Press Release
Building a Business by Building Trust
Olsson Roofing Grows its Customer Service
"Perhaps nothing is more important to our business than a committment to Servicing the Customer…" -- Scott Kuykendall, Principal, Olsson Roofing
"Water is pouring in; can you get someone here right away?"
"I need someone here-- tomorrow-- to flash in four new curbs we just put in!"
"Can you give me a price to flash in a new HVAC unit?"
If you are in charge of the maintenance of your facility, or you manage properties for anyone, these are questions I am sure you have heard at one time or another. Whether it's a leak discovered during a recent storm, or flashings for a new fan being installed -- renovations, repairs and maintenance of a roof are always an issue. They will always take place.
What many maintenance managers are finding out, is that life is easier if they have to make just one phone call to get these issues taken care of.
Olsson Roofing Company's Service Department was established with just this goal in mind. Headquartered in Aurora, Olsson Roofing serves serves the tri-state area from Rockford to Madison, Wisconsin, and from La Salle Peru to South Bend, Indiana.
Customer Service Department Started in 1990
Olsson's owners saw that with the advent of new construction spreading across the Chicago metro area, specifically the Fox Valley, a great deal of roofing time took place after the roof was installed. In 1990, Olsson put together the precursor to its Service Department of today. Certain roofers and sales technicians would be dedicated to just "Service the customer"… fixing leak repairs, and doing warranty repairs, new flashings, maintenance, etc.
What started as a good idea has since grown to what would be a good size roofing company for many. With 24 dedicated service technicians, 14 trucks, 1 full time superintendent, 4 full time service/salesmen, and two full time assistants, Olsson's Service Department responds to over 3000 service assignments a year. Recently the department has begun to complete the "smaller" reroof and new construction projects that might not require the large crew sizes utilized in the production departments of the New Construction and Reroof Divisions. And even more recently, ORC's Service Department has taken on the coating responsibilities for the company.
Experience and Service at One Location
Scott Kuykendall, one of Olsson's principals, has been one of the driving forces behind the development and growth of this department.
"The nice part of our Customer Service department is that we can repair, service, prolong and maintain almost all roofing types and systems." explained Kuykendall. "All of our technicians are in the Roofers Local of 11, and many of them are Foremen. They have many years of experience in roofing and are able to solve your problems or work through unique issues that each job presents. They get to your project, take care of them and move on. Each Service Technician has their own safety equipment, and can maintain and address all safety issues at your site."
Another example of the important role Customer Service plays at Olsson Roofing is in the area of commitments and schedules. According to Kathy Murtaugh, Olsson Service Manager for 10 years, "We work on trying to keep commitments," said Murtaugh. "I call customers every day to make sure there is no confusion due to weather, unforeseen delays, or missing material or equipment."
Her department also does follow-up calls to check the job and meet with the customer to make sure it meets the expectations of the customer. Dan Pattermann, Superintendent of Field Personnel, will take digital photos of everything we do and show them to the customer. "We find it is easier to for the customer to understand what the problem is and what we did to solve it one they see the before and after photos, "said Pattermann. "We will spot and photograph other problems while we are on the roof such as oil on a rubber roof from an exhaust fan, which is quite common on the roofs of restaurants and manufacturers."
Pattermann's role is in the field to make sure the customer is satisfied and the job is done right through numerous on-site visits and meetings with the client before and after the job to assure. Managing customer expectations and making sure worker's safety. Worker training is very important. Every year there are changes in techniques and materials that require continued training of our field personnel.
On-the Job Safety Stressed
The safety aspect of a roofing job is often overlooked, according to Vice President of Safety Check, Frank Marino. "We've found the largest customers all want well-trained crews working on their jobs," said Marino. "Any accidents will slow down the job and add to their costs."
Roofing presents several unique hazards unique to the industry, including falling and fires, requiring consistent vigilance. That's one of the reasons each worker for Olsson Roofing has a least 10 hours of OSHA-approved training, and the supervisors often will have 30 hours or more of training." Marino pointed out.
Customer Service Stressed
If you have any questions about your roofs, or the roofs of the buildings that you manage, please call us and we will be glad to help. Contact Kathy Murtaugh, Service Manager, or Cheryl Pierce Egnatz, our Assistant Service Manager, at 630-892-0449, or toll free at 1-800-Roofwork (766-3965). We are dedicated to keep you dry on the inside by taking care of the outside.
"Olsson…the professionals you can trust to make the roofing difference!"