Category: <span>Technology</span>

Category: Technology

4 Factors to Consider When Purchasing a Roofing CRM

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Use of the right roofing CRM saves you time and money.

It is important to employ the right roofing CRM for your construction work. This enables you to streamline your work in an organized way. Because of achieved efficiency, you can save on time, which counts a lot in any project work. At the end of it all, you will realize that your project will not only be successful but will be cost-effective as well.

The software can be effective over a wide range of construction projects ranging from installation of drainage systems to roof treatment projects. This makes it very favorable especially for a company dealing with a wide range of operations within the construction industry. Now, there are so many systems dealing with this; most of them are designed generically, meaning they may not specialized for the construction work. For this reason, it is important to consider some key factors whenever you are purchasing the software to ensure you do not go wrong.

Consider your specific business needs

To establish the best CRM roofing software that is suited for your business, it is very paramount to, first, define the specific business needs. This means you need to have a very clear vision of what it is that you want to achieve. Some businesses may be after a software that can give them very quick service and able to generate quick data that can be interpreted as useful information. Other companies may want a software that is able to automate operations hence reducing unnecessary paperwork. There are also some that will be after enhanced communication and streamlined operations. Whatever the reason, you should be in a position to define to ensure you acquire the right software.

Ability to keep records in an organized manner

For any contract work to be completed in perfection, it is important to plan and to know the resources you are going to use. This may sound easy but if done without a proper system, you may leave out some very crucial materials. With this in mind, then you can acquire the right CRM roofing software that can meet the needs.

Ability to ensure well-managed customer relations

In contractual work, it is very important to keep records of your clients, their feedbacks and even any important records pertaining to the business relations. This helps in future works since you already have a documented history of their likes and dislikes. This also creates a good image with the client since they feel their services are personalized. You, therefore, need a system that is able to manage all this and also to retrieve this information instantly.

A software that is able to generate reports

Reporting is inevitable in every organization. Reports help in showcasing the work done and also in accounting for resources utilized. It may be tricky if you must design reports from scratch whenever they are needed. You need a software that can generate accurate reports the instant they are required.

With above to consider, you can be assured of selecting a roofing CRM software that suits your organization and one that can give you value for money.

Editor’s note: This article was first published on FollowupCRM’s blog and can be viewed here.

Technology and the customer experience

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By Heidi J. Ellsworth.

 

Consumers are demanding a customer experience that uses technology.  How your company embraces technology will make a big difference in your marketing opportunities for the future.  Amazon, iTunes and Google services are used by consumers everyday no matter which industry you are working in.  So why would roofing customers not look for technological solutions when they are looking for roofing services?

It is becoming more apparent, that the selling model is changing.  The days of demanding that the husband and wife both be present for a sales call is changing.  In fact, in the very near future some of the sales calls may only be online.  Consumers are finding your company in all different ways and demanding a different customer experience that uses technology.   Through referrals, social media and the Google searches, they are taking the time to educate themselves on roofing and the companies that provide roofing services.  It is a changing dynamic.

 

So, how do you adapt to this ever-changing reality?  I say, common sense.  If anything, the explosion of the use of technology is pushing the need for common sense more than ever.  But the basis of common sense is understanding your audience.  Take the time to understand how they are looking for roofing services and what their expectations entail.  It cannot be all technology, we know the importance of relationships but we also cannot live in the unrealistic world of “how it used to be.”  Sales and marketing needs to promote your entire business and needs to highlight how the company is delivering amazing service.  Technology must be a big part of the service process.  If the culture of your company and the business processes are not current with recent technology, customers will know.

 

Now is the time to evaluate how your company is incorporating technology and whether it is making for a better customer and employee experience.  Both groups need to be happy and we all realize that it will not be easy.  Taking the time to educate both customers and employees is crucial when it comes to adapting technology or when making significant changes.  As you review the following buyer behaviors, understand that by embracing technology for the ease of your customers and betterment of the employee experience, you are doing some of the best marketing you can for an improved customer experience for your business.

 

  1. Consumers are doing their research

The day and age of consumers being clueless about roofing is for the most part over.  Don’t get me wrong, there are many consumers who do not research before buying and hope for the best.  But as information continues to not only be obtainable but promoted, consumers are becoming more educated.  In fact, it is your manufacturers who are reaching out to the end user, whether it be residential or commercial, and working on not just advertising to them but educating them on what they deem as the best roofing solution.  You need to be ready for the educated consumer and have your sales team and production team prepared to work with them.

 

  1. They are researching your company 
    This statement may seem antiquated, but if you do not have a website, you need one. Consumers are looking for information on your company and it will start with your website.  But, it will not stop there.  They will check social media, reviews and industry information.  This is where being a part of an association can make a large difference.  Showing how your company is involved and validated by the industry is very important.  Make sure your online reputation and resources are up to date and spotless.

 

  1. They are self-qualifying 
    In the past we have talked about qualifying customers. Today, they are self-qualifying.  They are educated enough to look at your website and online resources and understand if you are a good fit.  This is why it is so important to know your customers and understand the audience you want to attract to your business model.  Then, make sure you are sharing the information that will convince the end-user that your company is a good fit.  The traditional way of obtaining 3 bids is dying on the vine due to time.  Consumers want to spend their time online qualifying the right contractor.  It might come down to two but very easily it can come down to that one company that really told the story online.  If the customer experience continues to be great, they will most likely not shop around and pay potentially higher prices for quality work.

 

  1. They want to be educated not sold 
    Time is what it is all about and if the sales process pressures the consumer, they are as likely to back away. They want to be educated so they feel they are making a good decision.  There is also a strong impression within the younger generations that a processed sales procedure is not good.  They see it coming and they rebel against the process.  They want to feel respected which means your sales team taking the time to provide strong, honest information about the roofing process.  As much of that information that can be online ahead of the sale, the better to close the sale.

 

  1. Referrals are golden but reviews are the last word
    Reports show that an overwhelming number of people are influenced by online reviews. That is why the customer experience from the first touch, all the way to the final inspection is so important.  You need that customer to not only write a complimentary review but to be an active advocate or brand ambassador of your company.  They will spread the word about how you are the roofing company to use.  That will not happen if the roofing experience is bad during any part of the experience.  Make sure all of your employees understand how important it is to deliver the highest level of customer service, no matter what their position in the company.

 

We have been seeing the growth of marketing technology in the roofing industry for the past couple of years but get ready for an explosion in 2018.  We are now looking at exponential growth as consumers start to demand the use of technology and like-minded sales processes in the buying process.  As you work on your 2018 marketing plan, be sure to include technology and how you are going to use it as a marketing tool.

 

Note: This article first appeared on RoofersCoffeeShop.com and can be viewed here.

The rise of AI in construction

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These days, when people hear the term Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), they typically react in one of two ways:

  1. They imagine talking robots and movies such as The Terminator, The Matrix and Ex Machina.
  2. They start shuffling in their chairs uncomfortably and freaking out about having no clue what the term means.

But thankfully, A.I. doesn’t have to be so complicated. And it’s so much more (and right now, a lot less scary) than world-dominating robots and talking machines.

In fact, A.I. tech is already infiltrating the built world. From design, to project management, to jobsite safety, Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is transforming the way we construct our world.

It comes at the perfect time – Statista.com is projecting a 27% increase in construction spending in the coming years due to grave infrastructure needs. Simultaneously, the construction labor force is shrinking. Leveraging A.I. will be essential to keeping up with demand.

When you consider the possibility of having machines design buildings and monitor the jobsite more closely than ever before, it rapidly becomes clear the positive impact that A.I. can have on the industry and that it will no doubt have a place in its future.

So, with all of that, we wanted to provide you with a roadmap.

BuiltWorlds recently partnered with Microsoft to put together a six-page research brief titled “The Rise of A.I. in Construction” to help you make sense of this new technology and its potential impact on your business and the broader industry.

Inside the brief, you’ll learn:

  1. How to describe A.I. to your colleagues and friends
  2. The differences between A.I., machine learning, and deep learning
  3. Case studies of A.I. technologies that are revolutionizing the design process, scheduling and productivity, project management and jobsite safety
  4. Fresh perspectives on A.I. from built world thought leaders and predictions for the future

Access the research brief.

Note: This article first appeared on BuiltWorlds’ website and can be viewed here.

Choosing the right drone solution – a drone buyer’s guide

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Drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are quickly shaping up as the built industry’s can’t-live without, next generation of tools. But not every contractor needs a full in-house team of pilots. And not every sub wants to own their own drone. With so many UAV solutions out there — what questions should firms be asking themselves when evaluating the software, hardware, and professional services out there?

BuiltWorld’s talked to 8 of the leading companies in the drone services industry to find out. Here are a few of their tips.

Remember: All pieces must fit together.

When evaluating drone solutions, you’ll quickly find that each company offers something different. Some provide training. Others, consulting and the drones themselves. And others still, software and machine learning.

But don’t forget: “The drone, flight planning software, data processing software, data management and analytics tools, and pilot operations have to all fit together,” says Dick Zhang, Identified Technologies CEO. “If any link in that chain is broken, your data is wrong.”

The Kespry team also pointed out the same issue: “If you decide to piece together your own system of drone, be aware that there can be significant technical challenges in getting parts of the system to talk to each other. If you have multiple providers, understand who you call to solve the different technical issues you may run into.”

Determine the Value

Making a business case will ensure you’ve made the right investment. Dan Cipriari, CEO at Pointivo, asks clients to consider the ways they can monetize the data they capture with the drone: “Can they use photos to conduct inspections? Generate a 3D model to pull into software? Extract measurements for claims or estimations? Once they understand how they want to use the drone, they can make the decision on who to partner with and how to integrate drones into their business processes.”

BetterView CEO David Lyman suggests trying services before making any capital decisions: “Explore thevarious options for capturing, analyzing, and utilizing data that is compatible with your business and budget. Consider working with a service provider to test the options, even if you think the best long-term solution is an internally owned and operated model.”

Download the complete Drone Buyer’s Guide.

RT3 Members Spend the Day on Capitol Hill

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By Shashi Bellamkonda, Surefire Local.

 

It is a good day when you can meet a group of technology thought leaders and exchange notes.  The occasion was the meetup of Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), a consortium of thought leaders exploring emerging technology solutions for the roofing industry at the U.S. Capitol on March 6, 2018.

 

Showing the power of networking, Heidi Ellsworth of RoofersCoffeeShop.com  and co-founder of RT3, reached out to Sasha Bernhard, Legislative Aide to Senator Cantwell and created a program of talks from inspiring leaders. Thank you both very much. Of course, it wouldn’t have happened without the persistence of the amazing Laura Bartolozzi who made sure everyone got to this meetup in one piece and David Huval, both from National Roofing Partners (BTW, thank you to NRP for sponsoring the startup costs of RT3 and for the lunch and coffee, and RoofersCoffeeShop.com for sponsoring the reception.)

 

High level takeaways:

 

Sasha Bernhard – Legislative Aide to Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.

At a previous visit to the House and Senate a few years ago, I was amazed at the smartness, intelligence and enthusiasm of the staff of the House of Representatives and Senators. I am confident that this is a very good reason why America is such a great country. The people we elect for the most part surround themselves with excellent people. I was very impressed by Sasha’s talk where she laid out all the ways that a group like RT3 can influence the conversation both to the public, contractors, media and the legislature. Everyone can make their voice heard if they take the initiative to reach out.

 

Congressman John Delaney – D-MD, 6th District

Congressman Delaney
Congressman Delaney (D-MD)

Rep. Delaney launched the AI cause and acknowledged that there will always be disruption  “In my view, there is tremendous potential for AI to be a positive transformational force, but also understandable concern about the impact that disruption could have on existing jobs.”

 

This is a good position, almost every speaker acknowledged that the nature of jobs will change and it is important to think about how to “upskill” the workforce to make them suitable for the new jobs that will be created and some jobs will disappear.

 

Reid Ribble – Executive Director, National Roofing Contractors Association

Reid is the new executive director of the National Roofing Contractors Association and this week about 400 roofing professionals flew into Washington, D.C. to make their voices heard. Reid mentioned a few areas where roofing professionals can make changes. The perception of the roofing industry in the Congress and Senate is driven by the opinions in the media, homeowner complaints about a few bad players. In order to change the perception all around, all professionals have to join together. Showing up in strength definitely helps. Technology advancement in the roofing industry should be highlighted and professionals should think of more innovation. Reid mentioned a thought of how roofing contractors control the roofs where so much of rainwater touches. IF there was a way to collect and use this water this would help with such a rare resource in the world “water” ( Water according to Reid is costlier than oil)

 

Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee – Fellow, Center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution

Heidi Ellsworth, Sasha Bernhard, & Nicol Turner-Lee
Left to Right: Heidi Ellsworth, Sasha Bernhard, & Nicol Turner-Lee

Dr. Turner-Lee started her talk with a stark truth that half the population on this earth is still not online. While there is a rapid change in digital platforms, predictive analytics, automation, and machine learning, small and medium businesses are finding it hard to keep up. Over 66% of the new jobs in the US are created by small and medium enterprises. The rise of automation and AI will dismantle jobs and render some positions obsolete. 

 

Specific to the roofing Industry:

Major goals are productivity and the application of innovation

  • Construction robotics
    • “Masonry robots” – speed up brick pattern courses
    • Wearable robotics, including exoskeletons for mobility to robotic arms for strength
    • Drones for equipment delivery and to check on inventory
  • Big data analytics
    • Jobsite efficiencies & optimized equipment
    • Weatherization
  • 3-D Printing
    • Showing up in cranes for improved layering of concrete
    • Mapping & design
  • Remote management and design
    • Pre-fabrication through digitization

 

Overall these speakers inspired the group to take back thoughts and work into their businesses and the community.

5 Construction Technology Trends to Watch in 2018

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By Karen L. Edwards.

Technology is advancing at a fast pace and each year brings new solutions to the construction table.

Leaders in the industry will be those who embrace the use of technology and pay attention to these emerging technologies.

  1. Virtual and augmented reality

Virtual reality technology allows individuals to “see” what a built environment will look like which is especially useful for proposed new construction projects. Allowing someone to visualize and experience the project can go a long way in building confidence for all involved in the project.

Augmented reality is similar to virtual reality except that the it involves walking through a real 3D environment while viewing additional real-time information about the environment. For example, if a building owner wanted to create a rooftop garden area with various features, augmented reality would bring the roof to life – before the project starts. It will allow that owner to stand on the roof and see what the existing roof would look like with the addition of the garden roof features.

  1. Online Jobsite

New technologies are eliminating the delays in communication that can occur between the job site, the office, the installers and the rest of the project team. Job site connectivity is becoming easier to achieve with the use of connected smartphones and tablets that can send and receive information in real time to everyone involved in a project, including the building owner.

  1. Wearable Technology

There is a new company that offers wearable tags that allow contractors to improve and advance the safety of their workers on the job site. A clip can be attached to workers’ belts that tell you when someone slips, trips, or falls and alerts you to what zone of the job site they are in. They also offer an equipment tag that links to the belt clip to tell you who is operating the equipment and delivers statistics on how the equipment is being used.

  1. Drones

The drone industry is exploding and there are so many uses for drone technology in construction. They can be used to map project sites, report project progress and changes, update clients and inspect damage following severe weather. Companies are popping up every day that offer drone services which means you don’t have to master flying one.

  1. Robotics

Robotics haven’t shown up on the rooftop – yet. But they will. They are already being used to lay bricks – at a pace six times faster than a human. This video of the SAM100 bricklaying robot shows how the technology works faster and eliminates the lifting and bending that can create problems and potential injuries for workers.

Companies in the construction and roofing industries need to get on board the technology train or risk being left far, far behind the rest of the market.

Note: This article first appeared on RoofersCoffeeShop.com’s blog and can be viewed here.

Four Key Tech Trends Revolutionizing Architectural Design and Construction

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By Peter Diamantis

From self-healing materials to 4D printing to artificial intelligent-driven design to robots, the construction and building industry is being drastically changed by technology.

If you could design any structure, free of all constraints, what would you envision? Put aside today’s architectural limits. What home would you dream up? Exponential technologies are converging and revolutionizing the way we design, build and inhabit everything. The global construction industry is projected to surpass $10 trillion in 2020, and the total U.S. housing stock alone grew to $31.8 trillion last year.

Both industries are ripe for massive disruption.

In this blog, I’ll be covering four key tech trends that are revolutionizing what is possible in architectural design and construction:

  1. Autonomous robot builders
  2. 3D and 4D printing
  3. New materials from unexpected sources
  4. Designs that adapt as you build

Let’s dive in.

New Materials Enter Construction

For thousands of years, we’ve been constrained by the construction materials of nature. We built bricks from naturally abundant clay and shale, used tree limbs as our rooftops and beams, and mastered incredible structures in ancient Rome with the use of cement. But construction materials are about to get a HUGE upgrade.

Here are the top three materials disrupting the future of construction:

  1. Upcycled Materials: Imagine if you could turn the world’s greatest waste products into their most essential building blocks.

Thanks to UCLA researchers at CO2NCRETE, we can already do this with carbon emissions.Today, concrete produces about 5% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. But what if concrete could instead conserve greenhouse emissions? CO2NCRETE engineers capture carbon from smokestacks and combine it with lime to create a new type of cement. The lab’s 3D printers then shape the upcycled concrete to build entirely new structures. Once conquered at scale, upcycled concrete will turn a former polluter into a future conserver.

Want to print houses from dirt? No problem. The Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) can now turn any soil into a building material with three times the tensile strength of industrial clay. A massive breakthrough for developing regions, IAAC’s new 3D printed native soil can build houses on-site for as little as $1,000.

  1. Nanomaterials: Nano- and micro-materials are ushering in a new era of smart, super-strong and self-charging buildings.

While carbon nanotubes dramatically increase the strength-to-weight ratio of skyscrapers, revolutionizing their structural flexibility, nanomaterials don’t stop here. Several research teams are pioneering silicon nanoparticles to capture everyday light flowing through our windows. Little solar cells at the edges of windows then harvest this energy for ready use. (Thermochromic smart windows change color when exposed to sunlight.)

Researchers at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab have developed similar smart windows. Turning into solar panels when bathed in sunlight, these thermochromic windows will power our buildings, changing color as they do.

  1. Self-Healing Infrastructure: The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates a $542.6 billion backlog needed for U.S. infrastructure repairsalone. And as I’ve often said, the world’s most expensive problems are the world’s most profitable opportunities.

Enter self-healing concrete. Engineers at Delft University have developed bio-concrete that can repair its own cracks. As head researcher Henk Jonkers explains, “What makes these limestone-producing bacteria so special is that they are able to survive in concrete for more than 200 years and come into play when the concrete is damaged. […] If cracks appear as a result of pressure on the concrete, the concrete will heal these cracks itself.”

But bio-concrete is only the beginning of self-healing technologies. As futurist architecture firms start printing plastic and carbon-fiber houses like the stunner seen below (using Branch Technologies’ 3D printing technology), engineers are tackling self-healing plastic.

WATG Designs 3D-Printed Freeform House with Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Plastic

Plastic not only holds promise in real estate on Earth, it will also serve as a handy material in space. NASA engineers have pioneered a self-healing plastic that may prove vital in space missions, preventing habitat and ship ruptures in record speed.

The implications of self-healing materials are staggering, offering us resilient structures both on earth and in space.

Enhanced Design & Architecture

While incredible new materials transform what we build, AI and VR are revolutionizing how we design.

  1. AI-Driven Design: In the past, if you wanted to build a high-rise, you needed a static, precise blueprint. Moving parts were not an option.

Now, real-time, AI-aided Building Information Model (BIM) will enable blueprints to learn and adapt to changing ground conditions, weather, equipment and even new design ideas.

In the future, AI will help design our blueprints, optimizing construction methods, breakthrough materials, and design features. It may even recommend IoT components for our high-rises depending on their purpose and landscape.

  1. Virtual Reality Shaping Real Estate: In one of my previous blogs, I discussed how VR will reshape our real estate shopping experience. Forget real estate agents and physical house hunting. Why not visit a house in a different city from the comfort of your living room at 3 a.m. and see how it looks with blue walls and your own home furniture?

VR is about to transform the real estate design process too. Imagine the possibilities: you design your company’s dream office using a Building Information Model and allow your managers to walk around the (virtually) finished product before it’s ever built.

Build with Robots and 3D Printing

Designs and machinery won’t build us finished products on their own… or will they? Welcome to the new frontier of autonomous robot builders and skyscraper printers.

  1. Autonomous Robotics and Robot Swarm Construction: While robots have already started permeating the construction industry, what if they could construct buildings entirely autonomously?

Many are already tackling this challenge, using everything from flying robots to termite-like swarm constructors.

RoboticsX aims to send autonomous robot builders to Mars that can adapt to shifting ground conditions. CEO Peter Boras spoke of plans to scale up 3,000 collaborating robots in the hopes of building structures almost entirely unaided. The company’s X-1 Smart Industrial Robot can already collaborate with its colleagues, adapt tasks in real time, share its capabilities with other machines and perform predictive maintenance.

A team at Switzerland’s NCCR Digital Fabrication has also built a fabricator robot. Pre-programmed with design model data, the robot can build any steel-reinforced framework autonomously on-site.

Inspired by autonomously collaborative termites, Harvard robotics researchers developed swarm construction robots that can collaboratively build a programmed design, block-by-block, without centralized control.

Imagine the implications. Eliminating human safety concerns and unlocking any environment, autonomous builder robots could collaboratively build massive structures in space, or deep underwater habitats.

  1. 3D and 4D Printing: In one of the developments I’m most excited about, we will soon be printing tomorrow’s structures. 3D and 4D printing are redefining the way our buildings look, feel and even move.

You may have heard of the Chinese company WinSun Design Engineering Co., which printed 10 houses from recycled materials in 24 hours at a cost of about $4,800 each.

Or Dutch studio DUS Architects, who used sustainable bioplastic to 3D print a full-sized canal house in Amsterdam.

But architectural printing is only getting started.

While companies like INNOprint can print an emergency shelter in only half an hour, others are finding ways to print unprecedented designs, like this never-ending looped house, buildable with one massive robotic 3D printer.

Janjaap Ruijssenaars 3D prints prototype of house with no beginning or end

And now for the real kicker: Remember those magical moving staircases in the Harry Potter films? Turns out these may no longer be exclusive to the wizarding world.

4D printing will one day make such structures a reality. Born out of MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab, 4D printing involves 3D printed objects that can reshape and even self-assemble over time.

These structures involve 3D printing rigid and expandable materials alongside one another. When the expandable materials encounter certain conditions, like water or heat, they reshape and reposition other rigid parts of the structure.

As a result, 4D printed structures have moving joints that can reshape the entire component, whether into different shapes or stairwell directions.

Final Thoughts

With the convergence of autonomous builder robots, 3D and 4D printing, AI-guided design and unprecedented smart materials, we are about to witness the mass disruption of construction and real estate.

What new architectural frontiers will you unlock? How will your company design and print the future? What homes and space colonies will we inhabit?

Join Me

  1. A360 Executive Mastermind: This is the sort of conversation I explore at my Executive Mastermind group called Abundance 360. The program is highly selective, for 360 abundance and exponentially minded CEOs (running $10M to $10B companies). If you’d like to be considered, apply here.

Share this with your friends, especially if they are interested in any of the areas outlined above.

  1. Abundance-Digital Online Community: I’ve also created a Digital/Online community of bold, abundance-minded entrepreneurs called Abundance-Digital.

Abundance-Digital is my ‘on-ramp’ for exponential entrepreneurs – those who want to get involved and play at a higher level. Click here to learn more.

Note: This article was first received via email from Peter Diamantis.

New Website Could Change the Game for Roofing Contractors

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This new website lets contractors read and leave reviews on customers.

With a few simple clicks of the keyboard, negative reviews on the internet can potentially destroy a business. Because of the simplicity and impersonal nature of web review sites like Yelp and Angie’s List, an unfair negative review could potentially cost a roofing contractor potential revenue, opportunities to work on future projects, and may lead to their need for a roofing lawyer to dispute these allegations.

New Website Looks to Warn Contractors

Although there is little a roofing contractor can do to prevent a person from writing damaging things about them or their business on the web, there is a new and interesting way for industry professionals to fight back. Hopefully, if a roofing contractor utilizes the right resources, they can avoid working with bad clients in the industry.

Building a Database for Bad Clients

If you are a roofing contractor, you do not want to work for a client that refuses payment at the completion of a project. You also do not want to work for somebody disrespectful or difficult to manage over the course of the project as well. With www.contractorscustomers.com, roofing contractors or construction industry professionals can access a paid website that allows them to review the customers they worked for and document any positive or negative issues with the client on the website. For example, if a plumber and electrician both complain about how a certain client refuses to pay in full at the completion of the project, a roofing contractor may feel inclined to pass on that potential project offer. However, if all the reviews are positive for that client, the contractor can move ahead with a little peace of mind.

Remember You Can Be Accused of Defamation

Although it’s nice to have a medium that gives you honest reviews of potential clients, it’s important for professionals to remember that they are liable for any posts that contain invalid or confidential information. It’s best to post anything on the web with great caution as it could potentially lead to a defamation claim. With that being said, if a contractor performs work to the expectation of the owner or their client, they should be compensated and their reputation should be protected as well.

Note: This article first appeared on Cotney Construction Law’s blog and can be viewed here.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.

Feazel Reinvents Roof Estimation Process for Customers by Leveraging VR Technology

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New technology tool takes the hassle and inconvenience out of roof estimates.

Feazel Inc., Columbus’ leading exterior home improvement contractor, is giving customers control over their next roofing project with the release of Robyn, a virtual guide for roof replacement quotes.

Currently, obtaining an estimate for a full-roof replacement requires an in-person appointment with a sales-person, likely during normal working hours. This inconvenience creates frustration and can make the process difficult for the customer. Feazel is set to transform that process for the industry with Robyn, which provides customers a virtual quote for their roof replacement and eliminates the need to meet with a salesperson.

“We know that replacing a roof isn’t something people do for fun. Most of the time, it’s an investment they’re not looking forward to,” says Leo Ruberto, president of Feazel. “The process is bogged down with timelines and negotiations, and we’re looking to eliminate that for customers. Robyn will allow a customer to get an estimate at their convenience, on their time, and at a more comfortable price.”

With Robyn, customers request a quote online, prompting a drone operator to go out to the property and take high-resolution images of the roof. During that time, the operator will leave behind virtual reality goggles designed to be used with any smartphone. By using the images and industry-leading applications, Robyn is able to estimate the materials and costs necessary to replace the roof. The customer will then receive an email with their project quote, as well as a virtual reality tour and educated guide of the Feazel roof replacement process.

Customers will also have the ability to use a custom roof visualizer, which allows them to view a three-dimensional model of their home and scroll through different shingle styles and colors for their roof replacement.

“The best part about the process is that this reduces the overall project cost for the customer, something we’re very excited to bring to the table,” Ruberto said. “While Robyn is a different element in the beginning phases, Feazel will still offer our same signature quality to the project, including our Lifetime Warranty, Price Match Guarantee, and 12-months same as cash financing.”

Should Feazel customers not be interested in the new technology and Robyn, Feazel will continue to provide the option of setting up an appointment with a salesperson for an in-home inspection and live discussion.

Robyn will be unveiled to customers for the first time at the Columbus Spring Home and Garden Show, February 17 through February 25 at the Ohio Expo Center.

About Feazel

Feazel has been providing quality exterior home improvement services since 1988. With a commitment to deliver the best customer service and a stress-free buying experience, Feazel offers roofing, windows masonry, siding, ventilation, gutters and more. Headquartered in Columbus, Feazel also has locations in Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Raleigh, NC. The company also plans to expand into the Dayton, Ohio, and Indianapolis markets in 2018. Learn more at feazelinc.com.

SOURCE Feazel Inc.