Last Year, I noticed a leak in my roof, and after some research, I contacted a local roofer to come and take a look. He showed up with his apprentice in November, and after assessing the damage, he gave me an estimate that was quite affordable. I booked the service immediately and looked forward to having the problem solved.

The weather was cold and dry on the day of the job, but that didn’t deter them. A few hours later, the work was completed, and the roofer showed me photos of the before and after, along with the materials he had used. Everything checked out, and I paid him the agreed-upon amount.

However, a month later, it rained, and to my dismay, I discovered that the leak had returned. I immediately contacted the roofer and informed him of the problem. He was apologetic and arranged to come out the next day. Once again, he identified the faulty area, and this time, he repaired it at a nominal fee to cover some minor costs.

I was happy that the roofer had fixed the problem and that it was still within my budget. However, my happiness was short-lived, as three weeks later, another leak appeared from the same area. At this point, I was starting to lose confidence in the roofer’s supposed expertise. I called him again, and he promised to come out as soon as possible to locate the issue.

Two days later, he arrived with his apprentice, and they got to work trying to locate the problem. After a bit of investigation, they discovered the source of the problem and completed the job without any charge. Although I appreciated the free service, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated at the whole experience.

I had become very weary and wondered about the opportunity cost of time wasted for the sake of saving money. The roof seemed okay for the time being, but the experience had shaken my confidence in the roofer’s abilities.

Despite this, we ended the transaction on a friendly note, and I appreciated the cordiality and trust that the roofer had shown. It made me realize that personal relationships and trust are essential, especially when it comes to home repairs.

Nextdoor provides this type of cordiality and trust, while Google businesses are faster, albeit slightly more expensive. It all comes down to personal trade-offs between speed and relatability.