Customer experience in the roofing industry can be tricky because unless it happens to be planned, a roofer at your door is often not good.
Roofers are required to combine home services expertise with crisis management skills, since repairs and especially a new roof are costly. They also often result from a weather emergency, which could add to a customer’s stress. Experts say that is happening even more because of extreme weather caused by climate change.
Throw in the necessity of being in and around people’s homes – among their most personal possessions – while respecting their living space, and a roofer may also need the customer experience skills of a diplomat.
Roofing companies are trying to make the experience easier by providing a memorable experience, with personal touches that combine a growing focus on technology, use of environmentally sustainable roofing supplies, and deployment of social media to reach customers in a saturated market.
New Technology Enhances Customer Experience In The Roofing Industry
As with many industries, technology is playing a big role in changing the customer experience in roofing for the better.
Owens Corning, for example, features a design “visualization tool” that lets homeowners “try on” asphalt roofing shingles online by uploading their own photos or selecting a pre-loaded house to experiment with different shingle colors, and adjust siding and trim colors.
The digital emphasis reflects a changing business environment in which the company says homeowners “should be able to receive more information about their home renovations and expected costs without ever opening their front door.”
Technology platform Roofr, meanwhile, offers an “Instant Estimator” which leverages satellite images to generate immediate quotes to customers, thereby simplifying the sales process.
Homeowners enter their address and respond to questions about their roof, and then receive a tailored quote from the roofer using the software.
“When it comes to their roof, homeowners want the convenient online buying experience they’re used to,” says the Roofr website. “The interactive tool makes the estimating process transparent so by the time they hit submit – you’re the obvious choice.”
Being Witty Draws People To The Brand
In some cases, roofers use a more low-tech technique to try to put potential customers at ease: humor. To wit: a North Carolina roofing firm that captured attention by putting quirky billboards on highways.
One featured a toothy shark breaking through a roof next to the slogan “We Will Fix Any RooFINg Problem.” Another depicted a parachutist and his parachute draped over a roof with the words “Roof Problems Aren’t Always This Obvious.”
Then there’s the one where Santa crashed his sleigh into a roof and is hanging from the highway sign. “Too Much Egg Nog?” the ad asks mischievously.
The owner of the family-owned Tri County Roofing (now called Trico Exteriors), Travis Hawkins, emphasized that the catchy signs and slogans were part of a focus on customer experience.
“Our customers know they get more than our services,” he said. “They get a sustained relationship, a partnership with us, and that builds trust in our ability to respond to their future needs. They know about the extra mile we provide.”
As it happens, Trico tapped into a key part of my WISER customer experience methodology – the W stands for Witty. When brands communicate with customers, it’s an opportunity to create an experience, and that can mean just to put a smile on someone’s face.
Getting or repairing a roof is not exactly associated with fun, so adding some wit to the experience is an especially smart way to show some brand personality – and potentially build a better experience.
The Roofing Industry Continues To Grow
With most homeowners needing a new roof installed only every 12-25 years – which can make it hard to find repeat customers – and more than 250,000 roofing contractors in the United States – the roofing market is saturated and highly competitive.
Yet the industry will grow from $200 billion in 2023 to $343 billion by 2033, fueled by increases in renovations and repairs as buildings age, and the increasing prevalence of damage from extreme weather, which causes property owners to invest in upgrades.
Among the key trends: the growing popularity of roofs with energy efficient properties, such as reflective coatings and so-called green roofs, along with smart roofing systems and other technological advances.
Examples of Customer Experience In The Roofing Industry
Roofers and roofing companies are increasingly using social media to connect with customers and enhance their experience.
Dmitry Lipinskiy, for one, is a roofing expert and entrepreneur who runs Roofing Insights, a YouTube channel with 122,000 subscribers.
While he focuses on product reviews, industry news, and roofing tips, he also uses irreverent humor, such as when he gained some negative comments – but a lot of attention – by filming himself doing a hand stand on a roof.
One roofing marketing site shared a list of suggested funny quotes for roofers to use on their social media pages to attract customers.
Among the entries: “How did the roofer get such a good review? He nailed it!”
“What do you call a newly divorced roofer? Shingle and ready to mingle.”
And: “Don’t worry, it’s probably over your head.”
Sometimes, though, it’s a traditionally memorable customer experience that wins out.
TEMA Roofing Services in Ohio and Pennsylvania, for one, is a family-owned business that takes the term so literally it features a large photo of its top officials, and their children, at the top of its website.
TEMA builds what it calls a seamless experience through regular interactions with customers and educating them with data-driven roofing assessment tools, “to fill a gap in customer centric service within the commercial roofing industry.”
“If you’re looking for a sales-focused, transactional relationship, TEMA may not be the company for you,” the firm says.
Image by freepik. This is part of a series of industry articles featuring customer experience examples that any company can use.
Related:
Why Extraordinary Experiences Don’t Have To Be Expensive or Complicated
The Future of the Sales Experience: From Transactions to Relationships
