I've worked with SC in the past, but it was many years ago.

They recently contacted me to do a competitor roofing shop to get quotes from 2 different roofing companies for "Good, Better, Best" pricing. The requirements request that you have at least a 10 year roof (mine is 11) and have the companies come out to give quotes on pricing. They want these quotes written. I had a hard time getting the quotes because both salesmen came out - said "Your roof looks fine, you're good for at least a few more years." I was still able to get a written quote and submitted the report and informed SC of this. They then wanted me to call the stores to get pricing. I diligently did that and even had a hard time getting the "good, better, best" on the phone, but kept pushing stores to give me this info. Apparently, that was a complete waste of time because the quotes given to me over the phone were not valid for the report.

I was then instructed to continue contacting the salesmen to get written quotes emailed to me for the 3 pricing tiers. I was concerned that the salesmen didn't think they would be getting a sale (since they had previously been to my home and saw my roof was in good condition), so I told them that we had discovered a leak in the roof and I still wanted the quotes in writing. I made arrangements for one of the salesmen to come back out and measure for this info. As all this was going on - I wasn't able to get into my email for a day to see if the salesmen emailed me the info.

After a lot of back and forth with both SC and the salesmen....the shop was cancelled. I put a significant amount of time and effort into this shop to have it cancelled. I do admit that I did not get the information that was in the shop requirement in regards to the good, better, best pricing, but I did certainly try in good faith to get this done.

All this is to say that I wanted to give other shoppers a heads up on these shops. When I was approached about these shops, it seemed like it was something very easy to get but it wasn't. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think it is standard to give "good, better, best" pricing, so if you take one of these on be very prepared to demand the quotes from the salesmen - even if your roof seems fine to them.

I think you should have gotten paid.

I worked for a roofer years ago. I can't imagine getting one to bother giving a written quote on a roof that looked in decent condition unless business was really slow. I've never seen a roofer give a written good, better, best quote, that's just not how they play the game. Maybe things have changed over the years, but I'd put these jobs on my 10-foot pole list. I'm so sorry you didn't get paid for your work.

Sorry I deleted my post because the I knew so many roofers that ripped people off blind. From customers, to creditors to vendors to Advertising companies too.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/2016 05:40AM by Pennies4Shops.

I can't imagine a roofer not giving a quote when a potential customer insists that he or she is interested in a new roof! We just had our roof replaced last year, and received written quotes from every roofer who came out to look at the roof. Yes, it needed replacing, but still.... Also, nobody gives good, better, best quotes anymore. If you're lucky, you might get a roofer to quote you two grades of roofing. Almost everybody uses the "lifetime" dimensional shingles these days, and they're not much more expensive than the 20 or 25-year flat shingles (not sure you can even get 20-year shingles anymore).

I used to work for a roofer, and even then (15 years ago), rarely would anyone quote three grades of shingles.

A shopper can't help it if the vendors refuse to do what it is they're asked. You tried to get the information, and couldn't. You should have been paid, since the report would have been valuable to the client. The client needs to know that the roofers aren't doing their jobs!

That being said, it seems this shop should be restructured so that only shoppers with roofs of more than 15 or 20 years old are qualified. An 11-year-old roof shouldn't need replacing unless a tree falls through it!

Someone with a newer roof could always be replacing it for cosmetic reasons. Especially if it is a flat shingle roof and they want dimensional shingles. Need and want don't always go hand in hand

I really never knew how horrible a shop could go until this experience. I did speak to both the scheduler and the editor yesterday.
The MSC was very adamant that the Good, Better, Best pricing was going to be "easy to get" and that the salesmen should have no problems giving it to me. I even looked on the companies' websites and there are basically two types of shingles in my area - basic and architectural. They're in FL, I'm in IL, so perhaps there are different options for other markets.

Things seemed to escalate unnecessarily - I was understandably annoyed that my shops were cancelled, but I did also understand the MSC's perspective that they were trying to meet their clients request. In no way was I ever rude or unprofessional to either of the MSC employees.
I called and asked the editor why she told me to call the stores to get this info, if it would not be valid anyway. If I needed to continue pursuing only written quotes, this was a complete waste of my time.

She basically just kept telling me that I did the shop wrong and that other shoppers were getting this info. I said that maybe this was feedback if they could use if another shopper had a problem...she really wouldn't give me much opportunity to explain what I was getting at, then said "I'm done with this conversation" and hung up on me. I have never had such an experience. I did send her a follow up email that I was trying to give feedback and her hanging up on me was rude and unprofessional, she responded that I screamed at her. When I called her, I was at work. I am a loud talker but I most certainly did not scream at her. I think she incorrectly told me to call the stores, and when I called her out on that, that put her on the defense. I also suspect that they don't believe I was truly trying to get this info from the salesmen. I am an ethical shopper and do not try to "get one over" on the companies I shop for. This shop just really went to hell in a handbag.
I'm over the whole thing now but it was an extremely frustrating experience.

Thank you all for the feedback. I'm glad I can use this forum to give others a heads up and also vent a bit too

Thanks for the heads up on this. Here where I live we have had constant roof issues at our house. Not only has it been difficult to get an estimate at all but lots of roofers just do not even show up for their appt. This is not just for roofers though. I get the impression there are lots of contractors in this area who are just interested in the easy jobs.It is no wonder to me that many of them are underemployed as they seem to have no business sense at all.
I am really sorry you did not get paid for all the work you put into this.

@LisaSTL wrote:

Someone with a newer roof could always be replacing it for cosmetic reasons. Especially if it is a flat shingle roof and they want dimensional shingles. Need and want don't always go hand in hand

That's true, but the cost of a new roof would probably be prohibitive for most people to do it just for cosmetic reasons. At least I don't know many people with $8,000 to $12,000 and up to spend on a non-necessary item! (If I had that much lying around the house, I wouldn't buy a new roof with it! )

When I worked for the roofer and when I sold real estate, most people would say that when their roof needed replacing, they'd go for the dimensional shingles. Never had a customer of the roofing company or a real-estate client (in 25 years) replace or talk about replacing a roof that didn't need it. Doesn't mean it's not possible, of course, but my personal opinion is that that scenario wouldn't be awfully believable, unless the shopper and his/her home were upscale enough to make it plausible.

But, regardless, if someone tells a roofer that he or she wants a new roof, even if the existing one doesn't "need" replacing, the roofer should provide the quote! No excuse for not doing so, imo.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/12/2016 02:12AM by BirdyC.

You could say you're selling the house and the buyer is a family member but they won't buy until there's a new roof. Then you could make the comment about the roof color or style being the issue and how you think it's ridiculous, but that it makes financial sense to pay for the roof and sell the house, so looks like you need a new roof.

@joanna81 wrote:

The MSC was very adamant that the Good, Better, Best pricing was going to be "easy to get" and that the salesmen should have no problems giving it to me. I even looked on the companies' websites and there are basically two types of shingles in my area - basic and architectural. They're in FL, I'm in IL, so perhaps there are different options for other markets.

I think that either the client or the MSC is ill-informed on those points--at least with respect to reality if not with respect to technically. I'd bet that no matter where in the country a person is, roofers will give pricing on two grades--the basic and the architectural. In fact, most roofers won't even bother quoting on the basic unless you specifically ask for a less-expensive option. We had four roofers come out to our home to give estimates; I think only one guy bothered to put in writing the estimate for the basic shingles. We have a fairly good-sized home, and the price difference just wasn't worth going cheaper. A couple of the other guys gave verbal pricing on the basic, when asked, but I'm guessing that with many roofers, it would be like pulling teeth to get two grades estimated in writing, let alone three!

Birdie is so right, after 80+ years of the roofing business I ran your scenario by my uncle who said "to get three bids for roofs without water, termite or wind damage is nonsense!" if the roof still looks good with several years left. I wonder if the person trying to get this information has any idea how the Roofing Business operates because the man I asked for you was born in 1927, took over the company before his 10th birthday and still drives around the sites. He's like a Stan Lee except roofing keep's him alive and kicking while most people his age are rotting in a wheelchair or Rest Home.

@Pennies4Shops wrote:

...the man I asked for you was born in 1927, took over the company before his 10th birthday and still drives around the sites. He's like a Stan Lee except roofing keep's him alive and kicking while most people his age are rotting in a wheelchair or Rest Home.

Your uncle sounds awesome. Salt of the earth!