Here at My House Renovation Inc. we like to suggest things that make sense. In our last blog we discussed what core services every roofing contractor should offer at a minimum. We understand that many people do not understand the roofing industry. So to keep things simple we have compiled a list of indicators and tools to consider when searching for an affordable and quality roofing contractor.
By now you have began looking at different contractors to compare services. You are starting to get an idea of what exists. But now you might be feeling overwhelmed by how many contractors there are, and who should you use? It is difficult to identify who is professional and who is going to cost you a lot of money and deliver very little.
First we should identify what we are looking for from our roofing project. Over countless projects we have identified the following as being critical to the customer:
- Quality Customer Service
- Peace of Mind
- Quality Products and Workmanship
Most customers are concerned that they will be not getting their full value in one of those areas. And with so many companies out there telling you they have the best offer, many are not always the best value. So how do we find an affordable and quality roofing contractor?
Look For A Contractor With Comprehensive Solutions
Contractors understand their market and price themselves accordingly. Experienced contractors know how to package their solutions to that you get a single, comprehensive project. This avoids things like scope creep and running into surprises down the road. Also, comprehensive packages often include materials that help customers feel better about their purchase.
Roofing contractors can be categorized into tiers of service based on price. At the cheapest level of price you’ll often find the entry level contractors, or smaller operations that may not offer the comprehensive services you will need. Then you have your next tier which is the roofing professional. This is a contractor that offers comprehensive solutions that will fit your situation. This person is often more experienced and has a significant support system. They are priced a bit higher than the entry level contractors, but you can count on warranty and support services. Lastly you have big box stores. These will be the most expensive typically, and they will subcontract to workers that might not be local.
Contractors understand the value that they bring to the project because they understand the differences in the market. Variations in price are not random, they happen intentionally. Would a BMW or Mercedes price themselves like a Honda or Toyota? In the same way contractors that understand their value ask for more. With contractors that seem to be priced higher you can get experience and expertise that cheaper contractors might lack. Certified contractors will assure that your product is covered with a warranty that will be honored. You also get the benefit of planning and foresight into a project. This can help save a lot of time and headaches in the future. The lowest tier of contractors will give you affordability, but you lose expertise. And the big box store has a lot of resources, but it often lacks a specialization in the subject. So how do we find experienced professionals?
Search Engines and Web Pages
The same place we look for everything else, search engines. There is a way to use search engines to help yourself get to an experienced contractor. Search engine’s offer any business the opportunity to represent themselves online, but it’s hard to know who is legit, and who is not. A good indication is to look for those comprehensive solutions we mentioned earlier. Did you click on an advertisement to get to the page, or did it rank organically? Sites that rank organically did not need to pay to get to the top of search engines. This, along with active blog posts and a sleek user interface and experience can indicate to a customer that this business understands their customer.
Social Media
Similar to search engines, a business can pay to advertise on social media. For many companies this money comes from a marketing budget. Companies that have money to budget to marketing indicate thoughtful planning regarding customer outreach. So looking for an active social media presence is important to seeing how a company engages with their customers. If a company is open to communication, and actively looking for you on platforms you use, you can feel confident that they value what you value. Working with a company that takes time to understand their users so granularly are doing what they can to build trust and communication.
However, social media offers businesses a chance to showcase their work. This can be immensely helpful in determining if the contractor you are choosing is correct for you. This can be some of the most valuable data you can gather.
Pitfalls With Solely Relying on Online Reviews
When using search engines and social media users will be exposed to a lot of information. How can a consumer identify good information from bad? Remain objective, consider all the facts. Are what you seeing on all the platforms adding up? There are websites out there that use reviews in a predatory way to extort businesses, not allowing a business to opt out of their services. And only offering to remove negative reviews if businesses pay for it.
It is easy to post negatively about bad service, but often time we neglect to recognize good service. The expectation of good service is only apparent when confronted with bad service. Remaining objective that most people want to rant on a public forum rather than reward a business with a lengthy review for good service.
Look For Companies That Invest Into Their Brand
One of the hardest things a company can build is their brand. Companies that take time to invest in their image will be more successful over time. A customer will often interact with a brand well before they interact with the company, as we are doing at this moment. Taking time to build a relationship before business begins can help build confidence and trust.
Some ways companies might invest in their brand is by creating outreach documentation to help customers do business with them. Offering consumers something other than a consultation before they begin. E-Books, blog content, free marketing materials to help demonstrate products and services. Offerings and expertise brings authority to a subject, which is critical for a successful contractor.
What Is Next?
Most customers are very driven by value. Contractors are often the same way. When you see differences in prices between seemingly similar contractors you can understand why. When a business believes they offer a superior product or service they will ask for more. As the consumer it is important to understand what more means. If you can spend 5% more, and gain 10% life in the roof, there is value in considering that.
Next we’ll consider financing the new roofing system.
What a great article!. I am bookmarking it to read it over again after work. It seems like a very interesting topic to write about.