Telltale Signs of a Poor Roofing Salesman

THE ROOFER THAT DOESN’T GET ON THE ROOF

Obviously, there are a few exceptions to this rule. If the property is 3 stories tall, or unusually steep a salesperson may have safety concerns about attempting to traverse the roof without a fellow roofer on site. However, those scenarios are few and far between; more often than not, a salesperson who’s not interesting in doing a physical walk of the roof is more interested in getting to the dining room table to present his or her sale pitch.

“How can a(n) expert accurately diagnose a problem if they don’t see it?”

Having a vague or inaccurate scope of work does NOT protect the homeowner from potential issues that arise once the job starts. It actually backs the homeowner into a corner with no real way out other than to agree to additional work! For example: if the salesperson neglects to inspect the condition of the roof decking and during the demolition process it is discovered to be in need of replacement. The homeowner has no choice but to agree to having it replaced at whatever price the contractor demands! Once the roof is off, there’s no going back!

PERSONAL/VEHICLE APPEARANCE

Showing up on time, having a clean/put together appearance, not having a creepy demeanor…seems simple right? Call 3-5 roofers out to your home and you will see vast differences! Homeowner intuition is a real thing. One may not know the correct order in which products go on, or the pressure at which a nail gun needs to be set to; but don’t discount yourself…you can read people! A few of the most common examples that homeowners consistently give:

The career salesman who knows just enough to be dangerous

Solution: Ask an overly specific question and watch his response (you don’t have to know the answer, you’re just seeing if HE/SHE has the answer)

SHOWS UP LATE WITH NO COMMUNICATION

Things happen from time to time. An appointment may run over, traffic may be terrible, etc. There are very few scenarios in which a 2-minute phone call or text informing a homeowner of the changes can’t be made. What’s worse, there are sales reps out there that give off the “you should be grateful I’m even here” vibe!

“CONTRACTOR DASHBOARD”

YES, it actually has a name! If you’re ever in the Home Depot or Lowes parking lot during the morning hours, walk over to where the contractors park and look at their dashboards. No doubt, you will see a few with papers, receipts, and trash piled up in the window. If they keep their mobile office a mess, do you think they’ll treat your property any better?

DOESN’T SEEM INTERESTED

Not all jobs are “slam-dunks”, but that doesn’t mean that all homeowners shouldn’t be treated with the same level of respect! All we can say to this is “for every bad contractor out there, there’s a good one!” If a salesperson seems uninterested, simply move on to the next.