Floods!

[Al]

We just did 50 floods in 19 days!!! :mrgreen: more coming in all the time.
I love it.

 

[Hoody]

Alfonzo,

Everytime you call me you're excited. Its good to hear that in your voice again after everything you've been though. Its exciting that you've taken your business to a whole new level, and having it been a great success. I can't believe its been a year since I've been at your place doing that fire job already, but you've come a long way. Keep working hard brother, and remember I told you everything would fall back into place for you! 8)

 

["The" Al Bradham]

Al
I am sending 3 5000's and some other equipment into RI Thursday to work with the green truck guys. Better than that I will be leaving Friday on a 10 cruise. Glad you are doing well, next time you buy dinner.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Al,
Wow that's awesome! Good start to the year!!!


Al B.
Too much, making big bucks while on vacation! 8)

 

[Al]

The green guy's :roll: omg

Will you be in RI Al?
I have a couple of gig's there.

We got 4 new ones today and one is huge
:shock:

I left for NJ on the 14th and have 54 WD jobs since, I came home last satuday, chilled on sunday then it started again right in my own backyard.
I have been going like a mad man 24/ 7 8) I love it!

 

[Terry]

Yes its crazy around here with the flood damage at the moment. The rentals were hard to find fri and sat but seem to be available now with the influx of the the big guys.
The mold guys are going to be busy this year a lot of people are trying to manage it themselves.


Al are you in the warwick area. The Mall of Ri looked like it was in the ocean with 5 ft white caps coming accross the parking lot.

Last tuesday I was out from 6am till 11pm and came home to 3 inches of water in the new half of the basement that we never got water in before. It finally stopped today


Terry

 

[dealtimeman]

that is awsome!! wish i could go. i thought i was lucky to have three local jobs today of which one was big.

al you are going to be a very wealthy man!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Al]

I saw the mall!! It's crazy! I have to go to RI this am to quote a Masonic Lodge. I have an ad going on the radio today in RI and CT, I also had yard signs made because we are getting walk ups.

 

[Steve Lawrence]

Al,
Where do you get all the equipment to dry these losses?

 

[Ed]

Way to go Al. Screw equipment, that's easy to find. Where do you find the manpower for that kind of volume? Temps? Who's paying for these losses? that type of flooding is usually not covered by insurance. We were asked to come over and help out, but we are too busy in our own playground, mostly with fires. Water damage has been slow this year compared to the last few.

 

[Rob Lyon]

Congrats Al, Thats awesome Bro!!, Keep it up

 

[Mikey P]

See what you started Snow?

 

[Al]

We get some leads from lead generation companies, that's how I got going in NJ. Then you get walk ups, when you are in the right area.
I was in NJ for 2 weeks and did 19 jobs. Home one day and this started!!

It is amazing, I started getting my own calls like crazy, I always rented equipment but in the middle of no available equipment anywhere, I get a phone call about used equipment an unbelievable amount at super cheap prices!!! :shock: So every other night I drive to Boston and load my van.

When I left for NJ i owned 1 dehu. Now I own 8 large lgrs, a ton of fans, the stuff is so cheap! I got an etreme extractor and vac pac for 2400. :shock:

Somebody is lookin out for Al everything is falling into place!!! Oh yeah I even got a super sweet truck!!!! Whole sale :shock: Cause I helped a fellow restorer I met in Tn. Wait till you see the pics!!

I'm not sure how we did it all as far as manpower? LOL I know I was at 51 of those jobs. Me and Kyle handled NJ with some help from Sticky Tab Rob's workers here and there.
In CT I have a few guys and hired 3 from Craigs list. Those three dudes gutted a whole sewage house in 6 hours yesterday.

I have a sweet ad on the radio and had yard signs made. If you walk in a convienence store and say who's flooded several people raise there hands!!

When it's crazy like this every move you make can make you more money.
or NOT.
I love every minute of it shiteatinggrin.

Oh yeah the payment part, I had 2 covered out of 54 :shock: I have them pay upfront, or 3 payments. If they aren't able to pay I split
I'm getting really good at getting paid.
Way less stress then waiting for insurance money! Bank account grows every day.
I can't believe I pulled all this off still feels like a dream!

Oh yeah I lost 2 cell phones in the drink and all my board contacts and phone #'s. One was funny I got out of the truck to see if it would make it across a river over the road, like 2 feet of raging water!! I step out of van and my water proff phone falls in the river. I dove for it and got soaked, I juist missed grabbing it. I get up from water and see the name of the river and i had to laugh. Asskonk Brook :mrgreen:

 

[Bob Hauser]

So what are you charging, $350 ,for the 1st hour and 200. for ever hour after that. shameful.

 

[Al]

Dude, are you for real?

Were helping folks not ripping them off, that's why were crankin! Sounds like you got a chip on your shoulder

 

[Al]

Dude, are you for real?

Were helping folks not ripping them off, that's why were crankin! Sounds like you got a chip on your shoulder

 

[Al]

I forgot to mention that most of our Ct work is coming from our websites and Mark and Andrechelle :mrgreen:

 

[Bob Hauser]

No chip Al
I heard of cleaning co. charging that much. Or how about 2000.00 on credit card to walk in the door. Or how about 275.00 an hour for sucking water . Or how about
going to a house with 2feet of s--- in the basement, having the owner of the house sign the service order on Tuesday saying they will start Wensday and not showing up
5 day later. Im glad you are helping folks not ripping them off.
Bob

 

[Desk Jockey]

No chip Al
I heard of cleaning co. charging that much. Or how about 2000.00 on credit card to walk in the door. Or how about 275.00 an hour for sucking water . Or how about
going to a house with 2feet of s--- in the basement, having the owner of the house sign the service order on Tuesday saying they will start Wensday and not showing up
5 day later. Im glad you are helping folks not ripping them off.
Bob

Bob it does sound bad but that doesn't necessarily mean it is.

$2000.00 on a credit card? That's actually under the average loss, with ground water most of those losses are not going to be covered losses. Collecting after the fact can be difficult, provided the restoration company delivers on their part, I don't see a problem asking for the charge to their card.


$275.00 sounds high, not knowing what that includes it's hard to say for sure. WDR is hard work, extraction is tough on the equipment, does that include labor for moving of contents if it does, then it may not be an issue?

The 5-days later? I'd find another company once they didn't show up.

People should ask how much, at least get a ball park in writing. If they don't like the price shop around, but realize it is expensive work.

Homeowners can save themselves some money by reducing the time the restorer is on site. They can remove as much contents as reasonably possible (leave the heavy stuff to the restorers).

If the jobs are gut jobs which I imagine most are, they can shop vac and cut the carpet, pad into smaller manageable pieces. Drywall and carpet can be bagged and hauled out or use trash cans so two people can carry easily.

They can wash down the concrete and structure, they could even spray down a diluted disinfectant if the had to. Rent some drying equipment and complete the job themselves.

Most that attempt it, will find it's money well spent letting a pro handle it. However if you have family or church members chipping it it can be brought down to a manageable work load.

There are crooks in restoration just as there are in carpet cleaning, but not every restorer is a crook.

Al is a good guy, I believe he is helping people.

 

[Terry]

Al,Glad to hear your doing well just make sure you don't get hijacked coming out of boston with a van load There was a time when that might not have been a joke.
Most of the guys I've come accross are helping people for decent money, sure there are some sharks but isn't there in every business.
I've advised all my clients that fema may be able to assist them and they have been very responsive as in getting someone out the day after being called.
Also some homeowners that had 1/2 sump pumps but were overwhelmed by the flow of water are covered also.
All I've come accross are happy to pay as work is done and they'll deal with other parties later.

Terry

 

[Al]

I have to sleep at night, I went out all Easter weekend and Easter with no extra charges. My office trys to get people hooked up with FEMA. One lady was afraid to leave for her Easter out of state and was going to cancel, I talked her into letting me have a key and do extra monitoring so she could go.
I didn't charge extra.

One guy lost his wife 2 weeks ago and all he wanted was for her favorite room to be the same, it was big I quoted possible 5000. I did it for 1200. and went way, way beyond on the work.

A big sewage job her husband is in Boston hospital, we have gone way out of our way to keep her in Boston where she is needed. It feels good to do this stuff.
I have a pricing system for non insured.
I have been looking for a person in real need to do a freebee and we found her!
I did a sewage job 2 houses away from the one we are on now, that's how we got it from a referral. Anyway come to find out her house is re-flooded!!! Her husband just passed and she has had a ton of bad luck. So we started it last evening, Sticky Tab Rob wants in on it too.

If people can't afford, I tell them to call me for any help or info anytime 24/7 if they want to do it themselves.
If we bid a pump out and after working found water to still be coming in, which was everywhere, we held the price and returned up to 4 times on some houses :shock: I couldn't charge more, even though it cost us.

 

[Nate The Great]

I have to sleep at night, I went out all Easter weekend and Easter with no extra charges. My office trys to get people hooked up with FEMA. One lady was afraid to leave for her Easter out of state and was going to cancel, I talked her into letting me have a key and do extra monitoring so she could go.
I didn't charge extra.

One guy lost his wife 2 weeks ago and all he wanted was for her favorite room to be the same, it was big I quoted possible 5000. I did it for 1200. and went way, way beyond on the work.

A big sewage job her husband is in Boston hospital, we have gone way out of our way to keep her in Boston where she is needed. It feels good to do this stuff.
I have a pricing system for non insured.
I have been looking for a person in real need to do a freebee and we found her!
I did a sewage job 2 houses away from the one we are on now, that's how we got it from a referral. Anyway come to find out her house is re-flooded!!! Her husband just passed and she has had a ton of bad luck. So we started it last evening, Sticky Tab Rob wants in on it too.

If people can't afford, I tell them to call me for any help or info anytime 24/7 if they want to do it themselves.
If we bid a pump out and after working found water to still be coming in, which was everywhere, we held the price and returned up to 4 times on some houses :shock: I couldn't charge more, even though it cost us.

Your a Good man with a Good heart in my book Al.

 

[tmdry]

I have to sleep at night, I went out all Easter weekend and Easter with no extra charges. My office trys to get people hooked up with FEMA. One lady was afraid to leave for her Easter out of state and was going to cancel, I talked her into letting me have a key and do extra monitoring so she could go.
I didn't charge extra.

One guy lost his wife 2 weeks ago and all he wanted was for her favorite room to be the same, it was big I quoted possible 5000. I did it for 1200. and went way, way beyond on the work.

A big sewage job her husband is in Boston hospital, we have gone way out of our way to keep her in Boston where she is needed. It feels good to do this stuff.
I have a pricing system for non insured.
I have been looking for a person in real need to do a freebee and we found her!
I did a sewage job 2 houses away from the one we are on now, that's how we got it from a referral. Anyway come to find out her house is re-flooded!!! Her husband just passed and she has had a ton of bad luck. So we started it last evening, Sticky Tab Rob wants in on it too.

If people can't afford, I tell them to call me for any help or info anytime 24/7 if they want to do it themselves.
If we bid a pump out and after working found water to still be coming in, which was everywhere, we held the price and returned up to 4 times on some houses :shock: I couldn't charge more, even though it cost us.

Al, happy for you man and you're doing the right thing!

 

[Desk Jockey]

I have a pricing system for non insured.

Food for thought, I understand the thought process of wanting to give a non insured homeowner a break. I know you're a good guy Al and just wanting to help.

However what you are unintentionally doing is charging a higher rate to Insurance Companies. That's not going to settle well with any Insurance company, in fact it could really hurt you if they know you have to price scales and charge them more.

Many years ago an adjuster told us they did the secret shopper deal and looked for companies that charged less to non insured losses. When the found those companies they were told NOT to give them any work.

With vendor programs things may have changed greatly, but I'd still think about the two pricing scales.

Maybe you could invoice the same rate but write off a portion? I'd just be very cautious of telling anyone that you have a cheaper rate for uninsured.

 

[Mark Imbesi]

Couldn't Al charge the same amount as Ins Cos and then rebate the money back to the homeowner? Make up a rebate program that an Ins Co cant claim on?

BTW, Al....I am so happy for your success and the way you are doing business! Everyone here should take something away from your story. It's not all about the benjamins.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Marc
I'm not sure how ethical that would be?

My guess is if they found out about it, it wouldn't be viewed well. Not sure if it qualifies as fraud, but possible.

However I'm not the water damage police, I just don't want anyone to hurt themselves while trying to do a good deed.

 

[XTREME1]

I have been doing the flood bob and weave. I only help previous customers with no guarantees. DEHUs airmovers, pad replacement and reinstall and clean
No one has flood insurance. I usually just bill overall for basements about $500-700

 

[Mark Imbesi]

Couldn't Al charge the same amount as Ins Cos and then rebate the money back to the homeowner? Make up a rebate program that an Ins Co cant claim on?

BTW, Al....I am so happy for your success and the way you are doing business! Everyone here should take something away from your story. It's not all about the benjamins.

Marc
I'm not sure how ethical that would be?

My guess is if they found out about it, it wouldn't be viewed well. Not sure if it qualifies as fraud, but possible.

However I'm not the water damage police, I just don't want anyone to hurt themselves while trying to do a good deed.

How about "Paid in full within 7 days Rebate"? LMAO!

BTW....please don't use the words ethical and insurance in the same sentence...thanks!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Quick pay discount?

Ethical?
What you don't like how they change the game on you? No matter what they win. Too many claims, then don't cover it anymore. Turn in a claim and they mark you and raise your rates, turn in too many and they drop you.....and tell CLUE so you can't get decent rates any where. Don't file a claim and they raise your rates because they are losing money on hurricanes and earth quakes. What's not ethical about that? :wink:

 

[Hoody]

Who says Al has to charge what Xactimate says ? I didn't know that pricing was a legal binding contract. Moreso a pricing GUIDELINE we've all learned to conform to.

I would most definitely give a discount for a "Cash-in-hand" job rather than waiting 15+ days for a check, if that was the break point of getting the job or not.

That is all he's really doing anyways.