On Sunday March 16, the Triad area of North Carolina experienced a sudden hail storm with hail ranging from one to two inches in diameter. The storm came on suddenly and brought unfortunate damages to siding, roofs, gutters and cars all throughout my neighborhood — a small town just north of Greensboro, North Carolina.

The very next morning, I noticed the neighborhood was flooded with service contractors providing estimates to homeowners. Three different companies knocked on my door that Monday, all of which with different pitches about why their service was the right choice and what kind of “insurance discounts” they can give me for simply putting their sign in my yard.

At first it seemed like companies just doing their best to win business during a high-need situation, but after a few days of talking to a handful of contractors, I’ll admit, I felt confused and a little taken advantage of.

Turns out most of these companies that sent troops in right after the storm aren’t even from NC, some came from even a few states away. All three of the companies that knocked on my door walked our entire property, inspecting every inch, and come back to us with huge estimates for the amount of damage. We were told we need an entire new roof, two new side of the house need new siding, and a lot more spot repairs – around $30,000 worth of damage — for a home built in 2023 that my husband and I moved into less than six months ago. I was shocked that hail could do that much damage!

Two out of the three contractors insisted we needed to sign a service agreement on the spot. Thankfully, we did not, because those agreements would have locked us into paying for the total service and damage quoted, no matter if our insurance would cover it or not.

My husband got on the phone with our insurance agent who warned him that in natural disaster situations, it’s not uncommon for companies to “pray” on homeowners by assessing major damages and prompting homeowners to sign paperwork before the insurance adjuster has come to the property to say what all will be covered.

There is a fine line between running a profitable business and taking advantage of customers; ethics, values, transparency and consistency are the standout factors that make sure you’re riding the right side of the line.

After learning this and talking to a few neighbors, we decided to work with a local contractor who we were referred to. This contractor didn’t come knocking on our door — they told us to have the insurance adjuster come out first, and then contact them with a dollar amount to work with. Over the next couple days, we have referred that company to other fellow neighbors.

I completely understand service companies doing what they need to do to make profit, and of course, making the most of situations that present ample new-customer opportunities. But, as a homeowner, I will always appreciate the local, trustworthy businesses who maybe take a less “aggressive” approach.

The contractor we are working with now probably didn’t get a ton of signed service agreements for thousands of dollars worth of damages to many homes. But, he did gain long-term customers who have in turn, used word of mouth to get him even more local customers…and we plan to use him for a handful of future projects on the home moving forward. There is a fine line between running a profitable business and taking advantage of customers; ethics, values, transparency and consistency are the standout factors that make sure you’re riding the right side of the line.