Because I was sweating so much I overlooked some of the content in my presentation

Desk Jockey · Feb 25, 2014

Because I was sweating so much I overlooked some of the content from my presentation. :winky:

Actually I didn't have my notes printed and thought I'd read them off the slide but wasn't able to and use the clicker.

Here is the text from my presentation, a lot of which I didn't cover in my haste to get out of the spotlight. :smile:

“Water Damage yea I’ve heard how profitable it can be but water damage work is not for me. I enjoy my weekends and my evenings. Thanks but no thanks.”

I’m not going to stand up here and preach to you why you should become a water damage specialists. In fact I’d suggest that few of you do that.

What I do suggest is that you all at least get your feet wet (umm bad pun I know) by doing those jobs that come your way. Namely those from your client base.

Why should you care to do wdr at all? Because if you don’t do those jobs you risk some dirty low down restoration company stealing your client from you.

Not possible you say. Ohhh contrary to what you might think your client might feel some commitment after the restoration company saves them in there hour of need. Especially when you said you couldn’t do the work.

That’s why I’d suggest everyone at least have a minimum own a water claw and enough drying equipment to do a small job. Sure if you want to pursue water damage as an extension of your existing business I’d encourage you to do so. However it will take a deep commitment both in time and money.

It’s a very demanding business but there is a payoff. How many carpet jobs do you have to clean to make $2,800.00? That’s the average billing for a typical water loss.
You’re already working hard at cleaning and not always being compensated for your efforts.

At least in water damage restoration you’re better compensated for the work you do. It may be challenging at times but you’ll be rewarded for that work.

OK I want to get started but how? I’ve had some equipment collecting dust for years.
Well lets look at who is your potential client?
Some statistics state that for every 100,000 people there are 72 water losses per month. Potentially everyone is your client, from building owners, facilities managers, city, county, state, school districts, universities, to homeowners. However in keeping with the Owner Operator theme of this presentation let’s focus on who is your best target.

Unlike carpet cleaning where your marketing can translate into direct responses, clients for water damage don’t know they need you until the need arises.

Triggered events stimulate the need (pipe breaks, washer hose burst, toilet overflows) BUT who will they chose when the need arises? They will choose those they are familiar with and that should be you! Your data base of clients is a gold mine of potential work.
These people have trusted you with the care of their home furnishing, they know you and will trust you vs a stranger to dry their home. You’re the logical choice.

How do you tell them? You must tell them, over and over again Mention in every marketing piece you put out there. Put on your Facebook fan page. Use pictures along with a brief story of what happened and what you did to correct it. Keep an eye on the comments so you can explain drying or any questions asked.

Add a page to your website, again photos work well with brief description. Use mail stuffers in your billing, develop specific pieces to be placed in your leave behind packets and as a stand alone postcard. Also get separate emergency magnets besides your regular cleaning magnets leave a couple with each cleaning or ask if you can put one on the hot water heater. Zip tie tags on major appliances and the main water shut off also can work well.

Pick & Choose
You don’t have to go at this full bore if you don’t want to be in the WDR business. Although I would suggest you have the training and enough equipment to take care of a job or two at a time.

Then partner with another cleaner or with a restoration company so you can pass on the ones that are too big for you or those that come in at inopportune times.

Last month I paid out for 3-water jobs given to me from other cleaners. They were thrilled to receive money while sitting in their warm home, while we braved the cold processing the jobs they referred to us. Not that I enjoy giving away money but one of those jobs was $7,000.00 and the other was $2,000.00. So I’m glad to get referrals from carpet cleaners even if it costs me some. It’s a loss that I would not have normally received had they not referred us.

Taking the call
You need to be cautious about responding to an emergency with little or no thought about payment. Always be afraid of the phrase “it needs to be done regardless”, it is true it does need to be done, but that doesn’t mean we are the ones that have to do it.

People in dire need will say to anything to get you to come out, up until it’s time to talk about money. Then these same people will drop you like a hot potato, call you crazy or just hang up on you. This is why it is imperative that money be brought up, otherwise you could do a lot of FREE work.

Always give them an average loss amount depending on what’s affected. Let them know all the materials (this does not include wall drying, pad replacement, reinstall or cleaning) If there is a lot of contents or structural materials affected.

Always collect a deductible $250.00-$500.00 most people won’t have a problem with that at this time. If you take credit cards offer that as a way of paying also!

Initial Inspection/Why a Thermal Camera
Determining the scope of damage is probably the single most important set in processing a water loss. If you were to miss a wet area during inspection, such as a closet or an adjoining room that was wet from water which migrated beneath the wall, it shows a lack of knowledge of how water flows. It also shows a lack of professionalism in that you weren’t thorough enough to check everywhere.

You must do everything we can to avoid this from happening. Take your time, be a good investigator, don’t be fooled by what the homeowner thinks is wet, they only go by what they see. You have the meters and instruments use them.

If you do very many water losses consider a Thermal Camera. The price has come down on them substantially. It will give you a quick idea of what is wet so you don’t miss anything. It also shows another level of professionalism.

Processing the job
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. Document important decisions with digital photos and sign off’s.

What will I need?
Briefcase- Additional paperwork, camera, flashlight, hygrometer
Harbor Freight aluminum cases the look very professional for $23.00 http://www.harborfreight.com/18-x-13-x-6-aluminum-case-69315.html
PPE Bag –Each tech “On Call” has their personal bags that week The bag could include: Tyveks Suits, Bump Hat, Ear Plugs, Safety glasses, Goggles, Full Face Respirator , Half Face Respirator , P-100 Organic Vapor/Acid gas, N-95 disposable Respirator, Dust Mask, Box Nitrile Gloves, Leather Gloves , Band-Aids, Hand Cleaner packets, Alcohol Wipes for Cleaning PPE, Zip lock baggies (respirators, open cartridges), 3-M tape (tape wrists, tears in tyvek)
Extraction Tools –Carpet Wand, Stair Tool, Vacuum Claw or ride on extractor like Xtreme Xtractor or Rover Ride
Floor Squeegee Vacuum tool Saves wearing out a glide or metal wand lips
Floor Squeegee pole & blade Push water to a drain or to a vacuum tool or out the door
Hard Surface Wand w/brush Good for rinsing the floor when encountering mud or sewage
Pressure Washing Gun Used to pressure wash under hard surfaces, under sill plates, around and under hot water heater and hvac units
Rubber Boots for deep water and mud
Ladder For taking down ceiling tiles and wet ceilings
6-Mil Trash Bags Due to its thickness these bags can hold wet carpet, pad, insulation, drywall without splitting open.
6-Mil Sheeting Can be used reduce the drying chamber or to cover floors when removing wet ceilings
3-M Tape Can safely be used on finishes and walls with little worry of damage.
Tool Box
Large plastic Scoop Shovel works well for scooping drywall wet ceiling tile debris
Floor Scraper Remove small areas of glue down carpet or vinyl
Extension Cords
Extension Cord Three way Splitters
Bag of Blocks & Sticky tabs
Latex Gloves
Shoe Covers
Door Guard
Floor mat
MultiSprayer or pump up
Antimicrobial
Biocide
Tool Box-hammer, stair tool, door tool, Awl, knee kicker, staple gun, staples, carpet knife, large scissors, pry bar, nail puller, nail tap, baseboard putty

Emergency Response
Rapid response is critical when a water damage emergency arises. Whether it’s in a home or in a business it’s vital that the water be mitigated to prevent the spread further damage.

As the structure remains wet, the potential for progressive damage increases exponentially. Warping of floors, damage to contents, carpet, ceiling & walls all have a better chance of being salvaged when address quickly. Most people panic even with only small areas wet. Access the situation as best you can over the phone. Is this something I need to get to immediately or can it wait a few hours?

Establishing an On Call Team Because of the demands that the Water Damage Restoration business can put on an owner operator it will be in your best interest to establish an On Call team as soon as possible. Spread the burden, compensate your technicians for the additional responsibility and then share your load.

The On Call Rotation
You can do this many ways. What we do is we have a 2-man crew that rotates weekly covering 24hours from 4:30 Friday night until the following Friday morning at 8:00. These guys need to plan on responding with 30-minutes of the time they get a call.

30-minutes allows them to get to our shop, roll a truck and be on site within an hour. They are not allowed to drink, they can go to a movie or dinner with their families but they know it could me leaving early should an emergency arises. We do compensate them for the week of being On Call as well as a water bonuses when they get a call and overtime & double time when the situation requires it.

A supervisor takes the initial call and then dispatches the crew when the get a loss. The supervisors also are on the rotation and serve a week also.

Billing
Xactimate is the industry standard but adjusters know that many carpet cleaners don’t have or use it. Just as long as your line items are clean and you have documentation to validate your charges you should be fine.

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

Collecting
Getting paid can take several weeks to several months, stay in contact but try not to badger the client. You know from the beginning which jobs you need to keep better contact with and which you can be fairly comfortable with. Use your instincts, just as you would a carpet cleaning job.

Document like you're going to defend yourself in court-you just might have to! If you have written documentation, photos, your readings, signoff's, emails, faxes, later you'll be glad you did!

Pitfalls/How to stay out of trouble
Water damage restoration is not that hard to perform well.
1. Qualify the job
2. Know what is wet
3. Dry it

4. Prove its dry
5. Collect

Qualify the job
When people have problems something in those steps wasn’t paid enough attention. You don’t want to do free work make sure everyone understands the cost up front. Collect a deposit and bill the rest when completed.

Know what is wet
You must know what is wet, use your meters, use common sense. If water runs up to a common wall ask to check in the other room. Look for potential traps behind furnishings, in closets. Water generally will follow the perimeter of the room so begin there. The better an investigator you are the less chance something will get over looked.

Dry it
Everyone dries differently but that’s a whole separate discussion.
For this presentation the home owner has three choices when it’s wet.

Dry it, remove it, let it do its own thing (mold). If it’s wet it should be dried unless it’s not cost effective or damaged to the degree it needs replacement. It won’t dry without air movement or until you create a reason for the moisture to leave the affected surface. Wet will go to dry if you create a reason for it to. Generally that requires a dehumidifier or heat directed to the wet surface. By creating lower vapor pressure you make that moisture move.

Summary
Always do what is right!

In our company we 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.

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

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Clean Response · Feb 25, 2014

Sweet it like I was there now, thanks for sharing.

Desk Jockey · Feb 25, 2014

You're welcome.

Funny how I can be a cocky bastard here but throw me in front of a crowd and I melt like a snowman in July. :lol:

Shout out to Bill Yeadon who had much more confidence in me than I did myself! He help me all along the way and gave me the support to get me through. God bless him! :icon_cool:

GCCLee · Feb 25, 2014

Doc,

You had me at Hello : )

A standing ovation dude, it really happened! Ding Ding Chicken Wing Stuff Homie, lol

eta: saved n printed : )

Shane Deubell · Feb 25, 2014

Dayyuuum, see what i missed.

Thanks for sharing! :headbang:

Desk Jockey · Feb 25, 2014

A standing ovation dude, it really happened!

LOL I cheated. Mikeysboard has some of the greatest people in our industry as members and I'm fortunate have you guys as my friends. Thanks for supporting me also! :icon_cool:

billyeadon · Feb 25, 2014

As I told you Mr. Huckleberry I never had any doubt you would rock and it appears from all the comments you did. Next year a full day from you.

Desk Jockey · Feb 25, 2014

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GCCLee · Feb 25, 2014

Add the sweat beads, you got it Doc, lol

Ivan Turner · Feb 25, 2014

When Richard speaks - I listen. Would of loved to hear you speak Richard. Thank you for the information in this post, and more importantly - thank you for all that you do for this wonderful industry.

Brian H · Feb 25, 2014

I too thought you did a GREAT job!!!

I was so buoyed by your performance that I would volunteer to be a speaker next time. That is if I had anything worth saying... :icon_redface:

harryhides · Feb 25, 2014

Three cups of Java and as many years of practice as Bill has had and you just may not sweat either. Bill has helped so many people over the years it is unfathomable.

Desk Jockey · Feb 25, 2014

Brian H said:
I too thought you did a GREAT job!!!

I was so buoyed by your performance that I would volunteer to be a speaker next time. That is if I had anything worth saying...

Here is the first speaker for MF-11! Brian I would like to hear you speak on protector sales, managing tech's, customer service concerns, handling complaints.

FB7777 · Feb 25, 2014

First time. I met Bill Yeadon was at Bane Clene in 1993, went to lunch before we picked up my second Bane unit. The guy was a shining superstar even back then

Two colossal business mistakes Bane Clene made in my humble opinion are...

Never offering a gas powered truckmount and slowly transitioning from their electric offerings

Not backing up the truck and begging Yeadon to name his price to stay with their organization

Desk Jockey · Feb 25, 2014

Not backing up the truck and begging Yeadon

to name his price to stay with their organization

The man is a class act! :headbang:

Many thanks to Jondon for loaning him to us for the weekend. :clap:

It added a level of professionalism that you would only expect at a big time event.......which MF has now come of age to be that kind of event!

Brian H · Feb 25, 2014

Doc Holliday said:
Here is the first speaker for MF-11! Brian I would like to hear you speak on protector sales, managing tech's, customer service concerns, handling complaints.

Oops, I put my foot in my mouth with that one.... :hopeless:

Desk Jockey · Feb 25, 2014

dgardner · Feb 25, 2014

Doc Holliday said:
Here is the text from my presentation, a lot of which I didn't cover in my haste to get out of the spotlight.

Great stuff, Richard. Should be a sticky in the WF&SD forum.

dealtimeman · Feb 25, 2014

Richard hit a home run, i couldn't believe how quiet it was thru ought his presentation.

i did think it was a bit ridiculous of him to be charging carpet cleaner for his signature at the end of the day, he is not that famous!

Desk Jockey · Feb 25, 2014

LOL

I had to pay for Dirk's bar tab somehow. ; )

jcooper · Feb 25, 2014

Actually I didn't have my notes printed and thought I'd read them off the slide but wasn't able to and use the clicker.

A water damage guy with no back up plan?

Desk Jockey · Feb 25, 2014

LOL winged it and pretend it was supposed to be that way. :eekk:

Just like on a water job, improvise, adapt and overcome. :biggrin:

Steve Toburen · Feb 26, 2014

Fred Boyle said:
...begging Yeadon to name his price to stay with their organization

I do this on a regular basis, Fred.

Steve

PS Richard, I am totally amazed. Thank you for letting me stea... err, I mean borr... I mean "learn" from the master. You just gave me material for a number of SFS QuickTIPS!

Desk Jockey · Feb 26, 2014

LOL

We missed you at MF10 Steve! But thanks for sending us Bill!

GCCLee · Feb 26, 2014

Doc Holliday said:
LOL

I had to pay for Dirk's bar tab somehow. ; )

Holy Cow I bet that wasn't cheap! Was that after I chased him through the hotel trying to get the cork back?

TomKing · Feb 26, 2014

I am looking forward to your presentation next year.

Managing the Loss

I can't wait.

Sign him up Mike

Doc Holliday said:
You're welcome.

Funny how I can be a cocky bastard here but throw me in front of a crowd and I melt like a snowman in July.

Shout out to Bill Yeadon who had much more confidence in me than I did myself! He help me all along the way and gave me the support to get me through. God bless him!

Because I was sweating so much I overlooked some of the content in my presentation

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