Is your business prepared for the next storm?
A snow storm will interrupt the flow of business. We know this is a huge headache for business owners and managers. The storm will make it difficult for employees to get to work and make it more unlikely for customers to come in. Access, safety, and liability are three major concerns when operating a business during a snow storm. When you have the right snow removal team on your side, you can be rest assured that your business can carry on with no interruptions.
When your property is inaccessible, it is losing out on money. You cannot bring in revenue if you are not selling your product or your service. “A single snow day costs the state’s economy a whopping $265 million, according to IHS Global Insight, an economic forecasting firm in Lexington. A “snow day” is one in which the storm forces the shutdown of businesses and state offices. Much of the cost is shouldered by retailers and restaurants that lose business when their doors shut, or customers huddle at home, said Doug Handler, the chief US economist for IHS.” (Luna, 2014) You don’t want to be the company losing out on revenue because customers can’t access your building. If your competition across the street is freshly plowed and salted, they will appear more inviting and unfortunately will end up taking business.
Aside from revenue, there are certain businesses that cannot close just because of a snow storm. A hospital for example needs to be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A hospital, or any business of the sort, always needs to be safely accessible. “Our recent snow dump in Pennsylvania — two feet overnight — meant a snow day at the hospital as well. But for hospital staff, snow day rules are the opposite of what they are for most people. The focus is not on an unexpected vacation but on work: getting to the hospital and doing our jobs despite linen shortages, short staffing in the cafeteria, slow-moving ambulances, dwindling supplies and doctors and nurses unable to show up at all.” (Brown 2010)
Safety and liability are two things always on building owners’ minds when they see slippery conditions. Peoples safety is in your hands once they are on your property, and it is your job to do everything you can to ensure their welfare. Having a slip and fall could be detrimental to a company, whether it be the start of a law suit, or losing a valuable employee. Additionally, a slip and fall could potentially ruin the reputation of a company. In order to keep yourself, your employees, your visitors and your assets safe, having the right snow removal team on your side is crucial.
You want to be able to give yourself, your employees and your visitors peace of mind when arriving to your building. Peace of mind is what JC Grounds offers to its clients. Jeremy Darling, Account Manager at JC Grounds who is a Certified Snow Professional and ASM certified, shares why our snow process is different. “Our process for maintaining our properties goes well beyond what your basic plow company does. We pre-treat lots which assists us in the plowing process and keeps driving lanes open longer. We utilize state of the art technology with our remote solar powered weather monitoring stations. These provide us with snapshots of the property that include air temperatures, pavement temperatures, and photos that allow us to analyze the conditions and make the most accurate assessment of the property and dispatch our crews before the conditions progress. We also start plowing when there is less than an inch on the roadways and are onsite during the entire storm. By staying onsite, we can constantly monitor onsite conditions in real-time. This allows us to act immediately to accommodate the ever-changing conditions in a storm. During the snow removal process, we provide our onsite technicians with newer and more efficient equipment. This gives them the ability to clear your lot faster with less downtime. When downtime does happen, we have our own fleet of mechanics in maintenance vehicles on patrol during the events that can perform many repairs immediately onsite.”
Jon Crandall, CSP and chief visionary of JC Grounds management speaks with over 20 years of experience and shares how our technology has shaped the way we take care of snow and ice removal. “Our documentation of all of our services includes the weather data for all that occurred during the storm from a certified meteorologist. We have GPS tracked crew and fleet as well as sensory salt spreaders measuring the amount of time and material used on the sites we service. Our weather cameras provide us with footage during the event. All of this documentation helps prove we did our due diligence for your property. More importantly these tools give us an ability to service the site in a proactive manner to ensure accessibility and safe passing for everyone coming on to the property.” Our mindset at JC Grounds is to always service our clients at the highest degree possible though a team focused on continual improvement. To ensure your company is ready for the next snow storm, hire a team of snow fighters that will give you peace of mind and make sure your property is accessible and safe.
Brown, Theresa. “Snow Day at the Hospital.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 Feb. 2010, wells.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/24/snow-day-at-the-hospital/.
Luna, Taryn. “Winter Storms Impose High Costs for Business.” BostonGlobe.com, The Boston Globe, 11 Feb. 2015, www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/02/11/winter-storms-impose-high-costs-for-business/qwElGJY94tHxDYlnbD5fzK/story.html.
