When hiring a company to prevent problems from occurring to your home after a severe snow or ice storm, you should be looking at all aspects of the company, not simply who comes up first in your internet search. First, you want to make sure the company has a great rating with the Better Business Bureau. You also want to ensure they are certified and well trained with the projects they’ve done in the past. Of course, you should be looking online to see any reviews about the company to get a better idea of how they do business. One piece of information that is often overlooked is whether the company will send out its own employees or whether they subcontract the work to independent contractors. It is in your best interest to hire the company that has their own employees do the work. But why? What difference does it really make?
Subcontractors
Companies hire subcontractors to protect their bottom line. In doing so, they depend on the subcontractors to carry their own insurance, provide their own training, and handle their own staffing issues. The company simply has to pay the subcontractor’s bill or invoice as received. Of course, a more reputable company may vet the subcontractor to make sure they know what they are doing, are properly licensed and insured, and are willing to say they work for the originating company; however, this does not always occur. If a problem arises and you contact the originating company, you must depend on that company to deliver your message to the subcontractor, and the subcontractor must handle the issue. The originating company must have some form of insurance and a legal responsibility in the issue, but it is much less than if the individual was their own employee. For many types of businesses, this process does work. However, when dealing with your home and prevention of damage, this may be more of a liability than it is worth.
Employees
Companies who maintain a staff of employees reduce their business liability exponentially. By hiring a staff, they ensure their employees are trained properly and continue training as needed. Furthermore, employees have a vested interest in the company for which they work and are only doing jobs for that company. They care about the customer service received and whether you continue to call their employers for work in the future. Finally, the company has a vested interest in their employees, whether it be to protect them from physical harm or provide them work. The employer will ensure the employee is safe when doing their work and reliable in getting the job done, including ensuring their employees are IDRC Certified. More often than not, the employee will get paid hourly as opposed to subcontractors who get paid by the job. Therefore, the employee is going to take the time to get the job done properly rather than rush through it to move along quickly just to get to the next job. While utilizing a company that offers employees to do the work may not be ideal in all situations, but when it comes to issues affecting your home, it is the best option available.
If you are experiencing ice dam issues, contact RTD Ice Dam Removal at 1-877-687-3639 and one of their trained employees will be happy to help rectify the problem.
