Service is a marathon

By Emma Peterson.

Learning how to communicate properly unlocks service department success.  

Recently, Greg Hayne of Hayne Coaching Group, stopped by The Coffee Shops™ for a short interview about the importance of service in the roofing industry. A service department offers a unique opportunity for roofers to succeed in the long run. Many roofers have traditionally seen service as not as profitable as installation. Greg broke it down into example numbers, saying, “It takes about the same amount of energy in the sales process for both, but in the case of service, you're going to maybe make $1,000 on gross profit on that $1,500 repair. And on a $150,000 installation project, you're probably going to have a gross profit of $60,000.” Laid out only in numbers, it is clear why many roofers have not focused much energy on their service departments. But the numbers are only part of the story.  

Roofing installations are short-term projects, most people only get their homes reroofed once or twice in a lifetime. To use the analogy of running, an installation is a sprint. On the other hand, service is a marathon. Greg gave an example, “The contractors who focus on service have a much easier, steadier life. I know  contractors, where  35% to 40% of their total revenue is service. One said that he has way less stress than if he focused only on installations.” This is because, as the economy fluctuates, people may hesitate on the big investments (like completely installing a new roof), but they still want and need their roofs serviced (repaired, patched, etc.). 

Recently, Greg has seen the larger industry come to realize the value of service. He explained, “Probably five years ago, I noticed a shift in commercial roofing contractors, when it came to having better service. There was more interest, there were more people that seemed to be willing to put their attention on it." But he has noticed one large stumbling block as more companies move to start service departments. He explained, “Contractors think service is about fixing roof leaks and its not. And so, there are very few commercial roofing contractors who have built service departments that owners want to work with.”  

So, what is service actually about if not roofing? Greg says it’s about communication. The companies with successful service departments are the ones that figure out that service is more than getting on a roof and repairing it, it’s about working with the building- or homeowner to make a plan for the lifespan of the roof.  

If you are interested in learning more about service in the roofing industry, ServiceCon 2025 is the place to be! From March 12–14, 2025 in Houston, Texas experts including Greg will be gathered together to help business owners level up their contracting business with service.