Turning Your Roofing Business Into a Customer-Centric Operation

Customers and their desires evolve almost daily, meaning adhering to their constant changes — also known as being customer-centric — is important to create and build upon success for any business. For roofing companies specifically, much of the secured business in our industry derives from returning customers, as well as new customers who receive referrals or study online reviews about a company they’re considering for maintenance work.

In fact, surveys show the probability of businesses closing a sale with an existing customer is between 60-70%, compared to just 5-20% when approaching brand-new customers. Additionally, 97% of consumers reported they would share great customer service they received with friends and family. It’s clear that customers prefer to interact and engage with companies they know and trust.

It may sound mundane to express the importance of supporting customers and their preferences, but the reality is that many in our industry can struggle to do so. This inability can minimize new job opportunities, leading to loss of revenue, high employee turnover, and other severe consequences. To help roofing companies avoid these complications, we take a look at three principles that can be implemented in your organizational strategy to ensure your roofing business is thriving and properly serving your customers at the same time.

1. Hiring talent with a customer-centric focus

As president of Hoosier Contractors, I understand how hard it can be to find employees who mesh well not only internally with the team, but also with customers externally. Employees are the faces of the business, no matter if they’re sales staff or the on-site project team. Good or bad, they represent the company at all times, which is why hiring with a customer-centric mindset is a must.

Companies can do this by promoting their culture within specific job descriptions and when sharing job openings. Job seekers are prioritizing company culture more these days, with 77% saying they consider it before applying to a specific company. Not only does promoting culture bring more applicants in the door, but also attracts the top industry talent that provides the skills, experience and intangibles needed for a customer-friendly enterprise.

It’s also important to emphasize candidates’ soft skills during the interview process, along with their skills and experience, which can be done by inserting more conversational interview questions. While some prospects may be the most qualified for the job, a lack of interpersonal skills can cause tension inside the company, as well as subpar customer communication, eventually leading to poorly run operations.

2. Emphasizing the importance of relationships

With much of our business coming from existing customers and their referrals, an important method to use in securing this business is fostering longstanding relationships with customers. Relationships, and strong ones at that, are king in today’s day and age, which makes having these with customers a huge asset for a business’ success.

The first step in this process is to befriend the customers, followed by sustaining that friendship over time. How we go about creating and building our personal relationships can pay dividends in building ones with customers, such as honesty, building trust, showing care and more. With 79% of customerssaying they want companies to show that they understand and care about them before a purchase, utilizing these tactics can secure upcoming referrals and new customers.

Additionally, companies that hire with a customer-centric mindset will already have employees that can create these long-lasting relationships with customers, building a pipeline for future business opportunities. 

3. Giving back to the community

According to the 2020 Consumer Culture Report, 71% of respondents preferred buying from and interacting with businesses that align with their values. Typically, we see this with companies giving back to causes customers care for, either through donations or physical service. For roofing businesses, giving back may be one of the more feasible and effective ways to build brand affinity with customers.

Whether it be donations or offering free services to neighbors in a time of need, our businesses can make a major difference across communities with what we bring to the table. Additionally, customers will feel that their and the community’s well-being is cared for, leading to them being more inclined to seek your services in the future. Businesses must not forget to be genuine when giving back to their communities and fulfill their pledges to their customers and communities.

While it’s important to excel in the individual services and expertise roofing businesses provide, companies must not forget to also excel in their customer service and customer appeal. Consumers now desire companies that are friendly and unique to them, rather than just offering the best service or the lowest price. These adaptations have made it a necessity for all businesses — especially for those in our industry — to be a customer-centric enterprise. As we continue to progress out of the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting to a customer-friendly business could be the springboard for companies across our incredibly competitive industry.

About the author: A disabled veteran from Indianapolis, Indiana, Josh White has served as the President of Hoosier Contractors since 2013. Hoosier Contractors is a locally owned and operated residential and commercial contracting business serving the greater Indianapolis area. Using a customer-first approach to build business, Hoosier Contractors’ services include roof repair and replacement, gutters, siding, painting, home construction and more. Hoosier Contractors is part of the National Roofing Contractors Association and accredited by the Better Business Bureau. To learn more, visit hoosierroof.com.