By You can be the best roofer in Lucas County and still lose referrals. How? The customer felt ignored. Nobody told them when the crew was coming. There was a nail in the driveway. The job ran a day over and nobody called.
The roof is perfect. The experience wasn’t.
Fulfillment is part 4 of the 5 core parts of a service business. It’s doing the work, and it’s how the customer feels while you do it. Get it right and every job sells the next one.
Customers can’t judge your work. They judge everything else.
Most homeowners can’t tell a good roof from a great one. They can’t see inside the wall or under the shingles. So they judge what they can see:
- Did you show up when you said?
- Did you call when you said you would?
- Was the crew polite?
- Was the site clean?
- Did it cost what you said?
- Did you explain what you did?
Seth Godin talks about being a Purple Cow: so remarkable that people can’t help but talk about you. In home services, remarkable is often simple. Show up on time. Call back. Leave the place cleaner than you found it. Most of your competitors don’t.
Before the job: set expectations
Most bad reviews come from surprises. Remove them before you start.
After they sign:
“Thanks, Sarah! Here’s what happens next: we’ll order materials this week. Your install is set for Tuesday the 14th. I’ll text you the day before with the crew lead’s name and photo. Any questions, text me anytime.”
The day before:
“Hi Sarah, reminder that our crew arrives tomorrow between 7:30 and 8. Your crew lead is Jose [photo]. Please move cars out of the driveway. It’ll be loud from about 8 to 4. We’ll text when we’re done for the day.”
Now nothing surprises her. That’s half the battle.
During the job: over-communicate
- Morning text: “We’re on site.”
- End-of-day text: “Day 1 done. Old roof is off, decking looks great, we’ll finish tomorrow.” Add a photo.
- If anything changes, call right away. Weather, a delay, extra damage you found. Never let them find out on their own.
Bad news told early feels like honesty. Bad news found later feels like hiding.
Use a checklist on every job
The best companies deliver the same great experience every time, no matter which crew shows up. The secret is a checklist.
A job checklist covers:
- Arrival: on time, introduce yourselves, walk the site with the homeowner
- Protection: tarps, plants covered, driveway protected, shoe covers inside
- Safety: gear on, ladders secured, site safe for kids and pets
- Work: the steps for your trade, done in order
- Photos: before, during and after
- Cleanup: magnet sweep for nails, haul debris, leave it cleaner than you found it
- Walk-through: go over the work with the customer
Start with our free job-site checklist template and add your trade’s steps.
The final walk-through
Never just leave a note and drive off. Walk the job with the customer.
- Show them what you did, in plain words, with photos of the parts they can’t see.
- Ask: “Is there anything you’re not happy with?” Fix small things on the spot.
- Give them paperwork: warranty, care tips, what to watch for.
- Thank them.
- Ask for a review right then, while they’re happy. (More below.)
Deliver a little more than you promised
Alex Hormozi teaches that the best businesses deliver more than the customer expected. It doesn’t have to cost much:
- Clean their gutters while you’re up there.
- Leave a handwritten thank-you card.
- Tighten that loose railing you noticed.
- Send a “How’s everything holding up?” text 30 days later.
Small surprises are what people tell their friends about.
When something goes wrong
Something will go wrong eventually. A leak, a missed detail, a damaged flower bed. How you handle it decides whether you get a 1-star review or a customer for life.
- Call them first, before they call you.
- Say what happened, without excuses.
- Say what you’ll do to fix it, and when.
- Fix it fast and a little better than they expected.
- Follow up to make sure they’re happy.
Many owners find that customers whose problem was fixed fast and well become their biggest fans.
Turn every job into marketing
Every job is a billboard in a neighborhood full of people just like your customer. Use it.
- Yard sign during and after the job (with permission): “Another happy neighbor. [Your name] [Phone].”
- Door hangers on 20 to 30 nearby homes: “We’re working at 123 Elm this week. Want a free check of yours while we’re here?”
- Clean, branded trucks parked out front.
- Before and after photos for your website, Google profile and social media.
- A short video of the finished job.
Homes on the same street were often built at the same time, so they tend to need the same work at the same time. One job can lead to the next three on the block.
Ask for the review and the referral
Right after the walk-through:
“Sarah, I’m so glad you’re happy with it. Reviews really help a small company like ours. Would you mind leaving us a quick one? I’ll text you the link right now.”
And then:
“Also, if any friends or neighbors need a roof checked, we’d take great care of them. Who comes to mind?”
Read more in Reviews and Reputation.
Measure your fulfillment
Watch these numbers every month:
- Callbacks: how many jobs needed a return trip to fix something
- On-time rate: jobs started and finished when promised
- Reviews: how many, and the average rating
- Referrals: new jobs that came from past customers
If callbacks go up or reviews go down, look at your checklist and your crews.
Take care of your crew
Your crew delivers the experience. Happy, trained, safe crews treat customers better.
- Train them on the checklist and on how to talk to homeowners.
- Keep them safe. In Ohio, workers’ comp comes through the BWC, and safety saves you money and people.
- Praise them when customers mention them by name in reviews.
- Pay for quality, not just speed. Bonuses for zero callbacks work well.
Your fulfillment checklist
- Customers get a “what happens next” text after signing
- Customers get a reminder text the day before, with the crew lead’s name
- We send end-of-day updates with photos
- Every crew uses the same job checklist
- We do a final walk-through with every customer
- We ask for a review and a referral at the walk-through
- We put up yard signs and door hangers around every job (with permission)
- We call customers first when something goes wrong
Great work gets you paid. A great experience gets you the next three jobs.
