Garcia Roofing: Focusing on the Customer Experience
With his truck as his office and a pager for communication, Gabriel Garcia began what would become the largest residential roofing company in Louisiana. The year was 1992 and, soon after, Hurricane Andrew would devastate the Baton Rouge area. Garcia worked tirelessly to tarp and repair much of the heavily damaged area while earning the confidence and trust of homeowners and builders alike.
Joined by his brother Fred Garcia, a recent LSU graduate, the brothers’ reputation for honesty, integrity, and quality workmanship helped Garcia Roofing grow with both new and return customers. As the years went on, the brothers founded many additional companies, including Roofing Solutions in 2004 (a commercial roofing company later sold to an employee) and Louisiana Roofing Supply in 2005 (a roofing material supplier later sold to Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc.). The original Garcia Roofing now includes more than 150 employees.
Garcia Roofing focuses on the customer experience by taking a hands-on approach from start to finish. “Our company’s core values are essential to our success,” says CEO Andrew Goldberg, “and these include integrity and trust, customer service, quality craftsmanship, great teamwork, collaboration, attitude and safety.”
Garcia Roofing has long been associated with quality, but a period of self-analysis some five years ago took the company to a whole new level. “We simply decided it was time to grow,” says Jonathan Woolley, Garcia’s chief financial officer. “We realized we were capable of more,” he adds. “We’ve been here for 30 years, so people know us locally, but we began to be more aggressive in getting our name out there.”
The company grew its sales force, hired more estimators, established training programs, and opened additional offices in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Lafayette.
The Garcia Workforce division also developed its own outdoor/indoor training and testing facility at its corporate office, so each employee’s work could be evaluated and inspected for quality. Garcia University was also established to provide leadership training to the management team and potential future managers. Last year alone, there were over 80 employees who participated in the program.
“Every employee goes through a specific course for their position,” says Craig Carroll, president. “I don’t know of any other roofing company that offers that level of training.” It is all because the Garcia team holds itself to a higher standard. Former customers will tell you—Garcia strives to provide a better experience by making the process easier from start to finish. There are few other roofing companies that offer such a multi-faceted level of support.
It all begins before the initial site visit with informative emails about the person who will be coming to the client’s home, along with a video explaining the entire roofing process. “Our corporate office has an insurance department to manage their insurance paperwork,” says Jann Lamy, accounting director. “Once their project begins, they’ll have access to a project manager specifically dedicated to them who can address any questions or concerns.”
As a trusted Baton Rouge roofing expert, Garcia Roofing ensures that every job is done on time, on budget and with the best quality, whether it is a simple roof repair or a full roof replacement. They offer many types of roofing systems: asphalt shingles, standing seam metal, slate, Spanish tile, and cedar shake, to name a few. Whatever a customer’s needs or style choices might be, Garcia Roofing has the experience, dedication, and commitment to customer service to get it done right.
Even with their growth over the years, Garcia made sure the quality that made his company a household name was not compromised. In addition to the previously mentioned training facility, they are also designated as a platinum contractor by Owens Corning, one of the largest shingle manufacturers in the country. This means added benefits for the customer. Being a platinum contractor allows Garcia to offer an extended 25-year labor warranty versus the industry-standard two-year labor warranty should the customer choose the platinum option.
Looking ahead, Garcia Roofing will continue to expand its reach across the south. “We will be expanding both within the state and along the Gulf Coast,” Carroll says. “People along the Gulf Coast all have to endure hurricanes and we want to provide services to those in need.”
The company will also respond to changing customer preferences, such as a growing desire for metal roofs. “Five years ago, we might have done three metal roofs a month; now it’s 20 or 30,” he adds.
No matter how much they grow, Garcia Roofing will never lose sight of its commitment to its customers, both past and present. “One thing we tell our customers is that we’ve had the same phone number for 30 years—if you need something, just call that number and we will take care of you,” Carroll says.
