If you are reading this post, it’s likely that you provide snow contractor services and one of the everyday battles you face is customers wanting to do DIY snow removal instead of hiring a professional. There is no doubt that you already have a long list of reasons why customers should hire a professional snow and ice management company rather than doing their own snow removal, but here is our list. Hopefully it will help you as you move forward and continue to grow your business!
DIY snow removal vs hiring a professional
Some business owners try to save money by having their employees shovel sidewalks and clear parking lots. There are several reasons that this isn’t a good idea. Here are a few:
- Most employees don’t WANT to be out in the cold – think about morale. Hiring good employees is more difficult than ever these days. Think twice before you ask them to do something they weren’t hired to do and probably don’t want to do.
- Employees aren’t trained snow and ice management professionals – they might be able to shovel, but they aren’t likely to know or care about which ice melt products are best for different weather. For example, some solutions like Sodium Acetate are only effective down to 0 degrees. If temperatures fall below zero, Sodium Acetate won’t melt the ice. Do you think your employees will pay attention to the type of ice melt being used?
- Employees are likely to think “more is better” when it comes to putting down ice melt. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen big clumps or small piles of ice melt on sidewalks because too much product was put down. This is not only more costly but it’s not good for hard surfaces or the environment. Too much ice melt will cause damage to surfaces, corrosion on vehicles and metal, and hazardous effects to plants, soil, animals, people and water systems.
- Feel free to share our Complete Guide to Ice Melt Environmental Impact & Effectiveness.
Think about Risk – DIY snow removal is risky business!
It’s true that by doing DIY snow removal, you will save money initially. However, encourage your customers to think about the risk. If someone suffers injury or damage as a result of slippery walkways, sidewalks or roads on your customer’s property, the settlement price and bad PR can far outweigh the cost of professional snow removal services. In addition, your customers may experience some insurance discounts if they use a professional snow and ice management company, so don’t let them forget those potential savings.
According to Morgan and Moran law firm, “for minor injuries, settlement amounts of between $10,000 and $50,000 are relatively common. The more injuries you have sustained and the more severe these injuries these amounts can go much higher.”
Keep in mind that some states don’t allow lawsuits related to slipping on ice. One example is Pennsylvania where the law does not require property owners to keep their sidewalks free from snow and ice at all times because doing so would be impossible based on the climate. However, even in Pennsylvania property owners are held liable if they allow snow or ice to accumulate for an unreasonable amount of time. And let’s face it – in a country where one can win a lawsuit for coffee being too hot, anything can happen so it’s best to be safe!
Snow & Ice Management starts before the first flake falls
Remind your customers that the cleaning crew, janitorial staff, or building and maintenance team, they are simply not going to have the foresight, experience and know-how on how to handle a proper snow & ice management schedule and keep the property safe at all times. It’s not just a one-and-done job. Snow removal is often needed before, during and after the storm to be effective. Explain how your company pre-treats surfaces before the snow and ice come so clean up is faster and better afterward. It will also help to explain in detail the snow removal plan you have in mind to meet their needs. Chances are they would not have an employee that can spend as much time servicing their property as you will dedicate to it.
Your customers need to have a dedicated service provider of snow removal services for commercial businesses, municipalities, and everything in between because it’s a constant full-time role for the season. Encourage them to consider the true “costs” of DIY snow removal like bad word of mouth, bad PR, potential lawsuits, potentially higher insurance premiums, causing damage to concrete, plants, and grass that will need repair or replacement, risk of employee injury or dissatisfaction, and more.
Professional snow removal equipment is key too
Help your customers understand that professional snow removal equipment makes a difference too. If the right snow removal tools aren’t used, then the product will not be dispensed evenly, causing uneven clumps that will thaw partial points of the snow and cause damage to that specific area. The rest of the area around that snow removal clump will continue to freeze into ice, and ice control won’t be possible.
Too much product being used can also end up being an irritant to pets and humans alike. Knowing how much product to use is a specialty of professionals who have training and experience in providing snow removal services for industrial companies, municipalities, government facilities and commercial businesses.
It’s not something the existing staff needs to know or learn even with just one or two seasons of snow & ice management services because every season is a different beast. It’s different weather patterns, a variety of temperatures, and drastically different snowfall amounts each year that are rarely predicted accurately in the Mid-Atlantic region.
The Big Boy Equipment
Make sure your customers considering DIY snow removal understand that in addition to the knowledge that professional snow contractors bring, they also come with the heavy equipment needed to provide outstanding snow & ice management services.
First, we’re talking about the pickup trucks with the various plows attached to the front and ice melt spreaders on the back. But your customers should also know about any specialized equipment you have that they would never have like skid steers with plows or brushes on them for sidewalk snow management, liquid brine sprayers for pre-treatment or de-icing, box plows for moving heavy amounts of snow quickly, front end loaders for moving piles of snow or relocating snow to other areas, and if you have snow melting equipment, make sure they know about that as well. Snow relocation and melting services are something no normal business could ever manage on their own and it can free up valuable parking space and improve visibility in parking lots tremendously.
Good luck and let us know if we can help!
In general, snow and ice management service providers are still experiencing an increase in revenue every year. Business is good so you must be doing a pretty good job convincing your customers that professional snow services are the way to go!
According to Snow Magazine, 68% of snow contractors experienced an increase in revenue last year when compared to the year before. In addition, 16% reported that there was no change in revenue. That means that only 16% experienced a decrease in revenue. In addition, they say that contractors reported a 95% client retention rate in 2021. Not bad! Keep up the good work and never hesitate to reach out to us here at snowicesalt.com if we can help. We are open before, during and after the storm to supply you with all your ice melt products when you need them!