Service Calls - Roofing Talk

user182 · 02-20-2009, 07:28 PM

A HO called me about a repair because a few shingles had blown off his roof.

I quoted a price over the phone which he agreed to.

I told him that even if I could find the exact same shingle it would be darker because they fade. I also mentioned that it’s possible that a shingle could be discontinued.

I told him I would come out the next day and call when I was on my way, which I did.

I drove for about 20 minutes to get there. I told him I had never seen that color before. It was a cheap 3 tab. I told him it was probably discontinued but I would take a sample to my supplier to see if I could match it.

My supplier confirmed that it was a discontinued product and they didn’t have anything like it.

So I called the HO and asked if he wanted me to use something that was lighter or darker.

He said that he had another roofer coming out later on and wanted to see if the other guy could match it.

I got a little upset as you can imagine.

You may have stories of your own. People seem to assume that your time and expertise has no value. They can blow you off without a second thought.

Do you have a process that you go through to make sure you get paid for service calls?

Should I be asking for a credit card number before committing to drive over?

I’ve never been big on offering service calls because frequently they want to get estimates. They don’t want to commit to hiring me over the phone. It’s not worth the time that it takes to drive over unless they are committed to using me. -How do you handle it?

Ed the Roofer · 02-20-2009, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack The Roofer

A HO called me about a repair because a few shingles had blown off his roof.

I quoted a price over the phone which he agreed to.

I told him that even if I could find the exact same shingle it would be darker because they fade. I also mentioned that it’s possible that a shingle could be discontinued.

I told him I would come out the next day and call when I was on my way, which I did.

I drove for about 20 minutes to get there. I told him I had never seen that color before. It was a cheap 3 tab. I told him it was probably discontinued but I would take a sample to my supplier to see if I could match it.

My supplier confirmed that it was a discontinued product and they didn’t have anything like it.

So I called the HO and asked if he wanted me to use something that was lighter or darker.

He said that he had another roofer coming out later on and wanted to see if the other guy could match it.

I got a little upset as you can imagine.

You may have stories of your own. People seem to assume that your time and expertise has no value. They can blow you off without a second thought.

Do you have a process that you go through to make sure you get paid for service calls?

Should I be asking for a credit card number before committing to drive over?

I’ve never been big on offering service calls because frequently they want to get estimates. They don’t want to commit to hiring me over the phone. It’s not worth the time that it takes to drive over unless they are committed to using me.

How do you handle it?

Call up an Electrician or a Plumber or an HVAC company for a service call and see how they handle it.

Yes, if you accept credit cards, bill them in advance, pending actually doing the job to process the invoice amount and get a written authorization from them when you are there, so that they can not dispute the fee and get a charge back attached to your merchant account.

Ed

user182 · 02-20-2009, 09:26 PM

I guess I would have to get paid in advance and process the transaction before going over.

Maybe I should see if I can do it through QuickBooks. I think they have a feature for getting paid online, but there is probably a monthly fee.

Ed the Roofer · 02-20-2009, 10:34 PM

Quickbooks sells the software for about $29.00 at Office Max, et al...

It is called QuickBooks Credit Card Processing Kit.

$14.95 Monthly fee, waived for the first two months
No monthly minimum
1.79% (card swiped rate)
2.69% (key entered rate)
.30 cents Per Authorization
No Cancellation Fees or Contract

It is a Merchant Account provider and not too bad on the discount rates either.

Ed

Grumpy · 02-21-2009, 07:12 AM

Lesson learned. Verbal agreements are not binding because peoples' memories get foggy or flat out lie. Next time you fax or email a written proposal and ask them to sign and fax or email it back before you waste your time. I do alot of repairs that I close over the phone like you, the difference is I won't send someone out there without a binding agreement.

This IS a job, not an ESTIMATE. We don't give free estimates on repairs, unless you twist our arm. We typically want to close the job over the phone T&M since replacing a few shingles is maybe $250 assuming it's a stock color. However That same $250 will jump to about $400 if I, or one of my estimators, have to make two trips and write up a detailed proposal. It's most fair to the customer and the company to do these small jobs T&M.

But the fact remains, it's a job not an estiamte and the customer needs to know this. Which is why I make them sign a contract before scheduling the work.

user182 · 02-21-2009, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Lesson learned. Verbal agreements are not binding because peoples' memories get foggy or flat out lie. Next time you fax or email a written proposal and ask them to sign and fax or email it back before you waste your time. I do alot of repairs that I close over the phone like you, the difference is I won't send someone out there without a binding agreement.

This IS a job, not an ESTIMATE. We don't give free estimates on repairs, unless you twist our arm. We typically want to close the job over the phone T&M since replacing a few shingles is maybe $250 assuming it's a stock color. However That same $250 will jump to about $400 if I, or one of my estimators, have to make two trips and write up a detailed proposal. It's most fair to the customer and the company to do these small jobs T&M.

But the fact remains, it's a job not an estiamte and the customer needs to know this. Which is why I make them sign a contract before scheduling the work.

If you email a contract for a signature how to you get it back?

Do they have to scan it after signing it and then email back? (if they don’t have a fax)

OUTLAW · 02-21-2009, 07:22 PM

This is good stuff!

I am so tired of giving people prices for repairs only to be turned down.

I have thought about charging for estimates on repairs and then credit it back to them if they accept it.

I like the idea of taking the credit card on the phone before hand. Maybe even record the customer agreeing to the credit card charge.

pcplumber · 03-11-2009, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed the Roofer

Quickbooks sells the software for about $29.00 at Office Max, et al...

It is called QuickBooks Credit Card Processing Kit.

$14.95 Monthly fee, waived for the first two months
No monthly minimum
1.79% (card swiped rate)
2.69% (key entered rate)
.30 cents Per Authorization
No Cancellation Fees or Contract

It is a Merchant Account provider and not too bad on the discount rates either.

Ed

If I buy QuickBooks are you saying I don't need my separate credit card terminal and I can process credit cards through QuickBooks instead of a bank.

Ed the Roofer · 03-11-2009, 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pcplumber

If I buy QuickBooks are you saying I don't need my separate credit card terminal and I can process credit cards through QuickBooks instead of a bank.

Yes, I believe so.

http://quickbooks.intuit.com/product...ode=3969702399
Main info page.

http://quickbooks.intuit.com/product...ode=3969702399
Face-to-face

If you do face-to-face transactions, use our card reader. Credit card data will be automatically transmitted to the Intuit QuickBooks Credit Card Processing Kit you can take advantage of our low 1.79% card-swiped rate. 1

How It Works Notes
1 Rates subject to change. Credit card reader required for card swiped rates; sold separately.

Additional fees apply to accepting American Express and Diners Cub cards. Transactions are subject to association guidelines.

Innovative Merchant Solutions, an Intuit Company, LLC is a registered agent of JPMorgan Chase, Columbus, OH and Westamerica, Santa Rosa, CA.

Credit Card Reader Hardware:

http://payments.intuit.com/product/a...890&height=600

.

user182 · 03-11-2009, 07:22 AM

I process credit cards through QB,

I recently bought the swiper for around $80 and I got internet access for my notebook computer through At&t for about $60 per month.

I only used the swiper once so far and they did not give me the lower rate.

We called them about it and they said if the customer has a card that gives them points for a frequent flyer type promotion then you will not get the lower rate.

The only benefit so far is that the money got into my bank quicker by using the swiper, it was there the next day.

QB has banking partners that process the transactions.

The Software Ed referred may be a stand alone product the does not require you to use Qb for your accounting.

You can also enter credit cards manually through QB and it takes longer for the money to show up.

They have been charging me about 2.25%

02-20-2009, 07:28 PM	#1
user182 user182 Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 313	Service Calls A HO called me about a repair because a few shingles had blown off his roof. I quoted a price over the phone which he agreed to. I told him that even if I could find the exact same shingle it would be darker because they fade. I also mentioned that it’s possible that a shingle could be discontinued. I told him I would come out the next day and call when I was on my way, which I did. I drove for about 20 minutes to get there. I told him I had never seen that color before. It was a cheap 3 tab. I told him it was probably discontinued but I would take a sample to my supplier to see if I could match it. My supplier confirmed that it was a discontinued product and they didn’t have anything like it. So I called the HO and asked if he wanted me to use something that was lighter or darker. He said that he had another roofer coming out later on and wanted to see if the other guy could match it. I got a little upset as you can imagine. You may have stories of your own. People seem to assume that your time and expertise has no value. They can blow you off without a second thought. Do you have a process that you go through to make sure you get paid for service calls? Should I be asking for a credit card number before committing to drive over? I’ve never been big on offering service calls because frequently they want to get estimates. They don’t want to commit to hiring me over the phone. It’s not worth the time that it takes to drive over unless they are committed to using me. -How do you handle it? Last edited by Ed the Roofer; 07-23-2009 at 04:21 PM.

02-20-2009, 09:26 PM	#3
user182 user182 Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 313	get paid in advance I guess I would have to get paid in advance and process the transaction before going over. Maybe I should see if I can do it through QuickBooks. I think they have a feature for getting paid online, but there is probably a monthly fee.

02-20-2009, 10:34 PM	#4
Ed the Roofer Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 622	Quickbooks sells the software for about $29.00 at Office Max, et al... It is called QuickBooks Credit Card Processing Kit. $14.95 Monthly fee, waived for the first two months No monthly minimum 1.79% (card swiped rate) 2.69% (key entered rate) .30 cents Per Authorization No Cancellation Fees or Contract It is a Merchant Account provider and not too bad on the discount rates either. Ed __________________ Just Wait A Minute, I Will Be Right Back With A Link For That. http://www.rightwayroofingcompany.com/ www.rightwayroofingcompany.com Roof Estimates, Roof Repairs, Roofers, Roof Leak Help, Elgin, Carpentersville, East Dundee, West Dundee, Sleepy Hollow, Algonquin, South Elgin, Huntley, Lake In The Hills, Illinois

02-21-2009, 07:12 AM	#5
Grumpy Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 927	Lesson learned. Verbal agreements are not binding because peoples' memories get foggy or flat out lie. Next time you fax or email a written proposal and ask them to sign and fax or email it back before you waste your time. I do alot of repairs that I close over the phone like you, the difference is I won't send someone out there without a binding agreement. This IS a job, not an ESTIMATE. We don't give free estimates on repairs, unless you twist our arm. We typically want to close the job over the phone T&M since replacing a few shingles is maybe $250 assuming it's a stock color. However That same $250 will jump to about $400 if I, or one of my estimators, have to make two trips and write up a detailed proposal. It's most fair to the customer and the company to do these small jobs T&M. But the fact remains, it's a job not an estiamte and the customer needs to know this. Which is why I make them sign a contract before scheduling the work. __________________ -Grumpy Chicago Gutters Chicago Roofing

03-11-2009, 07:22 AM	#10
user182 user182 Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 313	Credit Cards & QB I process credit cards through QB, I recently bought the swiper for around $80 and I got internet access for my notebook computer through At&t for about $60 per month. I only used the swiper once so far and they did not give me the lower rate. We called them about it and they said if the customer has a card that gives them points for a frequent flyer type promotion then you will not get the lower rate. The only benefit so far is that the money got into my bank quicker by using the swiper, it was there the next day. QB has banking partners that process the transactions. The Software Ed referred may be a stand alone product the does not require you to use Qb for your accounting. You can also enter credit cards manually through QB and it takes longer for the money to show up. They have been charging me about 2.25% Last edited by user182; 03-11-2009 at 07:26 AM.

02-21-2009, 07:22 PM	#7
OUTLAW Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: VIRGINIA Posts: 168	This is good stuff! I am so tired of giving people prices for repairs only to be turned down. I have thought about charging for estimates on repairs and then credit it back to them if they accept it. I like the idea of taking the credit card on the phone before hand. Maybe even record the customer agreeing to the credit card charge.

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