A successful roofing business will only stay afloat with dependable employees and happy customers. What does that take? Workers who show up on time and are always willing to give it their all; managers who ensure that every job remains on schedule; and an entire team who understands their accountability for the business’s success. As a franchise owner, you can ensure all of that happens by putting the following policies and practices in place.
Keep Tabs on Everyone’s Schedule
Scheduling for a roofing business can be tricky. Especially in the busy months, it’s crucial to keep track of which jobs are happening when, who is assigned to them, and how the project is progressing. And let’s face it, when you’re running a successful roofing business, you don’t have time to micromanage by driving around to check on every site.
Since customer satisfaction is highest on your priority list, you can’t afford for anyone to drop the ball. Here are some ideas for making scheduling for a roofing business easier.
Look Into a Roofing Scheduling App
Technology has come a long way since Honest Abe first went into business in 2007. Today, there is an app for just about everything roofing-related, including keeping track of sales leads, measuring roofs, estimating costs, and ordering supplies. Multiple scheduling apps are available to allow you and your managers to keep track of workflow. Having such a tool at your fingertips puts accountability on workers and can bring you peace of mind.
A roofing scheduling app can allow you to:
Schedule jobs
Assign tasks to crew members
Schedule and track material deliveries
Keep track of work hours by allowing workers to clock in and out
GPS location of each job site
.
Any Honest Abe team member would be happy to recommend a scheduling program that will help you build a successful roofing business.
Provide a Checklist to Help Crews Stay on Task
Communication is everything when it comes to getting a job done on time. Not only do employees need to know who’s responsible for what, but subcontractors and temporary employees may also be in the mix. Providing a checklist to each team, whether via an app or a piece of paper, is a great way to increase accountability for everyone involved. As tasks are completed and boxes are checked, you or your managing crew member can see how a job is progressing. And in turn, you can see which team members are doing their job.
Motivate Your Employees to Increase Accountability
No matter how many boxes are checked during a workday, none of them matter unless workers are delivering quality results. And to do that, they have to want to be there. So, how do you make sure teammates show up and deliver a beautiful roof your customers will be happy with? You keep track of their performance and reward them for excellence.
Set Performance Metrics
Making expectations clear from the very beginning is the best way to set your business up for success. Let team members know what they must do for a pay raise or promotion. They should know what behavior is expected and which accomplishments you’re tracking, such as:
For a sales team, the number of calls made per month, as well as the number of contracts signed.
For crew members, showing up on time. This sounds silly, but failing to note tardiness is a good way to lose accountability in employees.
Cleanliness of a job site. Leaving cigarette butts and nails all over the yard certainly doesn’t deserve to be rewarded.
Satisfied customers. Those who work on a team that a customer raves about should definitely receive kudos.
Establish a Reward System
It’s simply not reasonable to reward workers who don’t meet expectations the same as those who do. When team members realize their dedication isn’t being valued, they will either get lazy or leave. It’s up to you as a business owner to show them they’re appreciated. Whether you do that with a 50 cent raise each month or a dollar every three months, you’re providing an incentive to keep up the good work.
Give Support When Needed
When running a successful roofing business, it’s easy to expect your employees to be accountable and deliver great results. But what if they aren’t totally sure how to do that? You can hire the top salesperson for an electronics company or the strongest construction contractor, but they may not know how to apply their skills to your business.
When team members aren’t meeting the metrics discussed above, check in with them. An overwhelmed salesperson may need help approaching a neighborhood that’s been hit by a storm, or following up on invoices. When you see his numbers slowing down, offer assistance or give advice. Knowing he has support could be just the boost he needs.
And even if you don’t have hands-on experience installing roofs, it’s your job to make sure team members are being trained by experts. If you have a kid that shows up every day on time but is slower than expected, send one of your best guys in to show him the ropes. Keeping capable, accountable employees is a lot easier than starting the whole hiring process over again.
You Can Run a Successful Roofing Business with Help from Honest Abe
Knowing how to hire a roofing crew is just the beginning of operating a roofing franchise. It takes effort to keep those crew members accountable and give them the support they need to help your business succeed, but the end results are well worth your time. As America’s most reliable roofing company, Honest Abe Roofing has the business model in place to help you manage employees, boost sales, and much more. Contact us today to discuss how we can help.