Ten calls a morning, all the same question
Mrs Patel wants to know if the scaffold is still coming on Thursday. Mr Hughes has taken the day off and wants to know what time the roofers will arrive. Someone else wants to know why nobody has been since Tuesday, when in fact it rained. Another wants to know when the skip is being collected.
Each call is polite and short. Together they take a large part of the office's morning, and the person answering has to look each job up on the whiteboard or ring the contracts manager to find out.
Why homeowners keep ringing
A re-roof is a big event for a household. Scaffold goes up, the house is noisy, the weather decides the pace, and they are paying a lot. When they do not hear anything, they worry. The information they want exists, but it only reaches them if someone thinks to tell them.
- Customers are told the start date at booking and little after that.
- Scaffold dates and times are arranged between you and the scaffolder.
- Weather delays are not explained unless the customer asks.
- The gang's arrival time is only known to the gang.
- Completion and the next steps, like skip collection and invoice, are not set out.
What the calls cost
Office time, first, and interruptions that make everything else slower. But also customer confidence: a homeowner who has to chase feels neglected, even if the job is going well, and that shows up in reviews and in how quickly they pay. It also pulls the contracts manager onto the phone when they should be on site.
Neighbours are part of it as well. Scaffold on a terrace often means access over next door's garden or a lorry blocking the road for an hour, and a homeowner who was not told cannot warn the neighbours, so the complaint lands with you.
The update flow we build
- At booking, the customer gets a message setting out what happens and when, in your words: survey done, scaffold, start, completion, invoice.
- Each update is triggered by an event you already record: scaffold booked, scaffold handed over, gang allocated for tomorrow, weather delay logged, roof complete, scaffold struck, skip collected.
- Messages go by text or email with the details for that event, such as the day and an arrival window if you choose to give one.
- Weather delays send an explanation and the new plan once the contracts manager has confirmed it.
- Completion sends photos of the finished roof, what happens next and how to contact you with any concerns.
- Replies go into the job record and alert the office, so a question is answered by whoever picks it up.
- A simple status page per job can show the customer where things stand, if you want to offer it.
| Event recorded | Customer is told |
|---|---|
| Scaffold booked | Date the scaffold goes up |
| Gang allocated | Roofers are due tomorrow |
| Weather delay | Why, and the new plan |
| Roof complete | Photos and what happens next |
| Scaffold struck | Scaffold gone, skip collection date |
You write every message. Nothing goes that you have not approved as a template.
A quieter phone
Customers know what is happening before they think to ask. The calls that still come are real questions, not status checks. The office works without constant interruption. And homeowners who felt looked after are more likely to leave a good review and pay promptly.
Does your phone ring like this?
- Most calls from customers are 'when are you coming?'
- Customers only hear about weather delays when they ask.
- The office has to ring the contracts manager to answer customers.
- Completion is not followed by clear next steps.