He came to us because other customers were happy with him and his company. “They did what he promised, “ we were told.  He came to our house ready to help. He had a big smile. He was not pushy. He tried to help us buy instead of a hitting us with a hard-sale approach. He was winsome. Carried in one roofing sample after another into our home. We narrowed our preferences.

He took satellite photos of our home so he could estimate accurately. He set up an appointment with our insurance company since he spotted signs of wind damage. They met and went up on the roof together (I don’t do heights so I stayed on the grass). They agreed on a price. I agreed with them.

Then we wanted to see roofs that his company had installed with the shingle colors we liked best. That took us a few weeks to get done. He checked with us each week, but told us to take our time … he’d be ready when we were. The happy roofer got the job.

That was a near perfect example of a perfect customer experience. And it was the company’s sales rep that made it a good experience. We are now advocates and tell our friends if they need a roof, try him out.

The Attributes of a Happy Roofer

He knew his product and could explain it clearly in terms that were focused on helping us understand. That was a basic requirement so no real customer experience points for that one.

He cared more. He wanted us to get exactly the roof we wanted. Even when it meant dragging in sample after sample to show us options. He gave us addresses where the roof we selected were installed so we could see the roof in context with different colors of brick, and we could talk with the homeowners about their experience. He cared about doing his job better than competitors.

He listened more. Before he even thought about selling us, he was working at understanding what we liked about our home and neighborhood. What kinds of colors we thought worked well with our exterior brick. Would the roof look too busy? Consider that the roof is at an angle

He thought more and was prepared. Satellite photos helped show us he was accurately calculating the square footage. He checked for wind damage and made a credible case with our insurance company.

He got us excited about the new roof. I ask you unless your roof was leaking, how excite would you normally be about a roof. But his enthusiasm rubbed off. He showed us some of the differences between well installed and poorly installed roofs. He wanted us to be excited about this purchase. Now as I drive around other neighborhoods, I catch myself looking at roofs.

He learned from his mistakes. He told us about breaking into the business. He made some mistakes and lost sales as a result. But he learned that a roof was not about his income, it had to be about customer satisfaction. That was a big lesson … most of us have not learned it. He became more valuable to his company and to his customers by learning from his mistakes. He learned not to rush customers on big investments. “Everyone needs to be comfortable and I have to let them work through this at their own pace.”

He gave us his time. Phone calls. Home visits. Reference calls. Insurance adjustment.

No whining while we put him through his paces.

Why should you care about this Happy Roofer?

Because the attributes that make him a successful employee to his company are the same attributes that made us happy customers. It reinforces once again that satisfied employees deliver a better customer experience. Take a few minutes and relook at the text in bold and consider how you as an employee could become more valuable to your company and to your company’s customers.

And if you live in Cincinnati and need a new roof, I’d be glad to tell you about the happy roofer.

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1. Roof or No Roof. Does it Matter When You are Buying Gas?
2. Is the Middle of Your Company Happy?
3. Good Angel, Bad Devil. Happy 1,000th Posting.