Getting Concierge Color Service from a Roofing Company - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with Kelly Kloeppel and Kate Smith of DaVinci Roofscapes Sensational Color. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast.

Intro: Above your head. So get ready to ask, learn and explore the fascinating world of roofing one question at a time on the Ask a Roofer Podcast. Hello everyone, my name's Megan Ellsworth.

Lauren White: And I'm Lauren White.

Megan Ellsworth: And you are listening to the Ask a Roofer Podcast. Super excited to be chatting today all about DaVinci Roofscapes, color and with these beautiful ladies, Kate and Kelly. So hello ladies, how are you?

Kelly Kloeppel: Good morning.

Kate Smith: Hello, doing great.

Kelly Kloeppel: Doing great.

Kate Smith: Good morning.

Megan Ellsworth: Yay. Let's dive right in and have Kate, why don't you introduce yourself first, tell us a little bit about you.

Kate Smith: Oh, certainly. I'm Kate Smith and I'm what I call the Chief Color Maven at a company called Sensational Color. And I have worked hand-in-hand with DaVinci for over 10 years. One of my very favorite customers, if not my favorite. And I work with them to lend my expertise to help their customers make color decisions. So deciding which roof color to purchase so that they're going to love what they have on their home.

Megan Ellsworth: Love that. That's so cool.

Kate Smith: It is. It's really fun.

Megan Ellsworth: Kelly, why don't you tell us a little bit about you?

Kelly Kloeppel: Yes, thank you Megan and Lauren for having me on your podcast this morning. I'm Kelly Kloeppel. I am the Project Specialist here at DaVinci Roofscapes, and I've been with DaVinci over a year now. And with the project specialist role, I work with homeowners, architects, contractors, builders, you name it. I will help them with color selection, product samples, contractor referrals, any help that they need, I am there for them.

Megan Ellsworth: That's great.

Lauren White: Wonderful. So just getting right into it, what makes DaVinci different from other manufacturers?

Kelly Kloeppel: So DaVinci really stands apart from other manufacturers because we have individualized project specialist support. So currently we have two project specialists, myself, that covers the western half of the country. And then Jessica Bonley is my counterpart. She covers the eastern side of the country. With that, we work with the homeowners, the contractors, the builders, the architects, just helping them with any questions that they have, whether it's an installation question or samples that they would need or if they want to have any assistance with getting a contractor referral.

Kelly Kloeppel: We also provide a DaVinci technical support, which I believe really stands out. So if there is any questions regarding installation, we have all of our installation guides on our website. And in addition, we have a technical services manager that covers their area. So if they have any questions or need any tips and tricks or suggestions, that help is available to them.

Lauren White: That's awesome.

Kelly Kloeppel: And lastly, we also have color expert support with our color expert, Kate Smith. So if we've got a customer that needs help with color, because sometimes finding the right color, it's obviously a big decision and Kate Smith is wonderful to work with. So we have that support as well.

Megan Ellsworth: That's so fun. I love, Kate, I mean, we chatted with you last year talking about color. I think it's just so fun that you get to do that and help people pick out the color of their home that's going to be in their lives for so long. That's so important.

Kate Smith: Well, thank you, yes. I'm glad to be back with you and I enjoyed our last conversation very much. And this time, even more so because one of the, helping the customers through the customer support team, the sales team and so forth, it's really rewarding. And how I do that is I review the homeowners project. So as Kelly was saying, she gets all the information together. I review the project and offer suggestions for the roofing blends and the colors that would be beautiful for their home. And the thing that I think helps the most is I explain the reasons for each color suggestion and what the customer needs to consider to make that color decision so they'll have a roof that they're happy with for years to come.

Megan Ellsworth: That's great. That's awesome. So could you both kind of go into a little bit more of DaVinci's concierge color service? What you have to offer?

Kate Smith: Yeah, Kelly, can I just share a couple of other things?

Kelly Kloeppel: You certainly can, Kate, go for it.

Kate Smith: One of the, sorry, then you can go on with all the things you offer. I was just going to say, one of the things that I've worked closely with the folks at DaVinci is putting together different ebooks so that the customer has the ability to, they're free to download on the DaVinci Roofscapes website, in the color section, but explaining specifically for different types of homes. So we have one, if your home has brick or stone, we have one that just shows color suggestions by style, so both for roofing, but we go beyond that. We talk about the entire home because you can't just select one piece in isolation. So we talk about paint colors and other suggestions of how to match roofing to your stone or brick and things like that. I think those have been very helpful from what we've gotten feedback from the customers.

Kate Smith: I've written lots of blogs, so there's color-focused blogs for everything you can imagine. And then we also have the color visualizer. So a customer can use one of the many homes, it's already set up in the visualizer to see what a roof or paint color is going to look like on their home. Or they can import their own picture and get an idea of what the roof's going to look like. I will say that the visualizer is a help, but I never think it looks nearly as good as when it's on their home. So I just tell customers to keep that in mind. Yes, you can get an idea through the visualizer, but once it's on your actual home, it always looks really much better than we can ever show in just a rendering. So those are a few of the tools that we have outside of what Kelly and I do directly to help the customer.

Megan Ellsworth: Very cool.

Kate Smith: So take it away, Kelly. Tell them what else we have.

Kelly Kloeppel: Yeah, so Kate and I have worked quite a bit together in the year that I've been with DaVinci, but just having that one-on-one support for the homeowners to help them choose a color, because obviously with a roof, it's not something you do every day. You don't change your roof out every single day, and you want to make sure you get the color right. And when I'm able to suggest that we have Kate Smith to help them with color choices, that really brings a peace of mind to our customers knowing that that service is available to them and it's complimentary.

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. I love that it's complimentary also. That's so nice. The ebooks, all those different assets that homeowners can have in their back pocket when they're making big decisions like this just make it so much easier. So I think everything you ladies do is phenomenal for the homeowner. And then also wanted to mention that we have lots of color insights stories from DaVinci on Ask a Roofer that anyone out there listening can go read and see customer testimonials on the color they chose. How Kate and Kelly helped them choose that color and worked with their contractor. So really cool stuff.

Kelly Kloeppel: Absolutely. I would like to talk about one of my favorite ones that we did. This was actually one of our first projects that we did together, Kate, when I first came on board with DaVinci. This was a homeowner, the Jaris in California and the Jaris project was really fun 'cause again, this was the first time I got to work with Kate and the homeowner to provide a color consultation to them. And how this all came about is Mr. Jaris did email into our website and he was dead set on DaVinci roof, but he just didn't know what color he wanted to choose. And so what I did is I told Mr. Jaris that we did have Kate Smith on board and she could provide a color consultation to help him decide on his color for his roof. And so what I did is I got the information from Mr. Jaris.

Kelly Kloeppel: Usually what we ask for is some photos of their home. And so typically we want to see a front photo of the home, the backside of the home, any fixed features like stone or brick, so that Kate can look at that and really get an idea of what the home looks like with those colors and what's going to compliment that for the DaVinci roof that they choose. Now what I will do is once I've collected that information, which was Mr. Jaris at this time, I will send this over to Kate. I will send those photos that the homeowner provides and also any other information of maybe some colors that they're leaning toward or if they're looking for shake or for slate and also where they're located. And in this instance it was in California. So Kate, do you want to talk about after I sent that information over to you, what you did next?

Kate Smith: Oh, absolutely. This was a great project because Mr. Jaris's home had, it was lovely architecture, but it featured some stunning stonework that was predominantly gray with a little hint of brown. So the first thing I start with is explaining the importance of coordinating the roofing and the stonework because these elements, they will remain consistent even if he chose to paint the home a different color. So this ensures that they have a harmonious and timeless look. And then among the colors he considers, Slate Gray emerged as the perfect choice. And I never tell them exactly. I give them a few choices and help them walk through how to make the decision.

Kate Smith: But it was one of my favorites because Slate Gray is a versatile, it's a warm kind of medium gray. It really complimented the stonework and it also opened up many possibilities for the home's exterior should he decide to repaint. And the seamless blends of the roofing and the stonework always creates a unified exterior scheme and it elevates the curb appeal for what's already a lovely home. And so I send that information back to Kelly, give all the explanations and then we're available if the customer still has questions, but I try to do my best to give them exactly what they need to make that decision on the first go around.

Lauren White: That's amazing.

Kate Smith: Well, thank you.

Lauren White: So many things that go into picking one color for a roof, it's amazing to hear the backstory of the back and forth and all the pictures and everything like that. Do you have some examples of some other stories and roofs that you two worked together on and how you helped those homeowners find the color that they wanted for their roof?

Kelly Kloeppel: Absolutely.

Kate Smith: Well, we have a million stories, but Kelly, which one do you want to talk about?

Kelly Kloeppel: Yes, yes. Another one that comes to mind for me, Kate, was Mr. Udof. He's located in Deerfield, Illinois and he was already working with a contractor. He reached out to me, gave me a call and said he loves DaVinci. He loves the shake profile, but he was just uncertain on what color he wanted to go with. And so instantly, of course, I let him know that, hey, let's talk with Kate Smith, our color expert and she'll be able to assist you on some color advice so you can make your decision, because he was really going back and forth.

Kelly Kloeppel: He was really second guessing himself and wasn't sure on the color, and he wanted to make sure he got it right because obviously purchasing a roof is a big investment and you want to get the right color. So having that second guessing, I let him know we're going to talk with Kate, we're going to send those photos over of your home, where you're located, what you're leaning toward and let's see what Kate's advice is on that. And so what I did, I went ahead and emailed Kate and I said, here's what the information is. What do you suggest for Mr. Udof's home in Illinois?

Kate Smith: Yeah, this Kelly, this is a great example because the Udofs, like many homeowners, find selecting a roof color challenging because the decision is significant. And I understand, we both understand. So DaVinci Roofscapes has so many gorgeous blends, Mr. And Mrs. Udof needed guidance to feel confident choosing just one. And so I gave them my thoughts on their top choices and even explained why I wouldn't recommend one of the blends they were considering for their house. So it's not always just saying yes, go, go, go. I really give them my honest opinion about what I think and then suggest a few things for them to choose from because, so after reviewing my suggestions, the Udofs selected Weathered Gray and it's a blend that beautifully complimented the stone and connects the top of the house to its base, which is important for putting it within the landscape and having the house seem as one whole beautiful exterior.

Kate Smith: But the one thing I want to say is, and I've alluded to this a bit is, I never tell the homeowner what to choose. They're the decision makers. I guide them by sharing my expertise to help them understand how to select a color. And it's gratifying for the homeowner to decide. And knowing how happy they are with the results is the part of the job I most enjoy. But I think it's important for the homeowner to be the decision maker, not for me to say, oh, use this one. And after, like I said, 10 plus years, we found this whole process works very well. In fact, we often and Kelly can share more about that, but hear back from customers about how appreciative they are of just knowing, because sometimes all they need is reassurance. Sometimes they need more guidance. But knowing that we've got that, we've them covered. And the Udofs trusted my guidance so much, which made me feel great that they later asked for help choosing snow guards.

Kelly Kloeppel: Nice.

Kate Smith: Yeah, so it was kind of fun that I was like, wow, they really did, coming back for another question. And in fact their question inspired an Ask a Roofer article called Elevate Your Home's Exterior with Stylish Roof Accents that I sent your way recently. So you never know where the inspiration for or where the ideas for what customers need to know are going to come from.

Kelly Kloeppel: Yes, yes. And it's just nice because it's massively helpful to the homeowner. And like Kate said, that reassurance, sometimes they're just second guessing themselves and they just need one other, Kate's eyes on it. And it's just super helpful for the homeowners to have that information and to know that that service is available to them, 'cause that is one of the number one questions I receive is I love DaVinci, I know I want a certain profile, I just do not know what color would look best on my home. And that's why it's so wonderful to have Kate on our side and with the homeowners to help them with that decision. Very important decision.

Kate Smith: Oh, thanks Kelly.

Kelly Kloeppel: You're welcome. I mean, every word, Kate.

Megan Ellsworth: Aww, I love this love fest.

Kelly Kloeppel: We worked so many, just in the year that I've been with DaVinci, Kate and I, we're probably in correspondence every day and we've built a relationship together and it's just wonderful to see the end result when the homeowner makes that decision after they receive Kate's color consultation. And then a lot of times they'll send me pictures and show me this is what we chose. Thank you to you and Kate for everything that you did. So it's just wonderful to see the end result. It's very, very rewarding.

Megan Ellsworth: Wow. It's kind of fun to think about your house as like an outfit. You have to have coordinating colors, accents, accessories. So I love that the Udofs came back to you, Kate and asked about their snow guards. I think that is so fun.

Kate Smith: Me too, Megan. And it's one of the reasons that I never focus on the roof only. I talk to them, I don't really advise them on other areas of their home unless they specifically ask, but I do mention the other things that they've got that they're working with on their home, because it never is just, oh, put this roof on and you're done. You've got to think about the house as a whole, just like you said, just like you would if you were getting dressed to go somewhere. You think about how the outfit all works together. And that's the approach we take with DaVinci too, which I really appreciate because we're only providing the roof, but we go beyond that and talk to them about anything else that they might have questions about so that they're really happy with their exterior project.

Lauren White: Okay. So you've told us a little bit about two residential examples of projects that you've worked on. Have you done any commercial projects together?

Kate Smith: So yes, homeowners are the primary person we help, but it's not limited only to homeowners. I've had architects ask questions. Kelly sent me things from people that were redoing businesses. So it does go beyond just that homeowner level and the requests come from all different directions.

Kelly Kloeppel: Tag onto what Kate had said, I mean, the other week I sent Kate over a color consultation for a contractor. He was working with a homeowner and she wasn't sure on the color, so I had heard from the contractor. So yes, to talk on Kate's point, we do also help with the homeowners, the contractors, builders, architects, so that color consultation is available for everyone. But yeah, so talking about this one, Kate, this was a fun project as well. This was called, it was a shell bar out west and this owner was calling for some color advice for this bar that he was opening up out west. And he really wanted to honor the history of the town and wanted to replicate an old looking bar that once stood in its place. And so I collected all the information. I was receiving the photos as they were building the bar, and once I got the information I needed, I sent that over to Kate for some color advice. Kate, do you want to talk about what you wrote to them?

Kate Smith: Oh, yeah. This was such a fantastic project, and the owner had a vision, as Kelly mentioned and he just really needed reassurance. So he had narrowed down the choices. We had an initial consult about two different directions he could go. He went in the direction with an aged, from the nature crafted collection, either tossing up between Black Oak and Aged Cedar. And so while either color worked, the Aged Cedar gave him a more rustic vibe, while Black Oak combined with the existing brick, the stained door and dark window grids was a bit better for creating the aged, but elegant look he desired. And that's what he went with. And in fact, I thought it was such a cool project that I thought that Kelly and I needed to on a field trip to the shell bar and check it out.

Kelly Kloeppel: I think that's a great idea. Maybe all four of us girls can go.

Kate Smith: We can go right after the podcast.

Megan Ellsworth: I'll meet you there.

Kate Smith: Perfect. Perfect.

Megan Ellsworth: Oh my gosh, yes. Well, I'm in Colorado, so Wyoming's not too far for me. Maybe I'll head that way and admire the roof someday.

Kelly Kloeppel: Yes.

Kate Smith: That would be great 'cause like I said, it was a really fantastic project, fun to work on and to see these things come to life from what the customer's vision is to the final product is so fun to see. And it's really, I think as Kelly mentioned, it's just very rewarding.

Megan Ellsworth: Yeah, absolutely. I can only imagine how rewarding to get to see people's buildings and homes look and feel great. So next steps, there is so much information both on the DaVinci website and the Ask a Roofer website for people to look at your colors, look what you offer. What should people do next if they're thinking they need to consult with you on what they should do with their roof color?

Kate Smith: Kelly, I'll let you take that. If you want to tell them what the process is.

Kelly Kloeppel: If you have any questions and would like some color advice, you can go onto our website at www.davinciroofscapes.com/color. Or you can also email into our system at coloradvice@davinciroofscapes.com or give me a call, 1-800-328-4624. We'd love to help you, assist you in your color choice for your DaVinci roof.

Kate Smith: It's actually quite a simple process, and I think the tag team of Kelly and I or the other people that work with Kelly is a great way to help the customer because we each have our own layers of expertise that we add in and in the end, they have the ability to simply get everything they need to make a great decision.

Megan Ellsworth: Absolutely. Well, ladies, thank you so much. This has been super informative. I loved hearing about all the different projects you've tagged teamed and worked on together and just everything that DaVinci and you Kate have to offer. So thank you.

Kate Smith: Well, Megan, thank you and Lauren very much for having us again. It's always such a pleasure to talk to you, and I can't wait to meet you for a drink at the shell bar.

Megan Ellsworth: We'll see you there.

Kelly Kloeppel: [inaudible 00:21:57] Kate.

Megan Ellsworth: Everyone out there listening. Thanks so much for being here and listening to us. We have all sorts of articles from Kate and DaVinci on askaroofer.com. All about color advice and different stories from different projects that they've worked on so go check those out. And also go to davinciroofscapes.com to find the free ebooks and project profiles so you can see all the different colors and shake and tile and cedar and slate and all the things. So go check it out. You can also find them on rooferscoffeeshop.com and askaroofer.com. And this has been Ask a Roofer and we will be chatting with you next time. Bye. If your roof needs answers, subscribe now to the Ask a Roofer Podcast. We've got your questions covered, one episode at a time. Go to askaroofer.com to...