Perspective on a Commercial Disaster: Through the eyes of a technician

7/7/2020 (Permalink)

I recently sat down with our technician Carol to get an account of a recent commercial water loss we handled. This is what she had to say:

"This was a very good "first-time" learning experience for me. First and foremost was to "be prepared for anything" and was excellent preparation for handling water damages on a much smaller scale. 

The previous day and night had brought heavy rainstorms to our area and multiple service calls were coming into the office. I had only been with SERVPRO of North Elkhart County for a few months. When this call came in one of our most experienced technicians took the call. It was relayed to her that the days' previous rains had brought water down into a small commercial office space. The technician and I being the only ones in the shop went to evaluate the loss.

When we got on site, this small commercial office space ended up being a 22,000 sq ft building with large production and warehouse spaces as well as a large showroom with multiple offices and at least 12 additional offices, complete with employee breakroom, testing labs, conference rooms, storage rooms, and bathrooms. The water had been too much for the roof drains to handle and the water came through the HVAC ducts like a waterfall affecting every area of the building.   

I was overwhelmed, to say the least, but it was a great learning experience for me. It taught me not only the basics but the much more complex aspects of water damage. How to prioritize while efficiently doing the maximum amount of work while minimizing the client's concerns and anxieties over how to keep their company up and running.  

This job is not just about the physical work it's about selling your services, getting the job done effectively and efficiently while maintaining a professional attitude and gaining the clients' confidence and trust. Which can ultimately lead our company to more jobs and building the business while maintaining a standard of excellence.