6 Reasons To Hire a Commercial Snow Remediation Company in the Summer
Temperatures are soaring. The smell of barbeque and freshly cut grass lingers in the air. The humidity is nearly unbearable in some parts of the country. Why, at this point in the year, would you ever be thinking about snow? Here are five reasons why it would be a great use of your time and money to hire a commercial snow remediation company in the days when the sun shines the brightest.
1. It’s the Perfect Time to Assess Contractors
If you were renovating your business, you would want to be careful to select the best contractor for the job. Common sense would tell you to get estimates from at least two contractors, and if you’re cautious, you might want to interview more. To us, it’s just as important to shop multiple vendors for snow and ice removal and why it’s a good idea to go through all of your options before you choose someone who will be doing work on your property.
When you are interviewing individuals, make sure you check their credentials, including any license requirements in your area. Don’t be afraid to check their references if necessary. Remember, this company will be performing a service that will make your business and property operationally efficient, as well as to make your property a safer place to live and navigate. This responsibility should be given only to the right people.
2. You Will be Able To See the Ground
This should go without saying, but in the summer, there are no drifts of snow covering the ground. A major benefit of having your selected snow remediation services put in place before it snows is that they will be able to spot problem areas and plan for the blizzards ahead. This is an especially important practice to consider when you are working with a heavily landscaped area, one with a lot of hills, or a parking lot: you don’t want to be blindsided by the fact that a truck or piece of equipment can’t navigate your property in the middle of a raging snowstorm. A bonus here is that when you’re walking the property with your contractor in July or August, you will stay warm!
3. You Will Secure a Spot on Your Contractor’s Waitlist
Waitlists aren’t just for colleges. When you’re interviewing with a popular snow and ice contractor, keep in mind that you might be competing for a spot that will be quickly taken if you don’t book the contractor quickly. If you start looking at contractors in the wintertime – especially if you only contact them after a major storm hits your area – you might be out of luck when it comes to snow and ice removal.
4. You Will be Able to Assess Equipment and Ice-Melting Products
Do you know how much salt you need to melt snow and ice on your property? The company you select will have trucks and job-specific tools that can be used by hand. You will want to make sure, while assessing your property with your potential contractors, that they have the right equipment to meet your needs as well as a good supply of salt or ice-melting products. If a contractor seems unsure or cannot give you a clear answer about what his or her company has available, reconsider your relationship with this person. Do you want to partner with someone who isn’t able to promise you what you’re paying them for?
5. You Can Develop the Best Plan Possible
In the hot days of summer, you might feel that winter is a long way away, but remember that when you are in the thick of a winter storm, you will be glad that you have your snow and ice remediation company in place. By developing a plan with your snow contractor, you will be able to make your property safe and keep it that way throughout the winter. Additionally, you will be able to budget for any expenses related to snow removal instead of trying to make them fit your finances after the fact.
6. Partner with an Exterior Facilities Management Company Instead
Who has the time to interview and evaluate multiple contractors? Not to mention all of the complex processes involved in managing purchase orders, invoices, and making sure vendors show up on time once winter arrives. What happens if you end up on a contractor’s waiting list? If you and your customers are snowed out of your business, that means disrupted operations and lost profits. An exterior facility management company handling your annual snow and ice removal program may be the right option for your property.
Business owners can simplify their business altogether by working with a national service provider who already partners with multiple vetted contractors in their geographic area. This creates a failsafe in the event a problem with a vendor comes up, because a managed service provider’s project management team can proactively mitigate issues, providing a level of redundancy a single vendor is unable to meet. Consider signing a contract during the summer with a managed services provider to put your mind at ease when bad weather comes your way.
At the end of the day, the more you plan ahead, the better prepared you will be for an unexpected weather event. Contact Grounds Control USA today to discuss snow and ice removal services for your business before you even feel the slightest chill in the air.