Good Neighbor Podcast Northport
Bringing Together Local Businesses and Neighbors of Tuscaloosa and Northport!
Good Neighbor Podcast Northport
Jeremy Donald: Excellence in Gutter Installation and Customer Service at Integrity Gutters
Curious about how proper gutter installation can protect your home and save you a fortune? Join us on the Good Neighbor Podcast as we chat with Jeremy Donald, the dedicated owner of Integrity Gutters in Tuscaloosa. Jeremy shares his journey from a background in construction and ministry to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the gutter industry. You'll learn why customer service is at the heart of Integrity Gutters, and how their follow-up commitment has earned them stellar reviews on Google.
In this episode, Jeremy unpacks the importance of gutters in preventing moisture damage and erosion around your home's foundation. Listen as he recounts his start in the business, aided by a mentor, and the challenges he overcame, particularly the technical learning curve. Hear firsthand how Jeremy's passion for outdoor work translates into quality service that not only beautifies homes but helps ensure their longevity. This episode is a goldmine for homeowners and aspiring entrepreneurs alike, packed with insights and inspiration from Jeremy's story. #GNPNorthport #IntegrityGutters #TuscaloosaGutters #BirminghamGutters #CustomGutters #AlabamaHomes #GutterInstallation #HomeImprovementAL #BirminghamContractors #RainGutters #TuscaloosaHomeServices #BhamLocalBusiness #GutterProtection #HomeRenovation #GutterExperts #ALContractors #BirminghamHomeUpgrades
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Patricia Blondheim.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. I'm your host, patricia Blondheim, and today we have good neighbor Jeremy Donald, and Jeremy is the owner of Integrity Gutters in Tuscaloosa. Jeremy, how are you today?
Speaker 3:I'm doing fantastic. Thanks for asking.
Speaker 2:I'm so glad to see you today and to learn more about Integrity Gutters. Tell me what makes Integrity Gutters special.
Speaker 3:Well, one of the things that we take pride in is customer service. We deal directly with customers more than we do. We do a little contracting work, but we mostly do with the consumer and we like to make them feel like that they are valuable and they're important and we like to take something that they may not know a whole lot about and just kind of help them understand it, and then we're also very good at coming back if there's an issue.
Speaker 3:We follow up very well and we have all five star reviews on our Google business page, so I'm thankful for that.
Speaker 2:Well, some of us are experienced property owners and we understand things like this. But other people might appreciate knowing why are gutters important to a house?
Speaker 3:So gutters help the water.
Speaker 3:It helps to relocate the water into certain spots around the house. Typically, when you have no gutters, your rainwater is coming off the eave of your house and dropping right next to your foundation and it can create problems with moisture under the house. And when you put gutters on the house, you can control where the water goes. You can divert the water just to certain spots where the downspouts go, or you can take it a step further and go underground and disperse the water in the drainage system and it just eliminates the moisture, a lot of the moisture that would normally hang out around the foundation of a home.
Speaker 3:it can help reduce erosion. We have, we've seen, you know, wooden decks on the back of homes just absolutely destroyed because people didn't have gutters and the rain was hitting down on it and gutters would have saved thousands of dollars on that, yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, tell our listeners about your journey, Jeremy. How did you? How did you get here?
Speaker 3:Well, I actually have done some construction work off and on. I'm also in the ministry and so I've done some construction work off and on kind of side things. And a few years ago we just kind of come upon an opportunity to do gutter business. A friend of mine was in a roofing business and he called and said hey, I know you're good with construction.
Speaker 3:We got an opportunity if you want to purchase the gutter machine and the whole business and I was interested because I just enjoyed being outside and working and and I actually started, you know, just kind of slow, and that was my intent. And then now, uh, we do, we do quite a bit of business around town, uh, for the consumer and the homeowner and uh, so, yeah, I love it, I love being outside. I don't like 110 degree weather, but I do like being outside working and I like the satisfaction of, you know, helping people uh fix their home in a way that it creates a lasting effect, something that can help the home stand for a long time.
Speaker 2:So it's great to have that. There's a great sense of pride in looking at that job done it really you can't get that being just about any other kind of worker, but you do get that in the service industry the ability to look at something that you've done and see it done and take pride in it. Absolutely Every time I go by an area, if I'm with someone in my car, you know I'll say, well, I'll put those gutters up on that house. You know, and I always look at them when know that you probably encountered some challenges or some hurdles that you had to jump to get here. Can you talk about any of that?
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know just the learning curve. When I got into the industry I was good with construction, I was really good with hammer, nails and wood but I had not done gutters and learning that was a process. But we had some really good people that were actually had a gentleman that was in the industry and getting out of it and he spent some good quality time with me, teaching me some techniques and showing me some things that you're not going to learn any other way, but someone who's experienced that can show it to you. And I guess getting over those little hurdles of kind of learning the little small things, that that if you do them the first time and do it right, you don't have to go back and redo something, and those little things have really helped me in this industry.
Speaker 2:A lot of people have misconceptions about the service industry particularly. Do you have any that you've encountered that you want to share?
Speaker 3:So probably a lot of. As it pertains to gutters, a lot of people are they don't know how much gutters are supposed to cost and a lot of times people are afraid that it's going to cost way too much money. And I'll be honest with you, there probably are some service industry companies out there that do charge a little more. I try to stay very consistent. I don't try to overcharge one customer because they live in a nice home and another customer who lives in a lesser home. I try to stay consistent with my pricing and I think that helps people because, hey, we live in a free world, you can charge whatever you want to, you can pay whatever you want to, and I'm OK with that. So I think a lot of people just think it costs way more money than it actually does cost and it's a great investment and if you can come to the place in your budget where you can do it, it's very helpful to you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there are companies out there that charge a pretty penny and they want to cover your gutters and do all of that stuff. But, man, if you're taking any information from those people, you're going to think gutters are. You may as well buy a castle in England, right?
Speaker 3:You really are. It really is. I have some inside track on that and it really is. They charge a lot of money and we do gutter covers as well, and we have a couple of different styles that we do, and I try to be honest and upfront with people.
Speaker 3:One style we call a standard, the other style we call premium. They both function well, but if your budget fits the higher end, great. If it don't, we'll put a lesser guard for you. Where a lot of those are real high pressure salesmen, and they're really probably one of the things I've encountered the most is people I just encountered this this this morning actually people being pressured and feeling like if I don't sign this contract, if I don't pay this deposit right now, I'm going to miss out on the deal of a lifetime, and they don't realize if they call a local guy the next day, they'll get it for a fraction of the cost of what that deal of a lifetime was supposed to be within the next 30 minutes, and so so I think that probably is big for me, just helping people understand that they can find something better for their budget.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I think some of that is predatory and it's not necessary. There's always a local business out there that's willing to take care of local residents and do a wonderful job and then just be there in the neighborhood later on when things happen or they don't happen, or you need more or you need less. It's nice to have that relationship with that local contractor. I think it's necessary to have it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I agree. I agree with that. It makes a big difference in people, makes it more personal.
Speaker 2:Well, Jeremy, what do you? I'm sorry, I'm stepping on you because we have a little bit of a lag. Tell me about what you do for fun. What fills your cup?
Speaker 3:Oh wow. Just being with my family probably is fun. My adult children both live about three and a half hours distance from us. My wife and I have an absolutely amazing relationship with my wife, 27 years. She's my best friend and anything that I do with her is fun, Even if it's something that she enjoys that I don't. Just being with her is fun, but we enjoy getting together with our family and spending time with our kids as much as we can and being with family. It really doesn't matter what we're doing. Just the quality time together is what drives me and gives me encouragement and strength.
Speaker 2:Well, what would you like our listeners, jeremy, to take away about Integrity, gutters?
Speaker 3:gutters. I would say the takeaway, probably for us, is you know, we want to help you on a personal level. We want to help you enhance the value of your home and the stability and durability of your home and we want to do that at an affordable price and we have options. And it pertains to gutter guard. The gutter is pretty much standard, but you know, it's not, it's not more, it's not way too expensive, it can fit in your budget. And the biggest thing for us is we just want to help people and we want to be personable and again, we give a warranty with our work and we'll come back, you know if you call if you have a leak, work and we'll come back.
Speaker 3:If you call if you have a leak somewhere, we'll come back, and my warranty standard is a year. But I've been back three years after and still just did a little touch up work, try to help people out. We're not in the business of trying to get rich. We're in the business of helping people and then balancing our family with a good income as well.
Speaker 2:And that's why you're called Integrity Gutters. How can listeners learn more and find you? Contact you?
Speaker 3:So we have my phone number. Direct phone number is 205-210-8056. You can also Google. Our Google business page is available Integrity Gutters LLC and you can see. You know a lot of the work that we've done on that Google business page and our reviews and you can contact us through that as well. We get most of our calls through that Google business page for Integrity Gutters LLC.
Speaker 2:Jeremy, it was so nice meeting you and thank you so much for coming by and sharing Integrity Gutters with us.
Speaker 3:Thank you for the opportunity.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast, northport. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpnorthportcom. That's gnpnorthportcom, or call 205-809-4910.