Roofing Sales Objection: “I Don’t Want to File A Claim”

I don’t want to file a claim.

This is one of the MOST common objections I hear when it comes to selling hail, wind, or hurricane damaged roofs.

For some reason, homeowners are often resistant to using their insurance.

They can mistakenly think:

• It’s an “evil” thing to use their insurance.
• The roof wasn’t damaged severely enough, and it doesn’t need to be done right now.

So, I’m going to give you 5 different angles of attack to overcome this objection — the “I don’t want to file a claim now” objection in roofing sales.

Why 5 Different Angles for This Roofing Sales Objection?

Before we get started, I want to cover some groundwork.

Now, I don’t believe in the whole flashcard approach to objection handling. Why?

Because practicing the perfect rebuttal is combative and it doesn’t really lend itself to:

1. A healthy conversation
2. Developing trust

So, when someone says, “I don’t want to file a claim,” and we respond with something like, “Well, you’re being stupid. You pay for the service,” that does NOT go so well. It really feels like throwing punches back and forth.

And, frankly, it’s not how I interact with my friends, my family, or in any of my close relationships. That’s why I teach the ARO Objection Handling Formula, with “ARO” standing for:

1. Acknowledge
2. Reassure
3. Overcome

That’s how we can make sure that people feel heard and understood before giving them a fresh perspective on their own situation.

5 Ways to Adapt & Overcome This Roofing Sales Objection

The other reason that I’m giving you 5 different approaches here is because is not every customer will need all 5. Some many need 1, 3, or 5. So, I’m giving you the long-winded version so that you can harvest what works best for you in the real world.

Now, here’s the last thing I want to share on the whole objection side (and I teach this in my all-in-one sales training, sales strategy, and sales system). It’s the fact that every single objection means one of three things:

1. The homeowner doesn’t TRUST you.
2. They don’t think they NEED you or a new roof.
3. It’s a MONEY issue.

So, what does the “I don’t want to file a claim” objection really mean? It’s a NEED issue.

They don’t feel a strong enough NEED to take action on their roof. They may trust you and like you. BUT at the end of the day, they don’t want to file a claim is because:

1. You have not created enough of a need.
2. The homeowners don’t see that the benefits of filing a claim far outweigh the risks.

They’re thinking:

Hey, I don’t have a problem with my roof. My roof is not leaking.

Therefore, I don’t need to do anything about it right now.

So, it is us up to us to create the need for them to take action.

Before we dive into how to create that need and overcome this objection, I first want to say welcome or welcome back. My name is Adam Bensman, The Roof Strategist.

Everything I do here — and on my YouTube channel, Instagram, my podcast (on Apple and Spotify), and in my all-in-one sales training, sales strategy, and sales system — is designed to help you and your team smash your income goals and give every customer an amazing experience.

To do that, you’ve got to earn the business. And this objection — I don’t want to file a claim — is a BIG obstacle holding us up.

So, let’s get to it. Here are the different ways to overcome the “I don’t want to file a claim” objection in roofing sales.

Roofing Sales Strategy #1: Educate Them About Act of God Claims

The first method focuses on Act of God claims. Now, you have to check your state laws, but this “Act of God” claim means that an event outside of your control — an event caused by mother nature — caused the damage. And that can be hail, wind, or hurricane damage.

With an Act of God claim, your rates can’t go up because it’s different than damage caused by negligence (like getting drunk, leaving the stove on, and burning the house down) or theft. Those claims are categorized AND handled differently than an Act of God claim.

Remember, though, there ARE a few states where this does NOT apply. So, I’m dropping in this disclaimer here.

Disclaimer: I’m not a public adjuster, and I’m not an attorney. I don’t have all this stuff memorized. It’s not my sweet spot. Sales is my sweet spot. So, make sure to check the laws in the state(s) where you operate.

So, again, an Act of God claims means that your rates cannot go up just because you’ve filed a claim. Of course, rates can go up every year automatically because those rates are an aggregate of all the claims in the area. It’s similar to how health insurance just keeps going up each and every year.

Still, that does NOT mean that the insurance company is going to hike up rates for homeowners who file Act of God claims.

If it’s an Act of God claim, most states don’t let insurance companies raise rates for those claims. Making that clear to homeowners is one approach to overcoming the “I don’t want to file a claim” objection.

Roofing Sales Strategy #2: Explain How the Roof’s Lifespan Is Compromised

Another convincing way to create the need and overcome the “I don’t want to file a claim” objection is by letting homeowners know how the damage has compromised the lifespan of their roof.

And we can simply say, “Mr. Homeowner, the lifespan of your roof has been compromised now.”

What does that mean?

It means that if a roof is damaged by hail or wind in a way — even if it’s minor — that has shortened the lifespan of that roof.

So, if that homeowner expected their roof to last 30 years (or whatever the manufacturer stated), just one hail or wind event could:

• Damage the roof
• Compromise the shingles
• Shorten the lifespan of the roof
• Void the manufacturer’s warranty, adding injury to insult

So, what does that mean to the homeowner?

Think of it like a new truck. If they bought a new truck and expected it to last 200,000 miles:

1. That truck it might only last 100,000 miles IF there’s a hail event or the neighborhood kids steal it, go mudding, and start doing donuts.
2. That homeowner’s going to go out and buy a brand-new truck 100,000 miles — or about 10 years — sooner than they had expected.

Roofing Sales Strategy #3: Highlight the Compounding Prices

The next approach is to explain that the price of roofing compounds, so waiting is going to cost the homeowner MORE in the future.

Let’s put this ALL together, now.

Here’s a roofing sales script I use to explain the first two approaches to the homeowner and lead into this third approach, explaining how it’s going to cost them more to wait:

Mr. Homeowner, first, if you file an act of God claim, your insurance company can’t increase your rates [remember that you must check your state laws to make sure you can say that].

And the damage HAS compromised the lifespan of your roof.

Even though your roof may not appear to be leaking now — and it might not have any issues that are obvious to you at the moment — the truth is the lifespan of your roof IS reduced.

It’s similar to your car tires. If you bought tires because they have a 50,000-mile road wear warranty, what if you had to replace your tires after just 15,000 miles?

You’re GOING to be upset. And the difference with your roof is that the roofing is the MOST expensive maintenance item on your home.

In fact, the price of roofing about DOUBLES every 10 years. And that’s going up at a FASTER rate right now with the rate increases we’re seeing.

So, if the lifespan of your roof drops by 10 years AND the price doubles every 10 years, you’re going to be coming out of pocket with enough money to remodel your kitchen or buy a brand-new vehicle.

It’s NOT a fun place to be.

Roofing Sales Strategy #4: Explain Future Loss & Liability

Up until now, the first three approaches have touched on the money side of things. Now, I want to get into liability and more of the emotional side.

Money IS still involved, but this is future loss and liability. I know this verbiage sounds big, but with “future loss and liability,” here’s what we really mean:

1. Future loss means an insurance claim down the road or other damage.
2. Liability means who’s paying for it.

To explain this to the homeowner, you can use or adapt this roofing sales script:

Mr. Homeowner, you don’t want to file a claim now?

Well, whether it’s wind damage or hail damage, the future impacts of that damage could lead to problems in the roof or failure points.

That could be water coming in, destroying your carpets and furniture. And that can become VERY expensive because we’ll have dry outs and interior repairs to do.

We’ll have to repaint ceilings, and in some climates, there can even be environmental threats, like mold through moisture penetration in the home.

So, Mr. Homeowner, if you don’t file a claim — even though the damage may be small now — what happens is that you have a limited window of opportunity to make that claim.

Let’s say it’s 1 to 3 years, depending on the type of loss and the state [Note: In some states, this could be as little as 6 months].

If you’re outside that window, something happens, and the insurance company links it to a wind-damaged shingle (or other old roof damage), they will NOT cover it.

So, if you don’t file a claim and water pours in, 2 years later when the insurance company comes out, they’re going to say, “Hey, there was a wind event on this date. You didn’t do anything. This was damaged before. This is old damage. We’re NOT covering it.”

And the truth is the insurance companies CAN do that because it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to prohibit or keep any future loss from occurring.

The same thing goes if your home’s pipes freeze. If your pipes are frozen and water bursts out of them, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY as a homeowner, by law on your contract with the insurance company, to stop or prevent future loss from occurring.

That means you have to stop the water from flooding. You can’t wait, sit around, and give it a chance to cause more damage. No, you have to stop it.

The same thing goes with a fire. You do NOT let the house burn down. You have to put the fire out as quickly as possible.

It’s same for your roof too, even though it’s less extreme and emotional. It is your responsibility to prevent future damage from occurring.

If you don’t and that ends up causing more damage to your home in the future, you WILL be paying out of pocket for that, meaning you’re 100% liable.

Roofing Sales Strategy #5: Point Out Insurance Is a Service

Most people forget this, but insurance is truly a service. You PAY for it.

In most cases, folks pay for insurance monthly with their mortgage, or they pay for it annually.

And they pay for this service year after year to protect:

1. The MOST valuable asset they have (their home)
2. The MOST expensive maintenance item on their home (their roof)

So, there’s nothing wrong with filing a claim and using the service they’re paying for to protect both their roof and their home.

Recap: 5 Powerful Ways to Overcome the ‘I Don’t Want to File a Claim’ Objection

You now have 5 angles of attack to help you educate homeowners on why they may wish to file a claim for roof damage now, even if it’s minor (and if you have questions about the ethical implications, like what if it’s really minor or you’re kind on the edge of calling in, find out how to handle those situations by checking out my Ethical Questions: How to Deal with Marginal Damage video).

You also now know that:

1. When homeowners don’t want to file a claim, we have NOT created enough need. Essentially, when they say they don’t want to file a claim, they either mean that they don’t feel the need to file the claim OR they don’t really understand why it’s wise decision to file now, instead of later.
2. We have 5 different angles of attack to educate them as to why filing a claim now can be better than waiting.

Those 5 ways to educate homeowners, create the need, and build trust involve explaining that:

1. An Act of God claim can’t increase their rates (remember, to check with your state’s laws first because this varies by state).
2. The lifespan of the roof has been compromised, which means they pay out of pocket to replace it 5, 10, or 15 years sooner than it should have been replaced.
3. The price of roofing is going to double every 10 years, on average. And, right now, prices are doubling even faster — in as little as 5 to 7 years — in some markets.
4. Future loss and liability will come into play. If any other damage comes up in the future and it can be tied old roof damage the homeowner didn’t repair, they’re going to be 100% liable for covering it.
5. Insurance is a service that homeowners pay for, and they literally have a service agreement with their insurance company.

Now, you know exactly what to say the next time you hear a homeowner object with, “I don’t want to file a claim!”

Get More Roofing Sales Strategies, Scripts, Tips & Videos

If you want more on overcoming objections, closing, canvassing, pitching, or any other topic in roofing sales, check out my all-in-one sales training, sales strategy, and sales system, the Roofing Sales Success Formula & Complete Sales Strategy.

This exclusive program covers everything from knock to close, with packages for individual roofing sales reps and entire teams. Many roofing sales companies LOVE this program because it’s a consistent process to train everybody on a relatable sales system that WORKS and that’s a lightning-fast way to get results.

If you have questions, just call or text (303) 222-7133 for more info or a private demo.

You can also subscribe for the latest roofing sales training videos and/or get a copy of my Pitch Like a Pro roofing sales training video library. It includes every roofing sales video I’ve ever done, organized by category, along with a bunch of tips, tricks, and more. It’s great for new people and seasoned veterans, and it’s updated all the time to help you and your team smash your income goals and give every customer an amazing experience.

And don’t forget to check out my Marketing Battle Pack for instant access to 70+ pieces of my proven, turnkey roofing sales and marketing materials. It’s an entire suite, specially designed for sales teams, managers, and owners, providing:

It’s affordably priced and comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. There’s also a playlist of instructional videos in there, explaining every single thing. So, you can watch the videos, and you’ll know exactly what to do.

Thanks for joining me, and I look forward to sharing more with you in the next blog.