Jamie Taylor’s work ethic has taken him from a 16 year old school leaver in Armadale hungry for work in the trades, to running a sizeable roofing company with an impeccable review history in an extremely competitive industry.
“I think my work ethic springs from a background of huge responsibility at a young age,” says Jamie. Life was hard financially at home, and Jamie had no choice but to get work as soon as possible, work hard and be a success. He was attracted to the trades as he wanted to eventually travel, and with a trade apprenticeship under his belt he’d be able to go anywhere.
“I met my wife, Kelly, when I was an apprentice and took on responsibility for my two step children Loren and Robbie who were five and three at the time. So I had more bills than the average 18 year old!” They now have two more sons Harry (7) and Arlo (11 months), so life outside work is busy too.
“The key company values are my personal values: hard work, trust, communication, growth and giving back,” explains Jamie. “We are there to make the very best possible job for the customer; make sure the customer knows the schedule for the job and exactly what and when it will be carried out.”
“When I started as an apprentice for a local roofer, it was at the time when smartphones were really taking off. I would go up on a roof take pictures of the problem and show the customer so they could see exactly what I was working on. Then I would show them a picture of the finished job. It made everything totally transparent, which was so different from what people were used to.” At the age of 18, he was working full time as an apprentice roofer, had a grass-cutting business on the side and was also working Friday and weekend evenings as a takeaway driver, all to make ends meet. He’s definitely not afraid of hard work! “I got a reputation as an apprentice as a grafter. I always wanted to be the one that the experienced guys wanted to take out on jobs. I was desperate to learn as much as possible every day and to be the very best. I knew I would never let anyone down.”
This ethic shines through with Jamie today and he strives to make sure all his employees – a mixture of experienced guys and apprentices – have the same standards. He’s not satisfied until the customer is delighted. “Mistakes happen, we are all human, and sometimes there are problems which are outwith our control. But I will always go back and fix any issues. We are not the cheapest, but what we do provide is full end-to-end top quality service and after-sales care. If it’s purely a price you are interested in we are probably not the roofers for you, but if you are looking for a top quality service with full accountability then please give us a call.” Taylor Roofs consists of the office admin team Kelly and Karen, Operations Manager Brian, and twelve men on the tools. Jamie visits customers and oversees the business.
Jamie’s enthusiasm for customer service is obvious, he’s as happy talking to customers as he is up on a roof. “I love working with people. I love going out to visit customers to discuss their problems and to be able to provide a solution.” Taylor Roofs provides full project management from scaffolding to skips, and details such as giving customers a one-hour arrival slot for a quotation visit, excellent communication throughout the project, and cleaning up impeccably after the job are all things that make Taylor Roofs stand out. “You can’t fail using us,” Jamie adds simply.
As a member of the West Lothian Trusted Trader scheme Taylor’s Roofs customer reviews are available online. Here is what some recent customers have said:
“We had our whole roof replaced by Taylor Roofs, four weeks ago. What a great company! I would recommend them unreservedly. The team Dan, Barry and Ben were always on time, hardworking and the standard of their work was impeccable. Brian their project manager kept in touch daily, phoning every evening to give us a progress update. The ‘boys’ were mannerly and courteous, a credit to Taylor Roofs.”
“Very impressed with Jamie and his team. Jamie came out and explained everything to us. Stephen, Blair and Jake did a great job. Everyone was easy to deal with. Brian called us at every stage to keep us informed. Would highly recommend them. Great company.”
The travel plans that got him into roofing in the first place? “I’m not bothered about it any more,” says Jamie. “I’m happy here with my family and business. I want it to be a success for them.”
Published in Konect November 2019
Author: Helen-Jane Shearer