I’m a big fan of “killing two birds with one stone”. (Even though my bird watching obsessed wife Sioux hates me when I say it!) And yep, our QuickTIPS lately have focused on getting super efficient in your daily production. Sure, you can raise your prices to Make More Money. (And you probably should!)
But why not also make more profit by working efficiently? (Efficiency is everything in commercial work.) Plus when you are a clean, crisp and efficient company you create a great impression on customers!
The positive Moments of Truth (MOT) created by a crisply efficient operation will differentiate your company from the sad-sack operators far too common in our industry. (These Positive MOTs are even more important in restoration.) Even little things will “set you apart”. For example…
Get rid of the dirt, trash and CLUTTER in your service vehicles!
Why? Because clutter is a fire hazard, a Negative MOT and even worse it breeds… more clutter! (And marginal, “trashy” employees too!) So here is a No-More-Clutter Checklist:
1. Dashboards- This is my pet peeve! Talk about displaying your sins to the world! Plus dash clutter reflecting in your windshield is a huge safety hazard.
2. Ash Trays- I tried banning employee smoking in my vans. Didn’t work! So instead I instituted a firm “clean your ashtrays every night” rule. (Today I would only allow smokeless electronic cigarettes.)
3. Trash cans- Make it easy to keep a pristine van. Keep trash cans in the cab and cargo area. Empty them every night.
4. Control your “inventory”- Yes, a place for everything BUT remember that “everything” builds up! So perform a get-rid-of-it “Inventory/Maintenance Checklist” with your employees at least once a month. (And slip’em 20.00 cash when they pass with flying colors!)
Restoration HINT: Blow out, clean and disinfect your air movers, dehumidifiers and HEPA air filters immediately upon arrival back to your plant. When dry shrink wrap your emergency mitigation equipment. It will now be protected from dust and dirt. Even better, imagine the Positive MOT you’ll create when the Insured sees you setting up your pre-sanitized equipment at their loss!
Steve
