Contractors are now beginning to feel the effects of the coronavirus outbreak as they start to hear from customers who are reluctant to engage in physical interaction with the general public. Home visits, inspections or other job-related on-site activities have some property owners concerned that someone carrying the virus can bring it into their life.
iRoofing has heard concerns of contractors in the field who are struggling with how to effectively manage ongoing projects without closely interacting with customers. A growing number of people are preferring to minimize exposure to others. No doubt, contractors have their own concerns about catching the virus.
Today I got my first client that wants to go over everything remotely because of concerns about what's going on with the virus. He will leave the check and scope-of-work in his mailbox. We will Skype to go over agreements, expectations, deductibles, etc., then we will sign contracts electronically. As companies we need to adapt or die!”
At this time, everyone is being strongly advised by medical experts and the Centers for Disease Control to exercise practical measures when it comes to social engagement. Proper hygiene is paramount, but more and more, “social distancing” is becoming a central theme in the midst of this pandemic. Avoiding crowded places and events are stressed but we’re also being advised that one-on-one interaction with others should be done at a distance of at least six feet apart, if it can’t be avoided altogether! Despite that, the show must go on in family life, as in business. Your clients still need your services and you need the income to support your operation.
What can you still do?
For the last 8 years, iRoofing clients have been utilizing its software tool for remote site visits. The portable app reduces the need for job site visits; enables remote; aerial measurements; remote pitch book presentations; estimates; material selection and roof visualizer tools. iRoofing also includes features to sign agreements and close sales. Some clients have even gone as far as to measure the roof together with a client -remotely – in order to create interest, engagement and trust.
The app was created to advance job safety and convenience by performing satellite and aerial roof measurements, estimates, presentations and roof visualization from afar, so as to mitigate the need to travel to a home or building and climb a roof.
Obviously, the app was never designed for the purpose of preventing the spread of germs, but it makes sense in times like these. With it you can present roof proposals at the homeowner’s location or off-site. Airplayed into simple conferencing tools like Zoom, Join.me, and Skype, there is no reason why you can not excel in your sales and job specification processes while protecting yourself and your customers from unintentional passing of COVID-19.
This is not a message intended to urge you to purchase the roofing app. It’s simply meant to remind roofers, builders, architects and other tradesmen to look at technology as an effective means to satisfy customer needs while maintaining a distance that keeps you and your clients safe in the event one of you is infected. Now more than ever it’s time to look at how technology can play a role in strengthening your business and support sustainability of all facets of the construction industry.
Nothing is stopping you from continuing, and even enhancing, the project presentation process; personalized sales and relationship-building; educating the client; product selection and material simulations. All the things that, in a virus-free world, you would feel fine doing on-site at your client’s kitchen table can now easily be done remotely when we need to physically isolate ourselves for the safety of all.
Of course, as always we at iRoofing are here to provide you with free and unlimited support and training as you experience an even greater need to leverage iRoofing’s remote task capabilities in your day-to-day business.
iRoofing hopes you will weather this temporary storm with minimal impact to your families and your companies. Let us know if our product can help in any way.
