Tipping your hat to those on the roof

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn about the tipping culture in the industry and how you can show your appreciation for the hard work roofers do. 

In this AskA Roofer Podcast, Charles Antis of Antis Roofing and Waterproofing and Wendy Marvin of Matrix Home Solutions stopped by to talk to hosts Megan Ellsworth and Lauren White. Charles works as a contractor in Southern California and has been a part of the industry for over 30 years while Wendy is the CEO and co-founder of Matrix. In this episode, they spoke about the practice of tipping in the roofing industry.  

At Matrix, Wendy has noticed that her crews get tips most of the time. But she doesn't think that this is necessarily an industry standard or expectation. Instead, the stories she hears show that it's her crew’s willingness to go the extra mile and to build a connection with a homeowner that leads to tips. She recalled one homeowner who said she wasn’t planning on tipping because she was sick of tipping culture everywhere, but she saw the all-day effort the crew put into working on her roof and had a change of heart. Specifically, Wendy described, “She shared that, at the end of the day, the crew are dragging themselves off the roof they’re so tired. And one of the young men stopped to straighten her solar light that may or may not have gotten bent in the course of the service. But she said it touched her so much, just that small act of caring enough about her house that she changed her mind about tipping.” 

Charles chimed in about his experience getting tips in the field, “I started at Blue Cross doing repairs and stuff. And I don't remember a lot of tipping. I don't remember a lot of tipping back then, but I remembered how I felt when people noticed me.” This could be in the form of tips, but it could be in other actions as well. He explained, “You could make sure they always have water. Because this is what happens on job sites: we have safety, we have water, as OSHA requires, but sometimes things just run out or leak or whatever.” Overall, he and Wendy agreed that tipping is not a necessity or an obligation, but showing care and acknowledgement of their effort is always appreciated. 

Read the transcript, Listen to the episode or Watch the full conversation to learn more about giving back in the roofing industry!