When I first entered the roofing marketing industry, I was curious about the discrepancy between telemarketing companies that charged $50 per lead and those that charged $100 or more. It didn’t take me long to realize that there’s a clear distinction between the right and wrong ways of doing things. Conversations with numerous contractors revealed a common theme of frustration over poor leads and the detrimental impact of chasing unqualified prospects on roofing businesses. Here are five straightforward ways to determine whether your call center is poised to deliver results or is more likely to cause trouble:
Exclusive Leads
Purchasing leads that are exclusively set for one contractor is non-negotiable in my book. Companies like Service Magic (now Home Advisor) thrive by selling the same lead to multiple contractors. While that may be a lucrative business model for them, I fail to grasp why any roofing contractor would willingly pay to compete directly with 4-5 other contractors for the same deal. Furthermore, beware of call centers that clandestinely sell leads to multiple contractors, often outsourcing to South America. Ensure you receive recordings for your appointments every time to confirm they were indeed set for you, not someone else. At Storm911, we provide recordings with every appointment, guaranteeing transparency and exclusivity for your leads.
100% Verified
Navigating the roofing industry often feels like deciphering a puzzle, with homeowners’ responses sometimes resembling a game of smoke and mirrors. The infamous adage “buyers are liars” resonates particularly strongly here, where initial enthusiasm can quickly evaporate into evasion tactics like running, ducking, or conveniently forgetting appointments.
Enter the second step verification—an invaluable tool for roofing marketers looking to solidify appointments and hold wishy-washy homeowners accountable. By introducing a simple verification process, marketers can effectively lock in commitments and significantly reduce the likelihood of no-shows or last-minute cancellations. Once homeowners have reaffirmed their interest through this additional step, their commitment tends to solidify, making it far more likely that they’ll be present when your salesperson arrives.
But here’s where Storm911 sets itself apart: not only do we offer second step verification, but we also provide transparent access to recordings of each appointment confirmation. This level of transparency ensures that you have full visibility into the confirmation process, empowering you to gauge the quality of each appointment and make informed decisions about your sales strategy.
While some appointment providers may shy away from sharing recordings, fearing scrutiny over quality or resale value, Storm911 embraces transparency as a cornerstone of our service. We believe that open communication and accountability are essential for building trust and driving success in the roofing industry. So why settle for ambiguity when you can have clarity? Choose Storm911 for appointment services that leave no room for doubt.
Call The Storm Zone NOT a Zip Code
One of the biggest scams I’ve heard of recently are hail and storm damage telemarketers who call zip codes, instead of areas. This is a great deal for the telemarketing company who can offer contractors cheap leads by calling outside of the heaviest hit areas on the map. If you are hiring a telemarketing or canvassing team make sure they are using a good hail map and KMZ file to target the areas with actual damage instead of delivering weak leads working around the storm.
100% InHouse Staff Nothing Outsourced to Other Call Centers!
The other day I was contacted by a construction marketing company based in “California”. After questioning the salesperson, I learned the actual work was done in the Philippines by a BPO. The trouble with outsourcing to other companies (BPO’s) and not handling your services in house by your staff is that the leads, and customer service is are often poor quality. I could tell you one who is a name stealer and another in the mountains but that we will leave for another day. That being said, most of the roofing contractors I know have tried stuff like this at one time or another, but most have found that spending a few extra dollars upfront on a company that has all staff in house pays a much higher return on investment. Regardless of where you are from, invest in giving your company a local feel and it will pay you back in spades.
Service Please
Do you ever long for the days when the “customer” was king? Now days many companies act like they are doing you a favor by providing even the most basic customer service. But, when it comes to your marketing, beware. To get a good return on investment, it’s important that you have clear and open lines of communication with your service provider. When it comes to good customer service, you deserve it!
