Winter is upon us, and you know what that means? It’s time to prep your commercial landscapes to be as efficient and safe as possible for your employees and clients for the winter season.
Let’s face it—as a business owner, taking care of seemingly menial things like landscape care is not something you get too excited about. But working with a great commercial landscaper who values transparent and quality relationships will without a doubt make taking care of things less of a hassle.
When it comes to choosing a commercial winter services contractor, there are some important qualities to look out for. You may also be wondering why you even need a commercial landscaper for the winter in the first place. Keep reading, and we’ll tell you what you need to know!
Why Hire a Commercial Winter Services Contractor?
When it comes to taking care of snow and ice around your buildings, it’s important to remember that you are doing this for everyone’s safety, for protecting your business legally, and also to keep your property looking well-kept to your clients and customers.
Many businesses have felt the financial weight of being liable for injuries and accidents that have happened on their property as a result of unkempt snowy and icy landscapes.
But, when you are a proactive business owner and take care of your commercial landscape early on, you are able to avoid any safety issues and therefore legal repercussions.
Preventing these kinds of accidents can save you lots of time and money in the long run, there won’t be a need to shut down any projects or even close down facilities because you will have it all taken care of beforehand.
When you hire a commercial winter services contractor you also make sure that your work is done efficiently and well.
While residential contractors can get the job done, those that specialize in commercial landscaping know exactly what needs to be taken care of to comply with safety regulations.
Here are some things you should be looking for when hiring a commercial snow services contractor.
High-Level Communication
This may seem obvious, but winter services and snow removal contractors are in high demand during the winter months. That’s why it’s important that you establish proper communication with your potential winter services contractor early enough to ensure you are properly scheduled for services.
Be detailed about your schedules! Contracts can often be too vague, leading to a lack of clarity in regards to what work needs to be done and when so make sure you’re holding yourself and your contractor accountable.
In order to maintain accountability, a contractor should be able to talk to you in regards to everything that you need and have enough time to communicate that with their team.
Making sure that their team is ready to take on whatever project you need to be done, and communicating the schedule is crucial for you to plan ahead and prepare.
Turnaround Time + Safety Guidelines
Here’s a recipe for disaster: a combination of snow, sleet, wet conditions, and low visibility if the work is being performed in the evening or in an extremely foggy condition.
Weather is unpredictable.
Make sure you are working with a contractor that understands the need for a quick turnaround. Quick, efficient, and thorough snow removal is essential to implementing good and smart business practices in the winter, especially if you happen to own a commercial property.
You’re responsible for ensuring the safety of everyone who uses your property and maintaining the exterior appeal of it to continue attracting potential customers.
As long as the company you hire takes all of the appropriate and necessary safety precautions prior to commencing their work; there’s absolutely no reason why they shouldn’t be able to complete the job safely, competently, and efficiently.
Of course, even in the best conditions, accidents can still happen and when they do, preparation is imperative. Make sure the snow removal company you hire is always prepared for any emergencies that might take place onsite.
Insurance
Unfortunately, a lot of snow and ice removal service providers think they can just hook up a plow to their truck and start going—without getting any insurance coverage.
Although they should have safety training to handle the elements, you should still make sure they have the right insurance in case there is an accident or issue. If a service provider hasn’t taken the proper steps to get insurance, that’s likely a good indication of what kind of service you can expect.
A landscaping business can obtain adequate coverage for snow services by adding it to their regular general liability policy to cover the snow removal operations. If any damage or incidents are caused by the provider’s vehicle to your property while they are snow plowing, you can rest assured that your provider will take responsibility instead of leaving you stuck with the repair costs.
Make sure your service provider shows proof of insurance, which should include liability coverage and workers’ compensation. You don’t want someone who cuts corners with coverage because that could be a costly mistake.
At Procare…We Understand
It’s a fact of life: snow and ice create problems. Mother Nature does what it’s going to do, and she often changes her mind at the most inopportune times. Rapidly changing weather means no snow and ice removal vendor can be perfect every time.
What should matter most to you is whether you can trust your vendor to respond quickly and completely when snow and ice start building up.
We understand the frustrations most mission-critical dispatch, warehouse, manufacturing, and healthcare facilities have with their snow and ice service. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, we’ve seen it all.
Having problems with your winter service company cannot happen, especially when you need clear access to shipping docks in order to maintain strict shipping and receiving schedules. We understand why and how problems happen, so we don’t make the same mistakes.
Snow and ice removal is the backbone of the company, and we are proud to have expert staff members who are passionate about the work we do.
At Procare, we’re committed to being the vendor you can trust to make things right and keep you operating safely at full capacity.
Contact us today to make your appointment!