JUNE 2015
In this issue:
8 Working with Charities
1 Do Things Right
9 BE THE BRAND
2 SERVPRO Annual Convention
10 Marketing Theme Calendar
3 SBA News Release
11 Red Cross Ready Rating
4 Words of Wisdom
12 Avoiding Audit Pitfalls
5 Top Ten Volume Leaders & Phone Greeting Change
13 Commencement Excerpt
7 Chart Toppers & KUDOS
15. Brand Identity Guide
14 E-mail Signatures
SUN
THE
SERVPRO® of Southern New England and New York
Doing Things Right What is the end goal for you…your business? From our discussions with Franchise Owners, end goals include everything from income, financial security, legacy, investment protection, to controlling their own destiny
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To achieve a successful end-goal – whatever you determine it is – person or business related- it is critical to do things right, for the right reason, all the time. Although at first this seems daunting and impossible, these fundamentals are necessary and imperative to ensure revenue growth, organizational stability, business development, and personal progress.
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Customer Service Effective Marketing Employee Training Fair Pricing License, NAPA/CAPA, and Territorial Policy Compliance Perfect Job File Uploads Quality Production Timely Billing
Strong external and internal pressures including demands on time, energy, and resources often drive the mitigation and restoration business and our personal lives. Inherent in the oftentimesturbulent environment is the tendency to focus on short-term urgencies potentially involving less-than-best and foolish work practices, rather than focusing on the long-range effects of those actions and doing thing right. There is a real domino effect in our business, which means that all functions in the business are interconnected and directly affect each other, both positively and negatively. Consider some of the franchise business requirements: • • •
Accurate Estimates Communication – Internal and External Complaint Resolution
Consequences of not being consistent with protocols and of Not Doing Things Right 1. Someone prepares a hurried, inaccurate estimate. The inaccurate estimate not only creates extra work for Administrative Staff but also may result in rejected Job
File Uploads, potential delays and billing disputes, leading to payment delays, and cash flow squeeze, among other consequences. 2. Some franchises will use protocol expediency for local jobs versus the use of National Account Guidelines on all work. Our distributorship office is responsible for compliance and client disputes. We have documented instances when estimates were called into question for lack of adequate drying documentation, which have included lack of pictures, drying records, and customer correspondence records thus leading to fair pricing disputes, nonpayment for services, and raising company liability concerns. RRRG has declined water and mold liability claims because of lack of adequate drying or remediation documentation and unapproved product use, creating a financial burden for those businesses involved. Not Doing Things Right 3. Lack of production safety training and or documentation as lead to Workman’s Comp claims and judgments, state labor board and OSHA scrutiny, and hefty fines However, the biggest casualty and the ‘right reason for safety training, all the time’ is the potential loss of valuable employees to personal injury. Best practice habits (Doing Things Right) are proactive rather than reactive. Cornercutting and mistakes lead to poor work practices, which are costly! Moreover, having inconsistent protocols, unclear communication, and even incompetence, continued on page 2