if you had to pick 3 things to warn a new wdr guy about what would they be?

davegillfishing

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i am not totally new to the wdr business, years ago i was deep in ot but its been many many years and for another company not mine so i did not know every
detail of everything..

i have been in business for 8 years and been around the block but am always ready to learn..so

what are the three biggest things you can think of for me to watch out for or to protect myself against?

thanks
dave
 

GCCLee

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i did not know every detail of everything..

i have been in business for 8 years and been around the block but am always ready to learn..so

what are the three biggest things you can think of for me to watch out for or to protect myself against?

thanks
dave

You know all the details, just haven't had to apply them togeather it sounds.

Mold is our biggest fear with WD! Our area is nasty with it any way. 2nd would be speed to completion and attention to DETAIL (who wants to be displaced, uncomfortable feeling). 3rd Check Clearing the Bank.

Chris
 

Desk Jockey

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Whew that list could be as long or longer than my johnson, but I'll toss out a few.

Mold, don't spread it, don't be accused of spreading it, don't give instructions as what they can do on their own.Treat it seriously, while it may not bother you or I, it does affect some adversely. You'll never win in court if you spread mold and someone claims they got sick from it......no matter what Dave Yoakum says. :p

Safety, yours and your clients deep water can kill you and you have to protect yourself and your employees. a couple of inches can look like no big deal BUT bump a lamp into it and we will be telling stories about who not to be like.

Money
I've been accused by the potential customer of caring more about the money than their problem.
It's true I do, as much I do care more about getting paid than their problem. I don't need the practice, I've spent decades doing this and while I love WDR work, I have a huge over head that needs to be covered.

Maintain good communications, what keeps us out of trouble where our competition often fails is the lines of communication. Let them know what to expect and then let them know if there are any changes from what you told them. If you run into a problem show them, tell them, get them involved in the decision making. It's their house, give them the options and let them make an informed decision.

Do what is right-We at Chavez only do what is right,it's in our foundation, it's who we are! it's not always the cheapest or the most popular but it is always what is right. Some insurance adjusters may try to sway you to do what is cheap, some homeowners will try to sway you towards replacement of goods that don't need to be replaced. Do the right thing and you can never be accused of doing the wrong thing.

Life is short
-Fighting with adjusters can and will wear on you, fight the good fight but also be willing to negotiate and give concessions where everyone wins. Get paid and move on.

Document like you're going to defend yourself in court-you just might have to and if you have it written and photos and readings, signoff's, you'll be glad you did!


"It's better to lose a WDR job than to do it for free"
Doc Holliday

 

Lars

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I would say proper testing. Pre testing walls for lead and asbestos before you open them up and cross contaminate the entire house... especially if the insurance is involved and going to be looking over your shoulder and scrutinizing your work. Also document all your moisture readings well. Make sure everything is dry.

when it comes to mold make sure you isolate and contain the area correctly. We drop HEPA air scrubbers on every water damage job.

Play it safe.
 

davegillfishing

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great stuff guys..im pretty much on track with everything..

my strongest asset is my immediate relationship with customers..i can very quickly become their best friend and truly do care about
every single person that allows me to live the lifestyle i live and i grateful to them for it and treat them in such a manor..

my primary job when i did fire and flood 20 years ago was customer service..i could make the most difficult customers fall in love with us
and control their emotions toward the adjusters as well..i used to get in trouble if i was caught actually working the loss more than i was working with the customer
and until becoming a owner never truly understood how important my talent really was..its the very thing i work with on my guys every day..i can teach anyone how to clean
but teach them to make your customers fall in love with them and your ticket is written..

thanks for all the help!! i will have more questions as things progress and one thing i promise to all of you is i will pass along the very help you are giving me to others that ask and need help once im in a position to give sound
solid advice!
dave
 
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Steve Toburen

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Whew that list could be as long or longer than my johnson, but I'll toss out a few.

Mold, don't spread it, don't be accused of spreading it, don't give instructions as what they can do on their own.Treat it seriously, while it may not bother you or I, it does affect some adversely. You'll never win in court if you spread mold and someone claims they got sick from it......no matter what Dave Yoakum says. :p

Safety, yours and your clients deep water can kill you and you have to protect yourself and your employees. a couple of inches can look like no big deal BUT bump a lamp into it and we will be telling stories about who not to be like.

Money
I've been accused by the potential customer of caring more about the money than their problem.
It's true I do, as much I do care more about getting paid than their problem. I don't need the practice, I've spent decades doing this and while I love WDR work, I have a huge over head that needs to be covered.

Maintain good communications, what keeps us out of trouble where our competition often fails is the lines of communication. Let them know what to expect and then let them know if there are any changes from what you told them. If you run into a problem show them, tell them, get them involved in the decision making. It's their house, give them the options and let them make an informed decision.

Do what is right-We at Chavez only do what is right,it's in our foundation, it's who we are! it's not always the cheapest or the most popular but it is always what is right. Some insurance adjusters may try to sway you to do what is cheap, some homeowners will try to sway you towards replacement of goods that don't need to be replaced. Do the right thing and you can never be accused of doing the wrong thing.

Life is short
-Fighting with adjusters can and will wear on you, fight the good fight but also be willing to negotiate and give concessions where everyone wins. Get paid and move on.

Document like you're going to defend yourself in court-you just might have to and if you have it written and photos and readings, signoff's, you'll be glad you did!


"It's better to lose a WDR job than to do it for free"
Doc Holliday
Dang, now I have some "new material" for my SFS Wednesday afternoon session on restoration, Richard! Well said and well done!

Steve

PS Dave, you said it all above: "i can teach anyone how to clean but teach them to make your customers fall in love with them and your ticket is written." Make a Cheerleader out of the Insured and adjusters will love you.
 

davegillfishing

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I have read through it and gotten some hmmm things but nothing earth shattering.

I believe when educating yourself the more books you read on the same subject by different authors the better educated you are. But there is one book you will NEVER see me reading. That little scumbag midget from over THERE
 

tmdry

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3 things to warn:

1. Do not go to the job with all your WD equipment on the truck, unless that is a flood truck only and or you ALWAYS carry that equipment on you. This is only if you're starting out. You may get people saying they have a huge job, but when you get there and take some readings, you quickly find out it wasn't all that big. Once you have your work authorization signed and deductible collected, you can than remove water and or contents, than later come back to remove water and or drop off equipment and so forth. If you watch the bigger companies in your area, you will see they have regular vehicles wrapped, those are the inspectors/estimators, once they get the job, they than call the office and tell them - we need 3 LGR's, 20 axials, yadda yadda.

2. Carry a pair high top rubber boots, pair of clean socks, and a small dry towel on the truck. It's not really a warning, but I hate walking under water in my regular o' shoes, it just sucks. Put the hand towels w/ the socks in 1 gallon zip lock bag so it doesn't get wet/dirty, place the bag inside of the boots, this way if you do get your feet wet, you have an extra dry pair.

3. Always get your work autho, direction of payment signed off before commencing work, and always get the deductible. If you don't get it now, it'll be a nightmare to get it later. Even if they don't know what the deductible is, something is better than nothing. (Most people know their deductible, they may be just testing you and playing dumb). Get min $250 and tell them "later today or tomorrow morning we will be back to pick up the reminder of it before proceeding w/ work or put it on a credit card". You can always call the adjuster on the claim and ask what the insureds deductible is, they have it on their file in their truck/pc, it's not really a "secret" anymore.
 
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dealtimeman

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When you first get to the job treat the (as an example) house as if it was your house and the loss happened to you. You must understand that the customer is more than likely stressed and or anxious and wants to be assured they are going to be taken car of. Take the time to educate the customer on the basics of the drying plan and make sure to see if they have any questions or concerns.

Also take a minute to educats them on the fact that the insurance company is going to recommend their preferred service provider ie sm surf pro etc. also let them know they have tthe right to have the company of their choice do the restoration.

IFMTOUMDO NOMTAKE THE TIME TO DO THE STATEMENT ABOVE YOU WILL LOSE JOBS EITHER AT THE BEGINING OF THE JOB OR EVEN AFTER YOU HAVE ALREADY STARTED DRYING.


It has been mentioned but I think the work authorization and scope must be executed correctly as we'll as if it a insurance job you isn't as well get a directive of payment form signed while doing you paperwork.

The MORE documentation you do the better, it is just covering your self.
 
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Desk Jockey

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Here is a few more:

Slooooow down on inspections-Take your time, this is not carpet cleaning when you fly in and out. Meticulously document, photograph, use diagrams, shoot thermals and save them in customer files.
(3) pieces of equipment you shouldn't be without, 1) A nondestructive moisture meter 2) A probe meter when you need to be intrusive 3) A thermal image camera. Camera's are now cheap, invest in one as soon as you can afford one, the bar has been raised don't get left behind.

IR20090102_0152.jpg


Buy the best equipment
you can afford, don't scrimp! This equipment will last decades if you take care of it. Few investments will make you as good a return as drying equipment 10-12 rents will pay back on brand new equipment. Buy the best, buy proven name brand, daisy chain, gfci , low amp draw etc. We like Drieaz, but any of the name brands are going to give you long range value over cheap, difficult to repair knock off's.

Training
- You mentioned multiple boards, water schools are the same. There shouldn't be such a thing as "one and done". Go to as many as you can, lots of great information out there, sooo many great classes! We've at people to Drieaz, Bolden, Dewald's, Reet's, Injectidry, education never costs you a thing, it pays you back! :winky:
 

davegillfishing

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richard and others..whats a good camera to start off with that wont break me in half..i know thats a relative question to what your making but think start up..im not looking for junk! just not over kill right now, that will come later

thanks again!
 

Desk Jockey

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I'm not sure, Micheal Lockhart had been studying them you might ask him. We bought ours 8-10 years ago back when they were expensive.

I think we paid $16,000.00 for the first $12,000.00 for the second and $10,000.00 for the third. :cry:

Now some sell as cheap as $1,500.00.
 
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Mikey P

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Dave
Do you plan on having a dedicated truck and crew for disaster work or will you personally be on call while your current staff is out cleaning carpet?
 

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Desk Jockey

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Steven have you see the non destructive meter that has the electrode pad on an extension pole coming back to the meter? It allows you to stay on the floor and off a ladder. Looks like it would be excellent for commercial work. I saw it in a magazine but it's at home. I'll try to remember to bring it tomorrow and scan it.


I made this for the up coming Home Shows, it will be 11x17 on foam core and standup back.

ThermalImagingTableTop5.jpg
 
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Hoody

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Rich - Look forward to seeing it. I have not seen, but heard about it recently. I would think it would be great for commercial, or even on 10-13' ceilings. We use to run into a lot of sky lights leaking around the edges from ice damming. Man I hated getting up on a 12' ladder with awkward angled ceilings.

Are you considering buying one ? Who makes it?
 

Desk Jockey

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Yes I'd like one but I just glanced over the article and didn't see a brand name listed. I'll bring it in the AM and scan it in and post. If it works, it looks like a very handy addition to inspection tools.

This was prior to "picture in a picture" but I still like it because you couldn't see the trapped moisture without the thermal image.

ThermalImageview.jpg
 
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davegillfishing

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mike the other 2 trucks are dedicated to carpet cleaning and the 3rd i am putting on the road will be the flood truck..i will be the flood guy while my guys are the carpet cleaning guys and once i get my system down to how i want everything done
i will put it in writing and spend a few months going on floods with them to be certain they are on the same page and i will step out of the picture and manage from the background..when i say that i am not meaning that i will be stepping totally
out, i will always be there or close by but just not physically standing there..that make sense?

i have a plan for the company to run without me there so i can go fishing and play while my highly paid well trained guys run things..so far its working great.

i have plans once the water side is smooth running to start a house cleaning and handy man division of the company for total home care from one company branded with excellence..duct cleaning and all..its just a slow process to do it right..
do things to fast and you get ahead of yourself and quality go's down with your reputation take it slow and do it right and quality stays high with your reputation..then i just market to my 5thousand customers in my customer base and things just
seem to expand and grow naturally..no massive monthly advertising expenses.
 

davegillfishing

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Dave,

I like the Extech i5. John has a really good price on it. http://www.superiorcleaningsolutions.com/servlet/the-478/CARPET-CLEANING-EQUIPMENT-TRUCKMOUNT/Detail

Also would recommend each lead have one of these I like the tech kits because it allows accountability for the techs. Each tool has it place in the case so less chance of an expensive meter getting left at a job site. http://www.superiorcleaningsolutions.com/servlet/the-1229/CARPET-CLEANING-EQUIPMENT-TRUCKMOUNT/Detail



ok so forgive the stupid question but it seems with this camera i wouldnt need really any other moisture meters because this shows you if you are wet or dry period?
am i dreaming and hoping or on the right track?
 

Desk Jockey

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Thermal Image (IR) cameras read temperature differential, so while it shows up as a different color you still need to confirm it with the other two meters. Where it helps you is when it comes down from one level to the next, it's not always obvious unless there is a stain. It also helps on larger projects when you have multiple rooms or commercial where you have large sq/ft affected.

It directs you you confirm it and then you don't have to slide the nondestructive along all the wall space or probe everything. They are time savers, money makers in that they help sell the job by showing the true scope of what is affected. You can also look much more professional than your competitor that doesn't own one.
 
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Hoody

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ok so forgive the stupid question but it seems with this camera i wouldnt need really any other moisture meters because this shows you if you are wet or dry period?
am i dreaming and hoping or on the right track?

Dave - The thermal imaging camera will show temperature differences. A cooler area MAY be the presence of water, but not necessarily true. For example, look around door and window frames its normally cooler there than other areas. Also where the ceiling meets the wall it typically will too because of poor insulation.

The thermal imaging camera helps with the guess work of where water may be, but you should always confirm your finding with other tools, such as non-intrusive moisture meters, hammer probes, electrodes, ect ect.

When you get your handy man service off the ground, you can use it to find poor insulation jobs, and can use it to easily sell insulation removal and replacement. Or possibly replacement of windows and door if you're going to go that far. I've done that in the past and called it a "Home Energy Audit".

When dealing with mold - the imaging camera can give you a good clue and see "into" walls where a leaking pipe may be if the source isn't known. It sure beats going around an entire room on your knees with a moisture meter hitting a bunch of dry spots.


EDIT: Damnit Chavez go do some work... I knew I wouldn't be able to beat your response LOL!
 

Desk Jockey

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Sorry I do need to do payroll, and it won't let me delete my post??? :icon_redface:

It's all yours, Hoody, these guys will want to be paid here in a few hours...so I better go do it. Greedy bastards :winky:!
 

Hoody

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Just busting your balls bud, don't delete it!!!

I had payroll done last night the jan-san staff wanted paid and all.... I'm putting off personal taxes as we speak. :hopeless:
 

Desk Jockey

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It doesn't have to be the next purchase but it needs to be somewhere near the top of your list.

See how without it we wouldn't even know to look there. Yet with the camera Greg is able to go right to it to check with the nondestructive and he can stick his pins down near the baseboard line or completely remove some base and check with longer probes to see if the insulation is wet in the wall cavity.

IR20090102_0161.png



IR20090102_0161b.png



JOhnOnly.jpg
 
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