Leads In A Tough Economy

Dear Edge - The RCS Forum is not the place to post a Free ad for your company. I did not erase the entire thread as there were useful comments. We welcome your participation if you are being useful, meaningful, helpful, interesting, funny or if you need help.

Letting you post here is not fair for those who pay for advertising and then also it turns off my readers and posters because the Forum becomes a big sales pitch. I already walk that fine line everyday.

BTW, always done free estimates.

Do pay for estimates however, Auto work, plumbing work, electrical work, heating/ac work, and my wife has to pay her dentist for an estimate.

99% of my work is word of mouth for residential roofing. For ice dam steaming half was paid through google the other half free leads from angie. In less than a month dropped $7,500 with google. Took in hundreds of calls a week from the google add. Most I feel were just looking for the cheapest price per hour for steaming. We stayed steady at $350 per hour per man...

Recently decided to put an add in a newspaper in a small town that recently got some hail damage. For $250/2 weeks got 4 calls of which two are going with me. One over the phone said he didn't want to pay a penny but realized he would have to sacrifice his garage and shed roof to get only his house roof done. On inspection found a lot of missing items with damage. Next thing I know the guys wanting all three roofs done and put $500 in his pocket!!! Figured there was enough money in extra damages if he didn't do there'd still be enough for the three roofs. After sending a revised estimate to the insurance company the guy calls back and wants my lowest possible bid for the three roofs! Told him my estimate to the insurance company was to be retracted and no longer wanted to pursue work for him.

On the other hand by landing 1 of the 4 jobs it's led to leads on 10 other homeowners with insurance money in hand!!!

Of the two I looked at this week, one is signed, the other was passed on to another company I used to wrok for. Too large for me right now. I put $50.00 in the bank though.

"Tinner, it's hard to say if charging for estimates is costing you work." I agree. It did quit causing me to ride around 3 days of the week and working two. When a client to be handed me a check for $25.00 today, after we walked the roof, I asked if it was worth the money. He said "He11 Yes!" He had also asked an historical architect to come over. He agreed it was worth the cost, plus wants me to do a lead roof or two for him. I believe all three of us will come out ahead now.

Lord, I sure miss riding around talking to price shoppers all day. B)

Is it costing me? Who knows. I do know that most months, 9 of 10 that pay hire me. In bad months, only 8 of 10 hire me. Will it work for everybody, I doubt it.

People call - I respond.

I provide a proposal to do the work. Very rarely do I provide an "estimate".

Never have charged and I wouldn't pay for an estimate either.

Most all our work is referral anyhow...I suppose if we catered to the "general masses" (so-to-speak), giving out estimates might get a bit old & frustrating.

Roofguy Said: I dont know how anyone charges for an estimate; maybe its a regional thing. If Im taking bids from 3 contractors, why would I want to blow $50-$75 just getting the bids?[quote] I'm wondering how htat would work from his end. I've been charging for several years now. It cuts down on fruitless trips. It does not pay for my time, but does nearly cover gas costs.

How do you make money? I charge the HO $25.00 for the estimate. Are you charging the HO $50. or more so you get paid too? Or do you charge them $25. and let them know the roofer also charges $25. for the proposal? How many contractors does the HO have to pay as a rule? 4? More?