It is unfortunate, but we receive many calls from people who have been scammed by other roofing businesses, who had inferior work performed on their homes, who refuse to come back if there are any issues, or you as a customer simply cannot get in contact with them! Here at Elite, we understand and value our promise of transparency with our customers, and take pride in our customer service. Here are some helpful tips and/or what to look out for when hiring any business to take on your project:
1. The first great sign to finding a legitimate company is to see if they have a physical location that is open during business hours for you to visit. This can involve previewing different roofing materials, or even discussing any general questions you may have about your project.
2. A major red flag that we recommend watching out for is if a company states that they were formerly with another business/company. Although this does not always have negative connotations attached, it is important to ask yourself why. Was there an issue at their former company that resulted in letting them go? Is it possible that they need to use their former company's name in order to further obtain business? These are just a few questions that may come to mind when in search of a company to complete your next project.
3. Another great sign to look for when looking to hire any company is to check if their phone number is a landline or a personal cell phone. Although many new companies may opt-in for a more personal approach when dealing with calls, it is important that a company has its own business phone number that you can call whenever is needed. We’ve heard of cases from our customers using other companies that they have been blocked or unable to reach the company after a less than inferior job has been performed. Here at Elite, we want all our current and future customers to feel a sense of transparency and clear communication throughout and after the process.
4. Although a company may show that they have insurance, many companies only carry the bare minimum of general liability, but not us! We also have employees' workman compensation, which means that in the event that a roofer gets hurt during a job, the homeowner does not have the legal responsibility. Here at Elite, we believe that the last thing you should need to worry about is the work being performed on your house! Not to worry, we are fully licensed and insured for your peace of mind!
5. Another red flag to look out for is the size of a company's crew. Of course, there are cases where certain companies perform better with a smaller crew, but when it comes to your roof, bigger is better! Here at Elite, all of our employees work as a team; if a company has several workers instead of a team, this may mean their ability to quickly start and complete a project may take twice as long as expected.
6. When a company isn’t uniformed, this may be considered another major red flag. When in search of a company to perform your next project, be sure to check if a company has business shirts/uniforms. This may give you insight into the legitimacy of their company and if they are an established business. If the company does have a business shirt or uniform, be sure to check if their logo and company address is listed on the shirt, not just a town or phone number.
7. Yet another red flag that we recommend you look out for when in search of a company is their trucks. Company trucks almost always are wrapped or have a vinyl decal on the side of the trucks which displays their company name or logo, their company address and phone number, and almost always have commercial plates. If a company does not have commercial plates or has a magnetic sign on its trucks, this may indicate that the company is not legitimate. Although minor, this can be a huge indication of a sketchy company.
8. We understand that our customers expect fast and reliable service, which is what we aim to serve, but sometimes more than often, we have to schedule estimates a few days to a week after the first initial call. If a company is able to come a day after, or even the day of the call, this may mean that the company is not busy or is not generating calls and/or sales. Although not being busy is not always a negative sign, it can indicate the quality of their work. If you are questioning their speed of service, checking reviews on Google, other social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram, or even the Better Business Bureaus website, will help you come to a conclusion on whether or not to use that company,
9. Lastly, and this is a given for any situation with money, if the price seems too good to be true, run! We are aware that other companies may price match or even go under a given price in order to make a quick sale, but more times than often this may indicate a poor quality job or inferior materials to keep the cost of the job low. Here at Elite, we understand that most times a roof repair may come up unexpectedly, which is why we take different payment methods such as credit cards, checks, and Venmo. Quality is our top priority here at Elite; we use quality materials that will prevent further repairs or damage.
When in doubt, you can always search for a company on the Better Business Bureau’s (BBB) website, https://www.bbb.org/, to obtain more information about said company. The BBB website also offers reviews from real customers which may help you to weed out any sketchy companies you may come across.
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