week we can verify that we will start on a certain day. Once on the job we stay there. WE DO NOT FLOAT FROM JOB TO JOB LIKE MANY OTHER ROOFERS. We work each and every day the weather co-operates. We recently did a re-roof that another roofer screwed up. It took the other company almost a month to complete and the roof leaked constantly. Our crew finished the job in four days and we issued a 20-year Manufacturer’s NDL warranty. The roof is leak free and the customer is happy.
8) Mostly of our clients look for best price or best value, What makes your value better than the competition?
There are so many ways that questionable roofing companies cut corners to cut costs. They deliver the low bid and win the job. The cut corners lead to immediate leaks and a roof that wont perform for anywhere near the length of time it should. The customer must then hire a quality company to remove and replace the new roof. This effectively more than doubles the cost of the roof. When a customer requires quotes from Manufacturer’s Certified Applicators and has an appropriate spec they will find that our pricing is very competitive. Beyond that our value comes in the form of years of experience, outstanding safety, constant communication, and a dedication to quality first.
9) Do you extend warranty? What it is? And, Why is it better than competitors?
We offer the absolute best warranties in the industry. We can offer fully-covered, labor and material warranties. They are not pro-rated and have no-dollar-limit. Warranties are available from 10 and up to 30 years. All warranties are fully backed by any of the following manufacturers depending on the system that was installed: Firestone, Carlisle, Genflex, JohnsManville, and Gaco. Upon completion of a job, a technical rep from one of these companies comes for a complete inspection to verify that the roof has been installed properly.
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