Be Prepared - Your Disaster Plan Of Action Is A Download Away

Walking into your home and discovering ankle deep water or seeing (and smelling) the results of fire damage is a bad feeling. You might not immediately understand all the problems it will present, but you know it won't be easy.

That thought alone is enough to cause nausea-inducing stress for some of us. It makes sense to do everything possible to keep that stress to a minimum. A simple plan of action could certainly go a long way toward eliminating that stress, and any good plan of action begins with knowing how to contact the right person for help. The next step is knowing what to do until they get there.

Our free ServiceMaster by Cornerstone mobile app is your all-in-one solution for both of those things. A quick response is the best way to prevent further damage, and there's no quicker way than this. With two touches of your fingertip, you can be on your way to recovery. You'll have the peace of mind of knowing that experts who can handle the hard stuff for you are on their way and ready to put things right.

While you're waiting for us to arrive, you can check out the "What To Know" section of our mobile app. You'll find great advice on what you can do to minimize damage until our crew arrives. You can even take photos and send them directly to us through our app.

You'll also find photos of our leadership team and their contact information using our "Key Contacts" page in the "About Us" section. If that's not enough, you can even read a brief synopsis of our company.

Your basic, emergency plan of action is one download away. It's an easy way to prepare. Just click on one of the following links:

For i-Phone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/servicemaster-by-cornerstone/id839487141?mt=8

For Android: http://www.lollipopandroid.xyz/download/com.smst.charles.html

Two Questions That Can Change Your Life

It's not every day that you get to work with people who are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to do or say something kind to others... unless you work at ServiceMaster by Cornerstone.

In recent months, we have focused heavily on determining the ultimate reason we do what we do every day. That is, the reason we choose to work in the restoration industry, and the reason we show up to work every day. Although that varies from person to person, we wanted to unify everyone under a main purpose for our company. More than that, we wanted to consider whether or not we are finding purpose in our work lives as well as our personal lives. After all, we spend the majority of our waking hours on the job. If our only purpose is to just get through another day of cleaning up after floods, fires, mold and trauma, then the legacy we could leave in this world is wasted.

After a lot of brainstorming and soul searching, our leadership team determined that our company's purpose is "impacting lives at every opportunity so that we can lift people up."
That means everyone; Our customers, our families, each other, and anyone else who crosses our paths in everyday life.

Image courtesy of flikr.com

We now start every morning meeting with the same two questions: What opportunity did you have yesterday to impact someone in a positive way, and how did you lift them up? The answers are often amazing, and sometimes very surprising.

What we discovered was that when we are intentional about looking for opportunities to lift someone up, incredible things happen. A positive culture emerges and we find a kinder, gentler atmosphere. We find ourselves jumping at the opportunity to do things for others that we used to overlook, or perhaps even thought was a little too "above and beyond."

 Positive feedback from our customers has definitely been on the rise lately, and it's because we have team members who are more sympathetic and kinder, and who know they have an opportunity to help someone get through a very frustrating situation. They are motivated by a challenge to change a negative situation into a positive customer experience. They all want to be the one to come into our meeting and share the story that will blow everyone away. Sharing those opportunities with the group has become sort of a badge of honor; a chance to demonstrate that what they do every day, at work and at home, does make a difference and is of value. We couldn't be more proud of them.

Our team also likes to share stories of how their co-workers lift them up. When one team member goes out of his or her way to show kindness to another team member, the others want to make sure that team member gets recognized for it. We didn't even ask them to do that; they just do it because it's right.

In just a couple of months, we've noticed that referring to our co-workers as "team" and our company as the "ServiceMaster by Cornerstone family" stopped sounding clichéd and took on a genuineness that we always hoped for, but never could quite achieve. Things sure have changed!

To sum it up, our family at ServiceMaster by Cornerstone has become a small-scale example of what the whole world could be if everyone would be intentional about looking for ways to encourage and be kind to others.

We might not be changing the world at ServiceMaster by Cornerstone, but we've shown what can happen in our own little part of it when we come together for a common purpose and determine to love others. It's a good feeling!

What I Have Learned From Insurance Agents

When I first started calling on insurance agents two and a half years ago, I asked a lot of questions and had a lot of conversations about what's important to their customers. I wanted to know what kind of customer experience would keep agents referring us to their policy holders time after time.

 

Image courtesy of arstechnica.com

 

It's amazing what you can learn if you just ask the right questions and listen carefully. Most of the time, their answers were the result of feedback they had gotten from their customers in the past. Here's what I learned from agents about how to best serve their customers:

Customers need us to show sympathy for their situation.
One agent told me that it's probably rare for her customers to hear "I'm sorry this happened to you" from the restoration company representatives and repair contractors. It's an easy thing to say. It's the appropriate thing to say in a disaster. However, most people rarely think to actually say it. Sympathy needs to especially be extended to the customer on residential jobs. Homeowners are emotionally invested in their homes, and they need to know that the people who are there to solve the problem care about that.

To the customer, this is one of the worst days of their life.
When you see severe water and fire damage almost every day, it's easy to become jaded and forget that what might not even come close to being the worst you've seen is probably one of the worst disasters the customer has ever experienced in his or her home. It's important to remember that everyone's disaster is extremely significant to them, even if it is just another day at the office for us.

Customers need us to set proper expectations.
Most customer dissatisfaction stems from the company they hired not setting proper expectations. The customer needs to know what we'll need to do; why we need to do it; how it's going to be done; and how long it will likely take. They also need to know at the beginning that some of those things might change, depending on what additional damage we might discover during the process. Finally, they need to be prepared for the disruption in their lives; the noise of the equipment, the demolition of ceilings, flooring, sections of wall, etc.; the possible adjustments to their normal schedule during the process.

Customers need to see confidence.
When we arrive on that job, customers need to see us take charge of the situation immediately. They need to see us alert and paying attention. No matter how bad the situation, we need to appear calm and in control. Our actions tell the customer a lot about our ability. They need to be reassured right away that we are trained to handle it and we know exactly what to do. It's important to not panic the customer, and often that means being careful how we phrase things, and using a reassuring tone of voice.

Smile
That should be a given.  A smile always makes any situation better.

Our Foundational Objective: Honor God In All We Do

This week we have a few words from our franchise owner, Mark Jowers:

"When Carol and I purchased our ServiceMaster Clean franchise back in 2001, we immediately adopted the ServiceMaster corporate objectives: To honor God in all we do; to help people develop; to pursue excellence; and to grow profitably.

I have always felt that not only were these the right objectives; I believe that they are in the proper order. A plaque with these hangs just behind my desk, and I refer to them often. 

Although the layout of the objectives has changed, the objectives/values remain the same. Honor God in all we do has been moved to a foundational position. Not a bad thing for a company named ServiceMaster by Cornerstone.....Cornerstone being the key word."          -Mark Jowers, Owner

A new addition to our lobby area: Our company objectives - big and bold

Four Things That Will Destroy Your Carpet, and How To Avoid Them

You've probably seen it many times; wrinkled spots on carpet, or seams that have separated and look like they need to be stretched back together. You might have even noticed carpet fibers coming loose and bare spots forming. When you see those things, it's often time to replace that carpet. While those kinds of problems might sometimes be due to several years of normal wear, many times they are the result of carpet delamination that could've been avoided.

Delamination is the word for what happens when the primary backing on your carpet separates from the secondary backing. The backing is what holds the fibers to the flooring. When the adhesive on that backing breaks down, delamination begins, and you start to see all those things described above. Once that happens, the affected part of that carpet is toast (to use a technical term).

Here are four common causes of delamination:

1. Water damage: This is one we see all the time in the disaster restoration industry. Say, for instance, that a leaky pipe caused all the carpet to get soaked. The water is clean, so you might think the carpet can just be dried out and re-installed - problem solved, right? Well, if it's dried quickly enough, that could be the case; however, if a carpet gets saturated in water, it doesn't take very long for the water to break down the adhesive. How quickly that happens depends on the quality of the carpet. The moisture will also cause the backing to expand or contract (depending on the type of backing), and that begins to pull the backing loose from the adhesive.

If you have water damage, call a water mitigation professional immediately, for crying out loud. Waiting won't make it go away, and the damage will quickly get worse.

2. Walking on newly cleaned carpet that isn't yet dry: After carpet is cleaned, it has to have time to dry out before any pressure is put on it. Stretching from the pressure and movement created by walking on carpet that is still damp can cause delamination, and the visible damage might not happen quickly enough for you to make the connection between the two. It could be several weeks before you notice a little wrinkle in the carpet or some fibers coming loose. It's best to stay off of the carpet until you're sure it's dry. Depending on the type of carpet and the level of cleaning that was needed, eight to twelve hours should be enough time for it to dry. Keeping the room open where it can air out, and keeping it at a moderate temperature will give you the quickest results.

3. Urine: Urine, whether it's from pets or humans, can do a lot of damage to carpet. In addition to the stains and odor it causes, the acidic nature of urine can quickly break down carpet adhesives and cause delamination. To counteract the acid in the urine, you'll need a cleaning product that neutralizes it. Doing this quickly is essential. You can use a white vinegar and water mixture (3:1 ratio). Just liberally pour it on the urine spot and allow it to soak in. Give it a couple of minutes and then use towels to blot up the moisture. Don't rub it, just blot it until it soaks up as much as possible. Then put a dry towel on top of the spot and place some kind of weight on top of it (maybe a copy of War and Peace or the U.S. tax code). Let it sit overnight to soak up the remaining moisture.

4. Harsh cleaning products: The chemicals in some cleaning products can break down the adhesive in your carpet's backing. While many of these products might be okay for light surface cleaning, using too much could cause it to soak into the backing and ruin your carpet. Be careful about how much of any product you use. Always carefully follow the instructions on the label.

Of course, aging carpet is another cause of delamination. No adhesive, backing or fiber will last forever; even the best ones have a limited life. Still, with proper care and routine cleaning by qualified professionals, your carpets can look great for many, many years.

Cornerstone Constants - Creating An Experience

"Customer service" is a thing of the past, and I'm going to try to erase that phrase from my vocabulary. Allow me explain: Everybody uses the term "customer service," but a lot of companies just don't deliver. That's why it has become a trite expression. Nobody wants to hear about your customer service because they've heard it all before. It's time for something better.

What if we instead told you about our "customer experience?" Now that's a little more interesting, isn't it? Service is mundane; it's a given that should be expected no matter what. An experience, however, is something that goes to such a higher level that it's far beyond the expected. It's something so impressive that you talk about it long after it's over.

Here's an example: I recently heard a friend talking about his Disney "experience." He was so impressed by the way he didn't even have to go to baggage claim after arriving in Orlando. He and his family were picked up at the airport minutes after arrival and taken to their hotel where their bags were waiting for them in their room. Their "experience" was practically hassle free. Disney has long understood that customer service is the bare minimum, but creating a customer experience is what keeps people coming back for more.

We understand that a disaster in your home or business is a far cry from travel to a Disney resort. There's certainly a lot more hassle involved, and you don't even get to ride The Teacups or see a parade at the end of it. But at ServiceMaster by Cornerstone, our hope is to create a customer experience that you don't get with anyone else; one that shows we've put a lot of thought into what the customer is going through, and how we can make it easier on them.

Long ago, our franchise owner developed something called the "Cornerstone Constants." Our constants are the things that our team members are expected to consistently do on every job in order to create the Cornerstone experience.

There are three parts: Cleanliness, Service, and Integrity. Under each part are words that clarify those parts. For example: Under "Cleanliness" are the following words: Uniform, Hygiene, Workplace, Vehicles, and Equipment. So, when someone from ServiceMaster by Cornerstone shows up to do work in your home or business, you can expect them to arrive in a clean vehicle, wear a clean uniform, and use clean equipment. You can also expect that they will take every measure to keep your home as clean as possible before, during and at the end of the job.
Here is the list of Cornerstone Constants that hangs in our office:

If you ever need us, we hope you'll clearly see the difference between customer service and the Cornerstone experience.

The Shocking Truth Behind Disaster Restoration

If a disaster happens in your home or business, you'll probably be relieved to know that someone is on their way to restore the damage - the sooner the better. But have you ever considered what happens once they arrive? Have you wondered what's going to happen over the next several days, and how it will impact your normal routine and enjoyment of that space? Have you wondered how it might affect you on an emotional level?

Let's take water damage, for instance. Proper drying techniques most often require some maneuvers that can seem pretty shocking to the untrained eye. After all, this is your property. You've spent good money to buy it, and perhaps even more money and time renovating or decorating it just the way you want it. Then a disaster happens, and what comes next is almost excruciating to see.

Imagine the unpleasant sight of baseboards being removed from your walls and holes being drilled; sections of ceiling being removed; once-beautiful flooring being taken up; expensive cabinets being removed; and your belongings being shifted around from one area to the next. I'm also talking about a lot of loud noise from the drying equipment, and extension cords being taped to your floor. In addition to that, there's the plastic sheeting erected as a containment barrier throughout your house, and people you just met going in and out of your home. I can see how it could be kind of unsettling.

But if you think about it, you'll quickly realize that all those things have to happen. When moisture is trapped inside of walls and ceilings among all the wood, drywall and insulation, the environment is ripe for additional damage. Leaving it wet will eventually lead to deterioration, mildew, and maybe even (oh, no!) mold. There's only one way to get it dry. We have to blow high velocity air in there to cause evaporation, which will then be collected by our dehumidifiers. The only way to blow air into those spaces is to open them up. That's called demolition, and it makes most people cringe, regardless of how prepared they might be for it.

Demolition may involve removing baseboards along your walls and making holes along the bottom about the size of a half-dollar every couple of feet. It might involve drilling holes in the base of your cabinets, or even removing your cabinets altogether until the areas behind them and the cabinets themselves are dry.

Ceilings also sometimes require demolition. When they're saturated with water, they begin to deteriorate fast. The drywall becomes spongy and starts to crack, and then it's only a matter of time before it starts to sag and then fall. After all, there's typically a bunch of heavy, wet insulation sitting right on top of it. So you can understand why we sometimes have to cut a big square out of your ceiling. Either way, a hole is going to be there eventually; we might as well beat gravity to the punch and make the area safer and cleaner. Besides, we have to blow air in there, too.

Where floors are concerned, carpet is usually the easiest. Almost everyone knows we have to dry under the carpet, so they usually expect to see it pulled up. Seeing the pad underneath being cut out might be a bit cringe-worthy, but carpet pad is cheap to replace. Of course, sometimes the glue that holds the carpet fibers to the backing breaks down from too much moisture. That's called delamination, and when that happens, the carpet itself must be replaced.

As for wood floors, there are a lot of factors that determine what needs to happen when they get wet. If there's moisture below, it can sometimes be extracted with heavy suction using rescue mats, assuming it's a "nail down" floor. If it's a "glue down" floor, it'll usually have to come up. The glue blocks the water trapped beneath, and the suction from the rescue mats can't suck it out. In any case, regardless of the installation method, most of the wood floors we encounter have to be replaced. It's almost impossible to get wood floors dry quickly enough to prevent them from buckling and warping. It all depends on how wet they got and how long they stayed that way. By the way; laminate floors never stand a chance against significant amounts of water. We typically recommend removal if water has gotten below their surface.

Finally, let's address the noise. Our equipment is loud. The technology to create high velocity wind without making much noise doesn't yet exist (and probably never will). Those loud noises are annoying, I know. They disrupt your peaceful environment and drown out the sounds you're used to hearing, but they're necessary to get your home dry and prevent further damage. Think of that noise as the key indicator that those machines are doing what they were built to do; save your house. The same goes for the unfamiliar people milling about your home. They just want to help you get things back to normal as quickly as possible.

Fortunately, someone with a lot of foresight created what we call "Master Moments." Master Moments is a booklet that explains our drying techniques and equipment in detail. It has a section of frequently asked questions, too. At the beginning of each job, we briefly go over the booklet with our customers, touching on the highlights so that we can set proper expectations. We then encourage them to read through the booklet in more detail at their convenience. Of course, our technicians are always happy to try and answer any questions, too.

Master Moments Recovery Guide

So if you have a disaster in your home or business, stay calm, call ServiceMaster by Cornerstone, and try not to be shocked by what happens next.