08/29/2006 - STATE ROOFING (WASHINGTON)
State Roofing: I am writing to express my grave concern and barely-suppressed anger at one of your employees/contractors, Patrick Santiago. We had an appointment scheduled today (Aug. 29, 2006) at 6 p.m. at our home. It was the second appointment we had scheduled with State Roofing. While driving home, I blew a tire on a sharp corner three miles from home. I called my wife, requesting assistance as I was on a blind corner and needed help redirecting traffic as I’d be out in 50 mph traffic on the side of the road. She left a note on the door for Patrick, letting him know that an emergency had come up and that we would reschedule.
Because I didn’t want my three daughters out in traffic, we left them home with instructions to not open the door (they are young teens) and that we’d left an apologetic note.
After my wife left to give me the assistance I needed, Patrick showed up. He rang the doorbell, scaring the girls, as he was quite early for the appointment and they didn’t expect him. Looking up, my oldest realized that she had forgotten to lock the door. She got up and did the responsible thing, locked the door. Patrick, now knowing someone was home, rang the doorbell “five six or seven” times. The girls were very alarmed at this time and ran to their rooms. He went back to his green van in our driveway, started it, and pulled up closer to the house. This was even more alarming to my girls. He then rang the bell and knocked. My youngest daughter was peeking out of her bedroom window at this point. At that point, the passenger in Patrick’s van looked over and saw her looking out the window. Patrick stood at the door for some time, then got back in the van and sped out the driveway. The kids say “seventy miles and hour” but I know that’s a stretch. At any rate, he really tore up our dirt/gravel driveway and left rubber tire marks on the road as he left, and the girls said they could hear the squeal of his tires on the road.
This is completely and utterly inexcusable behavior. We left him a very sincere, apologetic note. He should have read it and left, not continued to knock and ring the bell. To get mad and tear up my driveway and then to act like a testosterone-maddened teenager on the road is childish and unprofessional. There’s no way I would trust a person like that with the investment I am making in my roof, and I hope you take appropriate action on your end.
This has been a wholly unsatisfactory experience with State Roofing and I’m deeply disappointed. As a huge fan of your “woof woof” jingle on KVI Radio, I had expected better, but the entire experience has been bad. I have quotes from three other roofers. They were simple, polite quotes. With State Roofing, Colin Greenleaf (the first guy to come out) kept insisting that my wife be there for the appointment, despite my assurances that she didn’t need to be there. We’ve been together for nine years, but we keep our money and our projects separate. The roof is my project, and she’s replacing our heat pump (another $9,000 or so.) He’d already measured the roof – why he couldn’t give me a quote like other reputable roofers without talking to Linda and I together baffled me. His pitch reminded me of when I bought my last used car.
I have come to the conclusion, sadly, that State Roofing doesn’t respect the customer. You don’t respect my wife and I, you don’t respect the way we arrange our projects and schedules, you don’t respect my privacy, my personal property or even the street I live on.
Needless to say, I will not be rescheduling. And if Patrick had so much as laid a hand on my doorknob to turn it, the police would be involved. Again, this is inexcusable and deeply disappointing. My loan will be funded in a few days and with the last estimate coming on Thursday (in what will surely be a pleasant, professional exchange) I’ll make my decision.
I have enclosed digital photos taken of the tire marks on the road. You can also read this and view the photos on my blog.
Comments
Here, you can print this out, in case state roofing comes out and won’t talk to you alone:
As the supreme ruler of the household, and keeper of the bon-bons, I hereby allow my husband to make a decision in the absence of my presence.
Sincerely,
Her Almighty Wifeliness
Posted by: The Little Missus | September 1, 2006 11:58 AM
I guess to keep this thread current I should update what's been going on. State Roofing did contact me with a very nice, polite email. Their employee, Patrick, didn't realize that there were kids in the house and apparently thought we were just hiding from him or too chicken to open the door - that's why the incessant doorbelling. As for the damage to the driveway and the 35 feet of rubber on the road, he said our driveway was steep and he had trouble getting out. In two years, I've never torn up my driveway or left tire marks on the road. I hope he can roof better than he can drive.
Meanwhile, the roofing estimates go on. Jorve Roofing from Seattle came out Thursday. He left us a nine-page printed document detailing what problems were spotted and what the solution would be, along with 8x10 color printouts of the roof. He even took a picture of our cat for my wife. Good estimate, solid promotional materials, a written estimate, all without me having to be there! Another roofer will be here early next week. Thus far, we have a stack of estimates but none from State Roofing since BOTH people HAVE to be present. Their sales process reminds me of an Amway or Jehovah's Witness presentation.
One of the top industries the Better Business Bureau receives complaints about is roofing contractors. We are being careful and wise, and posting our experiences to helpfully save someone else a little bit of aggravation. Good grief!
OH, BREAKING NEWS! Linda just called. State Roofing called us just now but, alas, hung up without leaving a message on the machine. They're batting two out of a thousand when it comes to professionalism and social graces.
WOOF WOOF!
Posted by: Jim W. Coleman | September 1, 2006 12:10 PM
Again, to stay current, more than a FULL MONTH has passed since my original entry.
State Roofing continues to call my house several times a day. Of course, we rarely answer the phone but on the two occasions that I did (out of sheer exhasperation) I told the person on the other end that we had found another roofer and thanks, but no thanks. THEY STILL CONTINUE TO CALL!
Tonight, a nice gentleman called to give me the sales pitch and I basically laid into him on it. I'm tired of the calls, tired of telling State Roofing that we're not interested, tired of the telemarketing and yadda yadda yadda.
STAY AWAY FROM STATE ROOFING. Yeah, cute jingle on the radio but the more people I talk to, the more I hear who agree with me.
I'm sure that I'll be dead and gone and buried somewhere west of Gorrrrrst and they'll still be sitting on my grave telling me that they can sell me a roof, but only if my wife is there, and only if this condition is met, etc.
Posted by: Jim W. Coleman | October 4, 2006 08:54 PM