Do the right thing.

There is an old radio host named Dr Laura. She was a counselor of sorts. A radio talk show version of Dr Phil perhaps?
She ended every call for advice with, “Now go do the right thing”.

The phrase was brought up many times last week. 

We were in the Atlanta area last week for the Reets Next Level 2022 event. Wow. What a great event! Great turn out. Definitely a 5 star experience, despite some warm nights for those that had to stay when the power was out due to a storm. The hotel covered well thanks to some good negotiations from the Reets team on behalf of the attendees. 

At the event they discussed 2 primary topics on the first day. 

1. Simplify - focus on what you need to do to be successful… and ignore the rest. Multitasking is a fallacy. 
2. Profit is absolutely critical. 

The second day, a LOT of time was spent on the subject of: 

• Get PAID for the job you SHOULD DO! 

We talked a lot about OSHA regulations. Safety of your team, and doing the job RIGHT. 

We also talked a lot about the STANDARD. If we FOLLOW the standard, we could be making a TON of money for things that we overlook because we are afraid of what the carrier will say. 

A lot of time was spent on CAT 1, CAT 2, CAT 3 losses and the definitions of each of the categories. The verdict is still out on if there is ACTUALLY such a thing as a CAT 1. 

It was said at the event that we as restorers tend to focus on the immediate risks and forget about the long term effects of the disasters we (and our employees) deal with. If we really considered the dangers of walking a fire job, or a mold job, or as we found out, even a CAT 1 loss, we’d take a lot more precautions. Interestingly, the S500 standard for CAT 1 losses calls for a LOT more prep work than a majority of people even realized. It's the RIGHT thing to do for the interest of your employees, and the insured. 

And let me let you in on a little secret. It's ALL billable. Meaning more $$ (assuming you are one of the folks who didn’t realize the extensive cleaning that should be performed PRIOR to sucking water from an affected area).

Here is another secret, the carrier won’t like it. 

At ALL. 

But it's the RIGHT thing to do!
We get so hung up on what will be covered that we circumvent the RIGHT thing to do and focus on the shortcut so we can appease someone that we have ZERO contractual obligation to. 

And if Mrs Jones is concerned about you following protocols, and she insists, be sure to get a waiver for circumventing the IICRC Standards. You should NEVER circumvent OSHA standards. That should be non-negotiable. If Mrs Jones wants you to circumvent OSHA standards, pack your bags and get out. 

DO THE RIGHT THING. 

That's it. 

Just do the right thing. 

Please!

If you knew that your employees would get cancer in 20 years because of your lack of business processes, would you change your safety protocols?

What is more important? Doing the job RIGHT? Or getting paid and implicitly saying that you don’t give a $hit about your employees long term health and safety?

EVERYTHING that was discussed at the Next Level Event are topics that we talk about on the DAILY with our clients and our friends. 

It does NOT matter what the carrier says (unless you are on a program). 

What matters is that you FOLLOW THE STANDARD, and that you COMPLY WITH OSHA for the sake of YOUR EMPLOYEES. 

I know. 

I know. 

BUT THE ADJUSTERS. 
We hear you. Trust us when we say, we understand. 

But who do you have a contract with?

Who are you really looking out for?

Your wallet? Your employees? Your business? 

Or the carriers?

What is it going to take for restoration contractors to realize that unless they are on programs, they don’t have to talk to the carriers. We wrote a popular piece on this subject back in Sept 2021! Check it out here, see what Tupac had to say about it, and get the FREE DOWNLOAD!

While maybe a bit extreme, are you willing to be this guy?

Are you willing to stand up for what is right? (Not taking sides with either party in the image. It is merely for illustration purposes only)

We hear it all the time

“I know I know, we should be testing every job for asbestos, but the carrier won’t pay for it”. 

SO WHAT?!

The carrier doesn’t regulate OSHA compliance. 

The carrier's integrity is a debatable matter. 

The carrier sure doesn’t care about you or your employees. 

That begs the question… if you don’t test for asbestos on every job that requires demolition despite the overwhelming evidence that it is still present in many products, do you truly care about your employees?

The side effects of the work that we do show up in 15-20 years. 

We need to protect the lives of our employees and their loved ones today!

As Dr Laura says… 

Now… GO DO THE RIGHT THING!