5.
Honest, Ethical Business Practice
Is your current exterior maintenance company leaving you EXPOSED?
Do you know how to tell if they are?
Honest,
Ethical Work Isn’t Always Easy to spot unless you know what
to look for…
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What
happens to your
reputation if your owner or tenant is torpedoed by
an unnecessary lawsuit?
Can
we safely say you’re dead?
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A.
Demand $2 million in liability insurance coverage if you
think you can be perceived as a ‘deep pocket’
to a hungry trial lawyer.
What happens to your reputation if your owner or tenant
is torpedoed by an unnecessary lawsuit? (Can we safely say
you’re dead?) No one can cover all the bases, but one
more layer of protection is the least you can have your
maintenance services company provide. We’ve been doing
this for years. You’d better check this out BEFORE
you need it. (And by the way, verify Worker’s Comp
coverage too—and ask for their experience mod. If it’s
more than 1.0, look out. You may be headed for trouble.)
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B.
Don’t scare your tenants with a member of Hell’s Angels
on a riding mower and nothing to say he’s supposed to be
there. Have your maintenance company wear uniforms, look neat
and use good-looking equipment.
It doesn’t always take very much to sink the retail numbers
or boost the vacancy rate of your property. You’ll always
be able to spot a Hearthstone Employee by their uniformed appearance
and well-maintained equipment.
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C.
Check lots of references to verify performance.
131 of Middle Tennessee’s best property managers and
owners can’t be wrong when it comes to hiring exterior
property maintenance services—they use Hearthstone.
And 37 of them have been doing it for more than 5 consecutive
years. Ask for a COMPLETE customer list, and be sure to
check out at least 10—anyone can send you a list of
3 of their friends. Don’t be a sucker.
And
one of the easiest AND most important references to check
…
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131
of Middle Tennessee’s best property managers
and owners can’t be wrong when it comes to hiring
exterior property maintenance services—they use
Hearthstone. And 37 of them have been doing it for
more than 5 consecutive years.
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D. Get
a Better Business Bureau Reliability Report, on-line at
www.middletennessee.bbb.org
. Check out Hearthstone and all our competitors. Is your current
maintenance company even registered?
E. Some shady operators don’t have the appropriate state-issued
Pesticide/Herbicide License. Are you at-risk for their work?
The BBB recommends you check to see that landscape contractors
are licensed for application of pesticides and herbicides. Not
all landscaping companies who do this really are licensed—and
some with good cause. Over 80% of first-time applicants fail to
be approved for this license. Hearthstone passed the first time
we took this rigorous exam.
