Installing a Roof During Business Hours? How to Manage Business
Reroofing your business during business hours can be a challenge. Some businesses close during a commercial reroofing project, while others remain open. Either way, a commercial reroofing project requires a lot of coordination and preparation. If your business needs a roof installation in the coming months, take a look at what you need to do in order to be prepared.
Hire a Reputable Commercial Roofer
First, hire a reputable commercial builder. Experienced builders know how to work with business owners in order to get the roof up with the least amount of disruption possible. When you interview commercial roofers, ask them questions such as:
- How do you help businesses stay open while the new roof is being installed?
- What strategies have you seen businesses use to manage customer expectations during a major construction project?
- How long do you anticipate this project will take?
- Do you see any problems that would prevent business from running while the new roof is being installed?
- What will you do to mitigate problems that occur between customers and roofers during the reroofing project?
The way potential roofers answer these questions can help you decide which roofer to hire. To make it easy to compare one roofer to another, ask all the roofers the same questions.
Make the Choice to Stay Open or Close Down
After talking to different roofers and deciding which one to hire, you will have to decide which route makes the most sense for your business.
Shutting down means a loss of cash flow for the duration of the construction project. While it is easier to keep customers safe by turning them away entirely, many businesses have a hard time enduring a span of multiple weeks without business. To mitigate these problems, work with your contractor to stay open for as long as possible and to reopen as soon as possible.
If your business will stay open, plan to work with your contractor to ensure that the construction crew and your customers can exist side by side without interfering with one another.
Communicate With Customers
Whether your business is going to stay open or shut down, communicating with customers is critical. If you happen to have a customer newsletter, start sending messages to your customers weeks in advance. Put up signs in your window announcing the day that construction will begin and end. When talking to customers, tell them that your business will be undergoing renovations.
Most important is to ensure that your customers realize that your business will resume normal operations after the project is over. Businesses that do not communicate with their customers clearly during a remodel risk losing customers who become disgruntled.
Know the Noise Level
Reroofing projects can get noisy, depending on the type of roof being installed. If your business plans to stay open during the reroofing project, know how much noise to anticipate. Work with your roofer to ensure that the noise is kept to a minimum. Discuss noise-dampening techniques if a quiet environment is important to your business.
If you anticipate that some customers will become disgruntled, coach your employees on how to handle difficult conversations with customers. Giving your employees the tools to manage customer expectations will help ensure that your customers stay happy with your business.
Clear Space in the Parking Lot
Construction crews often need a lot of space to use their tools and park their cars. Find out from your contractor how much space the construction crew will need in the parking lot. In the evening after your customers are gone, put up yellow tape around the area where you want contractors to park during the construction project. Put up signs explaining to the public that a portion of your parking lot will be dedicated to the construction crew.
When deciding on an area to place the construction crew, take into account flow of traffic. Place the construction crew in an out-of-the-way location that will allow customers to enter and exit your parking lot without traffic jams. During business hours, you may need to place an employee in the parking lot to direct traffic.
Put Safety First
Work with your commercial construction company to ensure that your customers will be safe during the construction. It will be up to your commercial construction company to keep all tools, cords, and debris away from your customers. Talk to your construction company to find out what methods they use to keep customers safe and if you need to do anything to ensure the safety of your customers.
Contact Us to Get Started Today
Do you need a new roof on your commercial structure? Call our team at Berwald Roofing & Sheet Metal today for more information on our services and rates. We will be happy to answer your questions about your upcoming construction project.
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