Beth Hinton, Author at First Choice Equipment Sales & Service

Are You Ready Contractors?

Jul 7, 2022

Rain and high winds during hurricane season

By Beth Hinton

The Atlantic storm season has again arrived, and we must remain vigilant in our preparations for a major storm event. With hurricane season lasting from June 1, 2022, to November 30, 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting an above-average period for storms.

Many State and Municipal requirements, rules, and laws direct us in how we handle a job site. That would include fencing, debris, and safety.

Specific language in the Building Codes often dictates how we conduct ourselves and our work at a disaster job site.

After a storm, the demand or rush for labor and materials, coupled with unfamiliar locations and the unique job-site hazards associated with post-event situations, can create significant risks and challenges for contractors. Before you move to a new location and a new storm, you should always ensure you have a skilled workforce large enough to handle new jobs.

Contractors can expect to face weather-related delays, increased storm repair workload, and a significant tools and materials shortage – brought on by the supply chain issues in the US.

Be sure to review your business insurance coverage and state/local laws that apply to restoration contractors.

Here are our top four tips on ways to prepare now.

1. HAVE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT FOR THE JOB

Sure, you can load up a truck or trailer with some air movers and a few dehus but will that be enough for the opportunities that you will come across? You may likely need a trailer-mounted desiccant or two or three so you can make some real money and pay for the expensive travel. First Choice Equipment (your author) can often help you get equipment and has many sources to make that happen. With the supply chain issues we face, it will be important to contact us immediately when you know what you’ll need. Many clients will call and not everyone will get equipment.

2. FULL-SERVICE CONTRACTORS GET MORE OPPORTUNITIES

High winds and rain can cause damage to your home The roof of a home or business can be damaged by a hurricane – from the high winds and flying or fallings trees or debris. Contractors who don’t offer full-service restoration should start hiring and training staff now. If you aren’t comfortable with, or not ready to embrace the cost of offering in-house full-service, then reach out to trusted construction contractors that will support you and assist you when the time comes. It’s no secret that many insurance companies want to engage with a full-service restoration firm.

3. KNOW THE LAWS AND RULES IN THE AREA YOU PLAN TO WORK

If you plan to travel out of your regular area, know that other cities or states will have different laws and rules. Don’t be guilty of Public Adjusting. As a contractor, it’s illegal and can get you fined or worse – quickly! Consider partnering or working with a legitimate Public Adjuster that will keep you legal and send you to work. Outsourcing your estimates and supplements is one way to stay compliant in any state.

4. PREPARED AND EFFICIENT YOU WILL BE MORE PROFITABLE

Every minute of every day, seven days a week becomes critical to your success during hurricanes. Be sure you deploy qualified sales staff to the right areas to secure the work you want. As roofing or restoration contractors, you will need to teach and educate that staff on what to target and who is your ideal client. Do this training BEFORE the storm so they are not scrambling and trying to figure it out by trial and error.

A terrific way to stay ahead of your competition is to ensure your company is running as efficiently as possible and that often means outsourcing your claims department.

Since some regions may require permits to conduct your work, and often those rules include ordinances or rules such as:

Upon issuance of a tropical storm or hurricane watch for our area by the National Weather Service, immediate actions should be undertaken to secure/prepare a project/site for the potential effects of a storm event. Ordinary activity may continue if these actions are being taken.
Upon the issuance of a tropical storm or hurricane warning for our area by the National Weather Service, all normal construction activities are ordered to cease except for those activities directly necessary to secure a project or site in preparation for a storm event.
All regulated work may resume once the storm has passed and the prevailing winds drop below tropical storm force (40 mph) at the site.

And always, designate a Hurricane Emergency Response Team, and select a key member to monitor weather conditions and communicate required actions as regularly as possible.

The listed actions and your written plans will help to both prevent and mitigate potential loss or calamities in your contracting business when working in a hurricane or major storm zone. They’ll create an improved likelihood of delivering construction projects on time, keeping costs contained and lowering the overall cost of risk.

Beth from First Choice Drying Equipment is ready to take your call in person! You can schedule a call by filling out the form on the contact page, or you can call us anytime at the number listed below.

Follow First Choice Drying Equipment on LinkedIn to learn more
about the equipment repairs and equipment we offer.

Email Beth at beth.firstchoice@gmail.com or call her at (719) 240-4930.

The 3 S’s of Restoration Project Planning

Jun 10, 2022

By Beth Hinton

The call just came in and the whole office kicks into high gear. It doesn’t matter if it happens once a day or once a week, when that phone rings and it’s a customer, or adjuster, or even a plumber needing help with their broken pipe or sewage backup, your office is ready to get to work. Now, things are going to happen.

If you are prepared, have a plan, and put that plan in motion, the project usually works out. Even if part of that plan is to reach out to additional resources for help, or at least be on stand-by, the plan is functioning. If you aren’t prepared, things can go from good to really bad extremely fast.

For every restoration company, the length of time you all stay ‘pumped up’ is often decided by how well organized your strategy is working. Proper restoration project planning has to start far earlier than that call. It must anticipate all the key issues and hurdles and must establish clear and simple tasks and performance guidelines. If this is done before the call, there’s a chance that the high will last way past the mobilization of the crew.

First, send your most qualified expert with people skills to the job. They are the ones that will make all the difference in whether you sign an agreement for the job and how well the job will go. That person’s initial visit, examination, and first moisture readings will have an enormous impact. The things they say to the client can often make or break the deal. What they observe and how they react to what they find can change the course of a project – especially if it’s a large job.

That initial person on-site should be able to Sign, Sketch, and Scope the loss and then be able to accurately describe it to the staff on the phone, or to a larger support resource.

The 3 S’s of project planning to follow are SIGN SKETCH SCOPE. The importance of these three tasks cannot be overstated. Think about the potential pitfalls that can come from this simple encounter:

SIGN – if your first responder does not get all the proper paperwork executed at the start of the project, your risk goes through the roof. There will be major liability issues to deal with, and at the end of the day, it may be difficult – if not impossible – to get paid for your services. After all, your work authorization or contract may not be valid!
SKETCH – part of your responsibility to the client – and their insurance carrier – is to support your invoice. Creating a sketch of the affected areas identifies your tasks and gives everyone a visible outline of your work. For your teams, it gives them clear and unambiguous direction when they are going over the work to be done. An accurate and detailed sketch assists with proper documentation.
SCOPE – we assume that the first responder is one of the more highly trained and skilled individuals in your company, and as such is going to be able to assess the damage and establish a proper restoration project plan. This is so important to your overall performance and ultimate success, and a failure to accurately assess the damage and what it will take to fix the disaster will jeopardize the successful completion of the job.

How can I guarantee that my restoration project planning is being done correctly? That’s an answer that can only be found in your initial response protocols and systems. How is your response set up? Is it the “next man up” who shows up, or is it directed to a certain person with specific skills to be the first responder? Do you have a pre-set “start package” of paperwork that MUST be filled out at the start, or do you fill them out as needed?

Finally, do your crews approach the project with a “spike the job” mentality, bringing equipment in their arms off the truck at the start, or do you take time to assess, measure, and plan your work? Answer those questions first and you will quickly see just how your company is set up to succeed – or fail. Spiking the job often conveys that you are desperate to get the job – and that alone comes across loud and clear. It usually scares the client, and they look elsewhere for a more competent company.

The contradiction between speed (“emergency services”) and prudence (“restoration project planning”) messes up even the most seasoned business owner at times. That energy we talked about earlier can turn us away from good business practices, especially if the project looks like a big one or if we get a sense that the client may be looking to go in another direction. Your desire to get the job at all costs, may, in fact, become very costly in the end.

(Editorial contributor: Bill Giannone, co-founder of the Crest Network)

To learn more about how to evaluate whether to repair, replace, or rent the right restoration equipment for your project, contact Beth at (719) 240-4930 or Wade at (719) 240-4929. Schedule a call by filling out the form on the contact page or email us at beth.firstchoice@gmail.com

Don’t forget to follow First Choice Drying Equipment on LinkedIn!

Automated Answering-Easy and Terrible

May 4, 2022

Why do you want to frustrate and anger your customer or potential client before you have even been able to talk with them? In today’s world, the last gadget you need in your establishment is a disgusted, mad, or frustrated potential customer or client when they call your company! Sadly, the “automated phone answering equipment” you are thinking about getting installed (or already have) will be one of the primary annoyances your calling customer will encounter.

You have heard the crazy sale pitches of all the reasons that automated phones are money-savers, time-savers, and way more efficient than a receptionist. Those people have convinced you that automated phones are ”the way to go” in today’s fast-paced and money-conscious world. Do you really want to be labeled like those big irritating cable companies or phone companies?

Today, it’s quite challenging to make or keep your client happy, so why start by irritating them on their call to you? Many customers feel “entitled” and expect a different level of service, so you can’t alienate them on the first phone call with a series of ‘hoops’ that they must jump through to get to the right person.

Often the “terminology” is confusing. (press 1 for collaboration tech support) or (press 2 for non-warranty technical help) or (press 7 if you would like to hear the menu again) “in case you weren’t paying attention the first three times, or you aren’t smart enough to know exactly which option you need.”

Some potential failures with automated phone systems:

Public perception of these systems is negative.
There are often too many unclear choices.
Even worse is when “your choice” isn’t listed
It’s even worse when they don’t work perfectly

Automated telephone system You are putting all your trust in a machine and it’s highly likely that your “best first impression” fails miserably, so, when things go wrong on the initial answer, (machine pick-up) there is not usually a chance to fix the issue.

The opportunity to quickly engage your customer or prospect sometimes never happen – and they simply hang up rather than deal with the annoyance. Solving customer issues should always be a priority in your business, not installing a machine to do such important work People repeatedly say they want a live person.

Bottom Line: Automated phone answering machines encourage your all-important client to hang up! I don’t have a personal crusade to rid the world of this technology! Rather, I have experienced many negative calls into a company where the automated system was lousy or in many cases, so bad that I simply hung up and called someone else.

Writing this article was prompted by several recent major frustrations – trying to do business with companies that used an automated (and terrible) system.

If you have already or are considering an automated phone system, remember that in our customer-sensitive demanding business climate, we must do what it takes to ‘put the client first,’ and that includes their initial contact with your company on the phone. You feel that it’s a cheaper way to manage many incoming phone calls, but you really need to reconsider, but you’re going to annoy and anger many people.

Follow First Choice Drying Equipment on LinkedIn to learn more
about the equipment repairs and equipment we offer.
Email Beth at beth.firstchoice@gmail.com or call her at (719) 240-4930.

Is Your Marketer Wasting Your Time And Money?

Apr 12, 2022

More than ever, many owners and managers look at a weekly report from a marketer and assume that if they have visited 15-20 prospects and clients each day that week, they are killing it. Sadly, those numbers are usually misleading at best, and often fail to tell what’s really going on. There are very important metrics that you should consider when evaluating that report. Remember – it’s all about relationships that get referrals!

NOT ABOUT QUANTITY

If you are focused on quantity of visits and connections by your marketer with clients, it’s like being stuck in the sand, but revving the engine and spinning your wheels. You aren’t going anywhere. There are marketers that call on the same 250 insurance agents every month, doing the same ole same ole. The apparent strategy is “one day, if I keep visiting enough, dropping of donuts regularly, they’ll send us a job.” Reality check: It’s time to lose about 65-70% of those agents.

BE SMART

The smartest marketers concentrate on the “A’s” first, then the “B’s” and finally eliminate the “C’s” from their route. One marketer I talked with this week said she was calling on the same agents for 3 years and yet only had two of them refer jobs (claims) to her! It’s time to qualify and delete many of those agents!

QUALIFY THEM

Every marketer should be evaluating, investigating, and interviewing each prospect to determine if they have the means, interest, or the willingness to refer a job to you. Many of them will never (80-90%) refer a job to you. They may simply: refuse to be involved with claims, not interested in directing their policyholder to a good vendor or are following the rules from their corporate office. Regardless, you are not going to get work from them. Stop calling on them. Quit wasting your time, their time, and your company marketing funds.

Statistics have proven over a ten-year period that only about 10% of potential insurance agents or plumbers (maximum) in your market will ever send you work. Get good at asking the right questions to determine if you should remove them from your visit list. Failing to be blunt and direct will get you a “maybe” which is worthless.

Rating Systems APPLIES TO ALL PROSPECTS

One of the key responsibilities is to be effective and productive. Having said that, every prospect a marketer approaches should be qualified as soon as is possible after meeting them. This qualifying process may take two or three visits, phone calls, and emails, but it’s certainly necessary. Otherwise, you just end up with too many prospects on your list, no valid way to determine if they are credible, and you burn yourself out trying to keep all those prospects moving down the funnel!

As a marketer, you are doing yourself, your prospect, and your employer a terrible disservice if you don’t take the time with each prospect to evaluate and qualify them. Establishing a ranking of “A” “B” or “C” is crucial to making the best use of everyone’s time and money. (“A” for Awesome, “B” for Basic (and Boring), “C” for Crap) Or some other designation you feel comfortable with!

As of 2022, a new survey by Yale University has found… when marketing to your typical disaster restoration prospects:

12 percent of clients make up 85 percent of sales = A

42 percent of clients make up 19 percent of sales = B

46 percent of clients make up 1 percent of sales = C

Properly qualifying your prospects and eliminating those that will never send you a referral is critical to not wasting your marketers valuable time!

SOLUTION?

Teach your marketers how to make the absolute best, most efficient, and effective use of their valuable and limited marketing time.

Follow First Choice Drying Equipment on LinkedIn to learn more
about the equipment repairs and equipment we offer.
Call Beth at (719) 240-4930 or Wade at (719) 240-4929 for for estimates.

Building a Restoration Equipment Business from the Ground Up

Feb 28, 2022

Beth Hinton, Owner —

In the 1980s, my family enjoyed running a thriving housekeeping and cleaning business with clients in Vail, Colorado. As the company grew, we signed very lucrative contracts with the Charter at Beaver Creek, The Hyatt Regency in Beaver Creek, The Vail Racquet Club, and the Vail Spa.

We quickly learned that hospitality clients needed carpet, upholstery, and drapery cleaning. My brother, Scott, purchased a carpet cleaning van and started a carpet cleaning business to meet the needs of each customer. It was a great way to grow the business with a minimum investment.

Water extraction and structural drying were often two issues that came with carpet cleaning. Extracting water and doing structural drying led to Scott’s buying a Restorx franchise. The new business could market residential and commercial fire, water, storm, and mold damage restoration services. After the earthquake in 1994, Scott successfully acquired a contract with the Northridge Mall in California, completing a million-dollar-plus drying project. With the remarkable success of that contract, after the Northridge Mall project was completed, Scott sold the carpet cleaning business and the Restorx franchise.

In December 1994, my mother and brother, Stan, purchased Restorx. We kept the business local with a service area in the Rocky Mountains for a short time. Later, we expanded nationally to “chase” storms and provided large loss commercial service. In 1996, we changed the company name to USA Drying for national jobs.

As a family-owned business, everyone had to do every job function to operate the business and provide services for our clients. My jobs included doing all the billing, having my CDL, driving the trucks, setting up job schedules, managing job projects, making sales, and taking on marketing responsibilities. Traveling to North Carolina, Florida, South Dakota, Ohio, Minnesota, Seattle, and numerous other states, we provided support and services for large commercial water damage jobs. In 1998, Belfor Property Restoration company bought USA Drying.

After the Belfor purchase of USA Drying, Wade and I owned an HVAC company. While running the HVAC business, we started a carpet cleaning and restoration company. In June 2004, our family packed up and moved from Leadville to Penrose, Colorado, and jointly purchased an indoor arena with a bar and restaurant. After six short months, we realized we were a little out of our league and decided to leave the entertainment business to be back in the restoration industry. This led to our decision to start First Choice Equipment Sales and Service.

We started out selling and distributing new equipment to small and medium-sized businesses, and Wes Williams placed the first order for air movers for CJB Restoration in Canada. Our business was up and running and still going strong today. When we started the USA Drying, there was a handful of Cat teams. Now, numerous companies are chasing large commercial loss jobs.

At First Choice Equipment Sales and Services, we have built strong partnerships with our manufacturers, Phoenix Restoration, XPower, CEP Power Distribution, LEX Products, and Air Force Filter. The restoration industry is very popular, and selling equipment to restoration companies has advantages. For example, when we realized how much equipment was broken in the industry, we expanded our services, adding repairs as a client benefit. First Choice is different from competitors because we will travel to the affected areas and work with restoration companies to keep their equipment up and running — especially on high-profile jobs. Our company values are excellent service at any hour, which means we will travel anywhere necessary for our client’s needs — even if this means responding nationwide when needed. First Choice is the go-to company to call for restoration equipment after high-profile natural disasters.

Follow First Choice Equipment Sales and Service by visiting our LinkedIn Business Profile. Learn more about the products we sell and service for national restoration companies at the website.

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