MAY 2015
In this issue: 1 Follow the System 2 Words of Wisdom 3 Top Ten Volume Leaders 4 Chart Toppers 5 Phone Greeting Change 6 KUDOS 7 Marketing Fire Stations 8 BE THE BRAND 9 Avoid Audit Pitfalls 10 Door Prize Winners 11 Applause 12 Brand Identity Guide
SUN
T HE
SERVPRO® of Southern New England and New York
Follow the System
Franchise Owners are the stewards of their resources
As spring finally arrives in the Northeast and the elevated work volume caused by the Siberian Express eventually slows, associates must once again focus on maximizing revenue generation in times of good weather.
Others included a new approach to referral and introduction-based marketing, a development of association memberships, and a focus on core values. The suggestions for business development are developed and refined by SERVPRO Industries, Inc., and by the regional distributorship, in efforts to improve businesses, the lives of associates, and their team members.
In 2015, SERVPRO® has made several important advancements to continue to grow the SERVPRO Brand, and grow the development potential of individual associates. One of the most important of these advancements is the new Commercial Accounts Program (CAP). Commercial Accounts were discussed at the March Area Meeting and will be a discussion point at the SERVPRO National Convention this July in Chicago. In the coming months, Franchise Associates should do all they can to familiarize themselves with the program specifics. As always, the resources provided by SERVPRO are the best place to start. The Commercial Training Plan Overview, produced by Training Division Manager, Sherman Wilson, and the Commercial National Accounts Overview, produced by National Accounts Division Manager, John Sooker, are available on ServproNET® as part of the 2015 annual kickoff video series. These videos will prove an invaluable resource to Franchise Associates and team members as the volume of Commercial Leads increases. Additionally, Franchise Associates are encouraged to consider the Commercial Drying Specialist course
Always remember, Franchise Owners are the stewards of the resources and opportunities available to their organization. These opportunities allow them to provide benefit for all Team Members and their families.
offered by the IICRC. The Commercial Drying Specialist course teaches damage inspection and evaluation, workflow management, process administration and technical methods of effective and timely drying of commercial, industrial, institutional and complex residential water-damaged structures, systems, and furniture, fixtures and equipment (FFE).
As the spring arrives and our corner of the world comes alive, be ready to face new challenges and embrace new technology. The new resources provided to Franchise Associates will help your business to grow and develop. Owners, who take the responsibility to meet their challenges and embrace their opportunities, will benefit their business, themselves, as well as those around them.
The Norwalk, Connecticut Regional Trainings Center will host a CDS course beginning Monday, August 17, 2015. Please mark the dates on your calendar now, and look for the course registration memo that will be sent in July. The development of Commercial Accounts is one of several suggestions for business development that were discussed and presented at the recent Area Meeting.
“Service is the rent we pay to be living.It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time.” Marian Wright Edelman
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Words of Wisdom We are stewards of our resources and opportunities, which allow us to provide benefit for all Team Members. Gather in your resources, rally all your faculties, marshal all your energies, focus all your capacities upon mastery of at least one field of endeavor. John Hagee When every physical and mental resources is focused, one’s power to solve a problem multiplies tremendously. Norman Vincent Peale The greatest achievement of the human spirit is to live up to one’s opportunities and make the most of one’s resources. Luc de Clapiers Human resources are like natural resources; they’re often buried deep. You have to go looking for them; they’re not just lying around on the surface. Ken Robinson The role of business is to provide products and services that make people’s lives better while using fewer resources - and to act lawfully and with integrity. Charles Koch We have a responsibility to make sure that the limited resources we have are spent efficiently and effectively and that programs achieve their mission. James T. Walsh The best way to be productive is to have a great team. So I spend more time than most CEOs on human resources. That’s 20 percent of my week. Kevin P. Ryan Leadership means forming a team and working toward common objectives that are tied to time, metrics, and resources. Russel Honore It is straightforward for me to be ethical, responsible, and kind-hearted because I have the resources to support that. Edward Tufte There are incalculable resources in the human spirit, once it has been set free. Hubert H. Humphrey Hubris is one of the great renewable resources. P. J. O’Rourke The aim of life is self-development. To realize one’s nature perfectly - that is what each of us is here for. Oscar Wilde Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself. William Faulkner
MAY 2015 - 3
Top Ten Volume Leaders PER LICENSE AVERAGE VOLUME LEADERS March 2015
GROSS VOLUME LEADERS March 2015 1
David Kluger
1,419,559 1
Lisa & Doug Jameson
2
Allen & Susan Randolph
878,606 2
Richard & Shannon Delfino
254,505
3
Michael Keating
817,429 3
Lou & Michelle Sepe, D. & J. Sepe & N. Travis
253,212
4
Lou & Michelle Sepe, D. & J. Sepe & N. Travis
759,637 4
Frank and Daria Solano
252,949
5
John Maughan
501,353 5
Dion & Lynn Luzzi
237,409
6
Dion & Lynn Luzzi
474,818 6
David Kluger
236,593
7
Lisa & Doug Jameson
409,859 7
Allen & Susan Randolph
219,651
8
Frank Mattos
408,273 8
Ralph & Noemi DiCristofaro
196,874
9
Risa Kluger
337,832 9
Scott & Lisa Smith
192,995
10
Greg Geaski
347,997 10
Risa Kluger
409,859
188,916
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PERSONAL
BEST
Personal Best Volume Month March 2015
Chart Toppers January 2015 Cleaning Commercial O’Donnell Fire Commercial D. Kluger In-house Construction Randolph Mold Commercial Kaikow & Cleary, A. Pelli Mold Residential Maughan, Glaser, Resale Rookie Keating Rookie Flood Subcontract D. Kluger Water Residential Mattos Total Volume D. Kluger
MAY 2015 - 5
Phone Greeting Change It is still a great day at SERVPRO® but in the effort of maintaining consistency with our “Here to Help” initiative, the SERVPRO® National Call Center greets customers as follows: “Thank you for choosing SERVPRO®; we are always here to help. This is (your name); how may I assist you?” We encourage you to consider changing the way your office answers the phone and incorporate this greeting for your customers.
From: Megan Seeman Sent: Wednesday, April 01, 2015 12:08 PM To: Allen, Robert; Deborah Khan Cc: Fred Cohn; Ken Dutton; Kim Brooks Subject: SERVPRO NW Brooklyn Facebook Compliment Good Morning, Please see the following compliment received on Facebook for SERVPRO of NW Brooklyn. Keep up the great work!
Customers pay attention to the details and your phone greeting sets the stage for their customer service experience. Insurance companies, commercial clients, and consumers have a choice when selecting a cleaning and restoration company. This phone greeting allows us to highlight our focus on customer service while also thanking them for making the right choice to call SERVPRO®. Lastly, when an insurance company representative or consumer contacts the Call Center, we end the call, again, by thanking them for choosing SERVPRO®. The right words really do make a difference! Please refer to Episode 20 of SERVPRO® TV for more details about our phone greeting change and phone menu options. Jessica Carmack Workforce Planning Manager
John Moschella of Servpro® of The Bridgewaters, Servpro® of Franklin/Walpole, and Servpro® of Stoughton/Sharon received this excellent Certificate of Satisfaction! – Congratulations!
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APRIL
MAY
S tress Awareness Month is sponsored by the Health Resource Network (HRN), a non-profit health education organization that provides national effort and awareness to inform people about the dangers of stress, successful coping strategies, and harmful misconceptions about stress that are prevalent in our society. Consider purchasing stress relief balls from one of SERVPRO’s preferred national vendors and pass them out as marketing giveaways. You may also choose to host a Spa Day marketing event, using the tag line, “Make stress like it never even happened.” To learn more about how to host a Spa Day, click here.
P ublic Service Recognition Week (PSRW) is May 3 through May 9. PSRW honors men and women who serve our nation as federal, state, county and local government employees. Throughout the week, many Franchises invite agency leaders and elected officials to share stories about why they answered the call to serve in government and what accomplishments they are most proud of in their time as public servants. Check out this How to Celebrate Guide for resources to help you carry out the PSRW awareness.
E aster is April 5. Refer to this weekly e-Zine article for how to incorporate the Easter holiday into your local marketing. A creative giveaway idea is Bunny Bait, which consists of popcorn and pink M&Ms mixed together. Consider hosting a community Easter egg hunt! Check out this weekly e-Zine article to learn how one Franchise hosted a successful Easter egg hunt in their community. A “Happy Easter” downloadable electronic greeting card is available here. E arth Day is April 22. The Earth Day Network (EDN) is celebrating Earth Day’s 45th anniversary this year. Learn more about Earth Day and this campaign by visiting their official website. Some Franchises get involved in Earth Day community projects. Search for events in your area or create a new event here. If your community does not host Earth Day projects, consider hosting a cleaning project of your own in honor of Earth Day and ask your clients if they would like to get involved with you. You can pick up litter, clean up creeks, remove graffiti from schools, etc. A “Happy Earth Day” downloadable electronic greeting card is available here. Air Quality Week is April 27 through May 1. May marks the beginning of Ozone Season too. It is the perfect time to promote the use of air quality forecasts and public awareness of how air quality can affect an individual’s health. This awareness week is an opportunity to urge people to learn the causes of poor air quality and what they can do to help make our air cleaner. Visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) website for help in planning and publicizing your awareness activities and to submit your own event details. Consider promoting SERVPRO’s commercial duct cleaning services with brochure #47008 or residential HVAC cleaning services with brochure #45512. S pring Cleaning. Emphasize SERVPRO’s Green Initiative by passing out the Green Means Clean flyer and using only green-like products as giveaways, like recycled goody bags. Check out this weekly e-Zine article for an example of how one Franchise created “Clean Kits” for their clients and this weekly e-Zine article explaining SERVPRO’s Green Means Clean initiative in greater detail.
National Police Week. May 15 is designated as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week that date falls in is considered Police Week. This year Police Week is May 11-17. Many Franchises participate in various community events honoring those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Use this week to highlight the work of law enforcement officers in your community! Contact local officials to inquire about any special events or activities your Franchise can be a part of or sponsor. Offer to clean law enforcement vehicles free of charge. Another idea is to let your clients know ahead of time about this event and ask them if they would like to write a brief note of thanks to local law enforcement thanking them for all they do to help keep your community safe. Offer to collect the cards and hand-deliver them to law enforcement offices. You may also consider contacting local law enforcement agencies and inquire about providing a lunch orbreakfast for all the officers. For more information on this event, click here. Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 25 through May 31. (June 1 marks the official start of Hurricane Season.) The goal of Hurricane Preparedness Week is to inform the public about hurricane hazards and provide knowledge that can be used to take action. Visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) website for more information and preparedness resources. In addition, ready.gov offers tips to prepare for a hurricane before, during and after the disaster. Check out those checklists here. Take this opportunity to host a preparedness event in your community. Distribute the Hurricane brochure #47011 focused specifically on hurricane damages including SERVPRO’s response and mitigation services. Be sure to send a pre‐approved press release to local media outlets notifying them that you will be offering a preparedness event. M emorial Day is May 25. This federal holiday is observed annually on the last Monday in May. It is a day of remembering the men and women veterans of all wars fought by American forces. Show your support by wearing red, white and blue in remembrance. One Franchise hosted a potluck lunch at their facility and invited clients to stop by on their lunch break to pick up a complimentary plate as a way to show their patriotism. N ational Electrical Safety Month. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is a non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to promote electrical safety in the home, school and workplace. To commemorate National Electrical Safety Month, the ESFI promotes an annual campaign to educate others on the steps that can be taken in order to reduce the number of electrical‐ related fires, fatalities, injuries and property losses that occur every year. For more information and ways to get involved, click here. Distribute this Electrical flyer #50442 promoting SERVPRO® services after an electrical-related fire.
MAY 2015 - 7
Marketing Fire Stations with Five Drop Off Items Marketing to fire stations is a must for your SERVPRO® franchise. If your marketing department is not already doing it, start now! Actually, start yesterday. Marketing to firefighters may not seem like rocket science. Men + Food = Happy Men. However, when fire stations are taken free food all of the time, there is some strategy that may help you set yourself apart from other restoration companies, as well as getting you a warm reception from the firefighters themselves! As with any marketing, it is all about relationship building. Do the marketing now and let the marketing work for you later…when your fire chaser is standing in front of a burning home and the Fire Marshall calls him/her over to speak with the homeowners – and not the other guy. What are the five items you should be dropping off at fire stations?
5. Doughnuts Who doesn’t love doughnuts? No one – that’s who. Doughnuts are a marketer’s best friend because: A) They’re easily accessible, don’t expire or melt, are affordable B) They’re warmly received (an important factor – even the best marketing flyer in the world is useless if the recipient doesn’t look at it). If you go the doughnut route, over budget your order! Nothing is worse than not bringing enough food to a party and the fire station is no exception! (If bringing in three dozen doughnuts is breaking your marketing budget, you have worse problems to worry about!) Use your marketing creativity, go all out, use a clever theme, think ahead and bring plates, napkins, cups and a gallon of milk or two, or in summer something cold to drink. These simple add-ons make the receiver feel like more than just a number on your list of places to visit. Think outside of the box… think circles (doughnuts – circles - get it?)
4. Mixed Nuts What? Yes, mixed nuts. Imagine the lifestyle these men lead – working long shifts, eating food that’s either left over or dropped off – needless to say, their diet is lacking in the nutrition department which is awesome for you (no, I’m not a secret supporter of coronary artery disease). What’s great about mixed nuts is that A) they’re affordable, have a long shelf life, won’t be a contributor to the entire station’s diabetes fund and B) are great snacks for fire men long after you’ve dropped them off.
3. Oreos Don’t ask me why we went from healthy back to cardiovascular meltdown food, but for some reason, Oreos and firefighters were a match made in baking heaven. Swing by with a gallon of milk and cookies and you will have these guys thinking you’re an angel sent from food heaven in no time.
2. Water You remember your doctor telling you to drink a minimum of eight fluid ounces of water every day. Well, consider me your marketing doctor telling you to drop off as much water as you can a month at fire stations. These men are working in high temperatures where dehydration is considered a four-letter word. Water, and plenty of it, will always be a great marketing tool – don’t forget to slap your SERVPRO® logo on the bottles!
1. Lunch The most well received at any fire station has always been lunch. Call ahead to let them know you’re coming and to get a head count and head out to your local Kentucky Fried Chicken joint to completely make their day. Not into fried chicken? Try dropping off pizza… and not just any pizza. Find the local’s favorite and bring in that – it shows you actually cared enough to go out of your way to find them a neighborhood favorite! That concludes our five items you should be dropping off at fire stations. Marketing – whether it be in sales, fire chasing, agent marketing, commercial property marketing – is all about building a relationship. With all the ideas above, try to throw in your own flare… something that will set you apart in their minds and make them say “Oh yeah, I remember you… you were the guy/gal who…” fill in the blank.
Happy Marketing!
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Use your Proper Brand Name SERVPRO® of Your Legal Franchise Name That’s right: all-caps with the registration mark.
Being Brand-compliant and using the Brand name correctly shows consumers that we are the real SERVPRO®. Be Brand-compliant. Be the Brand. Insist that ALL your Vendors & Customers know and use THE BRAND correctly!!!
We received this license plate photo – sad, isn’t it?
Unfortunately, this example is not as “bad” as many examples that are everywhere; on telephone ID, FaceBook Pages, Websites, Fax Pages, and other types of business correspondence. Seriously, you paid good money for a nationwide recognizable Brand Name to help you reach your dreams, why do you misuse this valuable Brand Name or allow your employees, vendors, or customers to get it sooo
WRONG!!!
MAY 2015 - 9
AVOID AUDIT PITFALLS
Review of the Most Common State Farm Audit Rejections by Brittany Carter Quality Assurance Team Lead The four most common rejections for Allstate are Missing Walls, Photos, Estimate, and Equipment Placement. The following details each rejection reason and provides helpful tips to use in your business. Missing Walls • Missing walls not deducted: Please account for any and all windows and doors to show any amount of missing space from the room. • Reference blocks must be used: Reference blocks should be entered for any cabinets, vanities, tubs, or other items that take away space from walls and floors. Note: Instructions for adding missing walls and reference blocks can be found on the Audit Help tab. Photos • Labels: Photos must be labeled appropriately. • Source: A photo of the source of damage must be uploaded. • Photos justifying Category 3 charges: Please upload photos to validate charges when the loss is Category 3 or if PPE is in use. • Pre- and Post- photos: Allstate requires pre and post-mitigation photos with an overview of equipment and contents. They also require post-mitigation photos after the equipment has been removed. Estimate • Monitoring: Allstate has provided a chart advising the amount a Franchise may charge for monitoring based on equipment placed. This chart must be followed. • After-hours monitoring: After-hours monitoring can only be charged when monitoring is performed on a Saturday or Sunday. • Heavy clean line items: There must be notes of inside technician approval when charging for heavy cleaning. Also, photos are helpful when showing why the heavy cleaning was necessary. • In-Place Drying: Allstate does not allow charges for In-Place Drying; this includes weighted extraction charges. Allstate’s policy dictates the carpet must be disengaged, and pad removed and disposed. Equipment Placement • Dehu charges: Dehu charges must be validated. Furthermore, the size of the dehumidifiers identified in the “Notes” section of the Calculation Sheet in DryBook™ must match the size of dehumidifiers in the estimate. • Run-time: All equipment charges must be in the actual run-time collected from the dehu hourly readings. • Decontamination: Allstate will only allow decontamination charges for parts of equipment that specifically came into contact with contaminated water. They do not permit these charges for all equipment at the loss site. • Air mover: The air mover count must match the air mover calculation sheets. Please remember to use the “Most Rejected Questions Report” in the audit system to show rejections as they pertain to your Franchise(s). These common rejections are companywide; therefore, your own rejections may vary. As always, we are here to help you succeed and hope this tool will help simplify the audit process.
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of Southern New England, New York, New Jersey & Southeastern MA
2015 Annual Area Meeting & Trade Show DOOR PRIZE WINNERS DOOR PRIZE
WINNERS
Phoenix Guardian R500 Pro
Lisa & Doug Jameson ~ SERVPRO® of Newington/Central Hartford
Prochem Aqua Helix Extractor
Michael Keating, SERVPRO® of Stamford
Lowe’s Gift Card and Paint Certificate
Mark & Mary Zegarelli, SERVPRO® of Jefferson County
Lowe’s Gift Card
Steve Taylor, SERVPRO® of Lexington/Bedford
Sunbelt Rentals iPad Air
Gregory Bock, SERVPRO® of Southwest Morris County
Delmhorst TechCheck + Case
Thomas & Lisa Balcom, SERVPRO® of Mid and Outer Cape
CAT-STAFF $200 Visa Gift Card
Bob Kinch, SERVPRO® of Clifton
TMC Group 2 IICRC Certificates
Bill Chillianis & Chris Leon, SERVPRO® of Glen Cove/Jericho, Joseph Giambone SERVPRO® of The North Fork
Benefect Products & $100 Gift Card
Kevin Muro & Patrick Muro SERVPRO® of East Meadow/Westbury
1-800-Pack-Rat Container/Storage
Bill & Steve Loiacono, SERVPRO® of Farmingdale/Massapequa
Morantz SZ-50 Jewelry Cleaner (Bus. Card)
Don & Tina McKendall, SERVPRO® of Northern Rhode Island
EnviroCare $100 Visa Gift Card
Raymond Norowski, SERVPRO® of Bellmore/Wantagh
Concrobium Products
Robert & Dianne Lucchesse, SERVPRO® of Babylon/Deer Park
BBS & Perfect Fit Accessories
Kenneth Matejek, SERVPRO® of Plymouth/Wareham
ERS $100 Amex Gift Card
Scott Yoran, SERVPRO® of Danbury/Ridgefield
Legend Brands Dri-Eaz VELO Pro
Andrew DeLuise, SERVPRO® of South Huntington
KleenRite Squeegee Wand
John Moschella, SERVPRO® of Stoughton/Sharon
Esporta $100 Visa Gift Card
Chris Delfino, SERVPRO® of Fort Lee
Basic Coatings Products
Michael & April Maser, SERVPRO® of New Hyde Park/Mineola
Aon Affinity Bluetooth Speaker
Anthony & Danielle Palumbo, SERVPRO® of Paramus
HydraMaster $50 Visa Gift Card
Michael Logue, SERVPRO® of Haddon Heights/Voorhees
Clancy Relocation Mohegan Chips ($150)
Walter & Claudia Paiva, SERVPRO® of Fall River
MAY 2015 - 11
Thought you’d like to see this. Thank you again for doing your usual wonderful job. I vote you as the BEST INSTRUCTOR. Happy Friday! Debbie :) Deborah Rashti VP of Marketing Servpro of Great Neck/Port Washington
To: Debbie Rashti <debbie@servproofgreatneck.com>
Subject: ETHICS CLASS
Debbie,
EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT.
Thank you for having me and if you have that class again Stephen wants to take it.
I am gratefully that you included me.
Helen Carbone Claims Dept.
Subject: RE: Ethics class gets an A+ review
Hi, Debbie…thanks so much!
Larry is a great instructor….he really knows how to involve the class and keep us interested.
Truly appreciate that you offer this to us!
Regards, Pat
Patricia M. Palk, CPCU | Vice President
Alliance Brokerage Corp.
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Beginning in 2015, the Advertising Resource Guide – ARG will become the Brand Identity Guide – BIG
The new
Brand Identity Guide (BIG) will contain the same material as the ARG, as well as additional information that will help guide you through Brand compliancy at many levels, from print and web advertising to social media to vehicle decals and wraps, and much more. Look for a SERVPRO® Bulletin in early 2015 with directions to download, save, and print the new Brand Identity Guide from ServproNET®.