Building Better Relationships with Your Roofers
Working with professional tradespeople is something everyone will likely do at some point, especially homeowners. Some jobs simply won’t be completable on your own, especially if your DIY knowledge is limited and nowhere is this demonstrated clearer than your roof.
When you employ a roofer, you are putting a lot of personal investment into them. The majority of roofing jobs are expensive and are likely to disrupt your everyday life. It is also a subject many consumers aren’t well-versed in. When a roofer provides you with a quote, it takes a lot of research to find out if the price is reasonable.
This can lead to some animosity between tradespeople and consumers, and this isn’t helped by the many negative stories and personal experiences that often find their way circulating via word of mouth or the internet. It’s important for both roofers and their customers not to fall into this toxic headspace, and instead look at how they can work together to get the job done as smoothly for both parties as possible.
Below we’ll be looking at you can help your roofer carry out the best work they can, leading to key benefits for both parties: a fantastic job at a great price for the customer, a job-well-done, payment, and likely future customers for the roofer.
Contents
- Horror Stories and Cautionary Tales
- Bucking the Trend
- The Right Choice for the Job
- Communication is Key
- Make Them Feel at Home
- Finishing Touches
Horror Stories and Cautionary Tales
As a customer, working with an expert in any profession can yield vastly different results. With so many different stories circulated, it can be difficult to gauge an average user encounter. This can make the whole process a bit daunting even for those with plenty of experience working with professionals.
It doesn’t help that – according to studies – we can recall bad experiences more easily and, in more detail, than good ones. Researchers believe this is likely an evolutionary feature that allows us to learn to avoid troublesome situations in the future. However, it also leads to far more negative stories being circulated between people than positive ones.
The internet hasn’t helped this – if anything, it has made the situation worse. For every positive story, you read – whether on the news or in a blog written in the form of a personal account – you’re likely going to come across at least double the number of negative ones. The whole situation can make making any decision more arduous.
Bucking the Trend
However, it’s not all bad news. Firstly, such freely available information helps us to avoid scammers, fraudsters, and those who are simply less competent than many of those available for hire. It's also easier than ever to consult and communicate with tradespeople before agreeing to take them on board.
What’s also important, however, is to make your own decisions and do your research – again, this is now easier than ever, with everything from company websites and brochures to social media and review sites available to you to aid you in your studies.
One of the most important things to remember, however, is not to allow the stories you hear to prevent you from achieving your goals. Take your concerns and adapt them to the situation accordingly.
For example, if multiple individuals – online or in person - tell you of a negative experience with a particular roofer, ask them for the details of said professional and avoid them. Don’t take it to mean that all tradespeople are going to cause you problems and allow such a belief to prevent you from getting roofing work done, especially if it’s important.
The Right Choice for the Job
With this in mind, the best approach to take is to do your research on the right roofer for you. Primarily, what you want to get out of your research sessions is a list of roofers with positive reputations, as this is the most important factor. From there, you can separate potential options by price, location, and speciality (what part of the roofing process they’re most well-known for).
The internet is your friend here, including sites such as Trustatrader. Many review sites moderate reviews to ensure there is as little bias as possible, though this is in no way foolproof. Thus, your next best option is to ask around friends and neighbours for positive experiences with roofers. You may also find out stories of negative experiences, which will help you to avoid these less reputable professionals.
These are the best sources of knowledge when it comes to researching organisations, but other potential outlets you can look at include social media, company websites, and any brochures or manuals certain organisations may give out. You can also contact a professional and ask them about the job before committing to hiring them. Asking for a quote here will also prove useful, as comparing quotes will be a fantastic way to highlight similarities or obscurities in what your potential roofers are offering.
Communication is Key
Once you’ve chosen a tradesperson based on all your research, it’s time to look at how best to aid them in carrying out their task quickly and efficiently. The most important aspect of working with a professional on anything is good communication from the offset.
Make it very clear to them from the start what it is you want to achieve. This will require research on your part. The better prepared you are to pitch to the tradesperson what it is you want them to do – and to be able to answer any questions they might have on the matter – the more likely it is they’ll be able to meet your expectations.
Keep in close contact with your tradesperson throughout the day. Check-in on their progress though is sure not to distract them too much from their work. If they come to you with some news – no matter good or bad – listen and respond respectfully. If something has gone wrong, it is far better for them to come to straight away than to try and cover it up and you'll find that working with them rather than against them often lead to the quickest solution.
Make Them Feel at Home
Communication isn’t the only way to help improve the work environment of your roofer (and thus improve results). You can accommodate to their needs and requirements in other ways too. Small tasks that can be carried out include freeing up your driveway to provide them with space to park their vehicles. Giving them easy access to their vans will allow them to work more efficiently.
You can also keep the area surrounding their workspace neat and tidy, keeping any obstacles well away from where the project is being carried out. This not only makes the job easier for your roofer, but it also makes it safer, which is vital for both you and your roofer.
Basic politeness goes a long way but going out of your way to deliver will go even further. Offering cups of tea, asking if there is anything that can be done to help, or if there is anything your roofers need are all options you can try in order to help make the job more enjoyable.
Finishing Touches
Once your roof is complete, there will be the matter of final payments. Be sure this was discussed in advance to avoid any tensions once the work has been done. However, don’t go into the conversation confrontationally – remember that nowadays most roofers cannot rely on volume of work overshadowing the negative feedback – they need the support of their customers, and are far less likely to try to rip off their customers than in the days before the internet.
Don’t be afraid to call back your roofer if you need to. Be honest and frank but respectful. Problems can always occur, even when the work was completed to a high standard. Remember, however, to stick to your guns – if you are confident there is an issue, then don’t settle for anything other than getting that issue resolved. It is vital your roof is functional at all times.
If you really appreciated the performance of your roofer, from initial contact right through to final payments, then be sure to show that appreciation in the form of positive reviews and word of mouth. Leave a rating online, and if a local friend or neighbour is in need of roofing work, keep the name of the roofer you worked with in mind.
Conclusion
Roofing is a difficult task, and even the most experienced roofers can find certain projects challenging – it’s no secret that large-scale roof projects can be equally stressful for your builders as it is for you. It really does benefit both of you to work together to try to make the atmosphere as friendly, efficient, and safe as possible.
We hope this guide has helped you in figuring out ways to work in tandem with your roofer. If you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to take a look at our blogs or contact our fantastic customer services team. They will do their best to help assist with any queries about roofing and roofing products you may have. Simply call us on01295 565 565 or get in touch using the chatbox below.
