Message from the Claims Desk 4.19.16

I do hope everyone is having a good week so far. I encourage everyone to take part in the observance of Earth Day this Friday 4/22/2016. This environmental awareness day was created after the 1969 massive oil spills in Santa Barbara, California and has become globally recognized since its inception in 1970. Currently, over 141 countries participate in this event each year. So in the true spirit of this day, please be aware of the customer’s environment outside of their residence.

This week I would like to talk about external damage to our customer’s property. As of late, I have been seeing a lot of damage of this nature from ruts left in the yard to oil spills left on the driveway. Now ruts in a yard may not seem like a big issue, and to most of us it probably wouldn’t be, but that’s not the world we live in today. A repair to a single rut can cost anywhere from $50 to several hundred and that entirely depends on the depth and location. In most of these cases the customer wants a landscaper, which typically carries a $125 – $175 service call fee, to come out and repair the damage. So if a customer wants you to drive on the grass, or doing so is unavoidable in a certain situation, get them to sign a document stating that they allow us to do so and release us of liability.

Oil spills are another expensive repair where we have to pay for a pressure washing company to come out and clean the driveway to which is not always successful. So please try not to park on a customer’s driveway and during your pre-trip inspection ensure that your truck is not leaking any type of fluids.

So stay off the grass, properly check for leaks, and if necessary fill out the paperwork to protect yourself.

Cheers,

Robert Wright – Claims Manager

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