The guarantee the customer asks for two years later
The flat roof was installed with a membrane system that comes with a manufacturer's guarantee. The customer was told about it at quote stage. The gang finished, the invoice was paid and everyone moved on. Two years later the customer rings asking for the guarantee certificate, and the office discovers the registration form is still in a folder, half filled in, with none of the photos the manufacturer wanted.
Or it was sent, but the manufacturer came back asking for batch numbers, and that email was never answered. The roof is fine. The paperwork is not, and the customer only cares that you cannot hand it over.
Why registrations slip through
Each manufacturer has its own process: notification before work starts on some systems, product batch numbers, photos at set stages, an inspection visit on larger jobs, a completion form and sometimes a fee. The job is run by the contracts team, the photos are taken by the gang, and the registration sits with whoever in the office has time.
- It is not recorded at quote stage which jobs need a guarantee.
- Stage photos are not taken because nobody told the gang which ones.
- Batch numbers are on packaging that goes in the skip.
- Pre-start notifications are missed on systems that require them.
- Manufacturer queries land in a general inbox.
What a missing guarantee costs
The customer paid for a guarantee as part of the job, and you cannot produce it. That damages trust and can turn into a dispute. For commercial clients and housing providers, missing guarantees can hold up payment or count against you at the next tender. And the office spends hours trying to rebuild evidence after the event, sometimes without success.
The guarantee tracker we build
- At quote acceptance, the job is flagged with the system being installed and whether a manufacturer guarantee has been promised.
- Each manufacturer's requirements are set up once as a checklist: notifications, photos, batch numbers, inspections, forms and deadlines.
- Before work starts, the tracker prompts the office for any pre-start notification the system requires.
- The gang's job sheet shows which photos and details are needed at each stage, and they capture them on their phones into the job record, including a photo of the batch labels.
- On completion, the registration pack is assembled from what was captured, and gaps are shown before it can be submitted.
- Submission is logged, and replies from the manufacturer are matched to the job, with open queries assigned to a named person.
- When the certificate arrives, it is filed against the job and the address, and a copy can be sent to the customer.
| Stage | Captured | By whom |
|---|---|---|
| Quote accepted | System and guarantee type | Office |
| Before start | Pre-start notification, if required | Office |
| During install | Stage photos, batch labels | Gang, on phone |
| Completion | Completion photos, form details | Supervisor |
| After submission | Queries and certificate | Office |
We track your paperwork. The manufacturer's terms and their decision on each guarantee remain theirs.
What the office has afterwards
A list of every job that needs a guarantee and where it has got to. Certificates filed by address, ready when a customer or their surveyor asks. Queries answered because someone owns them. And far less rebuilding of evidence after the fact.
Recognise this?
- You are not sure how many guarantees are still unregistered.
- Batch numbers and stage photos are often missing.
- Customers ask for certificates you cannot find.
- Manufacturer emails go unanswered in a shared inbox.
- Housing or commercial clients chase you for guarantee paperwork.