Commercial and Residential Restoration: Two Very Different Animals

2/13/2019 (Permalink)

We pulled in the generator as well as a full team to tackle this commercial loss.

Our community is made of a diverse number of members. We strive to provide cleanup and restoration services wherever we are needed. As a pipe burst in your grandmother’s basement, and a sprinkler malfunction in a large office building require vastly different techniques for restoration, we have to be flexible and have differing strategies and tools in our arsenal, ready to use.

No Loss is Too Large

Perhaps the most obvious difference between a commercial water loss and a residential loss, is the size of the damage. Almost always, a commercial loss will be bigger and require more equipment and manpower. We have a few strategies for these situations. We are consistently training our team members in more areas and with deeper knowledge, so that in a large loss event, each team member is able to work efficiently and independently, if needed. Additionally, we also have multiple SERVPRO locations close by that we can call upon for equipment and manpower. We work closely with our other franchisees and help each other out, especially in large loss situations. Time is of the essence and often having access to those extra dehumidifiers and air movers can make the difference!

Working with Multiple Stakeholders

Furthermore, in a residential loss, the homeowner is often the only party involved. We can communicate with the homeowner daily and they are making all the decisions. There is also accordingly only one insurance agency with which we are communicating. In the case of a commercial loss, this is not always the case and we train our teams to be prepared for this possibility. For example, in the case of a water loss in an apartment building, there are multiple parties with a stake in the restoration. We need to communicate with the building owner. But if tenants’ belongings are also affected, they may need to file separate claims with their renter’s insurance. In this case, we are prepared to update and coordinate with multiple stakeholders throughout the process.

Work Must Go On

In another scenario, we may be called in to a cleanup that needs to happen while a business is still operating. As a local business, we understand that in the event of a water damage, sometimes closing your doors for even a day is not an option. In these situations, we must modify our processes to allow for clear and safe walkways as well as minimal noise during working hours. We strive to approach these events as a partnership, so that we can minimize inconvenience without compromising the effectiveness of our drying strategies.

Our teams have experienced both sides of these issues. This experience has helped us develop different strategies for losses that are either commercial or residential. So, whether you call us for a flooded basement at home, or an overflowed toilet at the office, while the process may look different, know that we are “here to help.”