Service First Solutions
We know what it takes to grow a successful service department—because we’ve done it ourselves. With over 25 years of combined experience in the commercial roofing industry, we’ve worked in every key role within the service side of the low-slope sector. That hands-on experience gave us the insight to develop systems, tools, and strategies that truly work.
Today, we help contractors of all sizes build and strengthen their service departments to improve efficiency, customer satisfaction, and profit margins. Whether you're starting from scratch or refining an existing team, our solutions are built to meet you where you are.
Our services include:
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Total Access Consulting – Unlimited remote support from Tracey Donels, an industry leader known for applying The Golden Rule to service excellence
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On-Demand Estimating – A self-funding estimating service tailored specifically for the service side of low-slope roofing
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Service-Focused Peer Groups – Structured, EOS-style group sessions that promote collaboration, accountability, and growth
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Training & Resources – Ready-to-use presentations, software libraries, SOPs, and marketing materials to streamline your operations
We’re here to help you overcome the common hurdles of growing a service department—so you can focus on growing your business.
Check out our FREE Service Program Workbook
Level up your business by emphasizing service!
Service in the roofing industry is more than just a department of your business — it offers a route to long-term growth for your company! While developing a strong service department can be challenging and many roofers fall into the trap of reactive servicing, Service First Solution’s free workbook is a great place to find a reliable strategy for building your service offerings!
Download the free workbook today!
Tracey Donels - Service Departments: A Masterclass in Excellence
In this Roofing Road Trips® episode, Heidi J. Ellsworth is joined by Tracey Donels of Service First Solutions who shares a no-nonsense look at what it really takes to build a high-performing commercial service department. From the importance of internal operations to the value of daily practice over one-time training, Tracey outlines how exceptional service is more about communication than roofing. With lessons pulled straight from the jobsite and the office, this episode is a masterclass in operational excellence.
Ellisha Loftus - Service Leadership Starts with Strategy
In this Roofing Road Trips® episode, Megan Ellsworth sits down with Ellisha Loftus, the newest growth consultant at Service First Solutions, to talk about her journey through the industry. Listen in to find out what drew her to join the Service First team and why she’s passionate about helping contractors take their service divisions to the next level. From the importance of standard operating procedures to the power of communication and professionalism, this conversation will be packed with insights for contractors looking to grow their repair and maintenance business.
Scaling Up: Stages of Company Expansion
In this Roofing Road Trips®, Heidi J. Ellsworth sits down with Tracey Donels of Service First Solutions to discuss the stages of expanding a roofing business from a two-person team to a fully coordinated operation. From defining initial roles in a small team to adding specialized roles like project management and administration, they'll explore how each stage adds value and strengthens the foundation for further growth. Whether you're a new business or a seasoned roofer looking to scale, this episode will give you a roadmap for growth.
Service First Solutions - Roof Service Summit
Heidi Ellsworth invites you along as she tours the first Roof Service Summit by Service First Solutions, hosted at SOPREMA in Dallas Texas. Heidi says hi to several familiar faces in the industry in attendance at this amazing conference as she walks the lobby and gives us a rare glimpse into the conference hall, normally reserved for Service First Solutions' customers as they prepare for a day of excellence, training, peer group discussions, and service department building strategy. This conference highlights ways to enhance productivity, increase revenue and reduce stress, featuring insights into department structure, technology adoption and building stronger service-oriented relationships for roofing contractors.
Tracey Donnels of Service First Solutions highlights real-world case studies showing how contractors have cut downtime, improved technician dispatching and increased repeat-service revenue—all while strengthening client relationships. The presentation also notes the presence of several other excellent industry players providing complementary viewpoints and support.
Find out more about teaming up with Service First Solutions!
LIVE From WRE 2025 with Service First Solutions!
At Service First Solutions, our mission is to coach and train commercial roofing companies to achieve exceptional growth and operational excellence. We specialize in transforming service departments into significant profit centers that pave the way for broader business opportunities. By providing expert consulting services, from strategic planning to hands-on training and peer support, we guide our customers to new heights.
Visit our website to learn more.
Meet the heart behind Service First Solutions
This new 5-minute video introduces you to our founder Tracey, and the journey that shaped our mission to help roofers build better service departments.
"I've done all the roles and I've walked through those shoes. So I really know what our customers are walking through and the battles they're facing."
Tracey thought he was opening a consulting company. What he really built is a coaching company driven by passion, real-world experience, and a deep love for the people in this industry.
Learn more about growing your service department.
People Make Roofing with Tracey Donnels
Welcome to People Make Roofing, a call to action led by Roofing Talent America andRoofersCoffeeShop®, with Heidi J. Ellsworth and Luke McCormack. In this episode, Heidi and Luke talk with Tracey Donels, founder of Service First Solutions, about the power of mentorship, service-driven growth and the entrepreneurial journey in the roofing industry. Tracey shares how his unexpected start at KPost Roofing evolved into a 20-year career dedicated to repair and maintenance, culminating in the launch of his national training and coaching business. The conversation dives into creating career paths for young professionals, embracing innovation and building a roofing culture rooted in education and opportunity. Tune in for this inspiring story of grit, growth and giving back!
Service First Solutions LIVE from ServiceCon 2025!
At Service First Solutions, our mission is to coach and train commercial roofing companies to achieve exceptional growth and operational excellence. We specialize in transforming service departments into significant profit centers that pave the way for broader business opportunities. By providing expert consulting services, from strategic planning to hands-on training and peer support, we guide our customers to new heights.
Visit our website to learn more.
Understanding the Essentials of a Maintenance Department
A strong maintenance department plays a key role in reducing downtime, managing costs, and ensuring operational reliability. Whether you're starting fresh or refining existing systems, asking these questions is the first step:
- Why is a service department critical to operations?
- What tools, systems and personnel are needed to succeed?
- How do you build, implement and manage an effective program?
- Where does the funding typically come from to get started?
- How can you grow or scale a maintenance department over time?
- What does it take to build and retain a reliable maintenance team?
Ways to Grow your Service Department
Total Access Consulting
Our consulting program provides remote support to elevate your service department, with direct access to Tracey and his expert team.
- Weekly scorecards to track progress & growth.
- Virtual team engagement to refine processes across roles.
- Customized training & software guidance.
- Access to Digital Desk with SOPs, training tools & templates.
Learn more about Total Access Consulting.
Service-focused Peer Groups
Service-Focused Peer Group program uses EOS-style meeting agendas to help roofing professionals grow their service departments. The program goes beyond consultancy by creating a community where non-competing professionals collaborate, share experiences, and work together toward success.
- Non-competing professionals collaborate and share insights.
- Focus on growth and problem-solving.
- A supportive community for success.
Learn more about our service-focused peer groups.
Intensive Contractor Visits
Our two-day contractor visits program delivers in-person consulting to transform your service department. We prioritize face-to-face collaboration, offering strategic insights and support digital tools can’t match.
- In-person collaboration for effective communication.
- Pre-visit video conferences to align on goals & processes.
- Custom weekly scorecard to track progress.
Learn more about our intensive contractor visits.
Exclusive On-site Training
Service First Solutions (SFS) offers an on-site training opportunity for its peer group customers, designed to teach waterproofing skills. Led by Marcelino Torres, a seasoned waterproofer and roofer who owns a waterproofing company in Dallas, TX., these trainings offer practical, real-world expertise.
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Programs available in both English and Spanish.
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Hands-on Classes in the morning and site visits in the afternoon to apply learned skill.
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Practical, real-world expertise from an advanced, seasoned technician.
Testimonials
Hear from contractors who’ve transformed their service and maintenance departments with help from Service First Solutions.
See how we have helped other contractors grow their maintenance department.
See how we have helped other contractors grow their maintenance department.
Meet Tracey Donels
Tracey Donels is a recognized leader in the commercial roofing industry and an advocate for applying the Golden Rule to customer service. He emphasizes the importance of creating exceptional client experiences while helping companies maximize sales and increase profit margins.
With more than 15 years of experience in service operations, Tracey grew a commercial roofing service department from $800,000 to $8.5 million in annual revenue, while boosting margins by 50%. Today, he uses that experience to help contractors strengthen their service departments and improve overall business performance.
Ready to grow your service department?
Ellishia Loftus
“We are thrilled to have Ellisha join our team," said Tracey Donels, founder of Service First Solutions. "Her extensive experience and strategic insight are invaluable assets that will contribute to our clients' overall success. Ellisha's passion for fostering strong client relationships and her innovative approach to business development make her a perfect fit."
In her new role, Loftus will focus on identifying growth opportunities, optimizing client engagement strategies and enhancing service offerings to meet the evolving needs of the roofing industry. Her proven track record in developing and executing successful growth initiatives aligns seamlessly with Service First Solutions' commitment to delivering exceptional value to its clients.
Latest Promotions and Rebates
Get your FREE copy of Service First Solutions' Service Program Workbook
Level up your business by emphasizing service!
Service in the roofing industry is more than just a department of your business — it offers a route to long-term growth for your company! While developing a strong service department can be challenging and many roofers fall into the trap of reactive ...
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Get down to business and train your waterproofing team with Service First Solutions!
Let's get down to business and train your waterproofing team!
As a Service First Solutions (SFS) peer group customer, there's a special training opportunity waiting for you in both English and Spanish! With hands-on classes in the morning to site visits in the afternoon, SFS can make a waterproofer out of ...
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eBooks
Service Program Workbook
Level up your business by emphasizing service!
Service in the roofing industry is more than just a department of your business — it offers a route to long-term growth for your company! While developing a strong service department can be challenging and many roofers fall into the trap of reactive ...
View eBook
Latest Spanish Content
¡Ya casi llega IRE 2026!
Por Emma Peterson, traducido por Jessica Bravo.
Prepárate para tres días llenos de educación, networking e innovación en el mundo de roofing.
Enero de 2026 puede parecer lejano, pero con la temporada navideña a la vuelta de la esquina, estará aquí antes de que nos demos cuenta. Y con ...
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Día 2: Competencias estudiantiles, sesiones educativas y la ceremonia de premiación de la NRCA en IRE 2025
Por Dani Sheehan, traducido por Jessica Bravo.
Con un horario lleno de sesiones educativas y eventos de networking, ¡asegúrate de planificar con anticipación para IRE 2025!
Probablemente ya tengas tus zapatos cómodos y tarjetas de negocio en tu lista de cosas por empacar para International Roofing Expo (IRE) 2025, ...
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¡Bienvenido a ServiceCon 2025, el evento #1 para iniciar y hacer crecer tu negocio de techado!
Únete a nosotros en Houston, Texas, mientras reunimos a líderes y expertos de la industria para dos días completos de aprendizaje, networking e inspiración.
ServiceCon 2025 está diseñado para proporcionar a los contratistas de techado y sus principales gerentes los conocimientos, herramientas y conexiones que necesitan para llevar su negocio al ...
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Latest Podcasts
Tracey Donels - Setting 2026 Service Goals
In this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Heidi J. Ellsworth is joined by Tracey Donels of Service First Solutions to take a closer look at what a successful service department really looks like. The conversation breaks down why service operations are critical to long-term contractor success, the most common mistakes ...
Listen to the Podcast
Cutting Time Not Corners: Efficiency in Maintenance
In this CoatingsTalk™, Megan Ellsworth is joined by Chris Huettig from KARNAK and Tracey Donels from Service First Solutions to talk about how a commercial roof maintenance department should be set up to maximize efficiency while delivering a longer roof life to customers. The panel examines how dedicated maintenance programs ...
Listen to the Podcast
From the Field to the Future: Dataforma at PSU 2025
In this episode of Roofing Road Trips, Megan Ellsworth talks to Brian Cook from Dataforma and Tracey Donels from Service First Solutions about what to expect from Dataforma’s user conference, PSU 2025! Brian and Tracey talk about What PSU is and why they decided to collaborate on the conference this ...
Listen to the Podcast
Latest Webinars
Service First Solutions and Jolly Roofing and Contracting
Who doesn’t need a coffee break? Join RoofersCoffeeShop for a coffee break every third Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. PT. In the March 2025 Coffee Break, we are joined by Tracey Donels from Service First Solutions. Be sure to tune in to learn about TOPIC! We will also ...
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Read Listen Watch - Educational Content
Cutting Time Not Corners: Efficiency in Maintenance
In this CoatingsTalk™, Megan Ellsworth is joined by Chris Huettig from KARNAK and Tracey Donels from Service First Solutions to talk about how a commercial roof maintenance department should be set up to maximize efficiency while delivering a longer roof life to customers. The panel examines how dedicated maintenance programs ...
View Content
Buy Online
Let's get down to business and train your waterproofing team!
As a Service First Solutions (SFS) peer group customer, there's a special training opportunity waiting for you in both English and Spanish! With hands-on classes in the morning to site visits in the afternoon, SFS can make a waterproofer out of ...
Read More
Latest Videos
The Weekly Blend - Episode 194
Join us every week to learn the latest news in the roofing, metal, coatings and outdoor living industry.
The 194th episode of The Weekly Blend is live! Join The Coffee Shops’ President Heidi Ellsworth and COO Karen Edwards for the latest episode of this Coffee Shop original web series.
Tune in to ...
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The Weekly Blend - Episode 183
Join us every Friday to learn the latest news in the roofing, metal and coatings industry.
The 183rd episode of The Weekly Blend is live! Join The Coffee Shops’ President Heidi Ellsworth and COO Karen Edwards for the latest episode of this Coffee Shop original web series.
Tune in to this week's ...
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Service First Solutions Videos
To learn more about Service First Solutions, visit their RCS Directory.
RoofersCoffeeShop is live!
RoofersCoffeeShop is live at SOPREMA with Service First Solutions!
SFS BrandFilm V5
People Make Roofing - Chris Coryell
How do you anticipate changes in your service department?
What's the Digital Desk?
What are service focused peer groups?
Why is service critical to your overall ...
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