Marketing question

[danpauselius]

I am not a plumber, I am a restorer of water damaged structures. I am trying to figure you plumbers out. As a plumber, you will often be the first on scene to a water damaged property. Establishing working relationships with plumbers is key to landing the restoration contract if you are not one of the insurance company's preferred vendors.



My questions are:

Do any of you currently work with a water damage restoration company?

If you do, what things do you like about them and what things do you think they could do better?

Why did you choose THAT company over another?

What is your biggest concern when choosing a water damage restoration company to recommend to one of your customers?



Thanks for the honest answers. It will help me serve our current plumbing contractors better and also help us attract new ones.

[plumbdog10]

This forum is about plumbers networking with each other, learning from each other, sharing their problems. It is not about bed-wetting, calender giving, butt-kissing, suit-wearing, $300.00 haircut wearing, smooth-handed guys like you looking for "marketing opportunities.

What you need to do is find a couple of your kind, find a local watering hole, and share a couple of mixed drinks together. If it comes up in the conversation, you and your buddies should discuss why you don't have a real trade or profession.


Love,
the dog.

[Josh]

We dont hear from dog for a few days but he cant pass up on barking/bitting at the newbies. :rolleyes:

[plumbdog10]

We dont hear from dog for a few days but he cant pass up on barking/bitting at the newbies. :rolleyes:

The Newbies?

This is a guy looking for marketing information for free. I stand by my post.

[oldslowchevy]

sickem boy............................................. good dog

[PLUMBER RICK]

is it a new york thing? or does this guy remind me of tieger:eek:

i just had a job yesterday that the homeowner called a water damage company to check on a sewer leak under the house.

they said it was no standing water and just a damp 5'x7' area.

it cost him $850.00 for literally a 30 minute job:eek: they sent 1 guy under with a tray of cat litter and a plastic bag to scrape some dirt. also a pressure washer wand to squirt some pine sol. they left 3 fans running and will return in 3 days to pick them up. the 1 guy came out clean and dry.

the owner was pissed:eek:

so my suggestion for marketing is to sell yourself so that you will get repeat business.

the clean up pitch left a worse taste in the owners mouth than the sewer stoppage:eek:

rick.

[danpauselius]

I cannot know what the "other" company did under that house but chances are, it was not not done to the S500 standard. As far as a "real" trade or profession, you obviously don't know much about what we do. Look up the word Psychrometry. It invovles alot of math, specialized equipment and a dynamic understanding of "wet" conditions and how to properly mitigate the loss without leaving an open door for a $50,000 mold remediation job.

No offense to plumbers but the amount of money we are forced to spend on equipment would absolutely blow your mind. To set up one decent water truck will set you back an easy $85,000. As there are bad plumbers, there are bad water damage restorers.

A question for you, you go out on an emergency call for a leaking water heater. You arrive to find an inch of water throughout the bottom floor of the house. Do you tell them to just suck it up with a wet vac? Would you feel any responsibility if they did and then had a massive mold problem 6 months later?

With regards to "Free marketing advice", I don't get the impression you are the person I would want an answer from anyway. So ... are there any BUSINESS people out there or are you all just working stiffs who work for beer money like my friend Plumdog?

[Drain Medic]

I cannot know what the "other" company did under that house but chances are, it was not not done to the S500 standard. As far as a "real" trade or profession, you obviously don't know much about what we do. Look up the word Psychrometry. It invovles alot of math, specialized equipment and a dynamic understanding of "wet" conditions and how to properly mitigate the loss without leaving an open door for a $50,000 mold remediation job.

No offense to plumbers but the amount of money we are forced to spend on equipment would absolutely blow your mind. To set up one decent water truck will set you back an easy $85,000. As there are bad plumbers, there are bad water damage restorers.

A question for you, you go out on an emergency call for a leaking water heater. You arrive to find an inch of water throughout the bottom floor of the house. Do you tell them to just suck it up with a wet vac? Would you feel any responsibility if they did and then had a massive mold problem 6 months later?

With regards to "Free marketing advice", I don't get the impression you are the person I would want an answer from anyway. So ... are there any BUSINESS people out there or are you all just working stiffs who work for beer money like my friend Plumdog?

Well i imagine that comment just summed it up for you....:rolleyes: good luck getting answers now..should be interesting now :D:D

[danpauselius]

Drain Medic:

In all honesty, I don't think an employee could give an educated answer to the question. Heck, most owners of any business have a hard time getting their head around solid marketing. If someone likes having a job ... good for them, but they are not generally qualified to talk marketing.

Someone (Plumdog, I think) said to "sell myself and build on repeat customers". I hope you can understand that my business is VERY different from yours. The average person will only have 2 water losses in their lifetime thus making repeat business nearly impossible unless you are dealing with someone who seems to attract disasters. Restoration companies MUST market to hub-referral sources, such as plumbers, roofers, HVAC guys, insurance agents and adjusters, etc.

Anyway, thanks for the absolute lack of professionalism. I actually thought there might be someone here who understands that businesses MUST maintain symbiotic relationships to thrive. My question was sincere and my intentions are to improve the way we interact with our local plumbing contractors.

[drtyhands]

Danpauselius,

Just got in from a 15 hour work day so i'm tired and i'll make it quick.That's our dog and we love him.

Please stay with the forum,I am scared of most of you guys.looking to learn what all the fuss is about,a flood that ten years ago you just rip up the carpet and shove a fan under it after you treat the base with the proper disinfectant.this is if a guy catches it before it start soaking into the walls.

I've been plumbing buildings for over twenty years not just houses.So i have seen alot of stuff come and go.This equipment is your investment,i understand.But i dont understand all the hooplah:).

Mold has been around for millions of years.the only thing we did to get as far away from it was to start walking upright,i think we still had fur:)

I am going to make a mistake and i'm going to need someone i can trust to not scare my homeowner into giving the remediation company and his mold sidekick every penny they have and then bulldoze the house cause it is more uninhabitable than the closest house to chernoble's ground zero:p

I know the houses are tighter,so you dont need to reference that,if you work with mold,I'm assuming you do;)

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Are you trying to sell yoursef,we try to do more helping than posing here.:D:D:D:)

ADAM;)

[Drain Medic]

Drain Medic:

In all honesty, I don't think an employee could give an educated answer to the question. Heck, most owners of any business have a hard time getting their head around solid marketing. If someone likes having a job ... good for them, but they are not generally qualified to talk marketing.

Someone (Plumdog, I think) said to "sell myself and build on repeat customers". I hope you can understand that my business is VERY different from yours. The average person will only have 2 water losses in their lifetime thus making repeat business nearly impossible unless you are dealing with someone who seems to attract disasters. Restoration companies MUST market to hub-referral sources, such as plumbers, roofers, HVAC guys, insurance agents and adjusters, etc.

Anyway, thanks for the absolute lack of professionalism. I actually thought there might be someone here who understands that businesses MUST maintain symbiotic relationships to thrive. My question was sincere and my intentions are to improve the way we interact with our local plumbing contractors.


Ill tell you what..I use to use a restoration company...Im not going to lie, they use to give me a $25 gift certificate every time i would recommend them to a customer of MINE and they got the job.

I thought it was a pretty good idea at the time...until the restoration company starting telling MY customers that i was getting kickback from it.

So needless to say, MY customers were calling me back thanking them for recommending a company that i got kickbacks off of and that they had lost total trust in me for thinking that i was trying to rip everyone off...:mad:

These were residential and commercial companies.

Plumbdog was right for everything he said, i agree.

If you have some information on Plumbing or Drain Cleaning or anything else you might want to share with us...Great...we are all ears.

But when someone comes in here and asks if we are all stiffs and doing this for beer money??? then yes your going to get an UNPROFESSIONAL answer to an UNPROFESSIONAL question.

Welcome to the forum

[PLUMBER RICK]

try the local plumbing supply houses and trade shows. at the supply houses, they sponsor breakfast or lunch meals. at the trade shows they have give aways with scantily clad women showing off their assets:eek:

truthfully, i don't do any advertising and all my work comes from referrals and repeats. true, you don't have the clients like myself, but then again i've been at it longer than this whole mold and clean up racket has been around. 10 years ago it was asbestos, today it's mold and lead paint. tomorrow it's :confused:

every remediation company i see around here is an ambulance chaser.

more need to act professional and less preying on ones disasters.

rick.
http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/images/misc/progress.gif

[BILLG]

So needless to say, MY customers were calling me back thanking them for recommending a company that i got kickbacks off of and that they had lost total trust in me for thinking that i was trying to rip everyone off...:mad:

man that sucks, they must have had it in for you to pull something like that.

[danpauselius]

Adam, first let me thank you for a well thought out and intelligent response.

Second, I agree that "most" water losses and mold problems are not really that serious. Our industry has grown because of the never ending number of lawsuits that are filed every day. However, there are certainly dangers that exist that most plumbers are unaware of. They're not stupid, they just have no reason to know all the stuff I do about water damaged structures. Just as I don't know all about how water heaters and furnaces work. One of the best things we can do for our marketing is to train plumbers on the basic dangers that can occur in a water loss situation.

I do my best not to scare a client if I don't have to. Yes, I believe there are times to pull out the fear card. I was called for a consultation on a sewage backflow that filled the childrens playroom. The children were 3 and 12 months. These kids are at risk to the countless dangers that were in that water. The father told me he was going to take care of it himself and put the check from the insurance company in his pocket. I dropped every scare tactic I know of on this guy and he still declined service.

Now understand, I really didn't care if we got the contract or someone else did so long as it was handled by a professional, and I made him aware of that.

[verticalsmile]

Dan asked a serious question about networking with plumbing professionals in order to better serve the public.

What he received was a smart@ss answer by some grunt who like to play the board bad@ss, and likes to judge what he doesn't really understand.

Then somebody who accuses him of being a shyster looking to rip someone off.

When Dan shot back at dog, D'medic pretty much tells him to kiss off.

Was he supposed to kiss your a55 first?


pathetic. really pathetic.

Except for adam;)

Chris.

[danpauselius]

Drain Medic, what that company did to you was wrong. We do not pay for a lead on a loss. We DO offer gift cards to the plumbing company to GIVE to their flooded clients for our services. Paying for a lead is a sure path to destruction for a water damage company. The minute someone offers more money, you are out the door. We build our relationships on mutual benefit and trust. We also buy the whole place lunch once a month whether they've sent us anything or not.

My comment about "beer money" was in response to Plumdog's immediate attack on my character. However, the basic principle remains. There are professionals and then there are the butt-crack fellows who spend their entire paycheck at the bar on Friday night. I was hoping to speak with professionals and that is not how Plumdog came off to me.

[PLUMBER RICK]

Dan asked a serious question about networking with plumbing professionals in order to better serve the public.

What he received was a smart@ss answer by some grunt who like to play the board bad@ss, and likes to judge what he doesn't really understand.

Then somebody who accuses him of being a shyster looking to rip someone off.

When Dan shot back at dog, D'medic pretty much tells him to kiss off.

Was he supposed to kiss your a55 first?


pathetic. really pathetic.

Except for adam;)

Chris.

chris welcome to the ridgid forum. before you defend or point fingers, you have to realize that we are not new here. dog is a plumber that is very good at what he does. he typically doesn't answer homeowner questions.

i know it looks bad, but if you stick around and read some of the posts from days, weeks, years back, you will see we are actually a good group of guys and a few girls too:D

unfortunately we all have our opinions of water clean up companies. just like most people have an opinion of lawyers:eek:

rick.

[Drain Medic]

Drain Medic, what that company did to you was wrong. We do not pay for a lead on a loss. We DO offer gift cards to the plumbing company to GIVE to their flooded clients for our services. Paying for a lead is a sure path to destruction for a water damage company. The minute someone offers more money, you are out the door. We build our relationships on mutual benefit and trust. We also buy the whole place lunch once a month whether they've sent us anything or not.

My comment about "beer money" was in response to Plumdog's immediate attack on my character. However, the basic principle remains. There are professionals and then there are the butt-crack fellows who spend their entire paycheck at the bar on Friday night. I was hoping to speak with professionals and that is not how Plumdog came off to me.


So that is my experience with Restoration companies...It is a trust thing. i would recommend these people to my customers on the shear honesty that they had water damage, and or mold and they should get it cleaned up.

Who wouldve thought they were gonna tell my customers that i was recieving gift cards for every customer of mine that got the restoration company to do the work. Nothing against you or what you do, but i have had a bad experience with them and will for now on tell my customers to call a public adjuster, then they will take it from there.

The beerdrinking money, weather said on the heat of the moment or not. Alot of the plumbers here are very professional and have some great input...There has been alot of bickering lately about people showing off their new 300,000 cars and charging people $500 an hr.

I certainly take my career seriously, and will defend it, and myself till death.:)

Sorry if i came out strong, but this is my profession you are talking about to;)

again welcome to the forum

[danpauselius]

Rick, I understand where you are coming from. There is good and bad in all industries. Water damage restoration is absolutely no exception to that rule. But surely, you know of one or two plumbers in your area you wouldn't let near a clogged drain.

I subscribe to the idea of delivering a service that exceeds the industry standard, not the average, but the actual IICRC S500 standard. I can assure you that the asbestos problem is not gone. Many of the abatement companies are because asbestos exists in a finite amount. Every pound that is removed this year is one less pound that will exist next year. Water damage is quite different. The reason behind the incredible growth in my industry is the sensationalism placed on mold by the main stream media. When I tell a client that there is no need to worry about a particular type of mold, they insist on having the remediation work done anyway and who am I to walk away from a paying customer?

Plumdog may be the best plumber to ever walk the face of the Earth but you can't deny that the guy is a bit rough around the edges (more so than average) Hopefully, I will be able to convince him that not every restoration contractor is rip-off artist.

[MrsSeatDown]

Most of the guys you just insulted are the business owner and not their "employees".

It seems as though you should be marketing plumbers in your area to create contacts with.

I hear Tieger plumbing is a thriving plumbing shop in NY with oodles of extra money for stuff.

Maybe you two should PM each other.

Dog, here I go backing you again:D:p:D

Joey

[danpauselius]

Nothing against you or what you do, but i have had a bad experience with them and will for now on tell my customers to call a public adjuster, then they will take it from there.




I am a huge advocate of public adjusters. If you guys want to look at a class A rip-off artist, take a good look at most P&C insurance carriers. A public adjuster is like the home owners hired hitman against a rapist from their insurance company. I think you are doing your clients a great service by recommending a PA. Maybe you'll stumble across an educated, honest restorer that you can work with.

[danpauselius]

MrsSeatDown, If a true professional was insulted by my "beer money" remark he/she should look in the mirror because only a hack would be insulted. A professional knows I was not talking about them. There are lots of "beer money" water damage guys out there, I am not one and would appreciate the proverbial thinning of the pack by someone calling them out. I would imagine most professional plumbers don't want those guys around either because it brings down your industry.

BTW, I realize those of you who are on our "left" coast don't always realize this but, there are about 9 million people who live in the state of NY and not the city of NY, LOL.

[ChrisConnor]

Dan, the guy Tieger that they are talking about, Imagine Mikey P, Bobvawter, Jimmy and Marty, all rolled into one.:eek:

[MrsSeatDown]

[QUOTE=danpauselius;93522]Drain Medic:

In all honesty, I don't think an employee could give an educated answer to the question. Heck, most owners of any business have a hard time getting their head around solid marketing. If someone likes having a job ... good for them, but they are not generally qualified to talk marketing. "

Dan, this is what I was referring to. If someone successfully owns their own business, then they know about marketing.

I don't really care how many people live in NY city or state. My point is that there are restoration companies all over the country. Someone from L.A. is not hiring someone from NY.


Why don't you take your excellent marketing skills and market yourself to those 9 million New Yorkers to start?

[danpauselius]

Hey Chris, I don't know this guy Tieger but he sounds like an interesting fellow. Maybe I'll have to go back and read some of his posts, LOL. I assume he's the guy they are talking about with the $300K car. If so, who cares what he drives or how much he makes? Isn't that the reason we ALL got into business ... to make money?

[danpauselius]

[quote=danpauselius;93522]Drain Medic:

In all honesty, I don't think an employee could give an educated answer to the question. Heck, most owners of any business have a hard time getting their head around solid marketing. If someone likes having a job ... good for them, but they are not generally qualified to talk marketing. "

Dan, this is what I was referring to. If someone successfully owns their own business, then they know about marketing.

I don't really care how many people live in NY city or state. My point is that there are restoration companies all over the country. Someone from L.A. is not hiring someone from NY.


Why don't you take your excellent marketing skills and market yourself to those 9 million New Yorkers to start?


Jiberish!

I didn't come on here looking to hook up with a new plumber from LA. Also, owning a business doesn't inherently make someone a great marketer. Are there bigger, more profitable plumbing companies in your area? Then guess what ... they're probably better marketers than you. There are definately better marketers than me in my area. The national franchises have this stuff down to a science.

Why do you seem so bitter? I'll put in caps for you ... I WASN'T TALKING ABOUT ALL PLUMBERS WHEN I MADE THE "BEER MONEY" COMMENT! If you are so deeply offended (and you are a professional) then you need to go back and reread this entire thread to put it in context.

[ChrisConnor]

I'll give you the address to Sylvan Tieger's plumbing list

The PIPDL.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PIPDL.

Don't say I didn't warn you (because I didn't).

[ToUtahNow]

Dan,

I for one would like to see you stick around and sell us on the need for what you do and why we need to refer a remediation company. I have had the same experience as others have mentioned and the first thing that turns me off is the offer of a kick back. In the first place it is illegal to do in California but in addition I have always felt if they can afford to offer kick backs they are ripping off my customer already.

I have also mentioned here in the past that it is important after water damage to write on the invoice the customer should find a restoration company just to protect the plumber form a litigation down the road. However, I have a hard time recommending one as I have yet to find an honest one. I had a Mechanical Engineer call me last week asking for a recommendation for a remediation company for a problem he had at his home. I told him I did not know an honest one so he should just get bids from a few different companies and hope for the best.

As far as the equipment on your trucks, some of us wish that was all we had invested in the equipment on our trucks. As for plumbdog I will let him speak for himself but I have a ton of respect for him and the work he does. Part of the problem here is you came into a forum which was designed for plumbing professionals to discuss business and do some network. At the risk of offending you you did come in here a little like a snake oil salesman.

Because there are so many plumbers out there who do not trust restoration companies you best bet would be to approach a new plumber with more technical reasons for why your work is important and less information about yourself. If you are honest and there is a need for your work you will find plenty of work for many years to come. Another thought is Insurance adjusters would love to find an honest restoration company. If you are not already I would try and get on the approved list of all of the local insurance companies.

Good luck-Mark

[DuckButter]

Dogs immediately adverse responses are comical.

[res057]

BTW, I realize those of you who are on our "left" coast don't always realize this but, there are about 9 million people who live in the state of NY and not the city of NY, LOL.

Sounds suspiciously like tigger. Could it be him in drag trying to stir the pot?

BTW "Dan", not everybody on the WEST coast lives in L.A. or anywhere in California for that matter.

[danpauselius]

Dan,

I for one would like to see you stick around and sell us on the need for what you do and why we need to refer a remediation company. I have had the same experience as others have mentioned and the first thing that turns me off is the offer of a kick back. In the first place it is illegal to do in California but in addition I have always felt if they can afford to offer kick backs they are ripping off my customer already.

I have also mentioned here in the past that it is important after water damage to write on the invoice the customer should find a restoration company just to protect the plumber form a litegation down the road. However, I have a hard time recommending one as I have yet to find an honest one. I had a Mechanical Engineer call me last week asking for a recommendation for a remediation company for a problem he had at his home. I told him I did not know an honest one so he should just get bids from a few different companies and hope for the best.

As far as the equipment on your trucks, some of us wish that was all we had invested in the equipment on our trucks. As for plumbdog I will let him speak for himself but I have a ton of respect for him and the work he does. Part of the problem here is you came into a forum which was designed for plumbing professionals to discuss business and do some network. At the risk of offending you you did come in here a little like a snake oil salesman.

Because there are so many plumbers out there who do not trust restoration companies you best bet would be to approach a new plumber with more technical reasons for why your work is important and less information about yourself. If you are honest and there is a need for your work you will find plenty of work for many years to come. Another thought is Insurance adjusters would love to find an honest restoration company. If you are not already I would try and get on the approved list of all of the local insurance companies.

Good luck-Mark


Sorry, I had to paste your quote so I could reference it and take it point by point.

As I've said, I'm against kick backs. I am FOR helping the referring party look good and retain a client and thus, building a solid relationship with that referral source.

I am not sure how it is that I managed to come off as a "snake oil salesman". I thought I asked a pretty straight forward question and was just looking for some answers. You say that this board is for plumbing professionals to discuss business and network. I hope you will agree that only networking with other plumbers serves to limit your opportunies. I am a member of at least 5 trade BB and yet here I am, hanging out with plumbers. Why? Because the success of my company requires that I have a good understanding of what plumbers really want from a restoration company and although it's been a bit heated, I am certainly learning how NOT to treat our plumbers.

With regard to insurance adjusters looking for "honest" restorers ... If only that were true, LOL. Most adjusters seem to be interested in price, almost exclusively. We use insurance industry pricing software and yet, they try to beat us over the head some more. When an adjuster sends us a job, we kind of get stuck trying to keep him happy first and the customer second. That is no way to operate. the customer MUST come first. After all, it's their home. This is why I do not solicit adjusters any longer. I'd much rather get a good referral from a local plumber because we have a mutual desire to see the customer taken care of as best as possible.

The preferred vendor programs are the biggest scam running. Basically, what it does is send all of the work to a couple of companies in exchange for a drastically reduced bill. This isn't so bad if you are getting a TON of work from them on a consistent basis but it usually doesn't work out that way unless you own a large national WDR franchise like Servpro or Service Master.

[danpauselius]

Sounds suspiciously like tigger. Could it be him in drag trying to stir the pot?

BTW "Dan", not everybody on the WEST coast lives in L.A. or anywhere in California for that matter.

I never said all West Coasters lived in CA so what are you talking about? Also, Chris Conner can vouch for my identity. If you think I'm some other plumber ask me a water damage question.

[MrsSeatDown]

It appears a lot of New Yorker's are asking Chris Connor to vouch for them lately:eek:

[ChrisConnor]

No, dan Is a real person. He is not Sylvan.



Dan, did you notice that I am always defending the so called impostor on the boards?

First Darren Lumpkin, now you.

[ChrisConnor]

If you think I'm some other plumber ask me a water damage question.


What good would that do? The only person who would know the answer would be me. And that wouldn't prove anything.

[danpauselius]

I still have my doubts about Lumpkin, LOL. But yes, I noticed. Feels rather odd to have my identity questioned.

Good point about the question.


Well, I don't believe any of you are actually plumbers ... so there! j/k

[ChrisConnor]

Jim Martin said he talked to Darren, as did Ken Snow.

I don't know why that is so difficult.

Yeah, i don't believe that I am a plumber either. WTF was I thinking?

[danpauselius]

Well, Chris ... I'm gonna get to bed here. The wife is making the "I'm really pissed because you're still on the f$%#ing computer" noise. So, maybe I'll pick this conversation back up tomorrow.

Good night all ... yes, even you MrsSeatDown.

[ChrisConnor]

YEah! I'm in the same time zone. My wife is threatening to break my computer.

[ToUtahNow]

Dan,

You may have missed my point. There are several Forums availabe for posting your question on this site. For what ever reason you posted your question in the Forum dedicated to "Professional Plumbers". Not that it matters to me but I believe your forum choice was what dog was referring to. Had you posted in the "Ask the Plumbing Expert" forum the response may have been different.

As far as adjusters it may be different in different parts of the Country but I have not had a problem out west with them. Most of the work we do for them anymore is as a second opinion but generally they are not questioning the value of the repair they are questioning the need for the repair.

As far as private adjusters go I have worked with a ton of them over the last 35-years. Most of them end up asking for kick backs and then I stop working for them. As a matter of fact I can give you the names of several who ended up doing prison time for it.

I remember one where the agent called a home owner to ask how the house was after the fire restoration only to find out there had never been a fire. The private adjuster and a guy in the insurance company got together with a contractor and did the whole job on paper and the owner never knew a thing. I'm not saying they are all bad but like anything it just takes a few to make them all look bad.

Mark

[apf]

What's the big deal here. It's a no-brainer. I have used many restoration folks as well as every other trade . I see someone who does quality work and has a good heart and I recommend them.I don't ask for any thing other than "don't make me sorry I recommended you." If you're in a new area , it takes time to build your network of contacts.I would hate to work around some of you pricks on this forum . I like to have fun .

[brucestorey]

What's the big deal here. It's a no-brainer. I have used many restoration folks as well as every other trade . I see someone who does quality work and has a good heart and I recommend them.I don't ask for any thing other than "don't make me sorry I recommended you." If you're in a new area , it takes time to build your network of contacts.I would hate to work around some of you pricks on this forum . I like to have fun .
I like to have fun too and I would go out of my way to work with any one of the people on this forum whether it was going to be fun or not. If I can learn by working with somebody, I could care less whether or not they are a prick.

[freddy]

I am not a plumber, I am a restorer of water damaged structures. I am trying to figure you plumbers out. As a plumber, you will often be the first on scene to a water damaged property. Establishing working relationships with plumbers is key to landing the restoration contract if you are not one of the insurance company's preferred vendors.



My questions are:

Do any of you currently work with a water damage restoration company?

If you do, what things do you like about them and what things do you think they could do better?

Why did you choose THAT company over another?

What is your biggest concern when choosing a water damage restoration company to recommend to one of your customers?



Thanks for the honest answers. It will help me serve our current plumbing contractors better and also help us attract new ones.
To answer your first question: Yes have one, but may change because of last job they did for my customer..
They had a fast response time.This last time the guy was not very professional, lady was not to happy.
The reason I had that company is they sent out note pads and pens and use to have lunch every now and then at one of the supply houses,They also would send me 100 or 150 dollars for the having my customer call them.
My biggest concern would be that the company would have fast service,A person who understands the english, an can speak it clearly, and will get the work done with as little cost and inconvenients as possible.I simple offer the customer the name of a company I know that preforms that type of work and offer to call them out.As I remember, the company offered a service, that if I had a job that I did. That leaked on the floor. They would come out for free, No charge to me or the customer. :) Freddy

[BHD]

There is a local company in our area that advertises via radio that will do services similar to yours, but in his adds the statement is made that many of the "out of town" companies have contracts or at least some type of relationship with insurance companies, and are recommended via the insurance company.

My be you should try to contacting the local insurance agents or adjusters, in your area of business, and seeing about some form of referral via the insurance company end.

Now I know my area is no were near like yours, as the area this radio station covers is over 10,139 square miles but only has a population of about 49,782 people, and 13,000 of them are in one town on the outer edge of the coverage area.

[garager]

Dan,



Because there are so many plumbers out there who do not trust restoration companies

Now I don't understand why the Plumbers have a hard on for these Restoration Companies. Why is everybody thinking (talking) like this? Are they taking money and not performing their job? Are they over pricing? Is it a business that should not exist?

I think he should stay and communicate, this is one way for him to "learn" to get along w/Plumbers. By listening to what all of you here have to say and he can build from this. Just as you guys might be able to learn from him, I just hope this isn't Tieger in disguise.

[MAS]

Down in my hometown this spring there was a family that lost almost everything in there house due to water damage, wasnt a flood but a simple water leak behind the cabinet and the house had alot of stachybotrys (black mold).
here is just a bit from the newpaper artical

Johnson family of Bloomfield has been coping with many lifechanging events over the past month. Their lives have been turned upside down all because of stachybotrys (black mold). The black mold was discovered in the family’s home in mid-May, forcing them to abandon their home andmany of their possessions. They have spent time in temporary housing, moving a total of three times in the past month.

Johnson said the water line to her dishwasher was the culprit. “It was just spraying out a real fine mist. It eventually rotted the floor and the cabinet. That is when we found the problem

the insurance company wants to settle theclaim with only a $10,000 check. “We are in disagreementas to what the problem is. They want to pay us
for the mold damage. They don’t want to pay us for the water damage. They tell us there is a fine line betwee mold and water damage,” said Johnson. “My response was you can’t have mold without the water damage happening
first.

i dont know anything about restoration companys, hope i never need one.
but i do think that they would be important to get things cleaned up and make sure there isnt any issues after water damage occurs.

[MrsSeatDown]

There is a local restoration company out here we refer people too and we have a great relationship with the reps. They always bring me my favorite candy:p

There is a need for restoration companies separate from plumbers and they should work together.

My problem was with dan. . .as he seems to be Tieger incognito. Why wouldn't he do market research in his own area or with his own plumbing contacts?

The reps from our restoration company go to the local trade shows and visit the plumber's shops to get themselves known and "market".

Why not go local? Why go on a national forum?

Joey

[ChrisConnor]

I know Dan. He is not Sylvan. Just because they are both in the same state is purely coincidental.

Dan wanted to know what plumbers look for in a restoration company.

As Dan wrote.
"What is your biggest concern when choosing a water damage restoration company to recommend to one of your customers?"

He wanted an objective poll of a broader market.


Here is his website.

http://www.nevercleaner.com/

[danpauselius]

Utah, I know exactly what you are talking about and it does occur here as well. The Public Adjusters that I work with have to pass a "gut" test with me before we do any business together. If I feel a guy is a slime ball, I'll refuse the work because one or two jobs is not worth the damage to my company's reputation. Now, I'm a 2nd amendment type of guy but there is one PA in my area who carries his pistol into the clients home and makes no secret of it. This guy also owns a restortion company so I wouldn't get calls from him anyway, LOL.



My problem was with dan. . .as he seems to be Tieger incognito. Why wouldn't he do market research in his own area or with his own plumbing contacts?

The reps from our restoration company go to the local trade shows and visit the plumber's shops to get themselves known and "market".

Why not go local? Why go on a national forum?

Joey

Mrs., I promise you I am who I say I am. I have never, and never will, pretend to be someone I am not. It's just sleazy. I hope we can overcome your first impression of me, LOL. I'm really a decent guy and I'm not trying to start anything here.

As far as "why not go local?" I wish I knew of a local plumbers BB, but I do not. I came here because I believe that plumbers are people first, plumbers second. Therefore, I figured I would get the same answer no matter the venue so long as I was talking with professional plumbers.

I DID misunderstand about the business and network comment. If there is a better place for me to post, please let me know and I will do so there.

Thanks guys (and the Mrs.)

[mrs. westcoast]

Therefore, I figured I would get the same answer no matter the venue so long as I was talking with professional plumbers.

(and the Mrs.)

Wrong....

My hubby is plumber first then people...always late for dinner..working on weekends and eating like an elephant when in restaurant:D:);)

[plumbdog10]

Dan,

You may have missed my point. There are several Forums availabe for posting your question on this site. For what ever reason you posted your question in the Forum dedicated to "Professional Plumbers". Not that it matters to me but I believe your forum choice was what dog was referring to. Had you posted in the "Ask the Plumbing Expert" forum the response may have been different.

As far as adjusters it may be different in different parts of the Country but I have not had a problem out west with them. Most of the work we do for them anymore is as a second opinion but generally they are not questioning the value of the repair they are questioning the need for the repair.

As far as private adjusters go I have worked with a ton of them over the last 35-years. Most of them end up asking for kick backs and then I stop working for them. As a matter of fact I can give you the names of several who ended up doing prison time for it.

I remember one where the agent called a home owner to ask how the house was after the fire restoration only to find out there had never been a fire. The private adjuster and a guy in the insurance company got together with a contractor and did the whole job on paper and the owner never knew a thing. I'm not saying they are all bad but like anything it just takes a few to make them all look bad.

Mark

Actually my problem is that:

You are using this forum for advertising, which shouldn't be.

I also don't have a high opinion of restoration companies, and salesmen in general.

[danpauselius]

Mrs. West Coast, my wife would say the same about me, she'd just substitute restorer for plumber. Seems I'm rarely home for dinner.
I just meant that people are people and plumbers are plumbers, geographical location shouldn't have much affect on the questions I was asking.



Plumdog, I was not advertising anything here, I was looking for "market research". You will notice that I never mentioned my company name nor did I give any contact info. As MrsSeatDown pointed out, a plumber in LA would probably not work so well for my company as we are not a national company. I wasn't even looking for any local plumbers. Just trying to get a feel for what you guys value in a restoration company so I can better serve our mutual clientel. I'm sincerely sorry that we managed to get off on the wrong foot. You are obviously well respected here for your technical knowledge, I am hoping that you can shed some light on the questions I originally posted about.

thank you

[plumbdog10]

Here's my opinion, take it or leave it:

This guy Dan-what-ever posts what amounts to an advertisement. I don't think the forum should be used for that, so I respond in my typical undiplomatic way.

I then get two private messages from a new member: versatile-what-ever, backing him up like a brother. Gee, I guess he just happened to join at the same time. I'm done with this thread, you guys can make up your own minds.

[danpauselius]

Plumdog, as I stated before, I didn't give my company name nor any contact info. You call that advertising? How well would a plumber do if all his ads failed to mention his name or phone number? If you really feel I was advertising that is YOUR issue.

BTW, could a few more people comment on things they like and dislike about restoration companies? It really helps me get a grasp on the general feelings plumbers have towards my industry.

thanks

[proplumb]

wow i have sold my sole and agree with dog. for 2 reasons:

1 plumbers forum to talk with eachother not to have people come in and get chummy for money. ther are allot of us here who read often but dont allways respond. i like to read and fullly undersatnd before i open my trap. i worry that once the door is opened for the buisness end we will have reps and oinside sales guys farting aroung here

2. i have allot of experience with flood restoration companies. where i work we used to sub off of the 2 largerst firms on our provence. they allways like to scrimp and save, re use what they can and everthing has to be the exact same as it was. to be forced to repeat a mistake that was made by another 20 years ago is sich an insult to our trade and the customer.

[danpauselius]

Proplumb, there may be a very good reason they are asking you to do it that way. Most insurance policies say that the insurance company is ONLY responsible for returning the property to a "pre-loss" condition. If doing it your way would add to the cost of the job, more than likely, the homeowner would get stuck with that additional expense.

Restorers must walk a fine line between the homeowner and the insurance company. If we do anything that causes the homeowner to become angry (i.e. hand them a bill for more than their required deductible), we can kiss that referral source good bye. What usually happens is the restorer just eats the additional cost himself in an effort to avoid a bad situation for all involved.

Also, I don't think having non-plumber input is a bad thing. I WISH more plumbers, HVAC guys, roofers, adjusters and agents would pop in to the restoration forums. For that matter, I'd like to see homeowners add their input as well. Good information never hurt anybody.

[Sylvan Tieger]

I am not a plumber, I am a restorer of water damaged structures. I am trying to figure you plumbers out. As a plumber, you will often be the first on scene to a water damaged property. Establishing working relationships with plumbers is key to landing the restoration contract if you are not one of the insurance company's preferred vendors.



My questions are:

Do any of you currently work with a water damage restoration company?

YES I do as I know how important it is to have a great clean up company to protect people from asbestos and mold and by having a professional clean up crew it saves a lot of folks from unnecessary lawsuits

If you do, what things do you like about them and what things do you think they could do better?


I think they need to work more with the first responder (plumbers in most cases or drain cleaners ) and not try bring in another contractor for a "finders fee" or commission


Why did you choose THAT company over another?

How fast they respond and neatness AFTER the fact


What is your biggest concern when choosing a water damage restoration company to recommend to one of your customers?

That they are fully insured and licensed and can really document what they did


Thanks for the honest answers. It will help me serve our current plumbing contractors better and also help us attract new ones.


Your Very welcome, Also if a plumber /drain cleaner etc. asks for finders fee or a comission or kick back You really do not want to work for this kind of thief as it cost the insurance company and the consumer more and we all pay the price for these mutts of society.IMHO

Sylvan Tieger,LMP

[Sylvan Tieger]

We dont hear from dog for a few days but he cant pass up on barking/bitting at the newbies. :rolleyes:


Nice excuse, but if people realized the exposure (law suits) we face because a dummy did not know the risks of mold or asbestos or other toxic conditions that exist in the drain cleaning and plumbing / roofing professions when a sewer backs up or a heating pipe leaks and the insulation is found to be asbestos then you would take the clean up company as a very viable tool to this industry.

I know of a plumber who got hammered when he let a mercury gauge leak in a multimillon dollar home.

I think as professionals we should listen to what another professional asks to make working together a lot easier.

This is why there are licensed Master plumbers and those who work for them as class room studies do count...


Keep up the great work, Tieger Plumbing

[Josh]

????? What excuse... hmm maybe you quoted the wrong line :rolleyes:

Nice excuse, but if people realized the exposure (law suits) we face because a dummy did not know the risks of mold or asbestos or other toxic conditions that exist in the drain cleaning and plumbing / roofing professions when a sewer backs up or a heating pipe leaks and the insulation is found to be asbestos then you would take the clean up company as a very viable tool to this industry.

I know of a plumber who got hammered when he let a mercury gauge leak in a multimillon dollar home.

I think as professionals we should listen to what another professional asks to make working together a lot easier.

This is why there are licensed Master plumbers and those who work for them as class room studies do count...


Keep up the great work, Tieger Plumbing

[brucestorey]

????? What excuse... hmm maybe you quoted the wrong line :rolleyes:

He's just confused.....you know.....with the new "Pipe Related Trades" thing. I don't think he really knows where he is.

Bruce

[PLUMBER RICK]

Your Very welcome, Also if a plumber /drain cleaner etc. asks for finders fee or a comission or kick back You really do not want to work for this kind of thief as it cost the insurance company and the consumer more and we all pay the price for these mutts of society.IMHO

Sylvan Tieger,LMP

i could only laugh when i read this line coming from the person who is with no doubt the highest priced person here doing plumbing.

definitely not the most qualified or knowledgeable:eek:

people that live in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones:D

rick.

[drtyhands]

Thank-you Rick,that's the first thing I thought of when I read his post last night.

His post reminds me of the fact that so many people are full of it.

What is it about the pheonominon on the internet with persons being compelled to stating untruths.Whats the big deal,nobodys perfect,espescially me.Just ask Westcoast(:p)