One of the most common complaints we’ve received about ourselves over the years is, “They tried to upsell me when they did our first cleaning.” I’m going to address this head on and after you read this article you’ll know exactly what to expect with your first cleaning and you’ll fully understand our process in ensuring your gutters are in tip top shape.
Charlottesville Gutter Pros Top “Upsells”
Fixing leaking gutters – We’ve cleaned thousands of homes in Charlottesville and Albemarle County and the most common upsell we see, no exaggeration, is leaking gutters. Obviously leaking gutters aren’t good and leaks can cause long term damage to the fascia boards and create issues on the ground with the foundation. In fact, a main difference between us and competitors is we look for leaks because we’re the Pros! Can you imagine if you went to the dentist for a regular 6-mo cleaning and he found a bunch of potential cavities but he never told you!? You wouldn’t be a happy camper because you trust the dentist to help you keep your teeth in good condition.
How would you feel if you hired a company to clean your gutters but they didn’t report the leaks they found? The reason we’re different is because we don’t shy away from the problem. We want your gutters to be clean, airtight, and ready for rain! We hope all you need is a basic cleaning service but it’s very common for our clients to need more than that and resealing leaking gutters is the top way we make sure your gutters are in good shape. Nobody likes news that they need to spend more money on their gutters but virtually everyone appreciates getting the news. Once they have all the information, they decide if they want to fix it or not.
Strainers – Strainers are a small device that goes into a downspout and it acts as a filter (or strainer) to keep debris from entering the downspout and allows water to continue to flow. We love strainers in most situations because they’re an inexpensive way to keep debris out of your downspouts and drains. They also prolong the life of the cleaning, let me explain. It’s possible for a very small amount of debris to clump around the downspout and create a blockage which causes the gutter to fill up with water and spill over the sides. It’s a shame to pay us a cleaning fee just to remove that small clump of debris. Strainers will break up that debris and continue to let water flow.
One downside of strainers is that sometimes (it happens about five times per year) the strainer will get clogged and gunked up. We consider this a fluke because of how little it happens. When it does, we simply come back to your house and clean them out at no charge. Strainers aren’t a silver bullet though, and if you need to pay for additional cleanings after we install them we’ll have that conversation with you.
Miscellaneous repairs – As you can imagine, most of our clients have some sort of damage to their gutter system. It’s like asking someone with a used car, “Does your car have anything that could be fixed or repaired?” The answer would be “Of course, it’s not brand new.” The same is true about your gutters: unless they’re brand new, it’s very likely they need something. Our approach is to provide you with a general idea of what needs to be done and let you decide if you want to spend the money. It’s simple: let the client know (make them aware) and let them choose.
Here’s an important general rule of thumb: We tend to custom tailor the amount of repairs we discuss with you based on the condition of the home. For example: with an older home that obviously needs a lot of TLC (not just the gutters) we will talk in broad terms about your repairs like, “Your gutters could use quite a bit of work but that probably isn’t a surprise to you. Do you want to discuss some of those options or are you going to put them off until other parts of your home have been updated?” But for newer homes that are in overall better condition, we’ll talk in more specifics, like, “I noticed you have a damaged downspout by the garage, did someone back into it with their car? If so, we can replace that right now.” And, “I know your home is pretty new but it looks like the roofers didn’t install the drip edge correctly which is allowing water to flow behind your gutter and that’s something we can probably do today.” Either way, our approach is simply to make our client aware of what needs to be done and they choose if they want to fix it.
Drain flushing / drain cleaning – We are very passionate about drains. Here’s why: Virtually every single homeowner in Charlottesville and Albemarle County has never thought about their underground drains and that leads to so many problems longterm. We see neglected drains every day where water is wreaking havoc on the home and property. It’s not the client’s fault; they just didn’t know and nobody has told them. We’re trying to change that. Neglecting your underground drains is like forgetting to clean the lint trap in your dryer—eventually, everything backs up, and you’re in for a mess. It’s like having a clogged artery in your heart—things might seem fine for a while, but sooner or later, the blockage is going to cause major problems.
Splash guards – This is a particularly relevant subject for people with gutter guards. It’s common for water to run down a roof valley so fast (because it’s extra steep) that it actually misses the gutter and runs over it. Obviously this isn’t the way it’s supposed to work and a simple splash guard can make a big difference. The splash guard simply keeps the water from running over it. It acts as a blocker and keeps the water contained within the gutter and prevents a very annoying splash from occurring. We usually have to come back another time to install these since they’re custom fabricated and match the color of your gutters. If you tell our technicians you’re having this problem, they will definitely “upsell” you by recommending solutions (splash guards) to solve that problem.
Gutter guards – Gutter guards (screens) are really popular in Charlottesville. We often get asked, “Are gutter guards worth it?” Or “Do you recommend gutter guards on my gutters?” To learn more about gutter guards, check out this article we wrote with a full breakdown of every detail. The reason gutter guards are a common upsell is because we get asked about them a lot. If a client would prefer a one-time solution (more expensive) over a recurring solution (ongoing cleanings) then gutter guards are a great idea. Again, we’ll present options and let them choose.
In summary, “We Solve Gutter Problems” because we’re the Pros and we solve those problems by giving our clients a full report after our cleaning service of what we found so they can make an educated and well-informed decision about their gutters. Our job is to look for small problems before they become big problems. It’s their job to decide to what degree they solve those problems. If you hire us to clean your gutters, your technicians will present you options for moving forward and then you will choose how you want to move forward. If we don’t give you those options then we’re not doing our job.
Contact us at (434) 422-4700 to schedule your gutter services today. You may also check out our financing option for flexible payment term.
