Contingency contracts/ selling

roofrite Said: So it appears no one has, or cares to share any advice huh. Looks like my simple request to gather information just turned into a bitch session. If there was work to be done in Florida hell I wouldnt leave home. But there aint. Even the biggest companies in Florida are operating essentially on a break even basis just to keep the doors open until things pick up. I will still gladly accept any helpful advice anyone might have in regards to becoming better at the contingency contract selling angle, especially because of what I have seen in the last 6 to 8 years. Because as I stated above it seems even more and more local area contractors are beginning to employ this technique.

Im a veteran but I aint afraid to learn more and get better

All I can share about storms and insurance carrier's "tactics" is what I've experienced first hand over the past 23 years of operation in this business. After you've heard the old BS line (for the 1000th time)"my insurance company told me to get three written estimates first, and NOT to touch or sign ANYTHING until their adjuster comes out to take pictures of the damage". Get the picture here? These scumbags just want to delay legit claim payments as long as they possibly can. They make millions EVERY DAY by holding withholding claim payments and collecting interest and dividends on the money, THEIR customer's money. We started tarping leaking roofs for free due to these scumbags and their treatment of their customer base. You'll never get any sympathy (or empathy) from me when it comes to insurance company "practices". If you want to get a deal get the customer to sign a contract, NOC, and then tarp their roof for free. Tell them they will have to deal with their insurance carrier and you'll wait until the funds are sent before installing the roof. Once the NOC is recorded and permit issued no other roofing company can get the deal away from you. That's the only good advice I can offer to keep your company going while the storm chasers and their insurance adjuster "buddies" are trying their best to put you under.

JET>>>

So it appears no one has, or cares to share any advice huh. Looks like my simple request to gather information just turned into a bitch session. If there was work to be done in Florida hell I wouldn't leave home. But there ain't. Even the biggest companies in Florida are operating essentially on a break even basis just to keep the doors open until things pick up. I will still gladly accept any helpful advice anyone might have in regards to becoming better at the contingency contract selling angle, especially because of what I have seen in the last 6 to 8 years. Because as I stated above it seems even more and more local area contractors are beginning to employ this technique.

I'm a veteran but I ain't afraid to learn more and get better ">>>

Yeah, Yeah well said..... well said. That is the spirit . Crawl run jump whatever it takes. Get the hell out from under your rock. Be proactive ; to take it on the ching and cry about something you can have alot more input is being a pussy.; Ed , builder way to go !!!!!!!!!!!!!!. :woohoo: :woohoo: :side: :ohmy: :side: :blush:>>>

negative marketing hurts everybody... the insurance company and the roofing contractor. Homeowners don't know what to believe. In a way...this helps the local guy without having to do anything but prove that the stereotype is wrong...that you are not going out of business, and that YOU are going to be there for a very long time.... You might loose a battle or two here and there, but inevitably you will win the war.......unless you allow this issue to defeat you, then you are only defeating yourself in your close minded and stubborn insistence in your unwillingness to change, or at least accept the reality of the realness of the competition.

Storm chasers have created the illusion of urgency.... mis-information has confirmed that urgency..... Take a positive posture and educate the homeowners in your area thru your marketing information. Let the buyers know... "Your still here". When disasters hit....all media is affected.... you need a different approach than you might normally take.... people might not be at their home to get a newspaper and read your advertisements, or get your direct mail.... They're living on cots at some junior high school eating red cross tomato soup and wondering what they can do. It's not just their roof.... they get flooded, windows get blown out, framing gets torn off.... Unite locally and storm chasers will eventually realize that in your neck of the woods, you've got things wrapped up pretty tight. Make yourself known to the insurance industry in your area. not just the girl that handles your account.....the entire agency... and their competition. When it comes right doen to it.... we're all just friends and neighbors stuck in a bad situation. You's be surprised how many homeowners will tell you... "geez, I didn't even know your business worked in this town". Don't blame your failure to market your services on your inability to compete when a disaster hits.....prepare for the next disaster.... learn from this one, and get ready.....it's inevitable.....

Of course, then you will have also become a storm chaser..... but luck have it... the storm hit in your back yard.>>>

Learn the process that the Stormers have and become their competition, based on what you can provide that they can not.

Ciak has shown a lot of information over the past, but some of it is learn as you go, because one point of view can not possibly describe all of the intangibles that occur.

I don't like what the Stormers have done to the amount of business that they have taken off of the market for me for the next 5-10 years, but the fact is, that they are not going away.

So, learn to challenge them and be better at marketing your services and don't make the insurance process your enewmy, but conversely, learn more about it and use it to your advantage.

Ed>>>

Kick backs That accusation is totally uninformed and ignorant Jet. Most of the time when ther is accusation with no or little foundation it speaks volumes of the person making them. I hear ya!! ;)>>>

Why do you think these scumbag insurance storm chasers do this kind of work? Without having the "right" to "pick" roofers off their "cleared list" there wouldn't be any kickback money. You guys have to know this is how it works with outside contractors and insurance company adjusters. The statement that there aren't enough "local" companies to do all the work is total BS and we all know it. When Charlie, Fran and Jean all hit down here in '04 Bush not only allowed out-of-state roofers to come in (provided they were "sponsored" by a FL state licensed company) but he also allowed the CGC contractors (homebuilders) to do roofing during this so-called "emergency". Local roofing companies could have easily handled the work. All that was required was a tarp job until the scumbag insurance companies finally paid out which sometimes took months.

JET>>>

You guys are kind of missing the point of why I am trying to learn more about this. I have roofed in Florida for 20 years. We have the toughest roofing standards and licensing requirements in the nation. Work is slow there and I moved to another state to earn a living. I am not a big fan of the contingency contract selling. I looked for a job with a local contractor when I moved out of state. But what I am finding is that even local contractors are wanting to employ this technique. I firmly believe in selling a homeowner on quality workmanship combined with personal service. But as stated above I have seen plenty of substandard work over the years from storm chasers and local contractors alike. If your a local contractor in the Atlanta and your searching for a competent and seasoned re-roof estimator/sales guy shoot me an e-mail and let's talk. I need to make a living. You can count on having a referral from every roof I sell because I stay involved all through the process because I feel a true responsibility to every homeowner that signs a contract with my name on it as the company rep. Having said all this it seems many are using this technique( storm chasers and local contractors alike ) and I want to become better at it.>>>

There's the problem. The insurance industry is convinced their policyholders are better served by stormchasers. In balance, that is not the case at all.

The quickest way to get a claim off the books, is to use stormchasers. This is the priority. Local roofers only get in the way by providing quality workmanship covered by what in all likliehood is a real warranty.

The way it works now may make your job easier but it leaves home owners and local contractors in it's wake.

How many hardworking, family owned business have been plowed under because you prefer to deal with people that are better at shuffling paper than roofing?>>>

Ok twill, that is the point Im' making. How can you as a residential ? contractor capitalize on the event. We know these guys are out there and they are not going to go away. What we want to do is put that money in your pocket for a better community . Now that being said there are good stormers out there also there are crappy local contractors. It just isn't the stormers. This is widely known. I can tell you on the privy side the staff adjusters don't like dealing with some of these guys either I know . Because of state laws court interpretations of judges and compliance issues they have too.>>>

I would guess we could agree on that point ed. That being said a lot of selling is based on perception or creating a need . Nothing to argue about there . The stormer and the insurance companies do a knock down job at selling ( bottom line ) I think that if the mystery is taking out of the process and understood how things work it could be lucrative when one of these events happen . The local guy who might have stayed away from the insurance money because he didn't understand will now pursue it because of confidence and knowledge . Helping himself and his customer to live a better life in a better community. Knowledge is power Fear and ignorance are the killers>>>

CIAK Said: In a lot of storm events as stated many times it is impossible for the local guys to do all the work. That is a reality.

I guess we will agree to disagree on that point.

The stormers make it seem as if the sky is falling, but there are plenty enough contractors to do the work, even if it needs to get scheduled a bit farther down the road than the home owner desires, but this sense of impending doom that may befall them if they do not address the situation immediately is mostly false.

I do admit that storms of a much more severe nature than we typically experience would have different risks involved in waiting though, but definitely not the run of the mill 1" stones that hit this area.

Ed>>>

Got one advertizing on tv big bucks out of okalahoma,not even registered,licensed or insured.Sent thier bid to Baton rouge they will recieve a cease desist order fromthe contractors board.And run to the next storm>>>

Lately ive been collecting thier bids and turning them into the state licensing board! :woohoo:>>>

It might be the way it is,but we aint got to likem! :laugh:>>>