Disaster Restoration: The New Bandwagon Business

I remember a time about eighteen years ago when the housing market was booming and interest rates were low for the first time in years. The real estate and mortgage businesses were hot. Since getting started in real estate was more expensive and time consuming, people who wanted to make big money fast were getting into the mortgage business.

People were leaving long careers in other industries to become mortgage originators. New mortgage companies were springing up everywhere. Banks were suddenly expanding their mortgage departments in order to get a larger piece of the pie. People with no experience were suddenly trying to be experts in a field that was growing so fast there was barely time to learn all the ins and outs.

That, along with other factors, ultimately resulted in the housing crisis of 2007 and the strict regulation that followed. Suddenly, the mortgage business was very hard. Many left the business within a few years. Many banks shut down or reduced their mortgage operations, and many small mortgage companies closed shop.

Something similar is happening with the disaster restoration industry right now. People have noticed the success of old, established companies like ServiceMaster and they have decided that they too can be disaster restoration experts.

Almost every month I hear of another construction company or plumbing company that has added disaster restoration to their professional repertoire. Like us, they know that no matter what, pipes are going to burst somewhere and fires are going to happen. They want their piece of the pie, and who can blame them? Unlike us, many go it alone without the backing and resources of a brand with a proven system of training and support.

That's not to say that they can't learn the business the right way and do a good job; Some of them do. But that's not as easy as it sounds, and it often takes years to get it right when you're starting from scratch.

Consider this: When you suffer a fire or water disaster in your business or home, who would you rather depend on to put things right again; a company that added disaster restoration as an afterthought, or one that has been perfecting their process for over sixty years. ServiceMaster Restore has even spent years developing and constantly improving their own proprietary cleaning products.

ServiceMaster Restore franchises are not only required to adhere to rigorous ServiceMaster brand standards in order to be designated a Quality Restoration Vendor (QRV), but they are also required to adhere to the strict certification standards of the IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification).

Keep in mind also that ServiceMaster Restore has long-standing relationships with almost all major insurance carriers, as well as local agents. We know how the claims process works and what your insurance company requires in order to make the claim go as smoothly as possible. Those companies that are new to the industry might not have those relationships.

More than a few restoration companies have come and gone over the years, and that will probably continue. It's not an easy business, as many find out quickly. But the ServiceMaster brand and ServiceMaster by Cornerstone in particular have stood the test of time, and we plan to be around for many years to come.

Public Notice: We're Watching, and We Know What's Going On

A couple of weeks ago, I caught wind of a story about a mold inspection that two of our team members did. It was only one of several they had done last month. What made it unique, however, is that instead of having to convince the property owner that they needed to take proper action for their mold problem, they had to convince this one that there was no mold problem.

This customer, an elderly woman, had already been told by a different company that she had a mold problem in the crawl space beneath her house after they had done a visual inspection of the area.  Fortunately, she was smart enough to get a second opinion. Following the recommendation of someone she trusted, she called us. When our technicians did a thorough inspection, they concluded that there was no evidence of mold growth.

The people who had performed the initial inspection had this customer pretty frightened. According to the customer, she had even been told that she had toxic, black mold. That's a pretty serious assumption.

One of our technicians showed her the photos that they took of the supposedly mold infested area; there was no visible sign of mold. Our technician also told her that if the previous inspector had actually seen any microbial growth at all, there would have been no way to determine the type of mold it was (if it even was mold) without proper laboratory testing.

The customer later called our office and asked again if it was possible that our technicians were mistaken. That's how much worry the initial inspector had caused this lady; she was terrified that her home was in danger. Our customer service representative reassured the customer, and by the end of the conversation, she was satisfied that there was no need to worry.

This demonstrates that even though unscrupulous companies sometimes try to frighten people into paying for unnecessary services, someone is always watching. In this case, I'm glad that "someone" was ServiceMaster by Cornerstone. Take note, all you scammers out there: We know what's going on, and we're still watching.